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Land Rover Defender 90 has been discontinued and replaced by Defender L663.
Part of Land Rover Defender 4.5 
4Land Rover Defender 90

Land Rover Defender 90

 Verified
4Land Rover Defender 90
4.4

13 reviews

Positive vs Negative
93%7%
Build Quality
4.5
Value for Money
4.0
Noise Level
3.0
Jaswinder
JaswinderVIC
  90

Very bad experience with Defender 90 – Bought Defender 90 Brand New, in the 3rd week it started feeling that whenever engine turned on car vibrates for good 10-15 seconds. Then after 9 weeks software blew including the screen & speedometer. Rest is fine. Show details

Jubei
JubeiWA57 posts
  90

Special feels when driving – excellent 2nd vehicle, its a weekend car, definitely not a city car. i fell in love with it the first time i saw it in the show room. cars like this makes you feel very special as there is nothing like it on the road. you will not find the character and charm in another vehicle. new defender coming out at the end of 2019 is definitely not a… Read more

defender. if you have one, hold on to them as long as you can and pass it onto your kids, these cars will outlive you!

Elsie C
Elsie C6 posts
  90

Amazing – It may seen old but it works a treat! I bought it second hand and is in good condition and I asked the person were they got it from and all this stuff and soon fell in love it is the best for off roading and fits 5 people and can fit 7 if we had 2 seats added it!  Show details

Rav
Rav10 posts
  90

Can I choose 10 stars? – It’s a different feeling. It’s hard to manoeuvre, uncomfortable, no airbags & loud. But who cares! The best 4x4 ever & goes anywhere. Approach & departure angles and ground clearance unbeatable. And the character that you don’t get in any other 4x4. The Army uses them for a reason! Ain’t selling mine ever!  Show details

Floater
Floater14 posts
  90

Owning one is addictive – Incredibly built car that is capable of anything you throw at it. The constant 4wd is an incredible safety feature which actually doesn't contribute significantly to fuel consumption as so many believe. It has a full aluminium roof rack and still averaged 11L/100km. It is a great balance between tarmac and dirt driving. Not suitable for… Read more

the tall person and also if you have a weak left knee - clutch is heavy and cabin is small.

Stock clearance is much higher than most 4wd. I had a friend who recently purchased a Hilux SR5 and my stock clearance was much higher than his even after he had put bigger wheels on.

Collin_58
Collin_583 posts
  90

Better than a Toyota Hilux SR5 – I'm a Camping & 4WD enthusiast. I owned a 2008 Hilux SR5 Dual Cab TD for a little over 8 years before upgrading to my dream car...Lando. Over the course of the 8 years owning the Hilux I spent about $20K on it making a little better here & there: bigger intercooler, suspension/shocks, brakes, exhaust, wheels/tyres, etc, etc. and the list of things… Read more

I still wanted to modify to it were endless. It always needed (sometimes wanted) more. I'd find something else that wasn't quite...right. It kept bottoming out in ruts, needed a change in gear ratio because it wasn't low enough for the rough stuff and so on.

So when I heard that they were to stop making the Defender I had to make a call and get my hands on one (2015 Defender 90). Thinking that I'd have to part with more of my hard-earned on upgrades, I was pleasantly surprised at how capable the stock Defender is on the tracks (in both the really boggy stuff and the rubble). I was able to keep up with an 80 series Land Cruiser (that had 35" tyres on a +7" lift, turbo, 3" exhaust, engine re-map) and a GU Patrol (33" tyres, 2.5" lift, 3" exhaust, engine map re-tune, diff lockers).

It was after this trip that I realised despite the initial expense for the vehicle, there is very little that I NEED to do to it. It's already a star performer.

It'll remain a classic, looks the part, isn't made of cheap plastic or light-weight body parts like most cars are these days. Looking forward to some epic adventures!

Zach
Zach
  90

Nothing compared – 1995 NAS Defender 90 soft top AA YELLOW, 5 speed, 3.9 liter Gas engine Original owner Acceleration: very good Top speed: 100 MPH if pushed Handling: Installed anti sway bar, tightened up cornering nicely Towing ability: can tow heavy loads Interior noise: loud with soft top Better with fiberglass hard top You… Read more

will get seepage when it rains, almost none with the hardtop. AC cools adequately, but in the warm weather the top should be off for God sake. As should be the window tops. Heat works, but when its really cold, dress warm. Interior is spartan, but can get wet and dirty and is easily cleaned. Not much legroom. Generally not very comfortable.

It has been very reliable and easy to fix if something goes wrong, but you need a qualified mechanic. It is probably one of the only vehicles that I still love driving 22 years later. I drive it at the beach for a month and to the mountains for a month. Turns a lot of heads, get a lot of offers to buy it. Iconic vehicle. Period. If it grabs a hold of you, it is the best you can buy, and is worth every penny.

Roy G
Roy G8 posts
  90

My New Best Friend – I always wanted a Defender 90 - my hand was forced when the final sales deadline was June 26 last year. A long 8 month wait & finally my new best friend arrived. Have done around 4,000 kms now & it gets better every day. Was surprised by its power & prowess on road & how good it is the the rough stuff. It is much more comfy than I expected &… Read more ·  1

everyone I know wants a ride - the drivetrain takes some getting used to but once mastered - it is great. Also surprised how good the brakes are. If you have ever hankered for a Defender 90 - just do it! The only vehicle that puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. I also like the camaraderae that comes from Defender ownership - it's a small & exclusive club. Enjoy!

Sean
Sean17 posts
  Verified 90

It depends on your perspective – If you've never been in one before.... It's loud, clunky and slow. It turns like a tugboat, the aircon & heating are ordinary, there's nowhere to put your right arm, they have very few creature comforts, stones hitting the (non lined or undersealed) inner wheel arches will scare the crap out of you. It's too tall to fit in most city underground… Read more

carparks, and the fuel tank is too small. When you wade (or in heavy rain) your feet will get wet, and the seats don't recline... But none of this will matter to you because it not only looks awesome, but is one of the most capable off-road vehicles on the planet.

Roger
Roger8 posts
  90

An Old Friend – Having been around 4x4's for most of my life (first car memory was a Land Rover Series 2a) - and having owned most of the major brands out there over the past 40 years, I found myself purchasing a new 2.2 Defender 90 a few months ago without a test drive - why... it was on the bucket list and time was running out on being able to buy a new one -… Read more ·  3

so what started out as a "Moment of Madness" has turned into a rather unique friendship!

Why a friendship - well as we all know, friendships are built on compromises (nothing is perfect), but for me (and some others) - the D90 is less compromising than most. On-Road it can be hustled along at speeds that would take a little explaining and Off-Road.... well when the going gets really rough - short'ies come into their own.

Have not meet anyone without a good memory of either owning or having a ride in a D90 - kids queue up to go anywhere in them and hopefully will grow up with great memories of what is now considered by most to be a modern antique!

The motor - Fantastic, just get a snorkel fitted as the induction noise will drive you nuts!

The Gearbox - Excellent having 6 speeds - 1st is low but starting off with a full load means that you are never slipping the clutch

Seats - much better than you would expect!

Economy - getting better by the day and is entirely speed dependent - slow down to 100kph and it is excellent.

Towing - beats my Patrol 4.2TD.

Range - you are likely to be looking for fuel in the 4-500km range - the plus side is that there are no more $130 bills when you fill up!

In summary - what others said was my "Moment of Madness" is turning out to a life long friendship. One thing is for certain - there are going to be great days and others where you go "Really"!!!!

Jeff
Jeff2 posts
  90

Part of the family – Ive had landrovers since '78 and other cars in between , There is just something about the defender I and my wife love , I've purchased a 2011 2.4 litre 90 with all the fruit and in the process of sellng my terrific low kms '95 110 300tdi.(no air con.) I love the new dash and still like the high driving postion.Yes they do have there moments… Read more

,so to speak, but so did all the other 4x4s that I have owned in the past .You cannot beat the friendly WAVE from the other Defender owners on the road . Our Defender is garaged along with my wifes Disco 3 .the perfect partnership!

Peter J
Peter J4 posts
  90

A modern link to a wonderful heritage that you can enjoy every time you drive it – These are probably the last vehicles built today that were originally designed to be dismantled in the field if necessary modified easily due to the complete bolt together construction and expected to last for years doing what they were made for. Many users in modern times do not even understand why some features are part of this vehicle and are… Read more

sometimes seen as shortcomings like the way the body leaks like a holy bucket when driven through a river. But have you ever wondered why the tight as a drum Toyota or Nissan wagon starts floating away at the rear end and the Defender just plods across without floating even though the inside is not full of water then pees out draining water on the other side, well have a look inside the rear and those wheel boxes that seem to be the right size for a bench seat either side are made to reduce the boyancy of the rear cargo area in deep water thereby keeping all its wheels on the ground where they should be. Yes these do limit the amount of storage area when compared with other vehicles that have wheel arches but I am happy with a little less space in the rear and actually make it across a river than have the vehicle float down stream and maybe lost or drown. Yes they are quirky but you can't help but respect the vision for fit for purpose that the original designers had in when they were first made 1948.

Mike Honcho
Mike Honcho12 posts
  90

The Best! – When you buy a Defender your not only getting the greatest 4x4 of all time but one of the most iconic vehicles ever made. When you buy one your joining a club. Get ready for other Defender owners to wave to you as you drive by. Kids will want you to take them driving just because it looks so different. If the Defender were a man it'd have a chest… Read more ·  1

full of War medals. These are the vehicles that opened up Australia and Africa. They've been the choice of Armies the world over for decades and for good reason. And best of all they don't age like other cars. The old ones look like the new ones!

200, 300TDi's are great but a little gutless. If you can get a TD5 even better and they tune up great if you need more power. Keep up the service and these vehicles will literally last forever.

Learn to work on them, they are agricultural and quite simple when you get a little experience.

Watch out for idiots who have owned and abused them. These cars are designed to go through hell and back but they need to be serviced properly so watch out for Defenders that have been neglected or submerged in salt water.

Find a good workshop and beware of mechanics who lack Land-rover knowledge their ignorance will cost you money. I really do think there are a generation of mechanics that only know how to work on mainstream vehicles. These are the guys that will burn you beware.

They say that 70% of these vehicles are still on the road since they were released in 1948 which is a testament not only to their reliability and quality but to their worth as a classic or collectible vehicle. 4x4 ability second to none, character and it's just FUN OK when it rains I sometimes go around a corner and get water on my lap

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