Car Mechanics ran an article some 2-3 years ago on a TD5 Defender and also on other LandRovers. To call these vehicles "an example of British engineering" is only correct if you think British Engineering is shoody design and ill thought out and badly executed concepts..

Any engien designed to allow oil from the engine to seep into the ECU - with inevitable consequences- is a disgrace.

I suppose that, as with French cars, there are some good Land Rovers about but they need to be looked after - and as Buster says with a good independent garage to do it.

The trouble is that LRs aren't shiny new French cars to be kept immaculate and treated gently. For many - especially in the case of Defenders - they are tools of the trade which will be worked hard every day and quite possibly neglected. Japanese 4x4s can take this - LRs can't.

QUOTE:...""1st - they are the only manufacturer to have a minimum of 70% of one of their models ever produced still in fully working condition and on the road, imagine 70% of VW Beetles still on the road ""

But a large proportion of those will have had new chassis, engine, transmission, diffs, alluminium body panels, plus patches welded where the steel bulkhead has rusted through.

I also wonder how recent that 70% survival figure is, since I think the number of Land Rovers (by that I mean Defenders and Series) I see on the roads seems to have diminished somewhat in the last couple of years - and I live in a rural area. Lots of Series l, ll and lll Land Rovers were lost to the scrappage scheme, apparently.

Edited by Sofa Spud on 27/08/2012 at 10:30