↓ Advertise on Defender2 ↓

Home > General & Technical (L663) > Cross shopping Defender vs BMW M3T
Post Reply  Down to end
Page 2 of 2 <12
Print this entire topic · 
Caterham



Member Since: 06 Nov 2008
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 6293

England 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Stornoway Grey
very sensible head on.....

buy a transit van Mr. Green Thumbs Up


Click image to enlarge


sorry - just couldn't help it. Off Topic
Post #1049746 25th Oct 2024 11:41am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
billy2shots



Member Since: 23 Oct 2024
Location: England
Posts: 12

United Kingdom 
Thanks for all the replies.
It's good to get varied opinion and reasoning behind it.

Booked to drive the D350 tomorrow with the family.
Already got 4.9% discount in place with two dealers so will try and squeeze that up if we decide to go for it.


Another question if I may, on finance.

I've got the cash but the best discount will be taken PCP. Presumably the go to ' cancel and pay off within 14 days' is still the go to method. JLR / Black horse don't have previous for not making this work do they?
Post #1049751 25th Oct 2024 12:44pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
billy2shots



Member Since: 23 Oct 2024
Location: England
Posts: 12

United Kingdom 
Enjoyed the test drive 45 minutes on our own.

For better or worse we've decided to go ahead with the Defender.
Hope we get a good one.

X-Dynamic HSE
D350
Pangea
Black signature square
Air suspension
Black pack exterior
HUD
Detachable tow bar
Clearsight mirror
Caraway interior
Dark grey crossbeam
Classic mud flaps
Gloss black wheel arch protection

Managed 5.5% discount plus gloss black spare wheel cover and deep sided rubber mats
Post #1049951 27th Oct 2024 5:28pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Moo



Member Since: 01 Oct 2021
Location: UK
Posts: 1315

Ukraine 
Sounds good. Thumbs Up Eiger Grey MY23 D250 SE with bits. Known as Noddy.
Post #1049953 27th Oct 2024 5:42pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Crazymind



Member Since: 11 Jun 2024
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 115

United Kingdom 
Great choice! And great colour combo!
If you didn’t yert, add the cold climate pack and rear lsd ( not cheap but aftermarket is 4 times more expensive).
Cooled seats I found them very good when travelling to Europe during the summer. The cabin of the defender gets incredibly hot during the summer.
5.5% not bad. But I got 7%.
Post #1049954 27th Oct 2024 5:45pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
pjm-84



Member Since: 12 Apr 2021
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 657

United Kingdom 
billy2shots wrote:
Thanks for all the replies.
It's good to get varied opinion and reasoning behind it.

Booked to drive the D350 tomorrow with the family.
Already got 4.9% discount in place with two dealers so will try and squeeze that up if we decide to go for it.


Another question if I may, on finance.

I've got the cash but the best discount will be taken PCP. Presumably the go to ' cancel and pay off within 14 days' is still the go to method. JLR / Black horse don't have previous for not making this work do they?


As long as its not a business purchase....went to do this on an ID3 but as its was a business lease there was no 14day cooling off period. If its non business you have the 14day cooling off period
Post #1049956 27th Oct 2024 5:51pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
billy2shots



Member Since: 23 Oct 2024
Location: England
Posts: 12

United Kingdom 
Crazymind wrote:
Great choice! And great colour combo!
If you didn’t yert, add the cold climate pack and rear lsd ( not cheap but aftermarket is 4 times more expensive).
Cooled seats I found them very good when travelling to Europe during the summer. The cabin of the defender gets incredibly hot during the summer.
5.5% not bad. But I got 7%.



Heated and cooled seats as standard. Cold climate only adds heated washer jets on this trim.

Everything I read suggests the second elec diff is only needed for extreme off-roading. And unless you plan on going to paid for specially designed courses, it's probably not needed.
Green landing, muddy fields etc shouldn't be an any issue with stick set-up.
Post #1049959 27th Oct 2024 6:09pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
billy2shots



Member Since: 23 Oct 2024
Location: England
Posts: 12

United Kingdom 
Crazymind wrote:
Great choice! And great colour combo!
If you didn’t yert, add the cold climate pack and rear lsd ( not cheap but aftermarket is 4 times more expensive).
Cooled seats I found them very good when travelling to Europe during the summer. The cabin of the defender gets incredibly hot during the summer.
5.5% not bad. But I got 7%.



Heated and cooled seats as standard. Cold climate only adds heated washer jets on this trim.

Everything I read suggests the second elec diff is only needed for extreme off-roading. And unless you plan on going to paid for specially designed courses, it's probably not needed.
Green laneing, muddy fields etc shouldn't be an any issue with stick set-up.

Obviously you guys have first hand experience so I stand to be corrected
Post #1049961 27th Oct 2024 6:11pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Crazymind



Member Since: 11 Jun 2024
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 115

United Kingdom 
I’d double check for the cooled seats.
When I was building MY25 cooled wasn’t on the X-HSE. Also terrain response will give you the wade sensors which have been deleted on MY25.
Cold climate pack will give you heated washers and headlights washers ( is worth for the price asked).
Post #1049963 27th Oct 2024 6:25pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
billy2shots



Member Since: 23 Oct 2024
Location: England
Posts: 12

United Kingdom 
billy2shots wrote:
Crazymind wrote:
Great choice! And great colour combo!
If you didn’t yert, add the cold climate pack and rear lsd ( not cheap but aftermarket is 4 times more expensive).
Cooled seats I found them very good when travelling to Europe during the summer. The cabin of the defender gets incredibly hot during the summer.
5.5% not bad. But I got 7%.



Heated and cooled seats as standard. Cold climate only adds heated washer jets on this trim.

Everything I read suggests the second elec diff is only needed for extreme off-roading. And unless you plan on going to paid for specially designed courses, it's probably not needed.
Green laneing, muddy fields etc shouldn't be an any issue with stick set-up.

Obviously you guys have first hand experience so I stand to be corrected




14 way heated and cooled seats. Not sure what else to say, it's listed nice and clearly.
Post #1049970 27th Oct 2024 6:56pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
Eric Caterpillar



Member Since: 17 Jun 2024
Location: Scotland
Posts: 23

Scotland 
Morning, saw the Defender chat on a different BMW forum.

For what's it worth, I was cross-shopping the Defender with the M3T at some point early in the process, as much as I thought driving the M3 was very close to a base 911 (if you can call these base) I had driven at Silverstone, the beemer was a bit too compromised as a family car, mainly due to hard suspension, small-ish boot, and lack of space behind myself (6"2). Mind I've had 3 BMWs before at the customer service was always excellent. The mpg didn't bother me that much as I am used to getting to low 30 on a motorway cruise in my old AMG E53 estate.

The Defender won on the overall package, lots of space inside and the quality of its suspension setup is impressive. Plus in the HSE trim it gets a lot of equipment as standard. Easily gets 35 mpg without trying hard and a 90 litre tank means I should be getting some serious range on our European trip every year. Managed to negotiate good deal (twice, as the D300 order was cancelled by JLR in May), however, my car is now on hold due to a recall action. No courtesy car, no nothing, not even a firm ETA.

I have started looking at other options if my dealer can't sort this recall out, mainly looking at used Cayenne S (pre facelift), BMW F90 M5 Comp LCI or even a S class diesel.

I sold my Merc early October, so have been relying on wife's Toyota since. Couple of reasons why I sold the E53 was - harsh ride even in Comfort on air springs, compromised second row, transmission tunnel eating into my left leg footwell space and most important, after covering 20k miles in 18 months, 16k miles out of which in the UK, all 4 alloys were buckled due to the state of disrepair of our roads. I only found out about bent alloys in Germany when trying to close the speedo, the car was not staying straight and had to wrestle with the steering wheel. Hence why I think the Defender is a perfect car for my local roads, it's an off road course in its own right.
Post #1050006 28th Oct 2024 7:40am
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Reply with quote
XplusYplusZ



Member Since: 16 Aug 2021
Location: UK
Posts: 476

've had my Defender 110 for a couple of years now and after a fairly painful insurance hike this renewal I got the itch to consider switching. I went and kicked some tires of the usual suspects:
SUVs: Cayennes, Macans, X5s, X7s, Q8s, Q7s, Merc GLS & GLE..
Wagons: Taycans, Panameras, 5 estates, 3 estates, A6, A5, E-class.

A few important points clarified in my mind:
1. Whilst I dearly love a bit of early summer morning heal and toeing. With the dog and my infant son almost always in tow, and living in central London, I can't remember the last time I had the opportunity to really give it the beans. So whilst I could afford something nippy, the reality is it would be 500 horses sat around getting very bored.

2. Interior space, 2nd Row comfort, and the option of a 3rd Row have become a far bigger priority than pulling off rice pudding skins.

3. I do actually use my Defender as it was intended far more than I'd expected - whether it's scrambling up a rocky private lane to a remote airbnb, or stuffing it full of suitcases, babies, dogs and family for weekends away, Winter Storm XYZ floods half of Britain or I bust out a 2000 mile trip to the south of france - I can't count the number of times my smug face has come out and the Defender has been more than up to the task.

4. I still want a cool car that I love walking up to in the morning.

As such, for my particular use case:
Fast wagons generally have crap rear seating and would be a huge waste of horse power in the Capital of 20mph.
Of the non-JLR SUVs, I think the Defender is easily the lesser spotted and least boring of the lot. I think only a G could top it for rugged good looks. I do like the taycan but they're not getting me around rural France without a lot of range anxiety.
The Range Rovers would be of interest, but they are an even more painful step up in arse gouging insurance BS.
A Disco would be the next best alternative, but unfortunately, I have eyes.

In my honest opinion, a really nicely specced Defender is the bees knees as a family vehicle. Unless you are regularly hurling yourself down good B-roads, or you have the FU money to insure a Range Rover.
Post #1050066 28th Oct 2024 5:27pm
View user's profile Send private message View poster's gallery Post Reply
Post Reply  Back to top
Page 2 of 2 <12
All times are GMT

Jump to  
Previous Topic | Next Topic >
Posting Rules
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum



Site Copyright © 2006-2024 Futuranet Ltd & Martin Lewis
DEFENDER2.NET RSS Feed - All Forums