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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018   
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well put.
I like the lotus analogy - if lr can pull off an elise it would be worth all the uncertainty, just hope we don't have to wait that long... |
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6th Feb 2014 11:40pm |
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| NoDo$h Member Since: 18 Aug 2007 Location: Buried in deer guts in Dorset Posts: 972 
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What I find interesting is that many who profess their loyalty to the brand are driving 15-20 year old or older Defenders. Hell, my D3 is 5 years old and my Defender is 4, so as far as LR are concerned I'm not their best customer.
You're only loyal when you're buying. Discuss.  
54 Freelander modded for mud 2008 D3 SE 2010 90 XS SW 1978 88 Series 3 undergoing surgery with a new owner 2007 90 County Truck Cab - gone 2006 D3 SE - gone 2004 Freelander Sport - gay 1999 Disco V8 ES rotted to bits |
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7th Feb 2014 12:25am |
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| RockJaw Member Since: 15 Oct 2013 Location: United States Posts: 317  
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Well loyalty requires more than one participant. Loyal buyers need loyal suppliers. If LR ain't selling what we want, well then it becomes real simple, we ain't buying. Loyalty kind of stops working then right? ****CENSORED**** |
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7th Feb 2014 12:47am |
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| What puddle? Member Since: 25 Oct 2013 Location: Reading Posts: 952
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NoDo$h, fair point, mine is 16 years old. Of course though, as Defender owners, we would like the new Defender if it's like our present one (that seems to be the consensus of opinion), but not if it is too sophisticated. I feel sure now that Mr McGovern is absolutely determined to take it upmarket - sort of a beefy, baby SUV. The DC100 looks far more beefy than the baby SUVs which will start coming out from the next few weeks. If you compare it to my favourite, the Taigun http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/volkswagen/ta...4-pictures then the little VW comes out looking like a 'hairdressers' car (no offence intended). But I don't think we're going to get a 4x4 that can be hosed out. There are just too few of us who want that to justify production...I think. Now left.
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7th Feb 2014 7:35am |
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| Pacific24 Member Since: 21 Nov 2013 Location: Europe Posts: 58 |
I think that the point to note here is that Land Rover have moved away from the utility/ military markets and, instead, have focused on SUVs for the masses.
A lot of the Land Rover Defenders I have seen on here are sporting alloy wheels etc. Some are even lowered, which kind of defeats the purpose of the Defender somewhat. Anyway, they have become fashion accessories to many buyers, polished and decorated rather than worked hard and replaced. I think that it will be best to look elsewhere for a utility vehicle after 2015. Sure you can buy an older Defender and fix it up but the utility companies, military users etc won't be doing that. Instead, they will buy a utility vehicle that is fit for purpose. Not a stripped out baby SUV. Land Rover have chosen to focus on mass market SUVs and therefore have no need for a new Defender. After all, it isn't really the best vehicle for the school run in London etc. I just hope Mercedes or Isuzu come up with a good utility vehicle which is tough, has good off road ability and can tow 3500kg plus. And not a pick up. |
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7th Feb 2014 2:40pm |
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| 22900013A Member Since: 23 Dec 2010 Location: Oxfordshire Posts: 3150 
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Although I think it is correct that on the forum many/a majority of the vehicles are slightly blinged-up motors with alloys etc, I don't think that is really representative of the majority of Defenders on the road. You still see a lot of 110 hardtops and 130 cherrypickers especially, and of course many farmers still buy 90 pick ups.
Landrover have moved/are moving away from the utility markets, that I agree with, however I think the reasoning is that it is perceived as damaging to the premium image of the Range Rover etc to produce a proper working commercial vehicle. The irony is that Mercedes Benz seem to pull off that trick without any issues, as do Ford and various other companies. Each Defender sold makes money for the company, especially the higher spec models, I mean do you honestly think the radio costs anywhere close to what Landrover charge for it? You can guarantee that when Landrover kills off the Defender (and at this stage I hope it is just given a dignified send off and left at that) someone (I suspect Mercedes-Benz) will absolutely move in to take over the market that Landrover have abandoned. They seem to be able to sell Unimogs (another vehicle which has undergone little change in over 60- years of production) in small numbers without any issue. I wonder why Landrover can't...or should I say won't. 2011 110 USW 1973 Series III 1-Ton 1972 Series III 1-Ton Cherrypicker 1969 IIA 1-Ton 1966 IIA 88" |
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7th Feb 2014 9:15pm |
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| RobKeay Member Since: 19 Jul 2009 Location: Stafford Posts: 1583 
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A uni mog is £70 to £120 grand and the same for g wagon they don't need to sell many.
They even did a brabus unimog. |
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8th Feb 2014 12:21am |
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| lambert.the.farmer Member Since: 11 Apr 2012 Location: harrogate Posts: 2006 
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At the moment I don't have a replacement vehicle I can buy once the defender goes out of production. I need a short pickup that can tow legal max and such a thing doesn't exist. Yes I can get pickups that will tow but the shortest in just over 5m not nicely under 4m. This only really leaves me with trying to keep increasingly old and over time less and less supported vehicles on the road and with land rovers reputation for excellence is a 20 year old tdci really going to still be operational never mind a 40 year old tdi? Rhubarb and custard let fly with their secret weapon.
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8th Feb 2014 7:24am |
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