2002 Land Rover Defender Reviews, Pricing & Specs

It's a Landy - do I need to say more? As you'd expect from something with the aerodynamic styling of a breeze-block, performance on the road isn't earth-shattering. The acceleration is not for the impatient, and the maximum speed is, well, rubbish (you'll be lucky to trundle along at 70mph on a motorway), but I wouldn't say it was too slow. The majority of the power of the engine goes towards producing loads of torque, which means that it never struggles on hills and can easily pull extremely heavy loads. Living in the country, it certainly comes into its own off the road and cannot be faulted when the going gets tough - even on the road in bad weather you feel safe and secure (and quite smug when you happily plough through fords and pools of water up to the bonnet, while lesser car drivers panic at the sight of a small puddle). The build quality is excellent - it is certainly well engineered. That said, there aren't many creature comforts, toys or gizmos to make your journeys any more relaxing - you certainly do need to invest in some decent heavy duty speakers for the stereo, because you'll need to turn it up high just to be heard over the engine! Appearance, well, it's perhaps not going to win any beauty contests, but in terms of classic styling it's a winner - it does exactly what it says on the tin! Overall I love my Landy - it's a bit basic, a bit slow, and handles like a drunken blancmange, but it makes me grin whenever I get in it and that, for me, makes a car worth having. I am never going to use it to cross the Serengheti, or go exploring in a South American jungle, therefore the full abilities of my Landy will probably never be tested during my ownership, but I love it to bits all the same.Aug 14, 2008