I'm always like "what's harry got for me today?" wishing for a restoration project or something. See another boring press car review and sad, I was wrong! Love this type of stuff from Harry. Love seeing him interacting with his son and also driving on a real trip. Harry is #1 for me when it comes to UA-cam auto stuff as far as enjoyment, also learn alot from him.
I did the same trip recently in my ten year old Volvo XC70, worth about £7k. Fantastic comfort, 40mpg, same tyres as you. Very efficient way to make these type of road trips. Plus you can't beat Volvo armchairs for comfort
@@timmunn1932i miss my old ZX!! Was my daily for many years and always made me chuckle leaving the works car park in the snow while all the Porsches and BMWs were stuck or abandoned 😂
Thank you Harry, you've confirmed what I've been thinking for a while, the new defender is the Discovery 4 replacement the disco 5 should have been. Great design, incredibly practical and utilitarian. I've been toying with the D5 or the new defender and I'm now swayed towards the Defender because of this video. Great work thank you.
I have a Jag and it was being serviced so the gave me the Defender for a week as a loaner. It's huge..it handles so well, I can't remember the model but it was a 4 door with a sticker price of 97k and worth every penny. Talk about loaded. I loved it.
@@pobedyposse18 the D5 is better for some people. it's a different ride, gets better MPG than even the 110 (more aerodynamic) and has nicer interior materials. that tiny cargo opening in the Defenders always kills me; I prefer the D5 liftgate and its drop-down platform. there is a market for both.
I’m delivery driver covering a lot of Scotland (and particularly rural areas) When I got my new Merc Sprinter LWB I actually had crosswind/windshear detection & protection system . I thought that was quite a cool feature.
@@gordonmackenzie4512 not sure I’d risk it unless you want ur van to be a plane / boat & end up the drink lol But ive defo had strong gusts in region of 40s out in the Perthshire countryside and down the A9. System kicks in really quick, decelerates and keeps your steering centered. When you’re carrying no loads it stops your whites going brown…
Your tag will work on all gates. Not just the t ones. The t ones simply mean that you must have a tag and cannot pay using a card. I verified this yesterday driving back from skiing
UA-cam is a criminal company which steals data, scams people using it (cheats them out of their revenue), commits fraud on all users as it manipulates, censors, hides, our interactions so that nothing is organic or real, it's instead all totally manipulated and on top of it UA-cam spreads propaganda. UA-cam cooperates with corrupt governments and intelligence agencies to manipulate us and to lie to us, to silence us. UA-cam is the opposite of fair, transparent, open, and made for free speech. UA-cam literally does deals with countless governments and political parties to get manipulation tools for their disposal.
regarding the drag coefficient: its actually probably worse! Because the frontal area of the Defender is probably a good bit bigger than the RR sport. To get the true value, its Cd x Frontal Area. So even if two cars report the same Cd, if one is larger its still draggier. IMO it would be much better for the industry if they were to report the full Cd*A value. Because as it stands, manufacturers are able to make claims if very slippery cars due to low Cd values, but cars are typically a lot bigger than before, so its not as good as they make it sound!
Was just about to comment this. Completely agree as it really hides any true drag comparisions you wish to make, especailly when comparing your typical saloon/estate/hatchback with your typical SUV.
Very well explained. I meant to make a similar comment but I'll better give yours thumbs up instead! I think you nailed the exact reason why the manufacturers won't quote the frontal areas of their cars unless forced by legislation. We need to raise awareness of this among the driving public and lobby the lawmakers to change the rules and make the manufacturers publish the full Cd*A values. And the proper wet weights including optional equipment, since we're at it.
Strangely enough I made a similar comment on a video on another channel. ( A video covering the TVR 440R). The car has a relatively poor CD but wins on cross section. The video maker did not have Harry's experience and understanding. The Defender would be no less functional with a little better aero but might lose the aggressive look, the fuel consumption is certainly a big difference though.
If we all drove normal-sized cars with a ~150-200bhp engine, weighing ~1,500kg, with a small electric motor that would do 40 miles on a charge, our personal transport environmental problems would basically be sorted. (And it would be safer for cars/pedestrians we hit.) Most of us could do that. We don’t need pointlessly heavy SUVs/crossovers (you can have an estate for extra space). We don’t need 500bhp in a family car. Or even 300. And we could still have sports cars, etc. for occasional fun. The current situation is what happens when you let people selfishly do whatever they want - and allow big businesses to propagandise them through advertising to ‘choose’ to drive needlessly large vehicles.
I think that having the solid side panel at the rear makes it look considerably better than the weird half window panel I’ve seen on most defenders. Great video as always Harry.
I have had a Defender 110 for some years now, and love it to bits. It is such a competent jack-of-all-trades. It is equally at home on the motorway, on Swiss mountain roads, or driving across horse-meadows to work on the fences. When towing, horse-trailers are hardly noticeable. Thanks to its square-cut shape and excellent cameras parking is a breeze in daylight. The only thing that really bugs me is the fuel consumption that you highlight well. I have not yet taken my Defender on the Chunnel, but you having to go on the extra-height wagons brought back memories. Many, many years ago I was working in Arnheim in Holland (yes where the infamous bridges are). One Thursday evening, leaving the customer site, I was faced with the option. turn right for back to home in Switzerland, or left for a surprise visit to my parents in the UK. It was a wonderful evening, and I was sitting in a bright yellow Caterham Super Seven, so naturally I turned left for the UK. At the French end of the Channel Tunnel they took one look at my Super Seven, and told me that I needed to go into the extra-height wagons! The reason: It was in the middle of a foot-and-mouth scare; all cars needed to drive through a disinfectant "foot bath". Apparently the bath on the route to the normal wagons was so deep that it would flood my Super Seven, while that of the extra-height wagons was shallower.. My Seven was so low that I managed to drive past the cabin of the French customs without them noticing until I was well past. After strenuous calls of "Arrett, Arrret Par bleu!" I had to reverse back ...
Stay away from the defender just real trouble managed to sell mine back to dealer after 15 months of fighting with rattles whistling turbos etc etc Lost 15 % to get out of the deal bought lc 300 you have been warned
Great stuff, I done a 2000 mile trip before Xmas in my 110 p300. France, Luxembourg, Germany and the Swiss alps, most comfortable trip I’ve ever done in a car, no fatigue whatsoever, even on an 8 hour stint. I managed 25mpg for the whole trip. As long as stay at around 70mph that is, and I have the roof rack and ladder as I use the defender for work. Car was packed to the roof in the back, the clear sight mirror came into its own (rarely use it in uk) was getting around 420 mike range to a tank. Not too bad, spent a lot less on petrol than I thought, so more money for beer!
Yes a BMW Diesel ...thank god not a JLR one . I wonder if Harry will comment on the likes of me who purchased JLR on his recommendations to find out after 3 years and 30k miles the engines expire and JLR want nothing to do with you ????
If we all drove normal-sized cars with a ~150-200bhp engine, weighing ~1,500kg, with a small electric motor that would do 40 miles on a charge, our personal transport environmental problems would basically be sorted. (And it would be safer for cars/pedestrians we hit.) Most of us could do that. We don’t need pointlessly heavy SUVs/crossovers (you can have an estate for extra space). We don’t need 500bhp in a family car. Or even 300. And we could still have sports cars, etc. for occasional fun. The current situation is what happens when you let people selfishly do whatever they want - and allow big businesses to propagandise them through advertising to ‘choose’ to drive needlessly large vehicles.
Like you said Harry it ticks all boxes. Supermarket. Adventure holidays, country estate shoots . Does not look out of place rolling up outside the Dorchester or some small market town . Class in all area's . Well done Land Rover.
Had my 130 for 6 months now, love it to bits. two dogs and double buggy. Ticks all the boxes. With the 3 row seating even managed airport run, 4 adults and 2 babies plus all luggage
My Defender 110 D250 gets an easy 35 mpg in the same conditions. In the summer I got better than 40 mpg. The 130 is a bit heavier but the cd will be about the same so I’m surprised there’s such a difference. The mpg is noticeably influenced by headwinds though. We like the 110 so much we’ve just ordered a RR Sport D300 as well, in fact a near identical spec to yours, so pleased to hear you’re enjoying that.
Just drove a standard 110 2.4 tdci to the Alps and back, fully laden with all the family and got 27mpg. We were cruising mostly at 110-120kph rather than the 130kph limit though.
@antonioperez3206 I actually live in Switzerland with another home in the mountains so I’m more than familiar with the conditions. The majority of that drive through France would have been on flat to undulating roads. It only gets hilly as you get near the Alps.
Had that D300 engine in a Velar, absolutely fantastic power unit and in the Velar I was regularly getting in excess of 50mpg, given the performance I thought that was incredible.
After years of buying expensive 4x4's like this and fast estates etc, I recently bought a Transit Custom 185ps with auto box. It's fabulous, banish the snob factor and enjoy what is one of the best driving, do everything modes of transport you can buy. Just ordered the new 4x4 version which will no doubt be even more capable and better appointed inside.
Great video as ever. I must say I think the economy isn’t too bad for a car of that performance, size and shape. I used to tool around in a ‘99 Range Rover 4.6V8 which had no real performance and did 16 to 20mpg on a good day. It also had terrifying handling and high speed stability. There still a strong argument for diesel cars, my current daily is a Mercedes C220d which I bought new 3 years ago. It gives 60 to 70 mpg on my rural driving routes which equates to a 900 mile range. I only need to fill it up once a month which is just so convenient. Last year I got hold of a Bentayga hybrid for an 800 mile road trip which was a great way to travel but we never actually found anywhere where we could charge it up (chargers in use, temperamental domestic circuit breakers, didn’t have the right app, no 4g to load apps) so did the whole trip on petrol at 23mpg…..
Excellent review video, Harry, with the bonus of some wonderful scenery. I've had my D200 110 for over 3 years now and it's still brilliant. When I bought mine during lockdown, they were still pretty new (and a rare sight on the road) and the range of engines wasn't like it is now. The additional load space of the 130 would be useful on our family holidays but otherwise difficult for me to justify the extra cost. The 500+ mile range I find great for family trips - unlike my Discovery Sport which had a woefully small tank. Oh, and unlike my old Defender, it keeps the oil in and the rain out. 😊
Really enjoyed this video, as a skier and car lover this was perfect. I just came back from a 1500km round trip to Livigno, Italy. Did it in a B5 Volvo XC90, 2021 model year. Air suspension in the xc90 is brilliant, the space inside the cabin gets a 10/10. Engine is 235hp mild hybrid diesel, gave us 9.5liters/100km range. Defender is cooler than a Volvo, but Volvo is definitely a good value for a hell of a lot of car.
For reference that’s the same my X5 30d uses with a trailer and a car on the back. Without the load it’s around 7.7-8L. Downsizing does not make sense in big sheds….
@@writeStevie yep. Totally agree. Six cylinder diesel BMW has always been my fav. No sense in 4 cyl powering a 2+ ton family suv. Although we were cruising on highways at 150kmh with Thule roof box on top, so not that bad, but still
Real situations… real unbiased review!! I had a disco 3 for years. Was reliable until the last year when it started costing however it had done 140k on the original clutch 😳. It did everything a family car should and even helped start my business by acting as a van for the 1st 18 month. Family holidays in UK and France. Hauled everything everywhere with bike racks and roof boxes… A new defender would be on my list but £££££££. Superb film as always etc..
Same with the defender it’s so expensive! We bought a 90 v8 for tooling round between Enniskillen and our farm only 12 miles, brilliant for that but so expensive.
Same with the defender it’s so expensive! We bought a 90 v8 for tooling round between Enniskillen and our farm only 12 miles, brilliant for that but so expensive.
Same with the defender it’s so expensive! We bought a 90 v8 for tooling round between Enniskillen and our farm only 12 miles, brilliant for that but so expensive.
Same with the defender it’s so expensive! We bought a 90 v8 for tooling round between Enniskillen and our farm only 12 miles, brilliant for that but so expensive.
Same with the defender it’s so expensive! We bought a 90 v8 for tooling round between Enniskillen and our farm only 12 miles, brilliant for that but so expensive.
Enjoyed that. Similarly we drove 2400km trip from Dublin to Courchevel 1850 and back last winter in a BEV @ -10ºC, easy peasy. One night on the Ferry to Cherbourg and one night half way across France. 20 stall Ionity every 20km on the French auto routes made it easy. We only charged when we stopped for restroom and coffee breaks, typically 15mins on CCS. Normally I'd take the diesel, but my inner nerd just wanted to try the EV, so took a VW GTX. No EVSE in Courchevel, so climbed 6000ft from Moutiers up to resort with enough juice to get up and back down again to collect family from the Geneva train. Pleasantly surprised how easy and convienient it was. Excellent professional videos on this channel.
That rant over your sons' skis sounds so familiar. As as snowboarder with multiple boards and a son and a father, you are making these videos so real. Great job, Harry!
As an ex Range Rover Sport owner with the Sdv6 3 litre diesel engine , I got 33mpg over 55k miles from new over 5 years….with my 2021 Mercedes 350de, I have averaged 52 mpg over 24k miles from new…..it’s a no brainer as they say! Also, I do feel more confident about reliability going forward. It’s a great choice as an alternative to both these cars…
I had a C63s back in 2016, quite a few issues with it in the first year, 4 cylinders stopped working, (quite alarming having the whole engine shake before limp mode kicked in) noisy clicking fuel purge valves that had to be changed, and a recall for something. Had 2 land rovers since, a defender for last 3 years, never had a single problem with either. Just luck with any high end new vehicle I suppose
The road trip vids are all awesome! We also had a Suzuki Jimney years ago, the side winds were an absolute nightmare, as well for a VW Sharan VR6. When we were driving at the coast of Belgium and Netherlands during strong Westwinds we thought we would be blown away
A small note in your rear view mirror you can use the switch on the middle of the rear view mirror and switch the camera on that’s roof mounted! Takes a little bit to get used to but means you can pack the back to the gunnels without a rear view issue! 😊 top job and love how you say “carpathian”grey… 😅😊😎👌
Fun trip Harry, as you have done previously with the FF and Bentayga! You might be a fan of of these Pirelli non-3PMSF all-season tyres, but the rules are changing in France from the 1st November 2024 - and only dedicated winter tyres (3PMSF) or winter rated all-seasons with 3 PMSF or chains will be accepted in mountainous areas. The standard M+S all-season tyres without 3PMSF as you have on this Defender, will no longer be accepted, no matter how highly you rate them - unless you are carrying a set of chains. I’d always still have a set of proper winters in the Alps, especially on a £90k car!
Hi Andrew. You got in a little before me re the changing requirements regarding all season tyyes being fitted in winter months in Europe. We have been touring Germany for many years, in March and then again in October. Since about 2010 ( I think ) all seasons have been acceptable in Germany and I, like Harry, have been fitting Pirelli Scorpions to my cars. However as I wrote in my previous post, they will not be acceptable in Germany in 2024.on any road. Full winter tyres will be a legal requirement. In your post, you mentioned that dedicated winter tyres will be a requirement in France....in mountainous areas. May I ask please if you know whether they will be a requirement in ALL areas and roads ? Many thanks
@@mary-roserussell8097In Germany all-season tyres are and will continue to be legal, as long as they have the M+S and the three peaks snowflake symbol. The same will apply to France.
With respect, I don't think this is quite correct. The French government site indicates "À partir du 1er novembre 2024, elle couvrira uniquement les pneus identifiés par la présence conjointe du marquage « symbole alpin » (reconnu sous l'appellation « 3PMSF » (3 Peak Mountain Snow Flake) et de l'un des marquages « M+S », « M.S » ou « M&S »." i.e. some all-season tyres will still be legally usable, if they have both 3PMSF and M&S markings. I have Michelin Cross Climate 2 tyres on my everyday car (a 2023 Honda Civic) so that I can use it year-round and these have both markings. So worth checking closely the spec of the all-season tyres you fit if you plan travelling in France.
@@mary-roserussell8097 it’s on the French government website, but I can’t post a link here. It’s only mountainous areas, so all of the French Alps and quite a long narrow strip on the east from Strasbourg all the way down to the Alpes Maritimes north of Nice.
@@Julianpms Julian well yes as long as you have the 3PMSF symbol, then it doesn’t matter what else it written on the tyre additionally, M+S or otherwise. My point is for those that have only the M+S symbol, like the standard Land Rover all-season tyres which Harry is using here, then you still will need a set of chains in the car from 1st Nov: ‘A partir du 1er novembre 2024 Seuls les pneumatiques 3PMSF seront admis en équivalence aux chaînes. L’achat et l’utilisation d’autres « pneus neige » resteront possibles, mais les usagers devront dans ce cas, détenir en plus, des chaînes pour circuler du 1er novembre au 31 mars dans les zones concernées par la mesure.” Translation: “From November 1, 2024 Only 3PMSF tires will be accepted as equivalent to the chains. The purchase and use of other “snow tyres” will remain possible, but in this case users will also have to have chains to travel from November 1 to March 31 in the areas affected by the measure.”
Super review which highlights Land-Rover's confused line-up. Sorry- this next bit is a ramble: In May 2022 we ordered a D250 Defender 100 as replacement for our ageing Discovery 4. By November 2022, the D4 had some large bills looming, its trade-in had reduced and the fund I was planning to use for payment had reduced. This was compounded by L-R increasing prices substantially. And, after months they still could not give us a delivery date. We cancelled that order (Marshalls in Melton-Mowbray transferred our deposit across for us) and bought a 2020 Discovery 5 with money left in the savings account for repairs. It is the 3litre V6 as opposed to the more modern D300 that Harry reviewed in the Defender 130. The car has proven to be excellent. Close to 40mpg on long motorway runs. Tows a 3T horse trailer with ease and still achieves sensible mpg. And we can open the rear door fully with the horse trailer attached - I never did satisfy myself that this would have been possible with the Defender. The only downside is that, seats folded, we can only get 11 bales of shavings in the D5 where we could fit 12 in the old D4. True, the Defender has a more practical interior but fitted rubber mats in the D5 work well.
1) Harry slowly integrating Charlie into the HG and HF franchises, true family business succession planning, implemented right before your eyes! Wisdom personified… 2) Here in the USofA, the big supercharged V8 is still available across the LR/RR lineup, but as a former fan/owner of a RR Autobiography 5.0V8 SC model, I was surprised to find out that, based upon my own informal research of various USofA vehicle resale websites, at least 50% of RR pre-owned models available are equipped w/ the V6-SC power train 3) on the price difference btwn the 110 and the 130, in the USofA, the large truck platform based 4WD SUVs (Escalade, Suburban, etc), the basic 5 seat/length version and the extended 9 seat/long wheelbase versions are about $5k up-charge price difference, so the $10k LR price difference is maybe a bit much
If I were a farmer / large real estate owner plus frequent long trips with 4 people, I'd love this. Looks cool, nice ride. However in the more urban environment, I'd choose a van / combi, maybe 4x4. The Transits, VW T6.7 , the Renault Traffic, Stellantis vans carry more people and more stuff and usually consume less. You probably wouldn't even need to option the long versions for the same amount of gear, rather go for 5m or shorter ones. I know, once you choose the luxury ones like V-Class & co, they cost nearly as much as the 130 in top spec. But they world be still more practical for most of us.
Great review. Its hard to get over all the terrible JLR reports regarding theft, parts shortages, unreliability and insurance issues. It would be really useful to here your take on this.
Journos rarely talk about reliability otherwise they would stop getting free use of such cars! Personal experience says it won’t be reliable and LR will be terrible to deal with…
Having driven 3 different new Defender110's including a trip 1200 meters up a hill into the Atholl Estate in Scotland on off road tracks in the snow. It is the most capable car I have ever driven apart possibly a Toyota Hilux on full off road tyres which took me along a river bed, across a grouse moor and a ploughed field lamping foxes many years ago in rural Aberdeenshire. The 130 looks perfect for a large load carrying vehicle on long journeys in difficult weather exactly the type of journey you did..
First - I like your reviews. For the type of trip you did - I agree the 130 looks like the tool for the job. I have had a Discovery 2 and 3 and now a Discovery 5 (with rubber mats). Have done plenty of European driving in each and would be equally complimentary about the current Disco. Last trip to Spain (D300 engine) got 35mpg. Admittedly its not a 130 and we were 2-up (plus a dog) not 4. Its got all the cabin/door storage nooks and crannies of the Defender - but most are enclosed so more secure and neater in my opinion. The drop down inner tail-gate is also great for picnic/coffee stops etc. I think there is still a place for the Discovery 5 in the line-up - it's just not for everyone. Keep up the good work
I couldn’t agree more. The Discovery 5 is exactly what Harry says it should be. It’s a proper LR product (as long as you spec 2 speed transfer box and fit the mats from the Discovery commercial). In D300 guise the Disco 5 offers everything which the Defender 110 & 130 do. We use ours on a farm towing and long motorway trips. Spec carefully (SE with a couple of options?) and you’ll end up with a cheaper more capable vehicle than the Defender.
@@kevinlyons9716 Glad I'm not alone as a Disco 5 fan. Yes - SE, low box plus deployable tow-bar. And a full size spare. We had a tyre slashed in France and ended up changing the wheel - I was so glad we had the full spare (although getting it out from under the car is tricky so I'm going to take a boiler suit in future so I can lie on the ground without messing up my clothes).
Please please keep doing these videos Harry, they are simply superb for us petrol (and Diesel heads) I run a 2024 RR Sport with the D300 engine, and like you am so impressed with the refinement and economy. Love the handling too as mine is a Dynamic SE model. I think you are the best motoring journalist by a country mile. Mark Jones (Lancashire)
Great road trip test. Love a real world experience. Thanks H for sharing your journey. Channel is the best on YT. Looking forward to more great content in ‘24. 🏆🥇
Enjoyed that! Thanks. My Q7 50tdi was bought for similar situations - 4 up and long trips and that shows c.700 miles on a full tank and it eats up the miles. It does 40-45mpg depending on load, wind direction and pace. Great type of car for long family trips. Seeing this video and the comments made me think to get another set of wheels with winter tyres on
@smurf9857 & @harrysgarage Just trying to decide between the Q7 50TDI and the Defender 130 what would be your preference? We travel to the south of France to see the in-laws a lot so need a good cruising vehicle.
I thought the Q7 was far better value. I got a 11.500 mile car that was 2.5 years old for approx £30k off the new price. It’s the Vorsprung model as well so it’s well equipped and lovely place to be. I don’t need or want the off road capability and I think the MPG is better than a defender as well (depreciation might be higher on mine though)
@@smurf9857 Thanks, appreciate the reply I will only be leasing eitehr vehile for 3 years, looking at the Vorsprung as well had a test drive for a weekend and it's a great vehicle there's just something about the Defender that appeals!
Great video! 130 is a serious family battle bus isn’t it! The V8 isn’t that bad on fuel - you’d be surprised! I get ~380 miles per tank or about ~20/21 mpg on a motorway run, even with BFG KO2s. Better than the p400e I had!
Great stuff as usual! I was driving behind one of these on Friday, and I thought it looked really good - I liked the light clusters, but that's quite a chunk of change :) Size is relative... we did a great a road trip about 4 years ago, around various US National Parks, and it made me smile in the car parks, when I saw Range Rovers made to look small beside various pick-ups!
Charlie is a lad after my own heart! I was a ski hoarder, I kept my first pair of skis for skiing on when the snow was a bit threadbare plus they were great doing tight turns being 190 cams. I then brought a lovely pair of skis that were longer at two metres and they were so good for skiing fast on piste. Then my shorter parabolic skis that were great on and off piste but twitchy as if really tankin* it as they took so little effort to turn. Fortunately I didn’t travel with all three, I don’t think my dad would have let me. My dadand Ileft our second sets in the resort we owned a flat in, then used a big box on roof. I just realised, you were staying in the neighbouring resort to where I skied for many years in flaine. Where you were driving down to the hairpin I; one of the shots as you spoke about your journey home, in the summer, you can drive up the slope off road from th3 outside of the hairpin lower down, past that hairpin to the one above it in a land river with low box in the summer! The diesel just saunters up in low box diff lock, and saunters back down, saving about 3 minute# if you’ve got coaches etc. we even put chains on one year as the run was closed! Great to see you’ve got a Range Rover sport. I love the look of the defender 130 and 110. I guess the mpg differs because you’re comparing a breeze block to a pebble.
A Sunday evening with a Harry’s Garage upload…just perfect.👌 Your road trips are some of my favourites and this was no exception, loved the spec, the journey and the father and son banter! (New Rolex Harry?😁)
Swedish viewer here. Harry, I understand you not wanting a roof rack. But do try a Thule box. We call them ski boxes. Perfectly suited for skis and actually not horrible for wind noise, consumption etc. + they are lockable and mounted to the rack from inside the box so reasonably theft proof (althought nothing really is...).
I just bought a 2020 Defender 90 P400, really looking forward to picking it up in a week! It's the cabin that sold it for me, it's very nice but honest and rugged, with actual buttons.
Thanks Harry for another excellent video. Now on my 4th Land Rover and currently have a P300 Defender 90, non-MHEV. Now retired so a diesel to "nip" to the shops was probably going to present issues. LR reckon that its overall fuel consumption is 25.2 MPG however I get 27-28 MPG just on local runs. However, when I've covered a longer trip (300 miles) the consumption has improved to 36-37 MPG but you do need to keep your speed to 60MPH and not use the cruise control. Looking at your trip the high fuel consumption might also be attributed to the cold weather where the Wabasto water heater to keep the engine at optimum temperature was probably running all the time and using more diesel, my Disco 3 in the winter did the same thing and also dropped to 27MPG from 32MPG in the summer. Just a thought?
That thing about the Wabasto water heater - I find that very puzzling. Is this a diesel burning heater, or an electrically powered heater? I had never heard of these being used on UK spec cars. The reason I ask, is because I am certain that no diesel engine needs extra heat to keep the engine at the correct operating temperature (~90° C) whilst driving on the motorway at 70mph. The engine is producing more than enough heat at that load, and would be constantly bleeding off a small amount of the hottest coolant to the main radiator to maintain its ideal temperature. Diesels are super efficient when idling, and I have myself been very surprised to see my properly hot engine losing heat when idling in cold winter weather, especially when I used the internal heater to blow hot air into the car. But not cruising on the motorway. If your discovery used more fuel in the winter, it's possible your engine thermostat was not opening at the correct temperature. My guess was that it was opening too soon, and the engine was therefore running slightly too cool. But, please tell me about this Wabasto system, because I don't know anything about that.
Have you tried putting the drive mode in dynamic on the motorway to combat the cross winds? The ride is still comfortable but it might make it more stable
Well, there's a good example on why cars that are intended to go mostly on motorways and such should be shaped like high speed trains and not like bricks... Not at all surprised by the bigger fuel consumption, to be honest.
The Defender was originally designed to mostly go on farm tracks. Trying to translate that design language into a modern vehicle and make it as aero as possible is impossible.
Well done Harry for singing the praises of diesel - we've just bught a new diesel, need a workhorse and they maybe few and far between in a few years. The amount of diesels available in the UK is down to 65 from around 200.
Great review. I’ve had a 110 for a few years which replaced a Discovery 5. Both are amazing vehicles, although the Discovery is more versatile. I live in Canada so have no MPG worries.
Another fantastic video Harry! Having just done the same journey to the alps in my 2023 Hilux I was also pleasantly surprised at how easily it ate up the miles, whilst being full to the brim with luggage. Average MPG was however pretty poor at 25mpg.
This is why you are the best, facts, numbers for comparison and educated opinion for real life comparison. It is also apparent that Rover listened to customers at built what they asked for not what accountants and design specialist dreamed up in the back room while finding ways to cut cost to balance the books! In the end as always you give the public what they want and they will pay a premium, if you do not, they will not buy know matter how much the cost savings are! Now the big elephant in the room, Reliability in the long haul! Not a big issue for wealthy on occasional ski trip but as a daily driver, the entire Range rover lineup must get better, or it will end up in the dust bends of automotive history!
I used to drive Land Rovers of old years ago ie 109s an ex army 1968 lightweight a 101 left hooker with the V8 and did an off road driving course in a 90 that 130 is a cracking vehicle and i really enjoyed that review.👍👍
Over the course of 6 years, leased two range rover sports... 3 years each. First was the old body style and the second was the new body style which is still in production. Honestly, I don't know why they get so much critique... I found both of them to have a solid ride, super quiet, and the seating position was phenomenal. Doors weren't huge or heavy, getting in and out was a breeze, perfect height for me (6' 1"). Also had a BMW x5, but that ride was terrible, could feel every gear change which was like a thump, took it to the dealer several times said its normal. During idle could feel vibration in floor of car from engine... even today, my father has a brand new BMW 7 series and you can feel the engine vibration in the floor when stopped/idle. If you have the money, nothing like a range rover. Only my Tesla gives a more smooth ride... but that's a different animal. I love how these Defenders look, but I'll wait for the new RR Sport body, and probably lease a new one. Love these cars.
I believe that the problems lie with the people who are the third owners of your leased car. Those tend to be aspirational buyers and might not be able to do all the preventative maintenance and inherit differed maintenance. Suddenly four or five thousand dollars worth of work are needed on a vehicle that isn't worth all that much. We hear those negative stories much more often than the owners who did not have any problems to report.
Harry always gives you the real world review, which is refreshing to these annoying UA-camrs you get everywhere. I agree about the Defender as I have the commercial X Dynamic 300…thanks tax man 👍 I love the style, the space, the usability, the feeling of luxury without been over the top. Had a 3 Vogues previously, but now see them as pretentious, chavvy and very expensive. Absolutely love it
As someone who does a lot of snowboarding, choosing the right SUV is pretty important as well. I have to deal with deep snow a couple of times and need the ground clearance as well as the AWD capabilities. I too have more than one snowboards for different conditions and it cracks me up when Harry talks about Charlie's ski collection. I love near ski resorts so having my own equipment just makes more sense than renting.
Nobody who has £100k to spend on a defender is going to worry about fuel consumption, because they already have more money then sense for buying this car, at this price.
This vehicle is in stark contrast to how locals easily get around in the Alps in France; Dacias and Skodas all on winter tyres managing quite happily. And all the delivery drivers and shuttle buses buzzing up and down mountains in Transits and Transporters, again on winter tyres because they’re mandatory. You don’t need a three ton Defender shaped like a house brick to reliably get to France and back.
It does astound me that with 26 years of tech advancements the new 130 gets 1 mpg more than my original 130 with 35 inch mud terrains. (Granted I can’t do 70mph though 😂)
Love Harry's Garage. The 130 is the exact same dimensions as the 2023 Range Rover SWB Harry. I have the Plug-In Hybrid Petrol 2023 full size Range Rover SWB. Absolutely love it. Best car I've ever owned.
It’s almost a pickup with an inbuilt load bed cover The father in law recently took delivery and finds himself grabbing the keys over the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid.
The first peage with the tag is always the most nervous…..😂. I’m currently in week 4 of my 6 week Alps trip. I’m not an SUV fan so my long distance car of choice is a Volvo V90 Cross Country with a roof box for the skis and boots. 37mpg for the trip thus far and at a total height with box of 1.97m, we can use the 2m height restricted tag lanes. And….great choice of resort. Les Carroz is a lovely, charming town albeit we’ve never stayed there. Skiing and cars in the same video…..brilliant!! Oh, and yes! All seasons are remarkably good. For years, we’ve been Cross Climate fans for all our (non sporty) cars.
Another great video…but considering the extra weight of 4 people and all the ski gear in the car bit surprised that you’re so surprised on the reduced MPG Harry?
I think that MPG is actually quite impressive when you consider what was in it. If you did the same trip in say a 2.0 passat with a roofbox and ski rack which you would need, that would probably be doing about 30 MPG as well while everyone would be squished.
@@FranzTraininand I was thinking the same - 26.8mpg sounds OK to me given the size and weight being moved. Who knew farmers were so sensitive to fuel consumption.
@@tillyfoxtrotterI can imagine 30 MPG vs 40 MPG over 10/15k miles a year around town and whatnot is significant enough to consider as your only car. But the storage space on this 130 more than makes up for it IMO.
Proof Harry is one of the premier motoring journalists in the world.
I'm always like "what's harry got for me today?" wishing for a restoration project or something. See another boring press car review and sad, I was wrong! Love this type of stuff from Harry. Love seeing him interacting with his son and also driving on a real trip. Harry is #1 for me when it comes to UA-cam auto stuff as far as enjoyment, also learn alot from him.
What proof?
Yeah, he 'says what it does on the tin'. I watch for the humorous verbal clangers as much as anything.
He's lying .... would you spend best part of 100k on that...
Cough sputter gag.
I did the same trip recently in my ten year old Volvo XC70, worth about £7k. Fantastic comfort, 40mpg, same tyres as you. Very efficient way to make these type of road trips. Plus you can't beat Volvo armchairs for comfort
We drove over the Alpes to Saint Tropez in an £850 Citroen ZX with 200,000 miles on it!
Our last road trip in France we averaged 52 mpg diesel.
@@timmunn1932i miss my old ZX!! Was my daily for many years and always made me chuckle leaving the works car park in the snow while all the Porsches and BMWs were stuck or abandoned 😂
@@timmunn1932I did Paris to Barcelona in a 400 euros Fiat Uno, sold it in Barcelona for 1800 euros, came back to Paris with plane.
Perfect car for it
Harry's garage is a fabulous channel but the road trips are what I enjoy the most!!
Me too. I was in hospital for a week in September, and spent much time living vicariously through Harry's road trips. It was a great binge.
Thank you Harry, you've confirmed what I've been thinking for a while, the new defender is the Discovery 4 replacement the disco 5 should have been. Great design, incredibly practical and utilitarian. I've been toying with the D5 or the new defender and I'm now swayed towards the Defender because of this video. Great work thank you.
First world problems-!!
That’s funny, because I watched this video and decided the D5 was the better choice!
I'm still smitten with my 2016 Discovery 4. I still think it compares favourably with the new Defender.
I have a Jag and it was being serviced so the gave me the Defender for a week as a loaner. It's huge..it handles so well, I can't remember the model but it was a 4 door with a sticker price of 97k and worth every penny. Talk about loaded. I loved it.
@@pobedyposse18 the D5 is better for some people. it's a different ride, gets better MPG than even the 110 (more aerodynamic) and has nicer interior materials. that tiny cargo opening in the Defenders always kills me; I prefer the D5 liftgate and its drop-down platform. there is a market for both.
I’m delivery driver covering a lot of Scotland (and particularly rural areas)
When I got my new Merc Sprinter LWB I actually had crosswind/windshear detection & protection system . I thought that was quite a cool feature.
How well does that work on the Skye Bridge with 50mph westerly gusts ?
@@gordonmackenzie4512 not sure I’d risk it unless you want ur van to be a plane / boat & end up the drink lol
But ive defo had strong gusts in region of 40s out in the Perthshire countryside and down the A9. System kicks in really quick, decelerates and keeps your steering centered. When you’re carrying no loads it stops your whites going brown…
@@furryrug5998”end up in the drink” “whites going brown” 😂😂😂British slang is fast becoming a favorite for me
Yeah the old Sprinters were TERRIFYING in cross winds.
Yup, best Discovery made yet....
That’s what I’ve been saying since it came out!!!
Your tag will work on all gates. Not just the t ones. The t ones simply mean that you must have a tag and cannot pay using a card. I verified this yesterday driving back from skiing
Good tip for anyone that accidentally ends up in the ‘wrong’ lane!
When it’s anything to do with cars Harry’s the man he’s so knowledgeable and enthusiastic thanks Harry
Nice for Charlie to spend time with his Dad…my Dad died when I was 8 so I never got to do much Dad/Son stuff….which I miss.
Great video
Aah how sad...
this made me wanna do a winter road trip tbh ❄ ✨
You feel like sitting on a motorway for 10 hours in a hiked-up van that wobbles in the wind?
Fix your website
@youtube commenting on a harry's garage review of a defender 130? i've seen it all now, haven't it
Go for it, always fun!
UA-cam is a criminal company which steals data, scams people using it (cheats them out of their revenue), commits fraud on all users as it manipulates, censors, hides, our interactions so that nothing is organic or real, it's instead all totally manipulated and on top of it UA-cam spreads propaganda.
UA-cam cooperates with corrupt governments and intelligence agencies to manipulate us and to lie to us, to silence us.
UA-cam is the opposite of fair, transparent, open, and made for free speech. UA-cam literally does deals with countless governments and political parties to get manipulation tools for their disposal.
We've got a D300 Defender, our first Land Rover, and it's absolutely epic. Easily one of the best cars on the market. Go for it Harry!
Was the waiting list for a Landcruiser too long?
BMW engine or JLR because if its the later god bless you
@@nickdonovan3220BMW engines not been used in LR for a long time....
@@alistermccallumNo…he just didn’t want to look like a UN Taxi Driver with Orla Guerin in the back wearing a borrowed US Army tin hat! 🙂🙂😱
You must be very rich, well done!
I’m about to hit 50,000 miles on my 2021 110. WOW, it’s an amazing vehicle. Near perfection.
regarding the drag coefficient: its actually probably worse! Because the frontal area of the Defender is probably a good bit bigger than the RR sport.
To get the true value, its Cd x Frontal Area. So even if two cars report the same Cd, if one is larger its still draggier.
IMO it would be much better for the industry if they were to report the full Cd*A value. Because as it stands, manufacturers are able to make claims if very slippery cars due to low Cd values, but cars are typically a lot bigger than before, so its not as good as they make it sound!
Was just about to comment this. Completely agree as it really hides any true drag comparisions you wish to make, especailly when comparing your typical saloon/estate/hatchback with your typical SUV.
Very well explained. I meant to make a similar comment but I'll better give yours thumbs up instead!
I think you nailed the exact reason why the manufacturers won't quote the frontal areas of their cars unless forced by legislation. We need to raise awareness of this among the driving public and lobby the lawmakers to change the rules and make the manufacturers publish the full Cd*A values. And the proper wet weights including optional equipment, since we're at it.
Strangely enough I made a similar comment on a video on another channel. ( A video covering the TVR 440R). The car has a relatively poor CD but wins on cross section. The video maker did not have Harry's experience and understanding. The Defender would be no less functional with a little better aero but might lose the aggressive look, the fuel consumption is certainly a big difference though.
I only entered the comments to see if there was a conversation about this. Very glad it’s been covered.
If we all drove normal-sized cars with a ~150-200bhp engine, weighing ~1,500kg, with a small electric motor that would do 40 miles on a charge, our personal transport environmental problems would basically be sorted. (And it would be safer for cars/pedestrians we hit.)
Most of us could do that. We don’t need pointlessly heavy SUVs/crossovers (you can have an estate for extra space). We don’t need 500bhp in a family car. Or even 300.
And we could still have sports cars, etc. for occasional fun.
The current situation is what happens when you let people selfishly do whatever they want - and allow big businesses to propagandise them through advertising to ‘choose’ to drive needlessly large vehicles.
I think that having the solid side panel at the rear makes it look considerably better than the weird half window panel I’ve seen on most defenders.
Great video as always Harry.
No - it makes it look like a van. The floating pillar on the 110 is nicer looking.
@@brianw289 Ok Brian.
I have had a Defender 110 for some years now, and love it to bits. It is such a competent jack-of-all-trades. It is equally at home on the motorway, on Swiss mountain roads, or driving across horse-meadows to work on the fences. When towing, horse-trailers are hardly noticeable. Thanks to its square-cut shape and excellent cameras parking is a breeze in daylight. The only thing that really bugs me is the fuel consumption that you highlight well.
I have not yet taken my Defender on the Chunnel, but you having to go on the extra-height wagons brought back memories. Many, many years ago I was working in Arnheim in Holland (yes where the infamous bridges are). One Thursday evening, leaving the customer site, I was faced with the option. turn right for back to home in Switzerland, or left for a surprise visit to my parents in the UK.
It was a wonderful evening, and I was sitting in a bright yellow Caterham Super Seven, so naturally I turned left for the UK.
At the French end of the Channel Tunnel they took one look at my Super Seven, and told me that I needed to go into the extra-height wagons! The reason: It was in the middle of a foot-and-mouth scare; all cars needed to drive through a disinfectant "foot bath". Apparently the bath on the route to the normal wagons was so deep that it would flood my Super Seven, while that of the extra-height wagons was shallower..
My Seven was so low that I managed to drive past the cabin of the French customs without them noticing until I was well past. After strenuous calls of "Arrett, Arrret Par bleu!" I had to reverse back ...
Stay away from the defender just real trouble managed to sell mine back to dealer after 15 months of fighting with rattles whistling turbos etc etc
Lost 15 % to get out of the deal bought lc 300 you have been warned
These videos are always very reliable. A top quality video once a week on a Sunday. Top quality.
I used to collect Evo magazine in the 1990's.
Not surprised it uses more fuel. It's a very well engineered brick.
27.6 mpg, Not bad for a brick, but
what’s a steady cruise? Crack on!
That seems worse than my equally if not more brick shaped 3.0 D4.
Great stuff, I done a 2000 mile trip before Xmas in my 110 p300. France, Luxembourg, Germany and the Swiss alps, most comfortable trip I’ve ever done in a car, no fatigue whatsoever, even on an 8 hour stint. I managed 25mpg for the whole trip. As long as stay at around 70mph that is, and I have the roof rack and ladder as I use the defender for work. Car was packed to the roof in the back, the clear sight mirror came into its own (rarely use it in uk) was getting around 420 mike range to a tank. Not too bad, spent a lot less on petrol than I thought, so more money for beer!
Always like your road trips Harry. You can’t beat a good diesel.
Diesel is the future.
Yes a BMW Diesel ...thank god not a JLR one . I wonder if Harry will comment on the likes of me who purchased JLR on his recommendations to find out after 3 years and 30k miles the engines expire and JLR want nothing to do with you ????
For now 😥😥
@@nickdonovan3220 Did you look after it changing the oil every 5000 miles? Hmmm probably not.
If we all drove normal-sized cars with a ~150-200bhp engine, weighing ~1,500kg, with a small electric motor that would do 40 miles on a charge, our personal transport environmental problems would basically be sorted. (And it would be safer for cars/pedestrians we hit.)
Most of us could do that. We don’t need pointlessly heavy SUVs/crossovers (you can have an estate for extra space). We don’t need 500bhp in a family car. Or even 300.
And we could still have sports cars, etc. for occasional fun.
The current situation is what happens when you let people selfishly do whatever they want - and allow big businesses to propagandise them through advertising to ‘choose’ to drive needlessly large vehicles.
This is a man who knows cars. No frills practical advice.
For anyone with distance to cover Diesel is the obvious choice, Very appealing vehicle that 130 👍
As if he cares about the cost of fuel.
Range not cost is the deciding factor.
Like you said Harry it ticks all boxes. Supermarket. Adventure holidays, country estate shoots . Does not look out of place rolling up outside the Dorchester or some small market town . Class in all area's . Well done Land Rover.
The red on the range rover looks surprisingly good
I’m running a 3 liter straight 6 diesel in my Chevy Silverado 1500 and I love it. I get 650-680 range on 22 gallons of diesel on highway.
I do love your road trips, my favourite videos.
Had my 130 for 6 months now, love it to bits. two dogs and double buggy. Ticks all the boxes. With the 3 row seating even managed airport run, 4 adults and 2 babies plus all luggage
Love a harrys road trip 😊 hope there are more planned for 2024 👌
My Defender 110 D250 gets an easy 35 mpg in the same conditions. In the summer I got better than 40 mpg. The 130 is a bit heavier but the cd will be about the same so I’m surprised there’s such a difference. The mpg is noticeably influenced by headwinds though. We like the 110 so much we’ve just ordered a RR Sport D300 as well, in fact a near identical spec to yours, so pleased to hear you’re enjoying that.
I'd say the longer, flat rear would create a lot more turbulent and drag vs the 110.
He’s ploughing through hilly France, up to the Alps at 80mph on a fully laden 130 with people on board. No wondering the mpg is lower than in flat UK!
Just drove a standard 110 2.4 tdci to the Alps and back, fully laden with all the family and got 27mpg. We were cruising mostly at 110-120kph rather than the 130kph limit though.
@antonioperez3206 I actually live in Switzerland with another home in the mountains so I’m more than familiar with the conditions. The majority of that drive through France would have been on flat to undulating roads. It only gets hilly as you get near the Alps.
@@antonioperez3206 except the mpg was the same before he got anywhere near the Alps.
I grew up in diesel Volvo's. With the extended tank option, you would only need a single fuel stop on 'relatively long' journeys
Had that D300 engine in a Velar, absolutely fantastic power unit and in the Velar I was regularly getting in excess of 50mpg, given the performance I thought that was incredible.
Not really. I’ve regularly got mid 50’s mpg in my Jaguar F-Pace 2.0 Ingenium diesel.
@@OldskoolCatflapthe D300 velar is a 3.0 diesel so over 50mpg is very impressive
50mpg?! I’ve got a 2023 velar d300 and average 33mpg. Motorway cruising at 70/80 is 40mpg.
No motorways within 100 miles of here, so mostly A roads at 40-60 mph. I'm usually pretty light footed. @@rorystracey3949
Hi Harry, really enjoyed that review! Especially as I’m picking up a new D300 x-Dynamic HSE 110 tomorrow. Keep up the good work.
After years of buying expensive 4x4's like this and fast estates etc, I recently bought a Transit Custom 185ps with auto box. It's fabulous, banish the snob factor and enjoy what is one of the best driving, do everything modes of transport you can buy. Just ordered the new 4x4 version which will no doubt be even more capable and better appointed inside.
Great video as ever. I must say I think the economy isn’t too bad for a car of that performance, size and shape. I used to tool around in a ‘99 Range Rover 4.6V8 which had no real performance and did 16 to 20mpg on a good day. It also had terrifying handling and high speed stability. There still a strong argument for diesel cars, my current daily is a Mercedes C220d which I bought new 3 years ago. It gives 60 to 70 mpg on my rural driving routes which equates to a 900 mile range. I only need to fill it up once a month which is just so convenient. Last year I got hold of a Bentayga hybrid for an 800 mile road trip which was a great way to travel but we never actually found anywhere where we could charge it up (chargers in use, temperamental domestic circuit breakers, didn’t have the right app, no 4g to load apps) so did the whole trip on petrol at 23mpg…..
I like the amount of lighting in the interior, especially in the back.
Excellent review video, Harry, with the bonus of some wonderful scenery. I've had my D200 110 for over 3 years now and it's still brilliant. When I bought mine during lockdown, they were still pretty new (and a rare sight on the road) and the range of engines wasn't like it is now. The additional load space of the 130 would be useful on our family holidays but otherwise difficult for me to justify the extra cost. The 500+ mile range I find great for family trips - unlike my Discovery Sport which had a woefully small tank. Oh, and unlike my old Defender, it keeps the oil in and the rain out. 😊
Really enjoyed this video, as a skier and car lover this was perfect. I just came back from a 1500km round trip to Livigno, Italy. Did it in a B5 Volvo XC90, 2021 model year. Air suspension in the xc90 is brilliant, the space inside the cabin gets a 10/10. Engine is 235hp mild hybrid diesel, gave us 9.5liters/100km range. Defender is cooler than a Volvo, but Volvo is definitely a good value for a hell of a lot of car.
For reference that’s the same my X5 30d uses with a trailer and a car on the back. Without the load it’s around 7.7-8L. Downsizing does not make sense in big sheds….
@@writeStevie yep. Totally agree. Six cylinder diesel BMW has always been my fav. No sense in 4 cyl powering a 2+ ton family suv. Although we were cruising on highways at 150kmh with Thule roof box on top, so not that bad, but still
Real situations… real unbiased review!!
I had a disco 3 for years. Was reliable until the last year when it started costing however it had done 140k on the original clutch 😳. It did everything a family car should and even helped start my business by acting as a van for the 1st 18 month. Family holidays in UK and France. Hauled everything everywhere with bike racks and roof boxes…
A new defender would be on my list but £££££££.
Superb film as always etc..
Same with the defender it’s so expensive! We bought a 90 v8 for tooling round between Enniskillen and our farm only 12 miles, brilliant for that but so expensive.
Same with the defender it’s so expensive! We bought a 90 v8 for tooling round between Enniskillen and our farm only 12 miles, brilliant for that but so expensive.
Same with the defender it’s so expensive! We bought a 90 v8 for tooling round between Enniskillen and our farm only 12 miles, brilliant for that but so expensive.
Same with the defender it’s so expensive! We bought a 90 v8 for tooling round between Enniskillen and our farm only 12 miles, brilliant for that but so expensive.
Same with the defender it’s so expensive! We bought a 90 v8 for tooling round between Enniskillen and our farm only 12 miles, brilliant for that but so expensive.
Enjoyed that. Similarly we drove 2400km trip from Dublin to Courchevel 1850 and back last winter in a BEV @ -10ºC, easy peasy. One night on the Ferry to Cherbourg and one night half way across France. 20 stall Ionity every 20km on the French auto routes made it easy. We only charged when we stopped for restroom and coffee breaks, typically 15mins on CCS. Normally I'd take the diesel, but my inner nerd just wanted to try the EV, so took a VW GTX. No EVSE in Courchevel, so climbed 6000ft from Moutiers up to resort with enough juice to get up and back down again to collect family from the Geneva train. Pleasantly surprised how easy and convienient it was. Excellent professional videos on this channel.
That rant over your sons' skis sounds so familiar. As as snowboarder with multiple boards and a son and a father, you are making these videos so real. Great job, Harry!
Even funnier as his son was probably behind the camera ;)
@@ivomarkoff We really do live in a small world. I am Bulgarian as well ;)
As an ex Range Rover Sport owner with the Sdv6 3 litre diesel engine , I got 33mpg over 55k miles from new over 5 years….with my 2021 Mercedes 350de, I have averaged 52 mpg over 24k miles from new…..it’s a no brainer as they say! Also, I do feel more confident about reliability going forward. It’s a great choice as an alternative to both these cars…
I had a C63s back in 2016, quite a few issues with it in the first year, 4 cylinders stopped working, (quite alarming having the whole engine shake before limp mode kicked in) noisy clicking fuel purge valves that had to be changed, and a recall for something. Had 2 land rovers since, a defender for last 3 years, never had a single problem with either. Just luck with any high end new vehicle I suppose
I loved it when Charlie pointed out the empty flask😅
The road trip vids are all awesome! We also had a Suzuki Jimney years ago, the side winds were an absolute nightmare, as well for a VW Sharan VR6. When we were driving at the coast of Belgium and Netherlands during strong Westwinds we thought we would be blown away
Harry single handedly propping up JLR.Nice scenery...thanks.
Agreed, although I'm worried if he keeps on promoting diesels he'll end up looking a little ridiculous.
Why would talking sense make anyone look ridiculous?@@nomoreheroes93
A small note in your rear view mirror you can use the switch on the middle of the rear view mirror and switch the camera on that’s roof mounted! Takes a little bit to get used to but means you can pack the back to the gunnels without a rear view issue! 😊 top job and love how you say “carpathian”grey… 😅😊😎👌
Fun trip Harry, as you have done previously with the FF and Bentayga! You might be a fan of of these Pirelli non-3PMSF all-season tyres, but the rules are changing in France from the 1st November 2024 - and only dedicated winter tyres (3PMSF) or winter rated all-seasons with 3 PMSF or chains will be accepted in mountainous areas. The standard M+S all-season tyres without 3PMSF as you have on this Defender, will no longer be accepted, no matter how highly you rate them - unless you are carrying a set of chains. I’d always still have a set of proper winters in the Alps, especially on a £90k car!
Hi Andrew. You got in a little before me re the changing requirements regarding all season tyyes being fitted in winter months in Europe. We have been touring Germany for many years, in March and then again in October.
Since about 2010 ( I think ) all seasons have been acceptable in Germany and I, like Harry, have been fitting Pirelli Scorpions to my cars.
However as I wrote in my previous post, they will not be acceptable in Germany in 2024.on any road. Full winter tyres will be a legal requirement.
In your post, you mentioned that dedicated winter tyres will be a requirement in France....in mountainous areas. May I ask please if you know whether they will be a requirement in ALL areas and roads ? Many thanks
@@mary-roserussell8097In Germany all-season tyres are and will continue to be legal, as long as they have the M+S and the three peaks snowflake symbol. The same will apply to France.
With respect, I don't think this is quite correct. The French government site indicates "À partir du 1er novembre 2024, elle couvrira uniquement les pneus identifiés par la présence conjointe du marquage « symbole alpin » (reconnu sous l'appellation « 3PMSF » (3 Peak Mountain Snow Flake) et de l'un des marquages « M+S », « M.S » ou « M&S »." i.e. some all-season tyres will still be legally usable, if they have both 3PMSF and M&S markings. I have Michelin Cross Climate 2 tyres on my everyday car (a 2023 Honda Civic) so that I can use it year-round and these have both markings. So worth checking closely the spec of the all-season tyres you fit if you plan travelling in France.
@@mary-roserussell8097 it’s on the French government website, but I can’t post a link here. It’s only mountainous areas, so all of the French Alps and quite a long narrow strip on the east from Strasbourg all the way down to the Alpes Maritimes north of Nice.
@@Julianpms Julian well yes as long as you have the 3PMSF symbol, then it doesn’t matter what else it written on the tyre additionally, M+S or otherwise.
My point is for those that have only the M+S symbol, like the standard Land Rover all-season tyres which Harry is using here, then you still will need a set of chains in the car from 1st Nov:
‘A partir du 1er novembre 2024
Seuls les pneumatiques 3PMSF seront admis en équivalence aux chaînes.
L’achat et l’utilisation d’autres « pneus neige » resteront possibles, mais les usagers devront dans ce cas, détenir en plus, des chaînes pour circuler du 1er novembre au 31 mars dans les zones concernées par la mesure.”
Translation:
“From November 1, 2024 Only 3PMSF tires will be accepted as equivalent to the chains. The purchase and use of other “snow tyres” will remain possible, but in this case users will also have to have chains to travel from November 1 to March 31 in the areas affected by the measure.”
Super review which highlights Land-Rover's confused line-up. Sorry- this next bit is a ramble: In May 2022 we ordered a D250 Defender 100 as replacement for our ageing Discovery 4. By November 2022, the D4 had some large bills looming, its trade-in had reduced and the fund I was planning to use for payment had reduced. This was compounded by L-R increasing prices substantially. And, after months they still could not give us a delivery date. We cancelled that order (Marshalls in Melton-Mowbray transferred our deposit across for us) and bought a 2020 Discovery 5 with money left in the savings account for repairs. It is the 3litre V6 as opposed to the more modern D300 that Harry reviewed in the Defender 130. The car has proven to be excellent. Close to 40mpg on long motorway runs. Tows a 3T horse trailer with ease and still achieves sensible mpg. And we can open the rear door fully with the horse trailer attached - I never did satisfy myself that this would have been possible with the Defender. The only downside is that, seats folded, we can only get 11 bales of shavings in the D5 where we could fit 12 in the old D4. True, the Defender has a more practical interior but fitted rubber mats in the D5 work well.
1) Harry slowly integrating Charlie into the HG and HF franchises, true family business succession planning, implemented right before your eyes! Wisdom personified…
2) Here in the USofA, the big supercharged V8 is still available across the LR/RR lineup, but as a former fan/owner of a RR Autobiography 5.0V8 SC model, I was surprised to find out that, based upon my own informal research of various USofA vehicle resale websites, at least 50% of RR pre-owned models available are equipped w/ the V6-SC power train
3) on the price difference btwn the 110 and the 130, in the USofA, the large truck platform based 4WD SUVs (Escalade, Suburban, etc), the basic 5 seat/length version and the extended 9 seat/long wheelbase versions are about $5k up-charge price difference, so the $10k LR price difference is maybe a bit much
Had my Discovery 4 out in the snow today thanks to this video! North of Ireland getting it rough at the moment
If I were a farmer / large real estate owner plus frequent long trips with 4 people, I'd love this. Looks cool, nice ride.
However in the more urban environment, I'd choose a van / combi, maybe 4x4. The Transits, VW T6.7 , the Renault Traffic, Stellantis vans carry more people and more stuff and usually consume less. You probably wouldn't even need to option the long versions for the same amount of gear, rather go for 5m or shorter ones.
I know, once you choose the luxury ones like V-Class & co, they cost nearly as much as the 130 in top spec. But they world be still more practical for most of us.
Fantastic !
I drove a VW Caravelle as a transfer driver in the Alps a few years ago. Always did 38mpg without fail.
Great review. Its hard to get over all the terrible JLR reports regarding theft, parts shortages, unreliability and insurance issues. It would be really useful to here your take on this.
They don’t get stolen
Journos rarely talk about reliability otherwise they would stop getting free use of such cars! Personal experience says it won’t be reliable and LR will be terrible to deal with…
Having driven 3 different new Defender110's including a trip 1200 meters up a hill into the Atholl Estate in Scotland on off road tracks in the snow. It is the most capable car I have ever driven apart possibly a Toyota Hilux on full off road tyres which took me along a river bed, across a grouse moor and a ploughed field lamping foxes many years ago in rural Aberdeenshire. The 130 looks perfect for a large load carrying vehicle on long journeys in difficult weather exactly the type of journey you did..
First - I like your reviews. For the type of trip you did - I agree the 130 looks like the tool for the job.
I have had a Discovery 2 and 3 and now a Discovery 5 (with rubber mats). Have done plenty of European driving in each and would be equally complimentary about the current Disco. Last trip to Spain (D300 engine) got 35mpg. Admittedly its not a 130 and we were 2-up (plus a dog) not 4. Its got all the cabin/door storage nooks and crannies of the Defender - but most are enclosed so more secure and neater in my opinion. The drop down inner tail-gate is also great for picnic/coffee stops etc. I think there is still a place for the Discovery 5 in the line-up - it's just not for everyone.
Keep up the good work
I couldn’t agree more. The Discovery 5 is exactly what Harry says it should be. It’s a proper LR product (as long as you spec 2 speed transfer box and fit the mats from the Discovery commercial). In D300 guise the Disco 5 offers everything which the Defender 110 & 130 do. We use ours on a farm towing and long motorway trips. Spec carefully (SE with a couple of options?) and you’ll end up with a cheaper more capable vehicle than the Defender.
@@kevinlyons9716 Glad I'm not alone as a Disco 5 fan. Yes - SE, low box plus deployable tow-bar. And a full size spare. We had a tyre slashed in France and ended up changing the wheel - I was so glad we had the full spare (although getting it out from under the car is tricky so I'm going to take a boiler suit in future so I can lie on the ground without messing up my clothes).
We own a new Defender 300d in the mountains. It is just soooo good! As an owner you absolutely adore this 'toy'. Nice review Harry, compliments.
Please please keep doing these videos Harry, they are simply superb for us petrol (and Diesel heads)
I run a 2024 RR Sport with the D300 engine, and like you am so impressed with the refinement and
economy. Love the handling too as mine is a Dynamic SE model.
I think you are the best motoring journalist by a country mile. Mark Jones (Lancashire)
Great road trip test. Love a real world experience. Thanks H for sharing your journey. Channel is the best on YT. Looking forward to more great content in ‘24. 🏆🥇
Enjoyed that! Thanks.
My Q7 50tdi was bought for similar situations - 4 up and long trips and that shows c.700 miles on a full tank and it eats up the miles. It does 40-45mpg depending on load, wind direction and pace. Great type of car for long family trips.
Seeing this video and the comments made me think to get another set of wheels with winter tyres on
@smurf9857 & @harrysgarage Just trying to decide between the Q7 50TDI and the Defender 130 what would be your preference? We travel to the south of France to see the in-laws a lot so need a good cruising vehicle.
I thought the Q7 was far better value. I got a 11.500 mile car that was 2.5 years old for approx £30k off the new price. It’s the Vorsprung model as well so it’s well equipped and lovely place to be. I don’t need or want the off road capability and I think the MPG is better than a defender as well (depreciation might be higher on mine though)
@@smurf9857 Thanks, appreciate the reply I will only be leasing eitehr vehile for 3 years, looking at the Vorsprung as well had a test drive for a weekend and it's a great vehicle there's just something about the Defender that appeals!
Great video! 130 is a serious family battle bus isn’t it! The V8 isn’t that bad on fuel - you’d be surprised! I get ~380 miles per tank or about ~20/21 mpg on a motorway run, even with BFG KO2s. Better than the p400e I had!
harry is brilliant, jsut really really really brilliant at giving us information, interesting bloke, no nonsense, right to the point. love it
Great stuff as usual! I was driving behind one of these on Friday, and I thought it looked really good - I liked the light clusters, but that's quite a chunk of change :)
Size is relative... we did a great a road trip about 4 years ago, around various US National Parks, and it made me smile in the car parks, when I saw Range Rovers made to look small beside various pick-ups!
Charlie is a lad after my own heart! I was a ski hoarder, I kept my first pair of skis for skiing on when the snow was a bit threadbare plus they were great doing tight turns being 190 cams. I then brought a lovely pair of skis that were longer at two metres and they were so good for skiing fast on piste. Then my shorter parabolic skis that were great on and off piste but twitchy as if really tankin* it as they took so little effort to turn. Fortunately I didn’t travel with all three, I don’t think my dad would have let me. My dadand Ileft our second sets in the resort we owned a flat in, then used a big box on roof.
I just realised, you were staying in the neighbouring resort to where I skied for many years in flaine. Where you were driving down to the hairpin I; one of the shots as you spoke about your journey home, in the summer, you can drive up the slope off road from th3 outside of the hairpin lower down, past that hairpin to the one above it in a land river with low box in the summer! The diesel just saunters up in low box diff lock, and saunters back down, saving about 3 minute# if you’ve got coaches etc. we even put chains on one year as the run was closed!
Great to see you’ve got a Range Rover sport. I love the look of the defender 130 and 110.
I guess the mpg differs because you’re comparing a breeze block to a pebble.
A Sunday evening with a Harry’s Garage upload…just perfect.👌
Your road trips are some of my favourites and this was no exception, loved the spec, the journey and the father and son banter!
(New Rolex Harry?😁)
Swedish viewer here. Harry, I understand you not wanting a roof rack. But do try a Thule box. We call them ski boxes. Perfectly suited for skis and actually not horrible for wind noise, consumption etc. + they are lockable and mounted to the rack from inside the box so reasonably theft proof (althought nothing really is...).
Looks like a lovely car for the London school run
🥳
Yar… 😂
@@nomdeplume2724 Mmm, ya OK... ? Ciao! :0/
Central London especially.
@@lesflynn4455 Where four-wheel drive is essential to get traction as you chug painfully from stop to stop! :0/
I just bought a 2020 Defender 90 P400, really looking forward to picking it up in a week! It's the cabin that sold it for me, it's very nice but honest and rugged, with actual buttons.
The Outbound comes with the blacked out rear windows standard, I’m not sure why you’d want a 3rd row where you can’t see out of it
I don't get why you don't want rear windows even with 2 rows, improved visibility and cabin lighting plus it looks a lot less like a panel van
I've watched a lot of Harry's videos but I think this is one of the best.
Thanks Harry for another excellent video. Now on my 4th Land Rover and currently have a P300 Defender 90, non-MHEV. Now retired so a diesel to "nip" to the shops was probably going to present issues. LR reckon that its overall fuel consumption is 25.2 MPG however I get 27-28 MPG just on local runs. However, when I've covered a longer trip (300 miles) the consumption has improved to 36-37 MPG but you do need to keep your speed to 60MPH and not use the cruise control.
Looking at your trip the high fuel consumption might also be attributed to the cold weather where the Wabasto water heater to keep the engine at optimum temperature was probably running all the time and using more diesel, my Disco 3 in the winter did the same thing and also dropped to 27MPG from 32MPG in the summer. Just a thought?
That thing about the Wabasto water heater - I find that very puzzling. Is this a diesel burning heater, or an electrically powered heater?
I had never heard of these being used on UK spec cars. The reason I ask, is because I am certain that no diesel engine needs extra heat to keep the engine at the correct operating temperature (~90° C) whilst driving on the motorway at 70mph. The engine is producing more than enough heat at that load, and would be constantly bleeding off a small amount of the hottest coolant to the main radiator to maintain its ideal temperature. Diesels are super efficient when idling, and I have myself been very surprised to see my properly hot engine losing heat when idling in cold winter weather, especially when I used the internal heater to blow hot air into the car. But not cruising on the motorway.
If your discovery used more fuel in the winter, it's possible your engine thermostat was not opening at the correct temperature. My guess was that it was opening too soon, and the engine was therefore running slightly too cool.
But, please tell me about this Wabasto system, because I don't know anything about that.
Followed your advice on the emovis tag a couple of years back - well worth it - life changing for tolls in France :)
Have you tried putting the drive mode in dynamic on the motorway to combat the cross winds? The ride is still comfortable but it might make it more stable
Best reviewer today in any format. Thank you Harry.
Well, there's a good example on why cars that are intended to go mostly on motorways and such should be shaped like high speed trains and not like bricks... Not at all surprised by the bigger fuel consumption, to be honest.
The Defender was originally designed to mostly go on farm tracks. Trying to translate that design language into a modern vehicle and make it as aero as possible is impossible.
Harry is so good at this I can watch him for hours.
Sunday evening is complete…
Sunday Morning in California !😃 point to Lake Tahoe instead of the alps albeit quite a bit closer.
😀
And snooker !
Wooooh
Happy for you; enjoy the week with the family.
Got a 110 had the canal boat for two weeks. Bloody awful and an absolute pain in the backside to park, especially in the euro car park spaces.
Well done Harry for singing the praises of diesel - we've just bught a new diesel, need a workhorse and they maybe few and far between in a few years. The amount of diesels available in the UK is down to 65 from around 200.
Christ! Almost a 100 grand.
Thanks for, yet again, a great review though.
Great review. I’ve had a 110 for a few years which replaced a Discovery 5. Both are amazing vehicles, although the Discovery is more versatile. I live in Canada so have no MPG worries.
Another fantastic video Harry! Having just done the same journey to the alps in my 2023 Hilux I was also pleasantly surprised at how easily it ate up the miles, whilst being full to the brim with luggage. Average MPG was however pretty poor at 25mpg.
Standard hilux economy. Mine is 26 odd over 18000 miles.
This is why you are the best, facts, numbers for comparison and educated opinion for real life comparison. It is also apparent that Rover listened to customers at built what they asked for not what accountants and design specialist dreamed up in the back room while finding ways to cut cost to balance the books! In the end as always you give the public what they want and they will pay a premium, if you do not, they will not buy know matter how much the cost savings are! Now the big elephant in the room, Reliability in the long haul! Not a big issue for wealthy on occasional ski trip but as a daily driver, the entire Range rover lineup must get better, or it will end up in the dust bends of automotive history!
Absolutely love Land Rover /Range Rover it’s a pity they can’t make them reliable and easy to repair !
Anything JLR is going to break catastrophically at some point... Mine has been broken for months.
@@ckm-mkc rubbish, my 2 xf's and 2 f types have been fabulous
@@jase6370 Anecdotal evidence.
Very true, I've spent the last seven years in two XF's, 130,000 miles between the two and not a single fault. Not one.@@jase6370
Totally at the top for unreliable vehicle's..
I used to drive Land Rovers of old years ago ie 109s an ex army 1968 lightweight a 101 left hooker with the V8 and did an off road driving course in a 90 that 130 is a cracking vehicle and i really enjoyed that review.👍👍
Over the course of 6 years, leased two range rover sports... 3 years each. First was the old body style and the second was the new body style which is still in production. Honestly, I don't know why they get so much critique... I found both of them to have a solid ride, super quiet, and the seating position was phenomenal. Doors weren't huge or heavy, getting in and out was a breeze, perfect height for me (6' 1"). Also had a BMW x5, but that ride was terrible, could feel every gear change which was like a thump, took it to the dealer several times said its normal. During idle could feel vibration in floor of car from engine... even today, my father has a brand new BMW 7 series and you can feel the engine vibration in the floor when stopped/idle. If you have the money, nothing like a range rover. Only my Tesla gives a more smooth ride... but that's a different animal. I love how these Defenders look, but I'll wait for the new RR Sport body, and probably lease a new one. Love these cars.
I believe that the problems lie with the people who are the third owners of your leased car. Those tend to be aspirational buyers and might not be able to do all the preventative maintenance and inherit differed maintenance. Suddenly four or five thousand dollars worth of work are needed on a vehicle that isn't worth all that much. We hear those negative stories much more often than the owners who did not have any problems to report.
@@Audi0Surferz The 3rd owners of any product will face problems.
Harry always gives you the real world review, which is refreshing to these annoying UA-camrs you get everywhere.
I agree about the Defender as I have the commercial X Dynamic 300…thanks tax man 👍
I love the style, the space, the usability, the feeling of luxury without been over the top. Had a 3 Vogues previously, but now see them as pretentious, chavvy and very expensive.
Absolutely love it
Great review. Still considering a used Defender 110 but 130 would be a good option if it wasn’t so expensive.
He really is excellent at this
Just driven from UK to Portugal in a G400d and got 20mpg. That Defender seems pretty frugal to me!
That’s horrendous. What was the total fuel cost?
1500 miles, 340 litres , by my maths approx €600
Cheers Harry enjoyed coming along
I've always thought that there's something about the new Defender which sends out all the wrong messages.
Thanks for sharing your Land Rover Defender trip experience.
Would the mpg be impact by the fact you had 4 people + luggage, compared to what you were doing with the RR Sport?
As someone who does a lot of snowboarding, choosing the right SUV is pretty important as well. I have to deal with deep snow a couple of times and need the ground clearance as well as the AWD capabilities. I too have more than one snowboards for different conditions and it cracks me up when Harry talks about Charlie's ski collection. I love near ski resorts so having my own equipment just makes more sense than renting.
Try some SUV from Lincoln...they are marvelous too....
Nobody who has £100k to spend on a defender is going to worry about fuel consumption, because they already have more money then sense for buying this car, at this price.
They might care about range though - 400 mile instead of 750 mile range is a big difference.
I feel like the hyper focus on gas consumption is because Harry is paying for the diesel not the cars he reviews. This created bias while reviewing.
This vehicle is in stark contrast to how locals easily get around in the Alps in France; Dacias and Skodas all on winter tyres managing quite happily. And all the delivery drivers and shuttle buses buzzing up and down mountains in Transits and Transporters, again on winter tyres because they’re mandatory. You don’t need a three ton Defender shaped like a house brick to reliably get to France and back.
It does astound me that with 26 years of tech advancements the new 130 gets 1 mpg more than my original 130 with 35 inch mud terrains. (Granted I can’t do 70mph though 😂)
Has 3 X more power 😂
@@gypsyemperor7535 Agreed, but same speed should be same power. I'd be interested to see the consumption at 60mph so I can compare.
Love Harry's Garage.
The 130 is the exact same dimensions as the 2023 Range Rover SWB Harry.
I have the Plug-In Hybrid Petrol 2023 full size Range Rover SWB. Absolutely love it. Best car I've ever owned.
It’s almost a pickup with an inbuilt load bed cover
The father in law recently took delivery and finds himself grabbing the keys over the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid.
The first peage with the tag is always the most nervous…..😂. I’m currently in week 4 of my 6 week Alps trip. I’m not an SUV fan so my long distance car of choice is a Volvo V90 Cross Country with a roof box for the skis and boots. 37mpg for the trip thus far and at a total height with box of 1.97m, we can use the 2m height restricted tag lanes. And….great choice of resort. Les Carroz is a lovely, charming town albeit we’ve never stayed there. Skiing and cars in the same video…..brilliant!! Oh, and yes! All seasons are remarkably good. For years, we’ve been Cross Climate fans for all our (non sporty) cars.
Another great video…but considering the extra weight of 4 people and all the ski gear in the car bit surprised that you’re so surprised on the reduced MPG Harry?
I think that MPG is actually quite impressive when you consider what was in it. If you did the same trip in say a 2.0 passat with a roofbox and ski rack which you would need, that would probably be doing about 30 MPG as well while everyone would be squished.
@@FranzTraininand I was thinking the same - 26.8mpg sounds OK to me given the size and weight being moved. Who knew farmers were so sensitive to fuel consumption.
@@tillyfoxtrotterI can imagine 30 MPG vs 40 MPG over 10/15k miles a year around town and whatnot is significant enough to consider as your only car. But the storage space on this 130 more than makes up for it IMO.