Does anyone have experience of this vehicle?
Preferably the four door variation.
Got a mate who's interested in one

Probably no help but I had one in the late 90s, a 2 door Sahara version 4 litre petrol. It was an absolute hoot to drive, loved it!! Engine was bullet proof, would go pretty much anywhere and you could take the roof off. As I said, not helpful but fond memories

Pop over here http://www.birtydastards.com/frm/index.php?action=forum and ask the question. You'll need to be a bit more specific on year but these boys know their stuff and are a helpful bunch.

Like Rosco, I had a 4.0 TJ Auto which was a marvelous vehicle although the soft top is not the easiest to open/shut. I sold it in January, at a considerable profit, added some somoleons and bought a Merc SL. No more skinned knuckles when I take the roof off now.

As a choice of utility 4WD vehicles is as capable as a Defender and much more usable. Be quick though as the early ones are starting to go the same way as Defenders on price i.e. up. Not as quick so far but it won't be long. 2017 5.0 Autobiography Supercharged
2005 Merc SL350
2005 Disco HSE 2.7 oil burner

I see Nene Overland are tarting them up now, they look well after they've had a go at them

They look great but are not great to drive or to be in. Both new and old are fun to own but not as an everyday car. My last one... (JWS GE01 TJ - JEEP WRANGLE SAHARA GARY ELLIOTT 01 "TJ" )

I used to take mine on holiday

Yes, lots here.
On road they're Defender like. (That's not a compliment.)
They can be optioned and modified to be very capable off-road, but in regular spec many bits are far too flimsy 'out of the box'.
A 4x4 friend has one. When he lived in the U.K., he rebuilt a Series III and had a Disco tdi. So he knows his 4x4s. He got the Jeep because it was priced well, but he's a mechanic and knows when it's going to get in trouble and really had to baby it, or just not attempt bits where stock Defenders, D1s and D2s had no problems.
Also been on another trip with a fully kitted out Jeep with 37s and full lockers. That was a well modified truck and its performance was very impressive. Very, very impressive. The cost was well into new FFRR territory.

Have a look at Autocar from a couple of weeks back, did a best off roader test, came out on top in the rough stuff, better even than the D5 through the mud and crud!

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industr...s-compared There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
KIA E-Niro 4+
2021 Discovery 5 D300 MHEV commercial

i had one new back in 2010 and sold it after two months of ownership - bought an FFRR after it.

It is so full of plastic....

Tell your mate to buy an Defender instead.

Have done, but I'm not sure he's listening at the moment

I've had several of both, but my heart is still with the Wrangler

Not the best photo, but a Defender can't go from hard to to this in a couple of minutes -

I trialed 4x4's for a good number of years and when it comes to offroad a Defender will leave a Jeep for dead like for like. Yes a tricked Jeep will leave a Defender (probably) but if you do the same mods to the LR it will outmatch the Jeep again.

Depends who's driving




But I didn't want an out & out trial machine - I wanted a convertible in the summer and a play thing for the winter

Soft top Defender then, with a cage for when you have fun

As others have said... I'd be looking at a Defender in this country.

I had a Wrangler in Dubai for a year and it was great for heading into the sand dunes, but that was about it. As soon as you begin to make offroad modifications they become noisy and uncomfortable onroad... (although the same could be said for the Defender)

I don't know what the cult following is like in the UK, but in Dubai one appeal was the large number of other people who had them, who you could call on if/when something went wrong! ...sort of like the LR community in the UK