Defender 110/90 – Determining Purchase Price
So you’ve fallen in love with the Land Rover Defender, either the 110 or 90 version and are researching an appropriate unit for purchase. The following questions no doubt immediately come to mind:
What is a good deal? And how much should I pay for a given unit?
What do I need to look for to determine a vehicle’s value?
Let’s consider these important questions.
What is a good deal? First off we can’t overlook the fact that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which would explain some people’s choices in clothing and hairstyle. If someone is in love with anything, regardless of it’s appearance, price isn’t a critical marker of worth. Such as with Defenders. Determining an appropriate purchase price for a Defender is sometimes not the most important consideration when one has found an incredible unit. However we’ll try to take a logical approach to determining an appropriate purchase price.
110 vs. 90. The Defender 110 purchase price is usually about 10k CAD higher for an Defender 90 for a unit in similar condition. Not to say that the 90 is inferior in any way, but just that extra row of seats has been prized for years.
Motor choice is an important consideration, not so much for purchase, but for resale value. The north American vehicle market and fuel distribution system for the most part favors gasoline powered vehicles and the Defender has provided motors to match. The usual go-to in a gasoline powerplant is the Ford V8 Puma motor. Manufactured since 2003 and installed in all sorts of defenders since that time have shown it to be a reliable engine that will do whatever the Defender needs it to do. Cruising speeds of 100k can be achieved easily and quickly without the motor having to expend too much effort. This motor is an excellent choice in any Defender, however the resale market does tend to prefer the 2.5 diesel motors that have provided years of stable and dependable service. For this reason the 2.5D and 2.5TD (Turbo Diesel) motors are the favorite of Defender enthusiasts. Robust, long lived, and sufficient pulling power for most needs have shown why this motor is a favorite. Also, not to be forgotten are the 200 TDI and 300 TDI motors, which are also excellent engines for any Defender, however their increased maintenance needs have led some Defender owners to prefer the slightly simpler 2.5D and 2.5TD as their primary engine choice. There have also been some other motors such as the 2.0 gasoline, and the BD 30 options, but these fall far behind the other engine choices with regards to desireability and resale. So not as a rule, but as a general scale in terms of value added engine choices, the following list can be helpful to help establish Land Rover Defender purchase pricing. In descending order according to general consumer preference:
2.5 TD5
300 TDI
200 TDI
2.5 Diesel
Puma
BD 30
M52/2.0 and all other gasoline powerplants.
Now having ranked these motor according to consumer preference it must be stated that any of these motors have run and will continue to power defenders for years. As a personal opinion (the value of which is questionable) any of the 6 motors listed here I would gladly own and run in my Defender. However if I was the constant-vehicle-turnover type, The resale value of the diesel motors would have me lean towards their slightly higher purchase price.
Razzle Dazzle. Don’t be fooled. Defender owners around the world have added more options than can be reasonably even imagined, in hopes of increasing the vehicles worth and sale price. For example it is not uncommon to see the following additions to an otherwise solid defender:
Customized dash panels - complete with switches, cameras, buttons etc.
Zenon lights - All kinds of configurations
Lift kits – 10cm and higher
Window Guards
Roll bars – numerous configurations
These items may be attractive to a buyer, they may catch your interest, and you may even want some of these options in the Defender you chose to buy. However these items do NOT increase the value of a good running 110 or 90. Sellers will repeatedly point to the personalized items they’ve crafted and installed in their trucks in hopes that they can justify the exorbitant prices they are listing their vehicles at. This is simply smoke and mirrors and not to be confused with the high value of a solid running defender, essentially stock, not leaking oil, and rust free. When evaluating vehicles that have been outfitted with such specialized and owner specific items, be sure to compare the Defender with a similar model/motor that has NOT been outfitted with these additional items and insist on similar pricing.
Low Kilometers. Speedos are unfortunately and often rolled back in the countries these vehicles are found in hopes of duping buyers. Again, do not be fooled. The amount of rust, oil leaks, documented maintenance, and running condition of a defender should be your determining factors in establishing value. In developed countries such as Canada/USA we simply accept an odometer for what it says and believe that we’ve found an incredible gem, despite the evidence otherwise. Don’t believe the hype.
Right hand drive. While interesting and possibly a novelty, generally these defenders, in either the 110 or 90 configuration do not fetch as high of a purchase price.
National Geographic Defenders are found and resold throughout Europe, Africa, and the middle east. If not rebuilt, these vehicles are good for donor vehicles to be rebuilt. However they are driven hard and long, and at the end of their life are flogged to a buyer that will have to pay for extensive maintenance and certain repair bills in the future.
Friends, there you have it. This list and evaluation is not comprehensive, nor is it complete, but in our experience of examining these vehicles for purchase/sale obvious patterns have emerged with have allowed us to properly evaluate Defenders based on criterial that matters. We not only want you to have a Defender that you enjoy and treasure, but also one that maintains its value and driveability so that possibly one day, without excessive financial hardship on anyone, it too may be enjoyed by someone else. This way, everyone wins.