LAND ROVER
DEFENDER 90 TD5
"The Defender 90 served as our entry ticket into the 4x4 realm. We owe a majority of our experiences to this car."
Year: 2005
Engine: 2.5l 5-cylinder diesel
Horsepower: 122 hp
Mileage: 230.000 km
Color: Cairns Blue
Nickname: Anneliese (in honor of our grandma´s who both share the same name)
Owned: 2016 - 2020
Status: Sold to friendly people in the next city. We have done trips together with both Defenders - so cool!
Background: We knew from a couple of trips with vans and motor homes that we were into the life on the road. But we were also certain from the beginning that we would happily sacrifice the comfort for a smaller vehicle which was capable offroad. We were quickly looking specifically for Defenders because the iconic shape appealed to us (yes, it was that simple) and they were more common - and also more affordable - in our area compared to Land Cruisers for example.
It was no easy task finding a decent car although we scanned car websites all over Europe. We were literally prepared to cross borders and to import a car which met all our needs & wants plus fitted our budget. The production of the classic Defender ended early 2016 - shortly before we went on the hunt for one of these - and so naturally we were not the only ones looking around. The run-out amplified the interest in Defenders even further. After nearly a full year of searching we hit the jackpot: An almost stock Defender 90 TD5 with no major issues and a perfect body and frame was advertised online one morning about a 20 minute drive from our home town. We rushed to the sellers place and picked it up. Our Land Rover journey began.
And what a journey it was. We started of by installing a roof rack and a simple folding roof top tent and just threw our bags of stuff in the back and off we went. Electrical system, fridge, upgraded suspension, gullwing windows, full-size drawer system, a hard-shell rooftop tent and even a compact interior storage setup turned the former trailer-puller into a capable off-grid vehicle. This car widely expanded our travel range and has taught us a lot - from 4x4 driving skills to modifications and maintenance. We were truly sad to see it go.
