Skip advert
Advertisement

Land Rover Defender (1983-2016) review – MPG and running costs

An all time classic

Evo rating
RRP
from £25,000
  • Utilitarian icon that demands every bit of your attention to drive
  • Utterly exhausting to drive, ancient, leaky and hopeless on road

Officially the 90 Station Wagon Defender returns a combined fuel economy figure of 27.7mpg, which underlines the Defender’s age as much as anything else. Emissions of 266g/km put it firmly in the 'expensive' tax bracket, which means a £500 hit each year for road tax - or the same as a 5.0-litre Supercharged V8 Range Rover.

Advertisement - Article continues below

That mpg figure is theoretical, too, so don’t be surprised if it’s more like late teens and early 20mpg on an occasional longer run given the Land Rover’s weight and aerodynamics.

Service intervals are just 12000 miles (or annually) and the Defender is not offered with one of Land Rover’s one payment servicing packs. Tyres should be cheap though and if you’re handy with the spanners you could always service it yourself, as it's not the most complex of machines. Being a Land Rover there are plenty of independent specialists that will look after it for you for less than main dealer prices, too.

In spite of their compromises, Defenders tend to hold their value well and the run-out Heritage versions landing in showrooms throughout 2015 will likely fair even better, though we’re not sure they’ll be investment-grade metal for a while yet - if ever. 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
News

£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV

If you have to have an SUV, a Stelvio QV is acceptable. Now it's being heavily discounted.
8 Jul 2025
New Aston Martin Vantage S revealed – Ferrari Amalfi rival is more powerful and focused
Aston Martin Vantage S front
News

New Aston Martin Vantage S revealed – Ferrari Amalfi rival is more powerful and focused

With a bump in power output among myriad detail changes, the Vantage S could be the ultimate driver’s Aston
8 Jul 2025
MST Mk1 Sports is a more affordable less extreme Ford Escort recreation
MST Ford Escort front
News

MST Mk1 Sports is a more affordable less extreme Ford Escort recreation

Costing a tenth of most made-new classics, the MST Mk1 Sports is comparatively accessible
8 Jul 2025