Why Now is the Best Time to Buy a Used Range Rover Defender
Range Rover Defender prices are falling drastically, and now might be the best time to buy. Read more about why I think this is one of the best bargains in the SUV market right now.
Why now is the best time to buy a range rover defender
With the evolving used car market, the Range Rover Defender has been a surprising recipient of rapidly dropping prices. The revamped version came out 3 years ago, and we are starting to see lease returns appear on used car lots. A car that was going for 20K over MSRP is now available for 50% of its initial selling price
Some background on the Defender
The redesigned Defender debuted to a lot of critical praise and fit nicely in the Land Rover lineup as a beefy looking off roader that stands out in the city. The Defender won the World Car of the Year “Design of the Year” award and was a long overdue redesign of Land Rover’s original model. The car came out right as COVID was devastating supply chains and new inventory was severely limited. Dealers were frequently asking over MSRP, and the average price for a new Defender was over 100,000 when it first came out, even with the base prices for the 90 model being under 60K
What Land Rover Defender models are available?
The defender debuted with 2 models, the 90 and the 110. The 90 was a 2 door 4 seater and the 110 was a 4 door model. Since then, a new 130 model was launched that is a larger 3 row SUV. There are also several trims, starting from the base “S” model and ranging up to the “V8”. There are also a number of special editions such as the “Carpathian”, “Trophy Edition”, “75th Anniversary” and several others. The engine options are a turbocharged 4 cylinder, supercharged 6 cylinder, and a newly released supercharged 8 cylinder option. The models hitting the market now are the 90 and 110 options with the 4 or 6 cylinder engines.
How much is a user Land Rover Defender now?
Prices have fallen off substantially as more inventory is appearing on the market. It is now not surprising to see multiple options in the 50-60k range of non base models on used car sites. You can pick up 2020 or 2021 models (most of these were actually sold in 2021 and 2022). In a lot of cases, miles are relatively low and still covered under the 4 year, 50,000 mile warranty that the car came with. A carefully shopper can find some options for $45K, but those are sold quickly
How does the Defender compare with the competition?
In the $50,000 SUV category, you are able to get a very capable SUV for the price of a new Jeep Grand Cherokee, VW Tiguan, or the smaller BMW X3 and for a lot less than a comparable BMW X5 or Audi product. Given that the capability and standard luxury features, these are great deals and we expect the price to keep dropping.
How reliable is the Land Rover Defender?
JD Power gave the Defender a 80/100 for reliability. This is a strong score, especially given the brands prior history of frequent breakdowns. This SUV is on a brand new platform and showcases technical expertise of the brands somewhat new owner. This car was designed from the ground up and uses new engines and a new powertrain so the legacy reputation of frequent breakdowns should not apply. Also in many cases you are buying a 2-3 year old car, so maintenance at that point is not a major concern and the warranty can cover a lot of issues.
In summary, should you buy a used Defender now?
In my opinion this is one of the most compelling used car options right now for someone looking for a capable SUV in the 50k price range. The Defender is still new enough where it stands out in the crowd and does not follow the rounded design trend that a lot of competitors are following. I think the price decline on the used car market will continue, and we will see plenty more options in the 45k range. If you are buying a new SUV, I recommend taking this car for a test drive as the capability and tech will rival any new 2023 option from a less luxury brand in the same price range.