► Month two with our Land Rover Defender
► Flooded roads and torrential rain not a problem
► It’s part of the family now and very characterful
Light body rocked by gales, chunky tyres blasting through flooded roads and torrential rain, fish and chip picnics in the boot: the new year saw us battle 700 miles to Cornwall and back in the Defender, and it proved superbly stoic.
There’s a Buddhist phrase: ‘The Journey is the Reward’, and the anachronistic Defender is part of the story of any trip, very much a member of our family now, integral to adventures, experiences, and my cricked neck from the askew driving position. Like a dotty aunt, it’s mildly infuriating, yet hugely lovable.
Read the previous long-term update here
Logbook: Land Rover Defender 110 Station Wagon manual
Price: £43,495
As tested: £43,495
Miles this month: 898
Total miles: 1022
Our mpg: 23.9
Official mpg: 25.5
Fuel: £186.18
Extra costs: £0