Used Car of the Day: 1997 Land Rover Defender 110

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey

I've said it before, but I have a weak spot for 1990s Land Rover Defenders.

So this one has me considering lottery tickets. It's a pricey 1997 Land Rover Defender 110.


It's left-hand drive, so it will be easy to wheel around these United States -- and Canada. The turbodiesel engine apparently runs well, and the mileage is an estimated 127,000.

Updates and upgrades include LED lights, 16-inch Land Rover alloy wheels, a new steering wheel, and a complete replacement of fluids and filters about a year ago.

It's a five-speed manual -- be still my heart -- and in addition to the engine, it appears the brakes and power steering function properly. The headliner is new and the gauges work.

There's apparently no rust and there is an aftermarket Bluetooth stereo.

There are relatively new mud tires on the rig.

Are there flaws? Just a few. Minor fluid "weeping" on the differentials and smoke puffs upon start up.

If the price wasn't similar to a Dark Horse Mustang, I'd be all over this Texas-based four-wheeler. Click here if you feel similarly.

[Images: Seller]

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Tim Healey
Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

More by Tim Healey

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  • Kwik_Shift_Pro4X Kwik_Shift_Pro4X on Mar 20, 2024

    I like this. About the age (and older) I'd look for in a Land Rover.

  • ToolGuy ToolGuy on Mar 20, 2024

    "this one has me considering lottery tickets"

    • If you had taken half my advice you would own the building you live in by now.

  • Susan O’Neil There is a good reason to keep the Chevrolet Malibu and other 4 door family sedans! You can transport your parents and other somewhat handicapped people comfortably and safety! If someone can stand and pivot you can put them in your car. An armrest in the back seat is appreciated and a handle above the door! Oh…and leather seats so your passenger can slide across the seat! 😊Plus, you can place a full sized wheelchair or walker in the trunk! The car sits a little lower…so it’s doable! I currently have a Ford Fusion and we have a Honda Accord. Our previous cars were Mercury Sables-excellent for transporting handicapped people and equipment! As the population ages-sedans are a very practical choice! POV from a retired handicapped advocate and daughter! 😊
  • Freddie Remember those ads that say "Call your doctor if you still have...after four hours"?You don't need to call your doctor, just get behind the wheel of a CUV. In fact, just look at one.I'm a car guy with finite resources; I can't afford a practical car during the week plus a fun car on the weekend. My solution is my Honda Civic Si 4 door sedan. Maybe yours is a Dodge Charger (a lot of new Chargers are still on dealer lots).
  • Daniel J Interesting in that we have several weeks where the temperature stays below 45 but all weather tires can't be found in a shop anywhere. I guess all seasons are "good enough".
  • Steve Biro For all the talk about sedans vs CUVs and SUVs, I simply can’t bring myself to buy any modern vehicle. And I know it’s only going to get worse.
  • Stephen Never had such a problem with my Toyota products.
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