Like Andy K, I too was put off by a first drive of an old 1970’s Landie. But that was in my teens. It was slow and uncomfortable. It didn’t last long in our collection back then.
Fast forward 30+ years and my daily is a 2013 Defender 110XS with the 2.2 turbo transit puma engine. It cost me c.£25k and after 40k miles it’s worth about the same. It’s no slower than most modern “normal “ cars here in Wales. Most journeys are under 100 miles, but I’ve taken 4 passengers to Dublin without complaint.
I think it’s the closest you can get to driving a classic car with modern reliability, without going down the very expensive re-imagined route (Singer Porsche etc). The shape and ability makes it acceptable in most circumstances. We went to a wedding this year where they had a VIP parking area just for Landrovers.
As a bonus, it pulls my Riva on its trailer with ease. It pulled the Jewson lorry out of a ditch. Its poor weather abilities mean I can rescue the boys at work if they get snowed in. I really can’t think of anything to replace it with.
The guy who sorted out my Hurricane’s engine block used to work at Landrover in the seventies and as a young apprentice he got to drive them round the banked oval test without bodies on. He reckoned that no-one could turn them over.
To cap it all, one of my best pals has bought a series 2 as a beach buggy in France and it’s just perfect for what he needs. Subtly upgraded on the mechanical side, Mandy, his Sandy Landie is just perfect for the job.