Hi Sharon,

A really difficult question to answer, this one! In some regards, a Land Rover Defender is a magnificent thing to buy. Since it went out of production in 2016, it has become an almost instant modern classic and used prices have gone upwards, not down. It’s therefore an investment piece that – given your limited usage – would probably get you more money back in the future than you pay for it now. It’s also a vehicle that’s utterly classless and widely revered in the motoring industry for its character and its place in the world.

However… they are tough things to drive, with heavy, slow steering, a hard ride, very little in the way of noise suppression and a cramped driving position. Land Rovers have also never typically been the most reliable of vehicles and the Defender, in particular, was known for leaving the factory with various quality and build issues that need rectifying by owners. In short, while we love the Defender, in reality it’s not a great car to drive and own.

The Defender is certainly capable of housing two big dogs, but so are most big estate cars and other large SUVs (especially if you fold their rear seats down), so have a look at things like a Skoda Octavia Scout, a Mercedes GL or GLS, or even the new Suzuki Jimny – with its rear seats folded down and its big, side-hinged rear door allowing great access, your dogs will love it – and it’s kind of like a mini-Defender, in a way, only much more reliable.