land-rover defender Full Overview
As silly as they seem, I’m normally pretty good with break-in periods. “Avoid long periods at constant speeds,” “No sudden acceleration,” “Avoid frequent cold starts and short trips.” Yadda, yadda, yadda. Annoying, sure, but easy. However, when it came to our long-term 2021 Land Rover Defender 110, I couldn’t resist breaking the rules—specifically, “Do not participate in off-road driving, competition driving, track days, sports driving schools, or any similar events.”
Before I fully cop to ignoring part of our Defender’s break-in instructions, I’d like to at least point some of the blame back at the instructions. See if you can spot what’s wrong in the first two lines of the break-in process procedure: “The [Defender] is built using high-precision manufacturing methods, but the moving parts of the engine must still settle in relative to each other. The breaking-in process occurs mainly in the first 2,000 miles (3,000 km) of operation.”
Did you catch it? Like most Americans, my grasp on the metric system is tenuous at best, but even I know that 2,000 miles and 3,000 kilometers are different numbers. If the 2,000-mile figure is accurate, that means the break-in period is 3,218 kilometers, but if the 3,000-kilometer figure is right, then the break-in period is just 1,864 miles. Not wanting to wait for a reply from Land Rover on which figure was correct (for the record, a Land Rover rep later told me it doesn’t really matter which figure you follow), I figured I’d just keep the owner’s manual’s other break-in guidelines in mind as I sought to give our Defender its first taste of off-road:
- Do not fully press the accelerator pedal.
- Avoid high engine speeds (rpm) until the engine has reached its full operating temperature.
- Avoid operating the engine in too high a gear at low engine speeds (laboring).
- Gradually increase engine and road speeds.
- Avoid extended operation at high engine speeds with abrupt stops.
- Avoid frequent cold starts followed by short-distance driving. Where possible, allow the engine to reach operating temperature.
- Longer journeys are more helpful during the breaking-in period.
- Do not participate in off-road driving, competition driving, track days, sports driving schools, or any similar events.
Trona Pinnacles—a collection of more than 500 Martian-like rock formations among the Mojave Desert’s bone-dry Searles Lake—seemed like a good low-stakes environment to let the Defender eat up some highway miles and stretch its legs off-road.
Located off of California State Route 178, the trail—about 5 miles one way on a rutted, dried-mud road—is far from difficult, but it is breathtaking in its beauty. The Defender hardly broke a sweat on the trail. Its air springs seamlessly soaked up rocks and ruts, while the height adjustability was a boon for climbing obstacles. I was also really impressed by the Terrain Response Control’s Auto setting. Instead of having to mess around manually changing drive modes via the infotainment system, the system constantly reads the terrain and adjusts frequently to account for loose sand, gravel, and dirt.
After a half day or so of exploring and mindful of the break-in instructions, I pointed the Defender’s nose back west and headed for home. Nevertheless, I eagerly anticipate a chance to test our Defender’s limits and find out what it’s truly capable of once the break-in period is behind us.
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Keyword: 2021 Land Rover Defender 110: Yeah, We Bent the Rules a Little