I have a little theory that the reason emerging generations of kids seem to care less about cars than they once did is that we’ve completely isolated them from the experience of travel. We plonk them in the back seat of some high-waisted crossover, down low so they can see nothing but the sky. They might feel a speed bump or two, but for the most part you might as well be in an elevator; you climb in at home and you get out at school. It’s boring. It’s dull. It feels like a waste of time.

But perched in the instantly familiar passenger seat of Scott’s Defender, you can’t be bored. There’s simply too much going on: the 110 rolls into the corners, jouncing along merrily over rougher pavement. The amount of greenhouse is immense, big square windows that let you see everything from the scenery to the wildlife. For instance, just look at that idiot in the Ford F-250 Super Duty, driving along in the fast lane and texting. Hand me that dart gun, Mr. Attenborough.

For a truck with clearly agricultural roots, the 110 is surprisingly comfortable. Pelly’s had an overdrive fitted, which bumps the Defender’s cruising speed up to the 75 mph (120 km/h) speed you need to keep up with traffic on America’s desert highways. On the upper levels highway, the five-cylinder diesel hums along happily at low revs.

This 110 is daily-driven, and while the family also has a theoretically more sensible Mercedes GL diesel, if there’s ever a need to go anywhere, they load up the Land Rover. Underground parking is an impossibility with the roof rack, but other than that, it’s actually decently maneuverable. Also, the gunmetal-grey paint job gives off a whiff of Special Air Services, so people tend to make room when you’re merging.

The cockpit of this machine is like a time warp to my childhood. It’s a quarter-century newer than the old Landies I grew up in, but the heater controls are exactly the same. So are the control stalks, and you can still pop open the front vents to let fresh air in. And I swear the handles to do so are the same ones you find on a Series I truck.

It’s a bit like an air-cooled Porsche 911; yes the model years change, but the DNA doesn’t. The shape is the same. The driving experience is the same. Things get a little faster, but the elemental nature of the beast doesn’t change. The Defender just takes things even further, not bothering to swap out stuff that’s worked for decades.

However, there are a few advantages to seeking out a newer Defender like this TD5-powered machine. The 2.5L, five-cylinder turbodiesel is very tuneable and still makes decent torque when stock; ratings are 122 hp at 4,200rpm and 221 lb-ft at 1,950 rpm. There are all sorts of aftermarket companies getting big power out of the diesel or swapping in Corvette engines and the like, but stock power is totally fine.

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