Defender Limited

[Newfx]

Just wondering if anyone took delivery of a ltd yet and whar your thoughts are on it. Thanks

[Flash]

In WA. and can not get a committed delivery date from dealer yet.

[Toolboy]

I have had a new 2020 defender max limited in hyper silver for about week now.  Only issue I have had so far is the brakes feel somewhat weak, I will be taking it in to have then checked or bled if needed.  For a machine that can tow 2500lbs  the brakes don't seem like they can even lock up the machine alone, not to mention trying to slow down while towing anything.  The only other issue is bad fitment on the drivers side rear door.  That door seemed to open and close fine when I got it but the seals rub hard now in two spots and it is difficult to latch when closed from within.  I believe they can simply readjust the door and all will be well.  

   As for the heat, we have had it out at full speed (66 mph) at 17 degrees F. into a 25 mph wind).  There is some wind noise intrusion at that travel speed and wind speed and you will feel some cold air leaking in from the apex of the front doors and through the latch mechanism. There is no wind speed noise until very top speed and only into a stiff wind at that.   The heat itself gets "warm", not hot when the motor temps reach peak temp, around 172 degrees.  The fan does blow a lot of air so the volume of warm air coming out does warm the cab, even when traveling at very high speed with some cold air intruding.  Me and my girlfriend rode in it for about 30 minutes on the road with just a t-shirt and a sweatshirt on when it was 17 degrees F. and were very comfortable.  I can tell you this, I have had RZR's and a drag race SxS (turbo apex) which were a blast to ride and race, but the ability to ride 365 days a year without concern for the weather or temperature is a game changer.  I highly recommend this to anyone with a spouse and children who wants to spend time with them.  You do get some motor noise in the cabin but you can still talk to each other without having to yell even at wide open top speed.  The HD10 motor will cruise at 45-50 mph comfortably for miles on end.  While it is obviously not as "drive crazy" off-road the way the X3's are, but the ability to travel with my girlfriend and her 3 kids is unreplaceable.   I don't want people to worry about the noise, I suspect some of the noise is from the factory bighorn 2.0 tires.  I will cure that as soon as my Sedona beadlock rims and 32" Rock-a-Billys get here.  It has impressed everyone who has rode in it.  Compared to a normal SxS it is whisper quiet.  It would only be noisy when you compare it to truck or car cabin.

     The power steering works great at slow speed and the turning radius is very tight given the wheelbase as the front tires turn very sharp, I repeat very sharp.  The max turns and drives like a much shorter SxS. I do wish it had a little more power steering input at mid to higher speeds. The power windows work great but the driver and passenger windows do not go "into" the door recess, so when they are all the way down if you want to rest your arm on the top of the door, there is still about 3/8" window still exposed if I remember right.  I was raised on a farm and have more hours driving with my arm resting on a door with the window down than I care to remember but it has become a lifetime habit.  Your arm will rest on the top of the window slightly instead of on the flush top of the door sill that I had hoped.  

     The headlights on the limited appear to come stock with new high output bulbs with blue tips for a higher Kelvin color, probably near 5500-6000K.  I have not looked into what wattage they are but I can say that my bright beams are for hunting "racoon" and worthless on the highway.  I will be trying to adjust them back down to a level someone near the surface of the earth so they can be useful.  

     I purchased my unit from Doug at Cowtown USA in Cuba Missouri.  I don't know if you are allowed to praise or plug a dealership, so someone please let me know.  They are 7 hours from me but were willing to not gouge me like my only dealer in Iowa that was getting the max limited in the hyper silver I wanted.  Cowtown made my purchase so easy, smooth, and quick.  I say quick but I did stay almost 2 hours talking to them and going over all the working of the limited even though I had researched it to death on the internet.  I could have been out in 10 minutes if I had needed to be.  I would recommend other dealers go there so that there own sales staff can see how to treat people and build relationships.   It was the best purchasing experience I have ever had, bar none.

     I am the kind of person that usually experiences some form of buyers remorse no matter what the purchase, but I have not with the limited max.  It is unique in its design and its variable air conditioning and cabin filtration is unlike an other SxS manufacturer. I have owned and raced many renegades and outlanders but with this purchase I can finally let go of my last "normal" atv, my outlander 100xt.  I still will hold onto my 1400cc Yamaha Raptor for those snot nosed kids on their atvs that need to be put in their place out in the dunes drag racing.  I am 52 yrs old, and starting to feel the years of injuries.  The ride of the limited max is very kind.  Even with the lower travel than mavericks or X3's the limited max soaks up uneven terrain and with the long wheelbase it smooths out the bumps.  This was another reason for choosing the max.  Years of riding in the dunes has taught me that wheelbase matters, significantly on ride quality over rough terrain.  In fact the max rides smoother over the railroad intersection and rumble strips on the roads than my truck does.  We noticed this as we could almost not hear the rumble warning strips as we approached an intersection on our blacktop road.  

   Do not fear purchasing a max limited, it is pretty much everything Can Am has claimed, I won't lie for any manufacturer. I once bought an arctic cat t-cat 1000 atv and sold it with only 3 miles on it, it was that bad.  I believed the Exxon Valdez had a tighter turning radius than that T-cat had, so it was gone immediately.  If you have any questions you can post here and I will try to check it from time to time.

[Nekelneh]

I have the exact machine and my brakes are making a rough grinding noise when i come to a full stop and depress the brakes fully. You having this issue?

[Toolboy]

On 3/5/2020 at 10:07 PM, Nekelneh said:

I have the exact machine and my brakes are making a rough grinding noise when i come to a full stop and depress the brakes fully. You having this issue?

No grind just not that firm of brakes.  I have around 240 miles now. I will say that I have never driven mud, just dusty road and asphalt.

[Toolboy]

By back brakes are squealing sometimes now so I will be changing out the pads with off brand that are of higher quality. Only 350 miles.