[Chilling in VT]

You have to ask yourself what do you plan on doing with the truck. A defender 90 is a very capable off roader. If you are looking , try to find a 94 or 95 with a 5 speed. Look for a bare bones model. The problems associated with newer Rovers seem to be mostly with all of the frills. I have a friend with a 95 and it has not been any trouble at all. The truck spends 75% of it's life off road. The 25% on road brings to light some of the compromises the off road prowess demands. Do not buy one of these just to be seen in a nice looking 4x4. Be prepared to be able to fix and repair items in the field. You can build one of these with hand tools and still buy every single item on one of these things from the factory.
I have an older series Rover and love it. It is simple, honest design (like the early P-cars). Some of the improvements that you get on a Defender are nice. Disc brakes and the coil suspension are two items. But you can add these to a series vehicle as well. There is a very enthusiastic following to these vehicles.
As far as the Toyota goes. I like the old FJ40's but have not warmed up to the new ones. If I were really looking for a new Toyota, I would look at the Icon instead. I saw one of these in Monterey last summer and it was impressive.
Good luck.
Joe