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Jeep vs Defender

kylebw7

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I've owned several rovers. The reliability is why I don't own one now but when everything works there's nothing like it. I've owned just about every make and have never loved anything like I did those rovers. Now that I'm older I don't have the time or effort to fix things myself and don't have a LR dealer in town so I got tired of it being broken all the time. I never had major issues. It was always a small leak or a window regulator but I can't drive something that doesn't completely work. The window regulators went out every few months. I'm not going to drive something where I'm afraid to open the window. My last was perfectly drivable yet I was busy at the time and didn't want to risk anything so it sat the last year I owned it.

With all that said if the look is right I won't hesitate to buy the new defender. Nothing like land rover. The interior and features will absolutely destroy our Jeeps
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volant165

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As an European and former Defender driver I wonder why there is such a hype for the defender in the US now: in my eyes there are just two positive points on the defender line: the simple mechanics and giant aftermarket so you can custom-build them for your needs (just like a wrangler) and the provided articulation of the standard suspension.
But there are so many negative points:
- No reliable engines and underpowered (only the petrol V8, the 300Tdi and the TD5 where somehow good)
- Oil leeks: I still have to see my first leak-free defender and driven, worked on many (there is a saying here that it is the oil level check function: when there not leaking it's time to refill; even the brand new leak in the showroom)
- water leaks, in rain and snow for sure water is coming in above the windshield.
- weak transmission: even with 33" tyres the chance that you break a driveshaft in light-offroad is great
- no comfort or room, especially with the LHD, noisy and almost no insulation
- rust issues (chassis and body)

Several people including myself are switched to other brands and people with a defender sometimes laugh here with my wrangler until they see me drive just as far they go and see me passing them on the highway (I was talking with a def-guy last week and he forbidden his son to drive faster than 100 km/h on the highway even that 120 is allowed to save his engine )
As a Jeep driving yank living in the UK the above summary is spot on. Since the Defender was killed off we have seen loyal oval badge owners cross over to our side and they are really genuinely impressed with the Wrangler. New Defender will likely be along the design lines of the pic on this thread (puke) but with some pretty good off road abilities. And a hefty price tag.
 

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In my limited experience with them I noted that they have the turing radius of a battle ship only slighlty worse than a tacoma. and very little cockpit space.
 

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The announced cost for the 2019 Land Rover Range Rover, in US dollars, is MSRP: $88,860 - $207,900. The Defender is rumored to be priced at approximately US$100,000 when/if it is imported here. That should answer this question for the majority of us.
 
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kre62

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The announced cost for the 2019 Land Rover Defender, in US dollars, is MSRP: $88,860 - $207,900. That should answer this question for the majority of us.
Source?

Sounds like someone got the full size range rover confused with the defender. Thats the exact price range for the current 2019 range.
 

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Homer

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If you think FCA has a bad reputation for build quality, try owning a Land Rover product.

No thanks. I'd pass if they sold them here for $20,000.
I am for anything that will compete with a wrangler, wouldn't buy it but hopefully the competition would help keep jeeps JL price down, my first jeep was a 1983 Laredo loaded for $13,900.00 and I sold it last year for $15,000,00. Paid $47,000.00 for my 2018 JLU Rubicon I will never see the same resale on this one, I am 71 years old.
 

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Source?

Sounds like someone got the full size range rover confused with the defender. Thats the exact price range for the current 2019 range.
You are absolutely correct, kre62. I was speaking with the Queen yesterday and I forgot she was talking about her Range Rover. :cwl:

From what I've read, the Defender is going to sell for ~$100K in the U.S. if it is actually imported here next year.
 

Tex117

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I mean, defenders are cool, but 100 grand cool? Forget it.

That said, Defender is a Land Rover (not a Range Rover). I sincerely doubt the Defender goes (base) much over 60K. I wouldn't be surprised if base its about the same as a Land Rover Discovery.
 

AFMike

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I've had a few Rovers and, as kylebw7 said, when everything works they are great. If Land Rover built a bare-bones Defender that looked similar to the last iteration (nice and boxy), had decent off-road abilities (even if IFS), and priced it at $35k and up they'd sell a bunch of them (probably even to me). They have enough high-end models in the Range Rover line-up. Build a moderately-priced Jeep competitor and I think they'd do well. However, given what they did with the newest Discovery I don't foresee this happening.
 

kylebw7

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They claim purists will like it. We'll see. It won't be anywhere even close to 100k base. Don't even dream of that. They aren't going to make a model that bases for more than the full sized RR. The rumor I've heard is that it will come in a little below the full sized discovery in price which would have it in line with the Rubicon or a little above that. The previous defender was by far their cheapest vehicle. I could see an SVO version being north of 100k but that'd be an extreme version with a lot of power and tricked all out
 

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kylebw7

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Also it's been confirmed for a while it is coming to the US
 

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I know that this is a JL forum and that we all love our JL's. But I am a little curious, if JLR sells the Landrover Defender here, how many of you would consider getting it? What do you think the impact on the jeep market would be if they do release the defender here in the states?
The Defender is utter junk. Its panels are warped from factory, you can't even adjust the seat. There's no driver side elbow room. There's no interior... really it's like the inside of a cheap fiberglass pot. It's really slow which makes it dangerous when over taking (warning, sensitive footage)


Fun to drive though...
 

kylebw7

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The defender was fifty or sixty years old. Of course it was junk in a way but it was great for its intended use. The g wagen was a really old design but Merc did so many updates the latest models were nothing like the original. The defender was still very close to the original.

Nobody knows what it'll come out as but I doubt it is built to be the hardcore enthusiast vehicle like the Wrangler. At least it'll semi compete in that it'll be available as a convertible 4x4 with lockers
 

Carolina88

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The Defender is utter junk. Its panels are warped from factory, you can't even adjust the seat. There's no driver side elbow room. There's no interior... really it's like the inside of a cheap fiberglass pot. It's really slow which makes it dangerous when over taking (warning, sensitive footage)


Fun to drive though...
I live in the U.S. but I'm in Sydney right now, spending 2+ months here. I've seen several Defenders here. They look really cool, but posts like these make them sound like a nightmare. I see a few Wranglers here and there, of course with the Euro bumper. :)
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