Jeep vs Defender

[wrangster]

Dunno how to break it to yuh bud, but JLR and FCA regularly bring up the bottom of the pack in terms of reliability.

If reliability was a factor in our minds, we would all be in a TDR by Toyota.

No issues yet and over 10K, happy so far. Thought about a 4 runner at the time but they lacked on LCD screens just offered 3.5". Besides to repair a land rover is big bucks!

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[JeepColorado]

From what I’ve seen of the defender it doesn’t appear like it would have more storage than a JLU.

Leaked documents showing the dimensions indicate that the Defender will be roughly the size of a Jeep Wrangler- I think it's about a 1/2" shorter.

The Defender will have 1 massive advantage over the Wrangler regarding interior storage- it won't have precious cargo space taken up with an interior roll-bar.

The interior roll bar- while allowing for a ton of character and fun of roof and doors off wheeling- comes at a huge cost- The price of interior cargo space.

 

[JeepColorado]

@JeepColorado

It seems unlikely the Defender will come with ‘more power’ because in the U.K. the green lobby is winning. Manufacturers launching any new models with internal combustion engines are attracting negative publicity. The days of large capacity/high consumption engines are over.

JLR, assisted by the U.K. government, are making a major investment in battery technology/manufacturing..I would guess a fully electric Defender is your best bet for ‘more power’ but that’s further down the line.

Leaked docs showing potential powertrains- research these engines- in particular the 6 cylinder twin-turbo diesel- it'll have more torque than the Eco-Diesel is speculated to have in the Wrangler.

 

[Rudolph Hart]

Leaked docs showing potential powertrains- research these engines- in particular the 6 cylinder twin-turbo diesel- it'll have more torque than the Eco-Diesel is speculated to have in the Wrangler.

Sure, we’ll have to see what they actually bring to the market. There is some doubt about the authenticity of those ‘leaked’ documents.

 

[JeepColorado]

Sure, we’ll have to see what they actually bring to the market. There is some doubt about the authenticity of those ‘leaked’ documents.

Agreed, it's all speculation until then. There's been a few automotive writers who've gotten to ride in it, Top Gear, and others, who've all commented that is feels and sound powerful. LR has also been seen benchmarking it against the Wrangler and the V-8 Land Cruiser.

It's being revealed at an auto show in Germany next month so much more details will come to light. Honestly, I'm just happy to see the off-road market grow the way it is.

 

[Rudolph Hart]

Agreed, it’s good that Land Rover haven’t entirely given up on an ‘off road’ vehicle.

In the U.K. we’ve had multiple ‘leaks’ and journalists getting over excited about what only amounts to speculation for a long time. In the end you don’t know what to believe.

The only really solid fact is that it will be built at JLR’s factory in Slovakia....that’s a little disappointing.

 

[JeepColorado]

Perhaps an accessory photo shoot? Previous "leaked" docs have shown that LR is planning on offering accessories around certain themes- such as "adventure." Looks like a front bumper, perhaps with winch mount and lights.; snorkel, a full-length roof rack and ladder on the side.

 

[M0ondogy]

Non-camo version pics have leaked from the set of the new James Bond movie.

I'm not stop sure I'm a fan. It was never going to be the old defender, but it's got too much new Land Rover in it's style to win me over. The winch is way too obscured in the bumper to be use for most. Not sure if that is for the movie though.

It was best if they just called this Discovery.

 

[kre62]

Non-camo version pics have leaked from the set of the new James Bond movie.

I'm not stop sure I'm a fan. It was never going to be the old defender, but it's got too much new Land Rover in it's style to win me over. The winch is way too obscured in the bumper to be use for most. Not sure if that is for the movie though.

It was best if they just called this Discovery.

Yeah, pretty ‘meh’ overall. Kinda cool in some ways i guess. But looks too cartoony to me. Just not rugged enough for the true off road crowd. Not authentic enough for the posers. Its just lukewarm. I think it'll be a miss for Land Rover. It could be the nail in the coffin.

 

[kennware]

Found the leaked photo of the 2020 Defender. Looks far too Discovery / first gen Evoque for me. Wish they'd stuck to the classic Defender shape and style (Jeep have managed it over the years...!), they've not even kept the round headlights! There's very few design cues from the previous model on this one IMO.

 

[JeepColorado]

It is illegal to lift your vehicle in Australia without the .gov's approval. Any changes to tire size, suspension, wheel track, brakes, body, etc. are regulated.

https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/vehicles/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/vsb_ncop.aspx

As far as lifts are concerned if the roof height of your vehicle is more than 2 inches higher than factory it must go through a lane change test. So on my Rubicon with 33s, just simply changing to 35s I will probably be OK because my roof should only go up by about an inch. But if I want no rubbing under full articulation I'm going to be at risk of going over that 2 inch roof limit. I could cut my fenders, but now that gets me into another regulation. So realisiticlly you're limited to a 1 inch lift and 2 inch larger tires, or a 2 inch lift and factory sized tires. Anything else needs to be tested and signed off by a .gov "engineeer" (I'm not sure if they're not just pencil pushers, but maybe they are qualified). Not being in compliance isn't just a fine like a broken taillight in the US. If caught on the road in Australia with your lifted Jeep you can be stopped, inspected, and if you don't pass either yellow stickered (meaning need to have the .gov engineer inspect the entire vehicle not just what the cop saw and brought back into compliance, cracked windshield, oil leaks, even mud on the vehicle can get you yellow stickered) or towed.

My point was that you can have a great time off-roading w/o lifting to the sky. In fact there's a decent argument that lift kits etc... are what will eventually get trails shut down.

I've gone out to trails where anyone with a 32" tire could have gone, but bigger trucks came through, probably didn't follow the principles of Tread Lightly and now you can't get past with anything less than 35's. In time you'll need 40s!

 

[Arterius2]

I agree with all that completely. Of course some trails are made for the guys with 40s, but those are rare here in Colorado (and I imagine elsewhere as well). 2 years ago I was airing down my little TJ (3" lift, 33s) to head up Wheeler Lake. Here comes the JKU parade on 35-37 tires and larger. Their leader stops to warn me not to head up. "those of us with 35s are going to have a hard time." I made it to the lake in front of them, without issue. You don't need huge tires and lifts for most of these trails. I keep seeing more and more JKUs on huge tires trying to wheel with their foot to the fan, tearing up their rig and the trail. Soon it will be JLUs and JTs doing the same thing. I just think with the JT we're going to be seeing more people think that a 37" tire is the minimum size needed, and that will spill over to the JLU owners. Then out they go, as you said without a thought given to Tread Lightly, tearing up the trail with their foot in the fan.

A honda fit made it to the same trailhead that "they" said supposedly needed a "4x4 high clearance vehicle", enough said.

I never bought into this "you need blah blah tires or xyz lift" to do this trail bs.

 

[RubenZ]

Wheres that n00b on here that was bragging up the Defender LOL. Jeep Killer? I think not. that's a piece of junk.

 

[JeepColorado]

Wheres that n00b on here that was bragging up the Defender LOL. Jeep Killer? I think not. that's a piece of junk.

It's definitely not a "Jeep Killer," I seriously doubt it was ever intended to be. I'm sure that the majority of the buyers LR is targeting are Benz and Land Cruiser customers. High-End Very Capable 4x4s. Jeep has been steadily pushing it's own vehicles into a more "premium" range- look at the much nicer interior on the JL- not to mention the range topping almost $60K price. The President of FCA has been quoted as saying that he wants to target luxury SUVs like LR. I doubt LR ever targeted the entire range of Jeep buyers- that's not their market. People who would otherwise get the most luxurious Jeep they can buy will cross-shop this, maybe they won't buy, but they will look- it's reported to have triple lockers, an air suspension or coils and I'd bet the aftermarket industry is eager to get their hands on it.

 

[M0ondogy]

New defender news all over the net today.

Just finished reading a 4 page layout in a South African magazine.

Not a whole lot of new information there, but it's the first full reveal I've seen.

Google is your friend and you'll find a whole lot. Reveal in the next 30 or so hours.

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