New 2020 Land Rover Defender vs Jeep JL Wrangler

[cbrenthus]

I am not personally a fan of the new Defender, but this is nonsense.
You can get the sliding panoramic roof on the base model as a 1700$ option. So, 50k.
Take that up to 60k and that gets you a Snorkel, e-diffs, adjustable suspension, trail response, roof rack, winch kit and adaptive CC with auto braking and 5mm skid plates.
It's not a Wrangler. It's a luxury brand off roader.
I personally would never take anything with air suspension on a long off road adventure, but weekend trips? Should be good enough and likely just as "reliable" as our Jeeps.
Now, leather is like 5k option and the larger engine is also very expensive.

Ah, my mistake, I didn't look at the builder only the different trims. And I also meant 70K, not 79K, which was the amount for the trim where it is included as standard, I thought. Regardless, I still don't like it

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[RikFlairWoo]

Unlike many Wrangler owners, I was cheering for Land Rover to get the Defender right. I believe that competition drives innovation, so having another vehicle nipping on their heels will cause our friends in Toledo to stay on their toes.

Overall I thought the Defender came out right. I’m not in love with the curvy aesthetics, but that’s cosmetic and in the eye of the beholder. Another person May love it.

One thing that baffles me is why they didn’t make a convertible? I rarely see old school Defenders with the top on. Just like Wrangler owners, Defender owners seem to enjoy the open air experience. Why is LR denying them?

Not really a convertible but I did see there is a "rag top" feature for the 90. Kind of like the Sky 1-touch for Wrangler but it may be manual operation.

 

[BXFXJeep]

the new Defender will cost a lot to fix minor body scars

 

[multicam]

Yeah, no thanks on the Defender. Glad I didn't wait.

Ford, what you got?

 

[Silverblkrilla]

I’ve always wanted a defender but they went a little too modern for my liking and it doesn’t look as timeless as the previous model. Kinda looks like a Kia or Explorer.

 

[Roky]

Unless the other vehicle in any comparison can lose its doors, top , and fold down the windshield, I could care less about the outcome, it’s apples to oranges...if anything all this proves is that there is no comparable vehicle to the Jeep..... yet....

 

[Stormin’ Moorman]

I’ve never been a LR fan but holy crap this thing has some sweeeeet features. And built in angry eyes for the Florida Market.

 

[M0ondogy]

As a person who really wanted this car to be for me, it isn't.

But I still see this in a decent light.

It's a capable car if the adds we've seen are any indication. More than capable for what the majority of the current "off road SUV" segment buyers will actually use them for.

That's me by the way, so I'm the target demo.

I'm just left feeling nothing about this car. I sat on my feeling for a few days to let them settle into a unified thought. Roughy, it's cooked down to nothing. It doesn't meet my hopes for what it could be, yet it's also more than I expected. I'm whelmed.

It comes down to price and reliability, ultimately.

It's priced a touch too high, imo. Also, imo, the new JL is too. The automakers need to reel in these prices, or they will have some un-bailable red in their books before too long.

Jeep gets the edge here. They are more reliable, cheaper to fix, and probably won't go belly up in 10 years like JLR will.

~300k cars sold for Jeep to ~85k sold for JLR is not great for them.

They better get a cheaper Defender out soon to poach some of those JL fence buyers before Ford and Toyota do with their new Bronco and 4Runner 6th genc in two years.

 

[Gaxdad]

While my Series IIa is a bit older than a Defender the basic concept is the same. The Land Rover (IIa or Defender) is more like an old CJ than a new JL. Very capable with a ton of heritage. And plenty of opportunities to fiddle with the mechanical bits - maybe more so on my IIa than a more modern Defender.... (I drove my IIa to the store tonight and was rewarded with the opportunity to try the manual crank start since my starter is about to give up the ghost...)

I just got my JLU Rubicon and it is eons ahead of the Defender in terms of viability as a regularly used off road vehicle. The Jeep is also just as iconic with a character and features that cannot be had in any other vehicle.

I’d love to have a 90’s vintage 110 but it would require of importing one from Europe then spending a ton on restoration and upgrades. NAS Defender prices are insane.

Parts availability for the Defender shouldn’t be a huge issue. I certainly have plenty of opportunities to buy parts for my IIa. Finding a mechanic that has hands on experience working on one is another issue.

As for the new Defender. I’m glad it doesn’t suck as many had feared but I’m also glad I didn’t hold out for one instead of my Jeep. Surely a capable SUV but nothing like the Defender or IIa. And no comparison to a modern Jeep.

Wes

 

[Jimmy_jak]

New Defender is ugly as hell and looks like a bubble car from the 80s

 

[blessidsoul12]

Wow, that was the longest car commercial ever! Does it wipe your ass too!?

 

[Pig-Pen]

it looks pretty much how i expected it to look. LRs lost their good looks a few years ago imo. everything they currently make looks to me with the exception of the big daddy RRs but they dont look as good as the RRs of 10 years ago imo. they all look too modern and boujee to me. they are everywhere out here. as our wranglers lol. the RR is the ultimate arm candy soccer mom mobile these days.

i can totally see these new Defenders being driven by well paid professional millennials that live on the blvd in $5k a month apartments. and that's the target market for these things. not for off road enthusiasts lol.

i know a guy who makes big chrome cast wheels for LRs. they are $1k wheels on a good day. the LR dealerships pimp them to their customers for $8k and have no problem selling them. i wonder if they still off the spray on mud package...lol
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4087850.stm


**i see a TON of new rubicons around here as well which im sure many are also being driven by well paid yuppies who just dont want to look like boujee snobs in a luxury suv lol. and more power to people who buy whatever vehicle they want. it doesnt bother nor concern me. and to be honest, at least i dont see poser LRs all modded out for the apocolypse like i do SEMA wranglers every day lol.

 

[Megacondenser]

I’ve never been a LR fan but holy crap this thing has some sweeeeet features. And built in angry eyes for the Florida Market.

Yeah, whatever your thoughts on the Defender, that is one beautifully shot ad. I knew I was being sold, but I couldn’t stop watching.

 

[GRAK]

Fabric lol

https://jalopnik.com/what-i-found-when-i-crawled-under-the-2020-land-rover-d-1838080009

 

[Stormin’ Moorman]

The stuff i really like is the options. Factory snorkel, roof rack, ladder, shower, fridge, air compressor, etc. Yes, they cost a million dollars each...but it's still cool to have it as an option. And the interior features were spectacular as well, really too many to name but the camera that appears in your rear view mirror when you're too loaded up to see is freaking awesome. Under body camera thing, awesome. 360 camera, awesome. The 6-cylinder option with 400 HP was great until i saw that it was a $12K upgrade...[dry heave].

As far as off-roadiness i think its a mixed bag, but not in the same ballpark as a JL. But i bet it's good enough for most shoppers who want a mall crawler. Because let's face it most people don't want to go offroad, they want to look like they go offroad. There will be many parked in the gravel lot next to the Neiman Marcus.

I got on their site and built one just to see how much it would cost and it's about $75K, without the 6-cylinder. So no, it's not a legit competitor to the JL but i hope FCA will step up their game a smidge. We really need competition to improve Jeeps moving forward.

My opinion, because no one asked, is that this will appeal to people who already have LRs or can't afford a G-Wagon and the usual yuppies we all know and hate. Not for me but i really wish i could get a factory shower from Jeep, lol.

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