There is one big rivalry in the off-roading community. That between the Land Rover Defender and the Jeep Wrangler. Both are utilitarian off-roaders. Both have all the necessary components and gear to kick up mud and crawl over pretty much just about anything. But both at the moment are looking a bit long in the tooth. Their styling hasn't changed much since World War II, and neither have their chassis, really. Well, both are looking at brand-new designs and brand-new everything coming very soon.

Read the rest on the JK-Forum homepage.

 

Defenders have been available every where else outside the us. Reason? No airbags, couldn't pass the US safety standards. That is one reason the defenders were scarce after 1996 model year. I read an article last year that LR is looking for a revival for the Defender in the US market and would include the necessary safety standards and a redesign.

 

Some times you've just gotta live and let live. My neighbor and Offroading buddy is a Rover guy. Has a 90 something Land Rover, and loves to talk them up! I just smile and nod. It's like talking politics or religion. When it comes down to it, they're a lot like Jeep guys. They just don't drive nearly as cool a vehicle as we do.

 

it makes the most sense to drive a vehicle you can get parts for, in the US we have the jeep and the people that make its parts, easy to get them, land rovers arent built or even shipped to the US, niether are the parts. in europe its just the polar opposite, they have land rovers and their parts readily available but if they want jeeps and jeep parts for say the new jk wranglers, they have to pay a mint to import from US. the guys getting the worst end of the deal are down in AUS and NZ, they have to import vehicles and parts no matter what they want to off road in, and their internet providers resemble the spanish inquisitions with a touch of black plague as a bonus, I pity them with great sorrow.

 

agreed. I used to carry a spare alternator in my Landy. Why? Nobody stocked them. Only made by Bosch and to order a new unit was 3 days minimum to get it. And at over $600 for the thing? You get the idea. I found a totaled Landy, same model as mine and bout about $1500 in spare parts to have on hand. Why? Because the damn thing broke, a lot.

 

and judging by the various forums I hang around on, jeeps break too, , but yup, practicallity demands having spares for things you break alot!

 

yeah, but mine hasn't yet, and by 30,000 miles, my Landy racked up nearly $4k in repairs. $22k total by the time I sold it. It was 6 years old with 88,000 miles on it.

 

I find it's more fun just to get along with the "rivals". :-)



And just for the record, the Defender owner's wife has a JKU, and the Xterra owner is a past JKU owner and has said he'll likely buy a Jeep in the future. It really isn't about what you drive, it's about what you do ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yq51rHh8MY