Land Rover or Land Cruiser?

[sae70]

I did smile as I got back into Swampy, popped on the radio at a sensible volume and turned on the air-con

 

[silvercruiser]

Landcruiser all day long

the land rover has gaps all round the doors so no need for aircon.

 

[Ecoman]

I do like the look of the Defenders and I often dream of getting another one. Then I remember the maintenance, reliability issues, back problems, draughts, noises etc and remember why I bought a Toyota.



Althugh I do wish I could repair my LC as cheap as a Land Rover

 

[Ben]

Having to get in and out of a Defender 110 everyday to move it in and out of the workshop is enough to convince me I should never own one!

And thats before even considering its ridiculously terrible reliability record!

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

I sat in a 13 plate LWB defender double cab yesterday and reminded myself, " this is why I dont want one". theres no room!!

Andy

 

[Doodle]

Out on a laning trip during the stinkingly hot weather last summer, a friend of mine sat in her boyfriend's caged, bucket seated 90, being slowly grilled to death while looking longingly towards the airconditioned comfort of the Amazon.

This time she's requested a space in the luxobarge.

 

[Towpack]

Was sat in a traffic queue the other day next to a brand new Defender 90, nothing fancy, just the base model. I got to thinking that if someone, maybe a LR owner? was to browse onto the 80 section of this forum, and start reading about diff changes, broken lockers, gearbox problems, dodgy handbrakes, leaky sunroofs, sticking windows, BEB's etc,etc, they might form the impression that the 80 series has shite reliability. Then it occurred to me that the youngest 80's are now 16years old with many much older than that still going strong! Wonder what that new Defender will be like in 16years time?

 

[SteveS]

Just giving up my nicely prepped Defender 110 overlander for a LC100 - The 110 has been to Sahara (has a/c) and to -40C Arctic winter (Webasto) camping in the snow and lots in between (and is heavily modded). It always got me home, just. In my mind there is lots to like - and lots to hate too.....it has lots of character and is almost a rite of passage. However, "character" is not much use broken down in the bush. In the end where we will be going shortly not only requires the utmost reliability, but global spares coverage, and some comfort as we'll be living in the LC for months at a time.....the Defender became too hair-shirt. I don't regret having one and the memories it evokes are fantastic. I won't be green laning much more in the UK and so one of its advantages (narrow) no longer matters to me.

It is for sale if anyone is interested......but this is the wrong audience I think

 

[kamaangir]

I always wondered what defender drivers do with thier elbows? Do they get them surgically removed for defender driving, because sure as shit there ain't no room in the cab for yours. Removing a chunk out your thigh also seems quite sensible to accommodate the handbrake lever. hahaha

I always liked defenders growing up, friend of mine had a 110 and I sat in it for a short trip... He drove his to Scotland and back, when I next saw him he had a patrol. Asking him what happened to the defender he said after he got back from Scotland he was deaf for a couple of days! Had to get rid of it.

 

[Rob Cowell]

They have their uses. A SWB pickup doesnt have many competitors. Good for little British hill farms where a HiLux is too long to navigate tight turns on old tracks, and can't tow 3.5 tonnes when you're taking stock to market. Not a market to keep a model in production though.

 

[jbecks]

I owned both at the same time and sold the disco as I had no faith in her! I agree that I do like the look of the defenders and they are great for going off road...but Toyota reliability all day long for me

 

[silvercruiser]

You can also spot the defender driver when they are away from the car, he has a rip in his jeans from the door catch when getting out, a bruised calf from the handbrake the left leg is slightly bigger from the clutch work out and he has frostbite in the right elbow from hanging out of the window as it has no bloody room

Can you tell i also own a defender

 

[Mark N]

You can also spot the defender driver when they are away from the car, he has a rip in his jeans from the door catch when getting out, a bruised calf from the handbrake the left leg is slightly bigger from the clutch work out and he has frostbite in the right elbow from hanging out of the window as it has no bloody room

Can you tell i also own a defender

 

[wobbly]

My mate has a Santana. The cab is miles better, no right arm issues, and the engine is really good. Id consider one, but def not a landie.

When my LJ78 got rearended I was given a brand new lwb station wagon as a courtesy car, bloody awful thing. Only bit i liked was the engine , which apparently landie fans hate!

 

[Philip A]

Land Rovers were designed for outdoor work and offroad duty, not for city comfort. It's a monumental mistake to buy them for an urban environment. No matter what you try to add or modify, the design itself negates any significant "town" comfort.

On the other hand, for purely "bush" work, they still beat any Toyota in a number of aspects. I operate both Landies and Cruisers, and when conditions get real muddy the LR laughs. Also, the LR can be fixed very easily, parts can be improvised in minutes from odd bits and pieces, and they have a capacity for long-term survival that is quite unmatched.

Now, my daily drivers are Toyota and Isuzu. I love Landies, but am not stupid... Use them for what they are meant to be, not to impress the crowd downtown!

 

[Paddler Ed]

^ I want to see a pic of the Volvo Viking Truck...


In other news, I'd also put a 130-series 4Runner/Surf (and same generation HiLux) up there for a stupid cabin... I end up with door handle in my right knee, my left leg rests just about against the gearstick in 5th, and I only just have enough head room/ability to look through the windscreen at 6'3" tall....

 

[kamaangir]

I find my 2nd gen quite comfy. The seats are excellent!

 

[Graham]

I passed a Defender on the M6 heading south today, couldn't make my mind up if the drivers door was closed or not.

Gra

 

[Dan W]

I find my 2nd gen quite comfy. The seats are excellent!

+1
At 6ft 2 there was more headroom in the surf than the landcruiser. But admittedly the seating position seems to be slightly reclined, like a sports car.

 

[Paddler Ed]

The seats are comfortable, maybe not older-Volvo comfortable (no adjustable lumber support, nor heigh adjust) but the clearance around my limbs can be a bit tight after a long journey.

Now, this thread has come up at an opportune moment as one of my cousins in the UK wants a dog transporter; he's ex-Army so has gone to what he knows (Deafener) but I'm trying to convince him a Collie is a better idea. He'll use if for his Vizsla and will head out on Hunt, Point and Retrieve type work.

I know that the Collie is a better option in many ways, but what are the 3 or 4 selling points that I should use; he's looking at a Defender Station Wagon, so a standard Collie would do the job equally as well.