I've had both. My D1 was very stripped out and completely utilitarian, but it never felt right. It wasn't meant to be. It struggled to run tires of any decent size, lacked a convertible top option, the body sat lower on the frame, the rounded shape and construction methods made it more difficult to modify, etc
My TJ was fun but the suspension geometry, inefficient interior space, over hood visibility, transfer case and fuel tank ground clearance were very disappointing.
Now, my D90 combines the best of both, but at a premium price, and with the requirement that you really must be willing to accept its quirks and limitations in the context of the modern world. I don't enjoy their exclusivity. I wish more people could get involved in the classic LR experience but the cost of entry is too high in several ways. We needed a new Defender, I'm just not sure the new model delivers on many positive aspects of the original.
I hate driving Defenders in the middle of nowhere.
They have laughable cargo capacity, they rattle like mad, you can't keep the water out, you can't keep the
BUGS out, they're not overly comfortable, and they're too narrow as a result of their origin. They do handle quite well, but not as well as a Discovery; certainly not as well as a DII.
All those deficits are considered personality, and indeed on camping trips there is a bit of charm; but if you actually take them on hundreds of miles of washboard they'll drive you batshit crazy.
Indeed, the DII slaughters it on almost every count. The D1 comes pretty darn close, but falls a little short on cargo capacity; a subjective trade-off. More off-pavement ability, but less utility. It depends on where you expect to go and for how long. The Range Rover Classic is right in the middle of the two Discoveries unless you go LWB; and then you're getting damned close to the DII so far as utility is concerned. Both older models suffer in width, but at least they have cargo doors as wide as the cargo bay...
The one time you'll find a genuine advantage is crossing a ditch in a perpendicular manner or general rock-hopping; and you don't actually do that on an expedition. You avoid it at all cost. That vehicle has been living off it's image alone since the Series II; when nothing else would do the job.
I will maintain that the Defender is the mail-order "ditzy Russian trophy wife" of the garage. It's pretty, and it's dirty as fuck when you're feeling frisky, but that's about it.
The Defender makes the most sense in 130 High Cap trim. That's where it really begins to shine.
Cheers,
Kennith