2020 Defender

fishEH

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2009
6,927
201
Lake Villa, IL
Nope, missed the Defender mark. No doubt they put out exactly what their vision is, but let's face it, calling that a Defender is an embarrassment.
Missed the mark or made a decision to aim for a completely different target? I think Land Rover accomplished what it set out to do with the new Defender. The question a lot of enthusiasts are asking is "was that the right objective?"
 

JackW

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2005
675
69
Everybody is so hung up on the 'Defender" name - I always thought Defender was kind of a dumb name anyway.
It was just a marketing ploy when the Land Rover 90 and 110 were perfectly suitable identities.
I think Land Rover felt they had to have something to call it when they started selling Discovery vehicles over here so that American consumers could tell them apart.

I don't really care what they call it - I just want a functional, capable vehicle that can go anywhere I want to point it and take me there comfortably and economically. I've driven hundreds of thousands of miles behind the wheel of nineteen different Land Rovers of some sort of another and every one of them has had their drawbacks and advantages. I bought an LR3 when everyone on this board was saying how awful they were - now its hard to find a used one because the demand is so high. I bought a Discovery 5 TDV6 new in 2017 and there are a few things that I don't particularly like about it but overall its been a great vehicle that performs extremely well off road. The new Defender addresses every one of my minor dislikes about the D5 - except for the availability of getting a diesel version here in the USA. I'm looking forward to test driving one and hoping LRNA will bring in the Ingenium 6 diesel version in 2021.

I'm waiting to pass judgement when I get to sit in one and see it and touch it person. I may be disappointed when that day comes or I might be even more enthusiastic - but auto manufacturers don't really care what I think and I'm OK with that. If they build something that I like - they get my money - its that simple.
 
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fishEH

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2009
6,927
201
Lake Villa, IL
My point exactly. The Defender is what the Discovery should have been. Instead Rover missed that mark, then made a Discovery Sport which is nothing like the actual Discovery(confusing much!?). Then they butcher what everybody has come to know and appreciate about a Defender. Shameful.
The new Defender addresses every one of my minor dislikes about the D5 - except for the availability of getting a diesel version here in the USA. I'm looking forward to test driving one and hoping LRNA will bring in the Ingenium 6 diesel version in 2021.
 
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JackW

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2005
675
69
I talked to the sales manager from my local dealership - he was in California doing dealer training last week - he thinks that Discovery sales are going to take a hit once the public gets a look at the new Defender. He also said that I am going to REALLY like it. Hope he's right.
 
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mgreenspan

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2005
4,723
130
Briggs's Back Yard
Everybody is so hung up on the 'Defender" name - I always thought Defender was kind of a dumb name anyway.
It was just a marketing ploy when the Land Rover 90 and 110 were perfectly suitable identities.
Defender name was born out of the creation and naming of the Discovery. Only fitting that the new Defender will be putting the knife into the Discovery.
 

XCELLER8

Well-known member
Sep 21, 2009
249
12
I talked to the sales manager from my local dealership - he was in California doing dealer training last week - he thinks that Discovery sales are going to take a hit once the public gets a look at the new Defender. He also said that I am going to REALLY like it. Hope he's right.
yup....the big problem with the new discovery .....no matter how capable it IS......it doesnt look the part..........looks like all the other soccer mom suv's, and costs more
 

DiscoHasBeen

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2016
1,171
262
Indy
After reading the post by Jackw it occurs to me that there's a difference in what some consider "off-road" and "capable". Correct me if I'm wrong but when I first found this site (around '01) it was mostly a bunch of rock crawlers. That's not my thing but I was fairly impressed by some of the pictures and videos here. That's why I could see them dishing the LR3. For the most part those people seem to have moved on from this site (and maybe LR in general?). IMO the last really capable vehicle LR produced was the DI. Maybe the DII, but that truck is where LR took the turn from "best 4x4 by far" and turned their sites toward solely manufacturing luxury SUV's.

IMO the LR3, D5, or this Defender are for loading up and visiting the nearest campground, or driving down a gravel road 90 mph. And if that's your thing more power to you, but that's why the opinions of the Defender here range from "rock on" to "you've got to be kidding". Some of the hold overs hear being of the latter state of mind.
 
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ukoffroad

Well-known member
Jan 13, 2010
2,125
168
Lynchburg, Va
A couple of years ago at Uwharrie there was a family from Smith Mountain Lake in an LR3 with bigger tires and I think longer rods, otherwise mostly stock. He went everywhere we went, and we had D1s, D2, some classics and a Defender. He was a good driver to be sure, and understood how to drive it. Until we got to places where the only solution was gobs of ground clearance he just drove it all.

If you want to rock crawl there are much more efficient platforms to develop, and Jeep has that market covered. That was fun for a while but not my thing anymore. The new Defender will get better as people work to modify them, they will ultimately end up in the fold like everything else. All this pearl clutching is just for show.
 

Lake_Bueller

Well-known member
Aug 11, 2004
2,105
59
56
Beloit, WI
My only "complaint" so far is that they didn't keep the Series/Defender feel with the removable roof and/or soft-top option. The new Bronco is going to be a huge hit. It will be in direct competition with the Jeep Wrangler. The new Defender could have been LR's answer but they screwed the pooch. The new Defender is basically a continuation of the Discovery line. And the D5 is just another Japanese SUV (in appearance).
 
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JackW

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2005
675
69
A couple of years ago at Uwharrie there was a family from Smith Mountain Lake in an LR3 with bigger tires and I think longer rods, otherwise mostly stock. He went everywhere we went, and we had D1s, D2, some classics and a Defender. He was a good driver to be sure, and understood how to drive it. Until we got to places where the only solution was gobs of ground clearance he just drove it all.

If you want to rock crawl there are much more efficient platforms to develop, and Jeep has that market covered. That was fun for a while but not my thing anymore. The new Defender will get better as people work to modify them, they will ultimately end up in the fold like everything else. All this pearl clutching is just for show.

I think it was this guy in 2014 - just crawled up Daniel without hardly spinning a tire. Impressed the hell out of all of us. And rock crawling isn't really my thing either. Uwharrie is lots of fun but I really don't want to do anything much more extreme than that. There were trails at Tellico that I just wouldn't even attempt because I don't enjoy beating my truck up.

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I like the idea of exploring places like this - I think the new Defender will be great at that task:

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1579468915257.png
 

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
My only "complaint" so far is that they didn't keep the Series/Defender feel with the removable roof and/or soft-top option. The new Bronco is going to be a huge hit. It will be in direct competition with the Jeep Wrangler. The new Defender could have been LR's answer but they screwed the pooch. The new Defender is basically a continuation of the Discovery line. And the D5 is just another Japanese SUV (in appearance).

The Discovery was never anything more than an attempt to compete with Japanese SUVs. That's why it was developed in the first place.

Cheers,

Kennith
 
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DiscoHasBeen

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2016
1,171
262
Indy
I think it was this guy in 2014 - just crawled up Daniel without hardly spinning a tire. Impressed the hell out of all of us. And rock crawling isn't really my thing either. Uwharrie is lots of fun but I really don't want to do anything much more extreme than that. There were trails at Tellico that I just wouldn't even attempt because I don't enjoy beating my truck up.

View attachment 58081

I like the idea of exploring places like this - I think the new Defender will be great at that task

Now I don't know what is behind this guy or ahead, I can only judge by this picture. That said this is driving down a dirt road, not four-wheeling IMO. And the pictures that come after, I'm sure the Defender will eat that up, but so would my Colorado.

Land Rover sells luxury SUV's. Seats you can fold up and down with a phone, vehicles you can unlock with a wristwatch, rigs with two sim cards, and capable SUV's you can drive 90 down a gravel road. I guess that's the market now, so who can fault them.
 
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Howski

Well-known member
Oct 19, 2009
1,483
209
Alabama
Now I don't know what is behind this guy or ahead, I can only judge by this picture. That said this is driving down a dirt road, not four-wheeling IMO. And the pictures that come after, I'm sure the Defender will eat that up, but so would my Colorado.
I can assure you Daniel is a gnarly 4x4 trail, especially this hill climb at the end. I’m sure many on here can attest to it as well. Pretty impressive for a D3 to make it up
 

SCSL

Well-known member
Apr 27, 2005
4,144
152
The Discovery was never anything more than an attempt to compete with Japanese SUVs. That's why it was developed in the first place.

Cheers,

Kennith
That’s why they had solid axles and long travel suspension 🙄

retarded post.
 

SCSL

Well-known member
Apr 27, 2005
4,144
152
I can assure you Daniel is a gnarly 4x4 trail, especially this hill climb at the end. I’m sure many on here can attest to it as well. Pretty impressive for a D3 to make it up
Attested.
 

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