| Author | Message | ||
     Jason Wagner (Wagnerjc) Member Username: Wagnerjc Post Number: 50 Registered: 03-2002 |
I'm watching TV tonight while surfing DWEB and that damned Range Rover add comes on. You know the one in India where the Royal Caravan pauses while the "queen" waves the glamorous Range Rover on. To me this symbolizes everything that is going wrong with Land Rover. I feel that more and more they are a company going after an image of style and not durability or off-road ability. Every time this add comes on I feel embarrassed that I own a Land Rover. Man that commercial drives me friggen crazy. Thanks for letting me vent! | ||
| Edward Bibb (Heirless) New Member Username: Heirless Post Number: 35 Registered: 04-2003 |
As my father told me as a child, "Son, that's hollywood, no one paints a Dodge Charger in Rebel colors and jump it over creeks, but that Daisy Duke....(fill in the blanks)". | ||
| Rupert J (Tehamarx) Member Username: Tehamarx Post Number: 53 Registered: 11-2002 |
Yeah maybe,but if it wasn't for the Queen's daddy 50 odd yrs ago, we'd ALL be driving Jeeps! I believe it was the Royal Imprimatur that got LR going. Correct me please! | ||
| Mtb (Mtb) New Member Username: Mtb Post Number: 34 Registered: 02-2003 |
Jason The problem is not with Land Rover. The problem is a few things. With SUV's approx. 95% don't take them offroad at all including people who have Land Rover's, the compitition is to great out there so Land Rover has to keep changing things to keep up or they will die in the US. Take a look at each Rover Freelander- It a cute-ute other than that ???? New Range Rover- That is in a class of it's own. Beside dealer events I would bet that less than 1% take them offroad. So LR needs to change to meet the customers needs. Defenders- That serves the Offroader, it is just a damn shame our Government has tight restriction on safty. If we could get them here in the USA like in the UK (quantity & $$$ they can) many of us would not really care to much what LR does to the other LR's. New Disco's- I would think this is thier bread and butter over here.(I could be wrong) Disco is in the toughest market, for the price we have so many choices that they have no choice to change things for the worse in our eyes (offroaders) and for the better for the 95+% that use them only on the road. I bought an 03Disco I was trying to decide what SUV I wanted I looked at MB,BMW&Volvo all three I felt they drove better on the road compared to the Disco. The only reason I chose the Disco was I enjoy going offroad, hunting/fishing, and my job requires me to be here in bad weather(snow)and since I had a 96 Disco I knew what it could do in all of those areas. But if I felt that any one of those other SUV's could have kept up with the Disco, well Bye Bye LR. So you can't get mad at LR for trying to keep up with the compitition by doing what they are doing.(Giving the 95% of thier possible consumers a better ride by going with IFS/IRS, more room and what all the other changes that they may do) I know if we could have our way we would like it to stay the way they are, but we are a very small percent of possible consumers, we can't blame LR for doing what they have to do. It was bound to happen no matter who owned LR, I know I would do it if I owned them. | ||
| Jason Wagner (Wagnerjc) Member Username: Wagnerjc Post Number: 51 Registered: 03-2002 |
Mtb, I agree with the market pressures. What burns me about the ad is the arrogance of it. As far as off-roading goes I chose the Disco as a family capable vehicle that can do whatever I want it to off-road. I couldn't care less what LR does with the Disco line if they would bring back the Defenders. I have trouble justifying the kind of money that a Defender demands here for a 10 yr. old car. Oh well, we can always hope. | ||
| Christopher Boese (Christopher) Member Username: Christopher Post Number: 193 Registered: 10-2002 |
I can't stand to watch that ad. The arrogant idea that foreign royalty (or whatever) would yield to a *car* (probably filled with Americans or Europeans) disgusts me. In the real world, bodyguards would probably have fired an RPG at the Range Rover and blown it out of the way. | ||
| Alan Yim (Alan) Senior Member Username: Alan Post Number: 810 Registered: 09-2002 |
Buy a military Defender. They're much cheaper...also a lot more beat up but if you're looking for something to go beat around in the bush and not care about dinging it up, it's perfect for that. | ||
| Luke Tolson (Luke4696) Senior Member Username: Luke4696 Post Number: 258 Registered: 06-2003 |
I would love an ex-MOD vehicle, just to much to get it to the states! -Luke p.s. I can always dream | ||
| Kyle (Tweaked) New Member Username: Tweaked Post Number: 12 Registered: 03-2003 |
There is a guy near me, here in RI, that sells ex military defenders. I believe he calls them wolves. I'm not sure what he charges for them but they are pretty sweet. | ||
| Jason Wagner (Wagnerjc) Member Username: Wagnerjc Post Number: 52 Registered: 03-2002 |
I posted a pic here of a Defender we used when I was in Ranger Batt. in the Army. We called the Sharks. I'd love to get me hands on one now. I was young and didn't fully appreciate what we had. | ||
| Alan Yim (Alan) Senior Member Username: Alan Post Number: 811 Registered: 09-2002 |
I don't know about the US, but here in Canada you can pretty much go to a military base and see if they have any old Defenders they want to sell. There was an auction in August in Calgary where 10 D110's came up for sale. I know another fellow that bought a bunch of Defenders to build 6 running ones out of. I saw one of the D90's he just finished and it looks quite nice but still something you wouldn't get too upset over if you banged into a tree or something. I'd say that's probably the best option if you want something to wheel in and not really care too much if you bunged it up. The NAS Defenders I've seen are all quite nice and quite expensive and after shelling out that kind of dough, would be rather careful with it. | ||
| Sergei Rodionov (Uzbad) Member Username: Uzbad Post Number: 125 Registered: 08-2003 |
Kyle - can you ask him?  I think there will be plenty of people on this board who would be interested in such info | ||
| Greg French (Gregfrench) Senior Member Username: Gregfrench Post Number: 623 Registered: 11-2002 |
On a lighter note...I was reminded of that commercial in a funny way the other day on my way home. I had to make a left turn across a busy road at rush hour (no intersection...just turning into a parking lot). After a little wait with my turn signal on, an oncomming Wrangler, all decked out in 4x4 gear and some college-aged guys stopped and held up the traffic behind them so I could cross. The first thought that came into my head was "Respect." | ||
| Rupert J (Tehamarx) Member Username: Tehamarx Post Number: 58 Registered: 11-2002 |
Or "Age before beauty" OR what Kathy Bates said in Fried Green Tomatoes "You maybe faster honey, but I'm older and have more insurance!" |
