Thread: New Member - Don't know anything about Defenders - Questions

Welcome

First order of comparison is to drive a Defender. If it doesn't work for you (ergonomically, sense of style, generally enjoyment behind the wheel) the issues you raised fall away. Defenders either capture you or not.

The 4wding you stated is all pretty tame from a technical perspective. A defender in stock form will eat it up. I run long travel suspension and 35's (with gearing to suit) and it is a compromise for touring. High speed turns on dirt are just scary and the 35's suck more fuel. When driving long distances the extra fuel adds up. You would be better off with a set of 33's, leaving the suspension stock and invest in a torque biasing front and manual locker rear diff set up. In a 130 you will travel this great brown land in a 4x4 with plenty of space for all your crap and as competent as a Rubicon as a weekend warrior. (personally i think the Wrangler's have poor suspension geometry but that's my uneducated opinion). You will get a defender suspension to work better for less effort & $ than you can a wrangler (IMO).

As for fuel, i travelled from Sydney to the Cape and back with a 75ltr tank and took the jerry can on a holiday. I just came back from the Madigan line and used 130 ltr on the crossing. I have a 127ltr long range tank. Other than the Canning there are few that demand more than 130ltrs. In those cases, planning fuel is important as planning water/food etc and you will be keenly aware of your limitations.

As for capability off road, beware of buyers bias (we all justify our purchasing decisions) and by and large most vehicles are set up differently (dictated by budget and perceptions of what works). My 2 cents, buy the 4x4 that speaks to your heart and the rest can be overcome with aftermarket bits and bobs.

I agree with MLD. First join a Land Rover club and talk to members about their vehicles. A Defender will perform perfectly well 'out of the box'. don't rush into modifying until you have gained some experience. As to space, my wife and I have travelled all around Australia in our 1995 Defender 90. With a little careful packing we've never been short of space. I believe it's actually an advantage. Less space equals less junk. Think along the line that every item you carry should have at least two uses.

Above all, if a Defender doesn't grab your attention, don't bother with it.

The comments above are pretty accurate. The Defender is unbeatable off road in stock form with standard tyres and handles pretty well for a truck. Depending on seats required a trayback can carry all the gear you need and provide significant additional space when secured with a canopy. The low fuel burn around 10l/100k for the earlier versions is pretty hard to beat. Planning your fuel requirements can aleviate the need for megga tanks and a couple of well secured jerrys is more than sufficient.

Be very wary of jeeps. one nearly killed my kids on the pacific highway near coffs and killed the owner. something happened on the wet highway and it crossed the centreline. Wouldn't get in one.

Welcome. All great advice above.

My advice is if you want to do all those fantastic big trips across the continent, grab a Defender, dont modify it at all and invest your money ensuring the mechanical basics are top notch - engine, driveline, cooling, electrical. As others have said, big tyres and suspension lifts, etc, are no good for long distance touring and Defenders are very capable in stock form. A stock Defender will also be a much better long distance tourer than a Jeep Wrangler IMO.

Go and drive a couple of Defenders and if you’re hooked! You won’t look back.

Thanks for the replies so far...

From everything I have been able to research, the wranglers have better suspension etc and more capable 'out of the box'. They got longer wheel travel and have a wider track than Defenders. They also cost half as much to begin with leaving the other half to really upgrade an already very capable machine.

The Defender I have seen can run a 200L fuel tank, the wranglers maxed at 140... but... do you really need more than that? I mean thats still over 1000km... I cant imagine needing to be able to go 2000km with no fuel stations anywhere for that distance... thats like going from Sydney to past bundaberg and no fuel stations... thats half the continent on 1 tank.

Before you get the wrong idea, I am not trying to say "well buy the wrangler then why are you asking us for" - I am trying to learn about the vehicle so I can make an informed decision.

What is the after-market parts availability for the Defender like? Wanting diff locks front and rear etc... how much stuff is available for these and how hard/easy is it to get what you need? I know for the Wrangler it is basically infinite...

First up you need to go sit in a defender and take it for a drive or two.

the ergonomics suit many but not all.

never owned a late model defender but have owned several up to 1996 models.

i can drive for 17+ hours, only stopping for food etc breaks and hop out of a defender still feeling fresh enough to saunter up the road and have a look around. and so can the better half.

neither of us can do that in a wrangler, discovery 1 / 2 or my range rover for that matter.

many others are over feeling cramped in a defender in a couple of hours.

as for big tyre size etc, it will come back to what size and weight you want to tow etc

but you really need to sit in a defender for a few hours first up and find out whether you cope IMHO

I doubt you would fit a mattress and sleep comfortably in a Wrangler, it's only just big enough in a Defender.

The most important thing you are forgetting about buying a wrangler......you will look like a tool. You see these wranglers getting around all jacked up massive tyres and flares and generally it's some "man bun" sporting ****** driving it thinking it's a hummer. You will spend a fortune on it getting it lifted and big tyres and all that when really "out of the box" a defender ****s all over it even a disco does offroad. I don't hate jeeps but they belong cruising along Beaconsfield parade (st kilda) with the top down on a nice hot summers day if you catch my drift