Thread: Won't make it past clipping up the seatbelt before bailing out challenge

Hey guys,

Well I feel I had a productive day today. I was able to sit inside a TD5 Defender today for a fair bit of time.

At the end of it all, I wasn't sure how comfortable I would be over 1000+ KM inside it. Few things I found a little odd... handbrake right next to your left leg pushing up against the bone of my leg... found that annoying... having said that, it wouldn't be hard to relocate a handbrake eliminating that problem.

Seating position itself was fine, I felt like I would be in control of the vehicle being in that up right position.

My right elbow had nothing to rest on because the interior door panel is flat, so it has to stick outside of the car... having said that, If I don't want the window open... that could be a little on the inconvenient feeling. Subconsciously I would l put my arm up just to realise theres nothing for it to sit on. Having said that... a little custom interior modification would fix that problem very easily. Just make the top part of the door panel wider (like in other cars etc) and you automatically have somewhere to sit your arm without it having to be outside of the vehicle.

Space wise, they have plenty of room in the back. Enough for a double bed and everything you need under that.

So with my thoughts as I left, I thought "it is nice but I will keep my eyes open for other vehicles as well... "

So on the way home, we spotted a JKU 4 door wrangler in a car dealership that was open. So I went in and jumped into that awesome car that I had imagined had a lot going for it.

Well.. just sitting in it for a few min, the right side of my right leg started getting sore because it is pushed up against the door panel with my foot on the accelerator pedal. Left foot I wanted to move just a little bit left (think of a fake clutch on the left of the brake... that area), there is nowhere for my left foot to go because the centre mound is there.

Turn behind myself... I don't know where anyone fits anything in this. It looks like it has as much space as a regular car.

The accelerator pedal itself is further under the vehicle, making my right leg feel a bit more 'stretched out' than in the Defender... but with my right leg pushing up against the door in the process...

Also between the Defender and Wrangler... both seem to have a narrow letterbox like front screen (compare to an 80 series land cruiser) but for some reason the Defender felt like I could see more around me than the wrangler did... maybe it is the seating position (face closer to the windscreen in the Defender) which gives you more peripheral vision while looking ahead... feels more open like. That was a + for me in the Defender.

Well, I have scratched the Wrangler off the list. Wife did not like it one bit either. As "awesome" as it might be for 4x4ing extreme terrain stuff like Glasshouse mountains in QLD... I can't understand how anyone could drive that for a long distance.

With the Defender I did not notice my right leg pushing up against the door. Probably because the seating position is more upright keeping your legs more in, or at least... the part that pushes against the door is more comfortable than down near your calf muscle like in the Wrangler.

So between those 2 vehicles, I was able to say "No Wrangler, yes Defender"

Then I found the 100 series Toyota land cruiser, which is almost the same as the 80 series, just a little bit larger externally. So I thought, thats my last comparison point.

Well same issue, leg pushing up against the door in the wrong place. Left foot doesn't have room to go left due to centre mound.

So all in all, they were all 'uncomfortable' if you will. The only one I found nice for the position of my left foot was the 200 Series land cruiser. That had a huge amount of room for where the feet can go. But I would never consider that for serious 4x4ing etc.

So between the 80 series defender and Wrangler, they all had 'issues'.

Maybe I am so used to the car I drive, that four wheel drives in general don't seem to feel comfortable in comparison.

Back to Land cruiser... I don't like the fact you are like upright but leaning backwards with this HUGE looking wide bonnet in front of you. There is a lot of body work that hangs out and makes the car look gigantic, but inside... not much different to something smaller. I can't imagine taking a land cruiser that feels like that out to glass house mountains and whatever else.

So conclusion after todays test:

Wrangler = No.
Defender = Could Be
80 Series land cruiser = Will be if the Defender is a no.

So what I have proposed to do... buy the Defender... drive to cape york and back to Sydney. It will give me a few thousand km's worth of driving experience to know if I am comfortable or not after a while. If we come back to Sydney feeling good, it will be the car to keep, if we feel stuffed and cramped and whatever else after all those Km's, then I can always sell it and get the Land cruiser in it's place.

So short term, we did like the Defender comfort, I just have no clue how it will be after 2000+ Km's. So buy one drive it, then I will know.

So for now, we are quite happy with the Defender and I did like the upright position.

One thing I do know for certain, sitting even in my car after 500km, I start feeling like my legs need to be stretched and I tend to pull myself up right into the seat of the car with rear end as close to the back rest as possible. It seems to relieve that feeling you get in the legs by doing that and lets you breath better being upright.

The Defender is already in that position to start with, so I am really wondering if that means it will be comfortable over a longer period of time since I am technically putting myself in that position to get comfortable in a car after a while.

So we are happy with the Defender and hope to be getting one and taking it on a long trip then deciding on keep/sell.

At least the Wranglers off the list - Makes things easier to decide.

Originally Posted by rar110

I have a 110, and would find it hard to sell as have invested too much time into it (I know it’s not logical). But now it rarely gets used for some of the reasons you mention. I now use the L322 for everything. It’s a lot more comfortable and probably more traction capable. The advantage of the 110 is that it can carry a lot of stuff, if towing is not possible.

You should seriously look at a D3/4. A very capable and comfortable vehicle.

Here’s a link of a couple who are doing a long term trip around Australia in a D3.

Dirty Drifters are Travelling Australia! - The Dirty Drifters - Adventure on Wheels

He will never look at a D3/4 or 200 series as they have IFS and that doesn't suit his image of what a real 4wd is.

The poster is stuck on the image of a big tyred solid axled monster truck as the only vehicle that is capable enough to get him where he wants to go.

My personal opinion is he needs to buy a cheap D1/D2, 80/100 series or GQ/GU Patrol and join a club do some off road and then realise what is really required.