4X4 OTY

[V8Ian]

They picked a Jeep.

Jeep takes off-road gong (http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2014/01/01/17/35/jeep-takes-off-road-gong)

[87County]

It's good to circulate the awards around the advertisers...

"Sure, it doesn't have the unstoppable off-road ability of a Jeep Wrangler but it does everything else so well"

.........so who wants a 4WD for off-road ability anyway ?

"The test was conducted in regional NSW with the judges.................. camping in the bush each night"

Wow !




:) why is there no smiley for cynical ?

[2stroke]

$71000 ! :eek: Expensive way of taking the kids to school...

[MarknDeb]

:no2: I was told about a top of range jeep owner last year and how happy he was with his purchase, His first outing with a caravan owners group to the Millmerran camp over festival, he got to the festival ok but just he had an issue with the car that had developed on the travel. On arrival other he found what had happened was the rear chassis had cracked over the wheel arch. This is all I was told I do not know of what the outcome was.

[crash]

Four Wheeler magazine out of the US has just named the Range Rover Sport as thier Four Wheeler of the year, with the Grand Cherokee taking 2nd place.
It was up against the Dodge Durango, Toyota 4 Runner (Prado), Jeep Cherokee Trail hawk and Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Full Fruit Range Rover was alos eligable to enter but Range Rover only sent the Sport.

[Ausfree]

As a previous poster has said...."you have to circulate the awards around the advertisers".;)

[crash]

As a previous poster has said...."you have to circulate the awards around the advertisers".;)
With the US magazine - LR does not advertise in it, and it is the "Land of the Jeep"

[Slunnie]

I don't think that they circulate amongst their advertisers despite being commonly said. I do however think that everybody has certain aspects that relate to the vehicle that may be more or less important to them when compared to other people. I also think that most 4wdoty teams are objective...most. What I pick for 4wdoty, and put my money down for, may not be the same as them or anybody else but it would be my 4wdoty and this is also what the journos have done.

[SLOWBOAT]

My son inlaw has just picked up his new Jeep SRT. and traded his Disco TD5 in.
This car is a weapon of a machine with 400+ kw's and launch control.
He said he is not going 4wding in the next few years so thought this was a better vehicle for what he wants as it is awd not 4wd and will tow the ski boat well.
Will see how it shapes up in another 2 years.
Also it is retail $13k less than a top of the range disco so I think pretty good value and that is why my brother has one (diesel), my son inlaw (6.4 v8 hemi) and my mate (diesel) also.

[ramblingboy42]

I think the journos would be too scared to give it to a D4 again.

4x4 mag did an "extended" balls out 4x4 comparo about 18 months ago and drove out to Ivanhoe, about 2000km bitumen then did about 200km dirt driving and based their results on that.

How pathetic.

I'd love to see some of these journos pack up a few different 4wd vehicles and come out to central South Australia with me for week or so and then form there opinions after 4-5000km of genuine off road driving.

I think some real revelations would come out.....like driving 2-3000km of mind numbing corrugations and seeing how far their 180ltr fuel tanks can really take them.

I just wish they'd be honestly realistic about the tests and the results recorded, as is, without bias, so the reader can form their own opinions, without having to accept the journalists biased judgements/excuses/personal feelings etc.

[frantic]

I guess people are talking with their wallets. The GC outsold the D4 almost 3:1 last month, with jeep GC being the best selling 4wd in Oz last month:eek:. Unfortunately as the article pointed out while the overland may cost 71k the exact same engine, drivetrain , suspension etc without all the leather and bling can be had by ticking a few boxes (air suspension, diff lock, bash plates)on a GC Laredo diesel for $53k! That means you can have a GC. For 15-25kless than a base D4. Now for people like myself with 5 kids a GC is not even a consideration but for my father he ended up in one. I have a defender with 9 seats:D.

[bmw535guy]

if only they compared service costs as ive looked at some jeep service pricing and it makes Landrover look cheap!!! I mean jeep owners are going to Merc to get their parts as their cheaper (due to same components with different branding by and large).

[VladTepes]

Giving a 4wd award to an AWD is just a joke.

Yeah they are probably sick of giving it to the D4 - anyone who's driven one will know it IS worthy of the award.

Anyway it's not a problem for me I can't afford either of them, I'll just happily motor along in my old Tdi Defender which is great OFF ROAD out BUSH and on the BEACH.

You know, places where that 2nd lever comes in handy....

[UncleHo]

G'day Vlad :)

Happy New Year :D Yes, the old TDI has a lot going for it, no computer engine management,hand prime fuel pump if needed,and good reliability :D

I do enjoy our D1 300TDI auto;)

Both the RRC and the Disco 1 are Constant Four Wheel Drive and have been since the first RRC in 1970.

[mikehzz]

Giving a 4wd award to an AWD is just a joke.

Yeah they are probably sick of giving it to the D4 - anyone who's driven one will know it IS worthy of the award.

Anyway it's not a problem for me I can't afford either of them, I'll just happily motor along in my old Tdi Defender which is great OFF ROAD out BUSH and on the BEACH.

You know, places where that 2nd lever comes in handy....

The Grand Cherokee has low range and a good traction and air suspension similar to the D4, at least the one I drove did anyway. I have an earlier model diesel GC and am quite happy with it. I snatch recovered a D4 stuck half way up Mt Pinnibar last week on a slope we could barely walk on. He got stuck in a thunder storm late afternoon and slid sideways into some large ruts. They had to sleep in the car in the ditch because his winch didn't work either. My GC had no trouble going around them and pulling them up the hill. Of further interest, I was with a Freelander 2 that had absolutely no trouble going from Tom Groggin to the summit of Mt Pinnibar as well. Mighty impressive for a little car.

[bob10]

Well, my D2 TD5 has over 368,000 kms , [ too lazy to go down & check] goes everywhere I want to go, beach or bush, I am at the stage most work I can do myself, let's see how the jeeps go with the same kms. Bob

[Cruiserlux]

I have a GC and on the same track with the same driver it made it further than my 100 series cruiser with 2 inch lift and 33inch muddies. GC is stock standard with factory offroad pack. It is a very impressive vehicle.

Just to redeem myself I have since got rid of the cruiser and now have a Defender 130 300TDI.

[Ean Austral]

Well it must appeal to lots of people cause I have just driven over 4000ks and passed 3 landys ( 2 defenders & 1 RRS ) but passed about 50 jeeps.

Funny I got told at the place we were stopped yesterday that I was crazy for driving a L/R from the territory cause they were the most unreliable car ever. Think L/R should look more at trying to sell some vehicles and kill off the myths than worry about 4wdoty in my view

Cheers Ean

[bob10]

Each to his own, my D2 cost $ 9,000 , plus about another $5,000 for add ons, hasn't let me down yet, I love it when we just dawdle past other vehicles stuck, not one toyo yet has taken up the offer of help. Who cares. I'm happy, Bob

[flagg]

while I don't care too much about the mags and what they think is good or not I always feel a camaraderie with Jeep owners as you end up banding together against the nissota drivers :D

[Naviguesser]

I think the amount of Jeeps on the road is relative to the amount of advertising you see. How many "I bought a Jeep" have you seen on the TV?

Who says advertising doesn't work.

[benji]

I've just read the article, and it seems the things that make the Jeep good are European. Motor from Fiat, gearbox from zf, and chassis /platform from the ml. They admit the air suspension only works well on road. There's no mention of how the jeep went up their hill climb. . Only a photo that shows no wheel articulation and a lot of wheel spin. ....

It's a well packaged car by all accounts that handles well, is a good size, but is very well priced - and that's what most buyers want.

I did hear of a local bloke who had to wait 3 months for some bottom end bearings for the diesel though.

Sent from my GT-I9305T using AULRO mobile app

[mikehzz]

It helps when the new GC is very good looking and an excellent drive and priced very well. I would have upgraded mine if it wasn't for the annoying position of the foot operated parking brake. The KK Cherokee (not the Grand) is an ugly car and you rarely see any on the road, the advertising isn't moving many of those dogs.

[goingbush]

Fiat bought a Jeep.

Fiat at last buys Chrysler: A new start for the new year | The Economist (http://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2014/01/fiat-last-buys-chrysler)

[dungarover]

Don't read these mags anymore, don't really care but I suppose it's not like the 90's where every year bar one or two the Landcruiser and Patrol used to win all the time even if the Rangie or Disco did do better in nearly all areas!!


Still I'll never buy one of these new 4WD mainly because I don't have that sort of money and quite content with my old dunga Rangie.


Trav

[Ean Austral]

Each to his own, my D2 cost $ 9,000 , plus about another $5,000 for add ons, hasn't let me down yet, I love it when we just dawdle past other vehicles stuck, not one toyo yet has taken up the offer of help. Who cares. I'm happy, Bob

Got to agree Bob, if our D3 matches what our D2 did then I will be very happy.

BUT Land rover still need to come up with a add campaign to combat the constant belief that they are the most unreliable car on or off the road, and until they do they will continue to be at the bottom end of market sales no matter how many 4wdoty banners they win.


Cheers Ean

[ramblingboy42]

Land Rover Australia happily sell every Land Rover that comes in to the country. You can't go to a dealership and walk out the back and pick a vehicle that hasn't been predelivered. If you want something at all different you have to wait 4-5 months. I wish I had a business like that. That's why you can't get discounts. So, for those holding back on a Defender, don't hold back too long.

[Ean Austral]

Land Rover Australia happily sell every Land Rover that comes in to the country. You can't go to a dealership and walk out the back and pick a vehicle that hasn't been predelivered. If you want something at all different you have to wait 4-5 months. I wish I had a business like that. That's why you can't get discounts. So, for those holding back on a Defender, don't hold back too long.

You obviously haven't seen the dealer in Darwin, had 6 sitting in the yard when I drove past, D4, evoque, and couple of defenders, and they have been sitting there for ages,

Having a business that sells 100 cars when others are selling 1000 isn't my idea of a successful business.

Just my 2c of course

Cheers Ean

[goingbush]

Got to agree Bob, if our D3 matches what our D2 did then I will be very happy.

BUT Land rover still need to come up with a add campaign to combat the constant belief that they are the most unreliable car on or off the road, and until they do they will continue to be at the bottom end of market sales no matter how many 4wdoty banners they win.


Cheers Ean

But that would be dishonest, False advertising is against the law in this country.

LandRover ARE the most unreliable car in UK, and I dare say in Australia too.

Top 10 Most & Least Reliable Cars - UK Car Reliability Survey (http://www.octagoninsurance.com/guide/car/car-reliability-survey/)


Which used cars are the least reliable?
The survey, carried out by What car? and Warranty Direct, included 36 manufacturers in its survey. Bottom place went to Land Rover. Buy a second hand one of these and you will be in off the road more than on it – a 71% failure rate was the worst by a long way and repairs cost an average of £420. The Land Rover was way below the Alfa Romeo, which has a 55% failure rate and a cheaper average repair bill at £364.
Also trailing were Porsche (39% failure rate, with the highest average repairs £623), Volvo (39% failure rate) BMW (41% failure rate) and Mercedes (45% failure rate).

Why the hell do you think AULRO is one of the most popular forums in the world, Duh because Landrover is so bloody unreliable and people come here to find answers on how to solve their issues.

[Ean Austral]

But that would be dishonest, False advertising is against the law in this country.

LandRover ARE the most unreliable car in UK, and I dare say in Australia too.

Top 10 Most & Least Reliable Cars - UK Car Reliability Survey (http://www.octagoninsurance.com/guide/car/car-reliability-survey/)



Why the hell do you think AULRO is one of the most popular forums in the world, Duh because Landrover is so bloody unreliable and people come here to find answers on how to solve their issues.

Point taken, but I thought Aulro was so popular because we are all great people with the same passion who are happy to share our knowledge. The fact we help people fix problems is a bonus.

As a matter of interest do those surveys only include current model cars or are they going back say 10 yrs. I would be keen to see if the d3/d4 rate in those high numbers.

Cheers Ean

[goingbush]

This might help, and this time the Survey is American , Even against crappy US cars the D3/D4/RR is bottom of the reliability heap 4 years running

http://landroverhell.com/article/4261/

J.D. Power Survey, Land Rover Discovery Revies and Report, Land Rover Discovery Recall (http://landroverhell.com/article/2225/)

Interestingly despite Reliability being the worst owner satisfaction was amongst the highest

Its a LandRover thing :confused:

(but Jeep isn't too far behind)

[Ean Austral]

This might help, and this time the Survey is American , Even against crappy US cars the D3/D4/RR is bottom of the reliability heap 4 years running

Which Survey Land Rover Comes last for reliability, Land Rover Discovery Revies and Report, Land Rover Discovery Recall (http://landroverhell.com/article/4261/)

J.D. Power Survey, Land Rover Discovery Revies and Report, Land Rover Discovery Recall (http://landroverhell.com/article/2225/)

Interestingly despite Reliability being the worst owner satisfaction was amongst the highest

Its a LandRover thing :confused:

(but Jeep isn't too far behind)

Interesting reading, I hope that a check engine light, squeaking brakes and a hard to lift tail gate are the only problems I ever have.

Cheers Ean

[Ean Austral]

Interesting reading, I hope that a check engine light, squeaking brakes and a hard to lift tail gate are the only problems I ever have.

Cheers Ean

Actually come to think of it I have a unreliable car as I have had the check engine light, squeaky brakes and trouble with the lift up tail gate.

Bugger .

Cheers Ean

[ramblingboy42]

does "unreliable" mean leaving you stranded on the side of the road? In nearly 15 years of driving into Australia's interior on all the roads all 4wdrivers want to know, I have never seen a Land Rover broken down or stranded. Now would you like a list of all the brands I have seen broken down? I err, last march I saw a burnt out defender near Pt Douglas.

[Ean Austral]

does "unreliable" mean leaving you stranded on the side of the road? In nearly 15 years of driving into Australia's interior on all the roads all 4wdrivers want to know, I have never seen a Land Rover broken down or stranded. Now would you like a list of all the brands I have seen broken down? I err, last march I saw a burnt out defender near Pt Douglas.

If you read the USA article the list squeaky brakes and a hard to lift up tailgate as part of the unreliable list.

Cheers Ean

[goingbush]

does "unreliable" mean leaving you stranded on the side of the road? In nearly 15 years of driving into Australia's interior on all the roads all 4wdrivers want to know, I have never seen a Land Rover broken down or stranded. Now would you like a list of all the brands I have seen broken down? I err, last march I saw a burnt out defender near Pt Douglas.

In 30 something years of 4WD ownership Ive only had to leave a Landrover on the side of the road once and walk away for help. But Ive had many many breakdowns that I was able to fix roadside because I had parts or the know how, also many problems that require constant attention and ongoing repairs.

They are so bloody unreliable.

Ive also owned 3 Toyotas, They were so reliable that in the 10 or so years of Toyota ownership I never had to do ANY repairs, just regular maintenance.
That said it was a Toyota that left me stranded outback with a catastrophic & sudden engine failure. BUT they were so bloody boring to own & drive.

[benji]

I have to admit, every single problem I've had was caused by aftermarket stuff (dodgy lpg vaporiser), or lack of maintenance on my behalf; or previous mechanics taking shortcuts.

The fact that I spilt orange juice in my seat switches doesn't make it unreliable.
I know others have problems, but thats just my experience.

Sent from my GT-I9305T using AULRO mobile app

[ramblingboy42]

the definition I'm looking for is what is unreliable?

I've had to do more work on Grumble than any other vehicle I've owned but it has never been unreliable.

Other vehicles I've owned have had failures that have stopped me in traffic and on expressways.

I deem them more unreliable than my Land Rovers.

[flagg]

I have to admit, every single problem I've had was caused by aftermarket stuff (dodgy lpg vaporiser), or lack of maintenance on my behalf; or previous mechanics taking shortcuts.


x2 for my experiance