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I think they heads on pretty good 25 years ago,,
and what we have now is a 4wd that works,,
but would you rather have a Prado with an LR badge on the front?
thats OK,, it'll sell millions!!!
and when you take it off road,, all the toyota drivers tow you out????
;):D
true lr do have excellent 4x4s that work well but i meant more on the sales side more agressive marketing more dealers etc & once again we have heard it before better quality control
as we all know the others are playing catch up in development lr are like a benchmark in some ways
cheers paul
nah,, its ok scarey,,
There is no way a car company can sell a new car that doesnt conform to pollution specs,,
and to conform,,
you need onboard computers,,
no matter what the people that believe in the carboretta fairy think,,
new LR = new computer,,,
unless Tata rip all the computers out and install one of their many tractor motors,,,,,
and export THAT in kits---
OMG!:o
but us diesel people haven't had carboretta's since Adam was in short pants, and our diesel emission laws aren't Euro IV yet....... (I think :confused:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift
and anyway, DCOE Weber's make a loverly induction roar at full throttle......but I digress :D
and the 300Tdi only went out of production last year, and is till available (while stocks last !) in ROW Defenders.
Lawrence, we're so glad you're here. Many of us have longed for the opportunity to voice our concerns to someone like yourself.
I'm not sure how aware you are of the situation here, but Land Rover's reputation in general in this country is woeful. Most of us, especially those in the bush, are constantly defending our choice of vehicle. When I bought my first new Land Rover, a trayback 110, in Alice Springs in 1995, people would ask incredulously "Why didn't you buy a Landcruiser?". I'm farming now, but for many years I worked for government departments (NT & Qld) operating (and driving) almost solely in remote bush areas. I would have dearly loved to get around in a Land Rover but I was always provided with a Landcruiser as a matter of course. Any suggestion of getting a Land Rover was met with raucous laughter (seriously). People hate them. It's that bad.
It saddens me to see Land Rover becoming a vehicle that is bought by urban people for urban duties. Land Rovers just aren't bought by people in the bush - Toyotas are, and Nissans to a lesser extent. For twelve months I was doing wild dog baiting in the NT and visited most of the Territory's cattle stations. How many Land Rovers did I see in that time? One - a trayback series 3 that had long since been retired to light duties. And of course thousands of Toyotas. This has been going on for so long now that most of these people have had no exposure to Land Rovers, at least not for a long time, and they view them as slow, uncomfortable, and unreliable. Toyota marketing is everywhere you look, Land Rover's is almost non-existent. Toyota dealerships are everywhere, but to buy a Land Rover you almost have to travel to a capital city. WHY DID THEY TAKE AWAY ALL THOSE DEALERSHIPS?
I realise that Land Rover has decided to position itself as a manufacturer of premium vehicles (sadly), but they're still 4wds and what credibility does a "4wd only" manufacturer have in this country if its products aren't seen as a viable alternative in the bush. And where Defender is concerned I just hope that premium doesn't have to equate to luxury. I'm hoping that future Defenders can be regarded as premium because of their class-leading off-road ability, versatility and load carrying ability, their superior reliability, build quality and longevity.
I actually think that Land Rover's done a pretty good job with the current Defender. Unlike some others here I wouldn't want a TDV6, TDV8 or auto. I am yet to drive one but from all the information I can glean the engine/ gearbox combination seems pretty good. I agree with others here that axles, diffs, CVs need beefing up and that long range tanks should be standard (as they are on Patrols and Landcruisers). Toyota and Jeep offer factory diff locks so these would be a good idea as an option.
Lawrence wants to know about improving off-road ability. The thing is even the Land Rover haters will admit that they have outstanding off-road ability. Lawrence: mission accomplished. What most people agree on is that they are not reliable enough. This should be the priority. Make them ever more reliable.
..And give us the full range of Defenders.
I don't see the need for LR to have the biggest selling 4WD.
I want to drive the best; and in no field is the best necessarily the most common.
I fully agree with all you said, but this needs a response.Quote:
Originally Posted by wally
It is not that I don't think the Defender engine is good enough. The Land Rover enthusiasts are reasonably well informed. And many would appreciate the running cost benefits, while having adequate performance.
But many buyers see the small engine capacity as one of the major reasons not to buy Land Rover. V6 and V8 diesels are available in the rest of the stable, so offer these as options is all I ask.
No problem with that. But personally I'd take the economical option. Fuel's not getting any cheaper.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bush65