Thread: Won’t be retro...

Originally Posted by rar110

I might as well start. My personal perspectives have changed over time. But I one time I wanted (and wouldn’t look at anything other) a vehicle with a strong ladder steel (gal preferred) chassis, that was rugged in appearance including some barwork to protect against roos, and it had to be simple so it could be easily repaired, had to have good traction. Alloy body parts appealed to me as I do some beach work. It also had to be able to carry a heap of gear.

Mechanical simplicity at a perentie level has disappeared. No car maker can deliver that anymore. Ladder chassis is probably also in JLRs past, not future. It needs to be able to take barwork (incl winch) as people value that. Square and big cargo space to take a heap of gear is also probably possible and important.

Winch
Barwork
Sliders
Decent travel
Lockers or the equivalent
Medium profile tyres on 17s or 18s
Low range or the equivalent in a auto
Powerful and reliable petrol or hybrid petrol, deisels are too much drama these days.
Large cargo
Good dust sealing
Comfortable interior so you can actually enjoy getting around oz.
Safe so you dont die doing a big lap.
Able to drive any river that doesnt make the car float.
Able to drive any track that wouldn't smash your side panels (comp truck tracks)


Reasonably reliable for the car that you end up with.

I say reasonably because many people throw around reliability as something that you can compare between any two cars.

In reality a Landcruiser 200 series a Y62 Nissan Patrol for a Range Rover Vogue is never going to have the reliability of a Suzuki Jimny.

Also a Range Rover Vogue is going to need more maintainence to keep reliable than a Landcruiser 200 series as they are in different leagues of capability and features.

Is a Suzuki Jimny reasonably reliable for the car that you get yes

Is a LandCruiser 200 series reasonably reliable for the car that you get yes

Is the Range Rover Vogue reasonably reliable for the car that you get yes

Will the new defender be reasonably reliable for what you get, no doubt yes as JLR have come a very long way since p38 days.. they have a lot of tech in them but they seem to do it in a much more reliable way these days.

As long as the car ticks all of the boxes, the next thing is what you actually want to drive around in, and everyone has different needs in that regard and wants in terms of level of comfort and luxury.. so really does come down to beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

From what I can see so far the new defender will probably be a fairly hardcore 4x4 and capable on most tracks in oz but not a comp truck, it will also be reasonably reliable, very safe, good looking and very comfortable.

Originally Posted by trout1105

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A D2 will fit that bill nicely

Yes and plenty around and cheap

Not many utes or dual cabs though.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Not many utes or dual cabs though.

NO utes or dual cabs now from the Landrover stables, If you need a tray back of any description and a serious overland or expedition vehicle needs a tray then you will have to get a different brand.

Certainly round here dual cabs are by far the most popular new vehicles.

Originally Posted by trout1105

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A D2 will fit that bill nicely

And a D3/4 isn't that far away either.

Originally Posted by trout1105

NO utes or dual cabs now from the Landrover stables, If you need a tray back of any description and a serious overland or expedition vehicle needs a tray then you will have to get a different brand.

They have nothing in that range new at all,even in a wagon.

The D4 was the last of them.

Lets hope the new Deefer fills the gap.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Certainly round here dual cabs are by far the most popular new vehicles.

The dual cab configuration is the most "Flexible" in terms of how you can use the truck, The only downside is the tray size compared to a single cab unit.