Originally Posted by
Zeros
All current model Land Rovers look the same to me. They’re just different sizes. Same class - luxury SUV.
I own two Defenders from different eras. They are basically the same vehicle almost 20 years apart ( which is why I like them). The newer one is much more complex in terms of electronics and with some sub-standard driveline parts, and it uses more fuel than the older simpler one.
But the biggest difference between them is the old one is noisy and rattly. But in another 15 years the newer one will be noisy and rattly.
Toyota 70 Series has always been Defenders main competitor. It hasn’t changed much either. The main reason Defender didn’t sell as many as Toyota is poor customer service and marketing, including the shift to focussing primarily on the luxury urban market and not taking the Defender market seriously. That’s where they dropped the ball.
The small niche of wierdy beardies like me liked Defender and could see benefits of the vehicle over the competitors. But the majority wanted something less sophisticated as a work vehicle, with a large dealer network.
The next Defender will be even more complex and alienate the simple work vehicle market even further.
