Jeep vs. Land Rover vs. LandCruiser

[73mountaineer]

That new white Range Rover above is for upper middle class soccer moms. It has way too much plastic and unnecessary bits to be a serious off roader.

Amen to that! And that is exactly who it was designed for.

[73mountaineer]

I'd want something newer, not vintage. I don't like the looks of the new Toyota FJ -- too fat and busy looking. The Landcruiser would be too big. I would get a Land Rover Discovery or Defender if I lived in the UK, but since I live in the USA, I think a Jeep would be easier to repair and get parts for. I want something to go camping in -- not too much serious off roading. Might get a plow for it for plowing the driveway at the house, neighbor's, and at work. I looked at an '04 Wrangler that has super low miles (30k) and it's in great shape and has some nice mods -- slight lift, bigger tires (but comes with the original rims and tires), hard and soft tops. He wants $13,000 for it.

The Wrangler would be a no-brainer, for me at least. In any vehicle that age you are likely to run into at least a few age-related repairs now & then, and the Jeep would be a lot cheaper in that regard. At least I would think so. My only question with the one that you mentioned would be, why haven't you bought it yet? That seems like a really good price for a late model Wrangler in great condition with low mileage. Yup, that'd be my pick

[jd_1138]

I told my wife I wanted it, but she has to think it over. :-( The mods on it and the hard top are about a $4000 value, alone. The guy only ran synthetic oil in it and has all the records. The thing's a cream puff.

[jwhite]

Just be careful with the mods. Anything over 1 1/2 inches can seriously effect handling, stability, and drive train durability/efficacy. Those mods can be done very well and actually show improvement in all of those regards but often they're done as a fashion statement as opposed to a thoughtfully engineered redesign. Also know that you don't want to go too large with a plow on short wheelbase jeep, and that the hangers will affect ground clearance, not a big deal for a fun driving camp vehicle.

[eeney]

Guys, I threw the evoque pictures in for fun.

Personally if I were buying an off-roader, and particularly if the household had another car, then I'd be tempted by rugged character and heritage, eg. a Jeep or probably a LR Defender. I'm a Brit so I have a soft spot for the Defender, if I could justify it I'd probably still buy a Defender even though I no longer have need a 4x4. Having said that, here in Australia guys go off for weeks touring across the outback, and virtually everyone chooses Toyota because of reliability and performance... but for my the Toyotas, particularly new ones just lack character a wee bit.

The last time I needed off-road capabilities I bought a LR Disco, basically because it was my only car and my driving was 90%on-road... so the use and amount of 'on road' driving needs to be considered, unless you're happy driving an more agricultural vehicle full time on the road (many people like this).

[The Kayaker]

110 short wheel base defender nuff said

Al

[Truckie]

Fj Cruiser gets my vote.

[packersfan117]

I want to find a way to put a Ford engine in a Defender. Jeep has a few new concepts (I saw the J-12 and the Mighty FC in a magazine).

I'd take either one of those, but turning a Wrangler into either one of those would require more cash than I have. However, my dream offroad rig is an M38A1

[tattewell]

If we're talking old, I think the Cruiser is the ticket and I have owned quite a few. My favorite was a 1971 FJ-55.



I currently have a BJ-73 which is the modern'ish 70 series medium wheelbase with a removeable top and a 3.4 turbo diesel. (Similar to this)



That said you cant get one, so unless you want something used or can nab some ex-mine truck out of Canada, you're kinda limited to the Jeep. So I guess that gets my vote for your application.

I think you can get a nice 95-97 FZJ-80 for a reasonable price and they have lockers in both diffs, which is nice with the 4 link/disc brakes on all 4 corners with high pinion diffs to boot.... Gas mileage is an issue though.

They were sold in Canada as a Lexus model only, so that should say something... LX450.



*all pics pilfered from the interwebs

p.s. in Japan the HZJ-80 and 83 had an option for an ice cube tray in the centre console.