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I had a 1997 Land Rover Defender 90. That was the last year they were allowed to import them to the USA. I wish they still were able to import them here to the USA,but Land Rover would need to up grade the safety features and US EPA regulations in order to have them sold again in the USA. The only Rovers that can be imported to the USA now have to be 25 years or older. Bring back the Defender!!
you could import a 25 year old one and then slowly upgrade all the bits ,it would be like new becuse they have hardly changed in the 50+ years they have been around ,which is brilliant in my book .
They say out of all the landrover defenders ever made 85-95% are still in existance ! now thats eco friendly !
LR Defender. Probably the best off road 4×4, but (despite recent improvements) it’s still a utility vehicle. I love em but drove one on Africa and wouldn’t again. Broke my heart. Badly sealed, draughty, dusty, underprowered, poorly designed ergonomics, OKish reliability (which doesn’t cut it). On the plus side, great mileage, great internal and extrernal space for mods and load carrying, lovely to look at, very good offroad. If I had to take one vhicle with me into a remote location, it would be….a 70 series Landcruiser. Sorry. Get the Landy for fun. Its cool. Get the Landrcruiser for work and serious offroad. Toyotas rarely fail.
Land Rover was my absolute favorite utility truck to drive in Afghanistan! They were practically made for OEF. Easily strapped into a C130, plenty of room, and it could go just about anywhere. What more could you ask for?
x2 on the Land Cruisers. Drove a model 70 in Iraq all over tarnation-what capable rigs. When I got back, I bought a newer one and, to the wife’s dismay, took it offroading in Moab this spring. Do this before you die. Very well built and comfortable rigs.
All of which ignores the fact Jeep did most of this with the Cherokee. And despite the flashy video and retrospective, nothing depicted can’t be done with a 1990 model and some lockers.
In the big perspective, Ford just caters to the leisure luxury off roader, which means they might contribute a bit more off pavement time than the 5% most see. America’s buyers are too accustomed to a cushy ride and don’t tolerate a live front axle well, despite it’s superior off road abilities. Hence, everything on the market uses minivan CV shafts up front to keep the Ms. happy. They can’t articulate as well, and when the going gets rough, they can’t keep going.
Not all “progress” is an actual improvement, it’s also convenience or comfort, and I see a lot of that in todays 4WD market. It’s obvious just comparing the CJ5 vs. a 4door Wrangler.
If fixing the A/C is more important than getting lockers, I seriously question someone’s priorities in true off road performance. Me, I removed the A/C, and painted the roof white. Lockers are next, and it’s daily driver I took to work last summer, the third hottest on record here, 32 days over 100.
With half the radiator covered in cardboard. Yeah, I overdid it with a three core.
Hey, Land Rover, if you want serious buyers, put out a spec sheet listing the African double roof, no air, Torsen diffs, and a diesel.
HA HA … Over here on the Arabian peninsula I am driving around in a 2005 TD5 Defender 110 fully Overland Expediton equipped, snorkle, roof tent (with TWO air conditioner systems!). My engine growls baby. Growls. Its a total man-mobile and Brits envy me. Lots of Landcruiser 70s here too.
You mean they dont import them ? thats a real shame ,they are megga !
I’d rather have 1 Defender than 20 Range Rover Sports…
I had a 1997 Land Rover Defender 90. That was the last year they were allowed to import them to the USA. I wish they still were able to import them here to the USA,but Land Rover would need to up grade the safety features and US EPA regulations in order to have them sold again in the USA. The only Rovers that can be imported to the USA now have to be 25 years or older. Bring back the Defender!!
I’d take a Land Cruiser over a Defender any day
you could import a 25 year old one and then slowly upgrade all the bits ,it would be like new becuse they have hardly changed in the 50+ years they have been around ,which is brilliant in my book .
They say out of all the landrover defenders ever made 85-95% are still in existance ! now thats eco friendly !
The Defender is second only to a Land Cruiser pick-up truck. Sadly, damn near impossible to get either of them here.
There’s no shortage of 90s and 110s here in New Zealand!
LR Defender. Probably the best off road 4×4, but (despite recent improvements) it’s still a utility vehicle. I love em but drove one on Africa and wouldn’t again. Broke my heart. Badly sealed, draughty, dusty, underprowered, poorly designed ergonomics, OKish reliability (which doesn’t cut it). On the plus side, great mileage, great internal and extrernal space for mods and load carrying, lovely to look at, very good offroad. If I had to take one vhicle with me into a remote location, it would be….a 70 series Landcruiser. Sorry. Get the Landy for fun. Its cool. Get the Landrcruiser for work and serious offroad. Toyotas rarely fail.
PS: LR Defender (in its current iconic form) being discontinued in 2013 and replaced by….? no-one knows yet… only concept vehicles released…
Land Rover was my absolute favorite utility truck to drive in Afghanistan! They were practically made for OEF. Easily strapped into a C130, plenty of room, and it could go just about anywhere. What more could you ask for?
x2 on the Land Cruisers. Drove a model 70 in Iraq all over tarnation-what capable rigs. When I got back, I bought a newer one and, to the wife’s dismay, took it offroading in Moab this spring. Do this before you die. Very well built and comfortable rigs.
All of which ignores the fact Jeep did most of this with the Cherokee. And despite the flashy video and retrospective, nothing depicted can’t be done with a 1990 model and some lockers.
In the big perspective, Ford just caters to the leisure luxury off roader, which means they might contribute a bit more off pavement time than the 5% most see. America’s buyers are too accustomed to a cushy ride and don’t tolerate a live front axle well, despite it’s superior off road abilities. Hence, everything on the market uses minivan CV shafts up front to keep the Ms. happy. They can’t articulate as well, and when the going gets rough, they can’t keep going.
Not all “progress” is an actual improvement, it’s also convenience or comfort, and I see a lot of that in todays 4WD market. It’s obvious just comparing the CJ5 vs. a 4door Wrangler.
If fixing the A/C is more important than getting lockers, I seriously question someone’s priorities in true off road performance. Me, I removed the A/C, and painted the roof white. Lockers are next, and it’s daily driver I took to work last summer, the third hottest on record here, 32 days over 100.
With half the radiator covered in cardboard. Yeah, I overdid it with a three core.
Hey, Land Rover, if you want serious buyers, put out a spec sheet listing the African double roof, no air, Torsen diffs, and a diesel.
HA HA … Over here on the Arabian peninsula I am driving around in a 2005 TD5 Defender 110 fully Overland Expediton equipped, snorkle, roof tent (with TWO air conditioner systems!). My engine growls baby. Growls. Its a total man-mobile and Brits envy me. Lots of Landcruiser 70s here too.
Abu…you tease. Send us a photo.