Jeep Wrangler Rubicon versus Land Rover Defender | 4xOverland 

Thank you Kholo

Their designs are also built to suit specific tasks. We don't do much overland driving here in the US, and those who do use off road trailers to pull behind the Jeeps. Likewise you wouldn't normally use a Land Rover where we drive our Jeeps either. Most of our off road experiences are in wooded areas or tight mountain trails. The Land Rovers are at home in the deserts where most of them play. Great comparison though, not biased like most videos.

Brendan James Landrovers are not built for the desert mate. They are built to do it all, same as a Landcruiser. Have a look at the Landrover training course in the UK

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@@Crashryding Land rovers would not be able to follow a rubicon rock crawling. There are no land rovers or range rovers in the king of the hammers competition for example...

+4xOverland or a standard gwagon professional ?

+Tom Solemé Yes. That would be very interesting. But not sure If I can get my hands on one.

+4xOverland i have a G also, and a that price point i think a comparison becomes a bit tenuous. besides, the articulation in a G is terrible. in a devious way, i think you should compare the G v. defender with the lockers off, since its more apples to apples in the overland/payload arena. ive always said the defender was much better at doing everything but carrying me.

+4xOverland The current Land Cruiser V8 against the Mercedes G, or what else.. I was out (last year) with a guy having a current V8 Land Cruiser - wow this car delivers - wolf in sheep dress we would say. (Being Land Rover addicted, but looking over the soup plate)

Where in South africa was this filmed? or Souther africa?

Berserker Television

True! Land Rover parts are (as far as I know the prices) the cheapest of all cars here if you order from the UK. If you buy i.e. from BMW the Land Rover part prices are on the level of Porsche!

I'm from the UK and would like a Jeep

I approve this message as a. Fellow canadien

4 years late but thats the most intelligent response ive heard to this debate. Im in the uk. LR are cheap and parts are so easily available. We don’t see jeeps. Jeep parts would be harder to find and more expensive.

the only loser will be the new defender which we all know will be a city defender and not an overlander

Touche'.

@@healthyamerican because most wranglers are not mall crawlers? Common... Both veicules are great Jeep nuts and landies nuts are quite annoying Its like only their veicule is good and all the rest its not worth it.

I agree. I couldn’t pick a favourite

BongRasta No offense but, it's obvious you've never owned one. I was the same way at 19 yrs old when I bought my first vehicle- a 1978 IH Scout ll.. I was the baddest mutha on the planet with that truck. Now 40 yrs later and I've got that same feeling with my Jeep. It's just passion. You heard the man at the beginning , its like a religion. When you buy a vehicle you love it becomes your life's reason

It's a brit reviewing a US vehicle that's about to take the beloved defender for a run. The hill climb would have been done without a single slip of a wheel with both lockers on.

+dre04mach he's South African.

I have to agree And as far as saying this Jeep isn't stock those are 31" tires pretty darn standard and just BFG all terrains pretty standard indeed . Even sports come with 31" Wranglers (Arguably better than the bfg's ) The only real benefits of the rubicon are the lockers and the gear ratios (not sure if that specific model comes with the dana 44's or not most rubicons did) otherwise get a sport to compare. Most Slightly modified Jeeps would not spin on this course Unlocker swaybar Small lift 35" tires GG

+sf len maybe in other countries they come with those 31 all terrains ta ko's, but here in the states rubicons only come with the mud terrain, in a 32" tire. the sports come with a pretty much highway tire unless you option up.

+sf len maybe in other countries they come with those 31 all terrains ta ko's, but here in the states rubicons only come with the mud terrain, in a 32" tire. the sports come with a pretty much highway tire unless you option up.

Both were legends in the past ... but it is all over now.

Pavle Balenovic how dare you

Land rover = unreliability

@@SwissArmySteve. Chrysler = terrible transmissions + life span.

@@dfcvda My Jeep = Mercedes engine + transmission = reliability

+4xOverland AND: fix a Defender issue and fix Jeep issue, that may will become a different challenge somewhere out there - so really 'reliability' is very difficult to put in numbers.

+Gold Rush Reliability is entirely a user experience, and cannot be measured, and is never measured, because there is no measurement that can be attributed to it.

+Gold Rush What you are suggesting is possible in theory, but impossible in practice. How does one drive two vehicles identically? Impossible in this universe. And what is the measurement of reliability? There is none. How often does it break down? Define break down. How much preventative maintenance is needed? What is the measure of preventative maintenance? How does one differentiate preventative maintenance with repairing a component? Impossible.

+Gold Rush No need to insult me. I thought this was a discussion, not a contest. No need to answer

+4xOverland My wife keeps on telling me. . . don't engage if you disagree with YT comments! But I am trying to learn something. But your response is typical of most. Instead of responding with facts, you attack my knowledge and insult me simply because I disagree with you.

I think it's worth saying that this is in this video at 37:20 for those who didn't make it that far. It says a lot in my opinion. Of course, in America, the players could easily be reversed. Park an overland Jeep and people gather.

@@1ode2joy They shouldn't have compared it to a Jeep JK which was a mass market appeal car with 1 million+ sold. They should have compared it to the holy grail of Jeeps, the 2004-2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (long Wheel Base) 2 door Rubicon which has the legendary 4.0L I6 Engine that literally can run reliably without engine oil. Also, every Jeep Wrangler ever made is a Convertible, and you can make it look like a Defender if you want with a Gr8tops Safari Hardtop. Not to mention parts are very cheap for the Jeep. A brand new Engine is only $2000.

@@seanl764 Run reliably without engine oil? Drop the hyperbole it will make you seem more trust worthy

@@chadingram6390 Jeep 4.0l i6 from the 1990's were notorious for having a faulty oil pump after 100k miles. There are numerous people on Jeep forums who ran their 4.0L with a broken oil pump for thousands of miles before they noticed. The 4.0l is a big engine with a robust block that is very understressed and overbuilt. It only outputs 190hp, only bad thing about it is that it runs hot and it overheats easily, which is quite annoying if you are in the bogs and constantly need to be on the gas to get out of sticky situations, but the radiator is pretty straightforward to change out and there are plenty of aftermarket solutions.

@@designexplainedllc346 Someone claiming to drive thousands of miles without oil pressure on an internet forum is a lot different from "literally can run reliably without engine oil"

Greetings from South Africa. Your Defender 110 will then be one of the late 399tdi models since it is a 1997 model. We, as a family, don't own one at the moment but I tend to a gree that the 300tdi is a fantastic DIY engine to work on when problems occur and need to be fixed. The double cab pickup versions of the Defender are my personal favourite as they gave the practicallity of a double cab pickup and I also like to believe they are unique and something different to the traditional station wagon models. I'm not really a td5 fan as it was the era when things were beginning to become more electronic but I do respect the fact that some people enjoy that engine. However, I would buy a Discovery 2 with that engine and a manual transmition mainly for long distance tar road driving and some gravel road driving but not for extreme off-roading as 4xoverland discovered. For off-roading in a Discovery I would take the Discovery 1 wit the 300tdi engine and manual transmition. I also like the 2.4l Pumer engines, although they are more electronically controlled compared to the 300tdi engines. These are my thoughts as a blind person, putting myself in a normal sighted person's shoes.

Hmm. But all of that does not make you objective. The interior is "typical American." Every reviewer from the British empire. I just don't know... Nonetheless, liked and subscribed. Bc, you know, good video...

If you aren't going to use the Rubicons' differential locks then you aren't testing it's full capability and any vs comparison is null and void. Just because the Defender doesn't come with that feature that is standard on the Rubicon doesn't mean your must make them equal by handicapping the Rubi.... WHICH IS WHOLLY BIAS. Also listing the Defenders cons and shortcomings as "character" and endearing qualities unique to the Defender is complete hogwash and bias to it's core.... the same can be said of any vehicle. THUMBS DOWN

Does Jeeps have true Diff locks ! They have locking hubs but no lock in or lock out diffs . The Defender used to have both diffs locking in and out . That is why the Defender can go into places a jeep cant go . Plus the Defender has Boxed frame and Jeep dont . The Defender is vary stiff while the Jeep distorts in a twist .

Jeeps have fully boxed frames that are very strong. They have not used locking hubs for decades. The Rubicon model comes with selectable front and rear lockers stock. Were you high af when you typed that nonsense or are you just woefully misinformed? You typed six sentences and five of them are demonstrably false.

actually, the Jeep has been to places where a Defender has not. "The Jeep Wrangler has set the Guinness World Record for highest altitude attained by a four-wheeled vehicle after ferrying Matthias Jeschke and his Extrem Events adventure team up Chile's Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano on Earth. The trek from base camp to the world record height ran from March 7 to March 13, when the team's pair of Wrangler Rubicon Unlimiteds checked in at 6,646 meters, or 21,804 feet. " read for yourself please www.autoblog.com/2007/04/03/jeep-wrangler-gets-high-sets-record/

I know a lot of students in high school who drove Wranglers and their reliability is TERRIBLE. It was normal to be leaving school once every 8-10 days and I'd see a poor sap with his Jeep's hood open in the rain, trying to get it to start.

Probably some sort of custom engineering gone wrong. The i6 last a long time with no issues. The newer models with the 3.6 is really good too. The 3.8 model was horrible and would hydro-lock (from what I understand.)

Roderick Brehm Ha ha ha! You're probably at least 50% right since a lot of those had the living crap modified out of them. I'm guessing they did one or two mods, then got addicted and kept going until they screwed up! I used to own a MINI Cooper but was too scared to mod it because it was goddamn complicated. The windows had a mind of their own and kept rolling down without warning every month or two!

Not sure which wranglers you're talking about... but the majority of high school students I doubt are able to afford something newer than a TJ.. and a YJ or TJ is a pretty damn reliable platform, those inline 6 4.2s and 4.0s are pretty much bullet proof. I know of one at 770k+ miles and it's still going strong on the original engine... My first one had 258k, my current one is barely broken in at 170k...

in terms of price, your location plays a big role. Here in the UK defenders are not the expensive but jeep rubicons are, but i'm sure in america it's the other around.

You're absolutely correct! Now they could get a new Defender against that Rubicon and Rubicon would still be better I've seen it done in real life. Also he said the defendant had better will travel that's not true he probably didn't disconnect the sway bars on the Jeep with the electronic option. Have you seen the later video or he takes a black Rubicon to the sand dunes and you finally admits it's the best off road vehicle in the world

The big thing for me is that the 110 is not a 110 i own one that is an old military spec and it has dif lock but no back seats. 2 rows of bench seats instead.

Do you know which cripples the jeep? Thats right the hummer 1 will go where jeep cant. I wish jeep had the same suspension.

@@jonbertocchi173 only to a certain extent. I love the humvee, it's my dream truck. But they are massive, to the point of impracticality. Too big for small trails. And they are very difficult to modify. You definitely need lots of expertise to upgrade a humvee. Jeeps are comparatively easy to upgrade

To be fair the h1 is a lot wider than the wrangler

RC Mike Klein just the novelty of defender makes it better to me

and meanwhile you're sitting there 1/32nds of an inch off the brake pedal biting your nails wondering if it knows what it's doing... Yep, I was doing the same thing, lol :D

Makes a ton when necessary

You can buy all that stuff for defenders too, probably cheaper and undoubtably in more places throughout the world.. Not only that, but with the £10,000 saved by going for a defender 90 over the rubicon (retail cost uk) you could buy axle lockers, multiple sets of tyres, a winch or two, or even a van full of after market goodies if you so desired. The rubicon would then be left well behind off road for the same money. Jkandl actually hit the nail on the head. The actual difference is refinement, and that is personal preference. Personally i loved having the ol elbow out of the window. I love the air conditioning even more, two fecking flaps with levers!!!! That's great. No carpet? Good, i can clean it out with a hose pipe. Uncomfortable seats, love em, i'm a bit odd like that. The defender has it's place: farms, expeditions, military, true off roading and passionate enthusiasts.. It's near perfection for such markets... Land Rover don't really target the general public with defenders for good reason, they don't need to. They have other 4x4's targeted at normal folk who want comforts, plus, the defender pretty much dominates the global market for it's particular class of vehicle.. If someone wanted a refined land rover they sell them. The Freelander, Discovery and Range Rover. Various styles and engine sizes available. In other words, people need to stop telling themselves they want a utility vehicle when really they want an SUV. Maybe that way people will stop being disappointed with the trim of a utility 4x4 vehicle. It's not a friggin land cruiser :P They should stay basic and unrefined.. I'll just give you a quick example of why changing some of the things you mentioned would actually be bad for the defenders intended use and market. - More ellbow room would require a wider cab. A defender is very well known for getting through narrow spaces (dense woodland). Is it worth losing that for elbow room? Not on a utility off road truck, most true off road has obstructions, it doesn't matter how much elbow room your car has if you have to walk . - Refinements need cleaning. Defenders carry dead livestock, feeds, mud, all sorts. Add refinements and you can't hose it down. In fact it would probably be in a terrible state within weeks of hard use. - Refinements break. The less to break the better for it's intended use. - A bigger engine isn't really needed. The 200/300 tdi and td5 have enough power to get through deep mud and snow, but not so much to apply too much force on slippery technical sections. They also tow well. Real world off roading isn't mud baths and v8 engines, it's tight, technical and normally slippery sections at a slow pace. Some off roaders actually fit lower powered engines without turbo's by choice.

JkandI i love defender and my dad is probaly going too get one but like you said everybody is diferent

​@@queef3057 buy all what stuff? Haha he didn't mention buying anything. Just talked about the overpriced outdated slow Defender

​@@queef3057 you must really not like the new Defender the way you are defending how great the old one is for being so under-equipped and every way the new one is so over equipped now hahaha but that's how Brits are at they are way underdone or way overdone they don't find a middle line everything they do seems overdone or underdone

@@ronaldrrootiii6040 lol. Under equipped. It's a utility vehicle it's not about who has the best AC and heated seats. Original defender isn't designed as an suv, it's a work vehicle. Sorry to break it to you but axles out perform modern air suspension / tc setups. No serious off roader would disagree. Maybe those who call a muddy track off road would agree with you. I'll accept I'm wrong when I see them doing the same work a defender has been doing for decades. The newer discoveries however have already done a real good job of showing users they are not as capable as previous generations. Sure Jeremy Clarkson took one up a hill, but that's nothing compared to what an early axle driven disco can do. To get a modern style defender or disco to do the same work requires some seriously expensive upgrades. It's been seen time and time again with modern LR getting bellied out in terrain a standard axle driven LR wouldn't. They simply don't deliver fully on their promise. Not saying I don't like them at all, just I don't see them as the same thing. They are suv now, not utility work vehicles. And that comes at price in cost and capability. I'm sure they make great cars for doctors but you simply ain't seeing them on farms in high numbers and it is for good reason. It's probably worth noting that I live in Cumbria UK, a place where farming is a central factor in the landscape and terrain is simply put, pretty damn bad. It's a very wet, muddy and rocky area, it's called the lake District for good reason. I've used both modern and old style 4x4, and have experienced the shortfalls of both in real world use. I'll say this: it's only the modern ones that I've had to have recovered. They tend to belly out more readily, and as you may or may not know, that can be a real pig to recover as the flat belly creates a lot of suction. Not as bad on the old defender, actually I've not once been truly stuck in one. There are other advantages too that are very well established. Such as TC based 4x4 systems being reactive and only kicking in after traction is lost. Opposed to an axle driven vehicle where you can lock the drivetrain independently of electronically controlled systems, when you want it. Hands down the best I've used, as in capability not features, late model 300tdi. Has the best of both worlds. Axle driven, with TC. It's doesn't rely on the TC. I paid £10.5 k for a low mileage model on a galvanised chassis. It'll outlive the new defenders your seeing on the roads now, more capable, fraction of the price. But I use them as work vehicles not family cars. Prices for old defenders are inflated overseas, maybe something you should consider. I know in the US they pay up to 80k dollars, and that's not a good buy I would agree. Very different vehicles the old and new. I guarantee you'll not see the modern versions being held onto like the older ones, for good reason. Im certain if you go to any serious 4x4 forum and ask these questions you'll see I'm correct: Which is better for off road use: axle driven or modern TC based systems (The answer is axle driven) Which is better for off road use: chassis or monocoque (The answer is chassis)

Oh. That's very interesting. I learned something new today. Thanks for that.

Well, FCA listened your pray: the new pick-up Gladiator has lots of load capacity and towing ability. Greetings from Costa Rica.

Toyota still makes a whole line of offroad vehicles that havent changed.. they just dont offer them in the states because barely any market for them.. the troopy.. the classic hilux trucks etc.. all still for sale world wide. Plus they offer base model and diesel Land cruisers that will rival anything by Jeep or Land Rover

Reliability...... Let me disagree 😆 I have one it's always at the workshop

@@carandril86 maybe it is your fault, a good Defender with right maintenance is reliable

The "front wheel drive" lever on mine must have fallen off.

pcosta816 You know, you are right. I can lock the front but the rear stays limited slip, so it's not really front wheel drive...but most of the traction comes from then front in that case.

+pcosta816 ya,mine didnt have that either

but you can add a locker to defender , you cant add more space in the rear of a wrangler , dimentions wise anyway

@@mudpanther6079 Sure you can add more space in the rubicon, by getting the rubicon unlimited.

I own a Defender but am sure the Wrangler would have the edge in extreme off road with the locking differentials.

@@dre04mach that is a rubicon unlimited lol

By intentionally hamstringing one vehicle? Other than that tho, it was pretty good.

Exactly what I was thinking.

+flybyav8tor Absolutely right. He left a major benefit to the jeep disabled because the LR didn't have it?! I don't think I'd be doing that in the field so don't do it in a field test.

they had to keep the sway bars connected and differentials unlocked to keep it fair lol.

@@gro_skunk i know, he should have filled up the cargo area of the defender to keep it fair to the jeeps lesser cargo area

stick with the jeeps..the defenders look fun but they are not in the same league as a rubicon

should have compared with an original wrangler, not rubicon mw3

the jeep still won

@@healthyamerican It did, but the point of comparison is to see the difference, not just a winner. If you race a corvette and a golf, you don't use 3/4 throttle in the vette because it wins anyway....

davejeep yep especially since even a Rubicon Wrangler is less expensive than a base Defender, so not testing it with lockers is not fair.