 | Home > General & Technical (L663) > Is the defender an off roader? |
 
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| TexasRover Member Since: 24 Nov 2022 Location: Paris Posts: 1298   
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To me a true offroader takes a serious beatings and carries the scars. It's a farm/forestry vehicle or some pay and play car. The car's actual capabilities are beside the point. As they saying goes "It's not how big it is, it's what you do with it that counts"
Maybe in the years to come the new defender will reach that trashing status, currently certainly in the eyes of the public its just another a Chelsea Tractor or at best a life style vehicle designed to appeal to modern car needs. Unlike the Granadier who is aiming for a much smaller hard core audience, which most people will recognize as such. I don't like trashing cars and so non of my cars will ever be true offroaders (series 88, Td5 110, D4, P38). I would not park in the mud just to prove a point, you might get stuck and then you have to deal with that hassle, not to mention the dirty shoes etc. |
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1st Aug 2025 9:28am |
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| ruben Member Since: 04 Feb 2021 Location: ASTURIAS Posts: 362 
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I don't think you had many doubts, you tried because you knew you would succeed, because otherwise with so many people, if you hadn't succeeded, I don't know what you would have done, the truth is you would have ended up looking pretty bad, right?😎 Defender 110 SE I6 D250 23MY
ExDiscovery 3 TDV6 SE |
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1st Aug 2025 12:08pm |
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| MarkBrown Member Since: 03 Oct 2022 Location: Mid Wales Posts: 563  
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I’d have thought that would be exactly the type of environment where the new Defender and others much like it would be excellent, tyres permitting. I’d also imagine that it would be excellent in its ability to conquer extremely rough terrain, should the driver want and or need to. Any potentially capable machine on wheels could be rendered useless with tyres inappropriate for the task. 1983 110 automatic OM606 |
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1st Aug 2025 12:20pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17915  
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I read an interesting definition the other day, I think originating from Oz, that an SUV has a monocoque and independent suspension and a 4x4 or 'off-roader' has a ladder chassis and beam axles.
I'm not sure that I totally agree with these definitions, but I would describe the new Defender as an SUV and would certainly not describe the Grenadier as an SUV. I would however describe both as extremely competent off the road. As with so many other areas of daily life, the distinctions are getting blurred. |
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1st Aug 2025 12:54pm |
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| H1Tad Member Since: 20 Jul 2024 Location: Maine Posts: 161 
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No matter how many times people prove the Defender is worthy of its name, gene pool shallow-enders will continually use it as a whipping boy to compensate for their own insecurities.
Oh ok, so my 12,000lbs, portal hubs with 37" dual beadlocked tires (from the factory) isn't an offroader just because its fully independent? You know you're talking to a parking lot offroader when they start talking about articulation. The most overrated metric in offroading ever. 2022 Defender 110 SE P400 Tasman Blue Expedition and Cold weather package 2003 Hummer H1 P400 Firehouse Red 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser |
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1st Aug 2025 1:01pm |
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| Crazymind Member Since: 11 Jun 2024 Location: Glasgow Posts: 305
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In my recent off road trip, the defender with geolander 0-15 tyres coped well with sand, rocks and gravel, and drove it through rough terrains where grenadiers and old Land Cruiser Amazon were driving. All with no effort and no drama. However the independent suspension design makes the drive a lot bumpy when the track is rough! The Amazon in front of me could manage swiftly through the rocks while I was jumping… other than that the defender managed the same track with ease.
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1st Aug 2025 4:52pm |
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| MarkBrown Member Since: 03 Oct 2022 Location: Mid Wales Posts: 563
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I’m not really sure why anyone who knows what a Defender ( new type ) is would assume it wasn’t a capable vehicle? Just because it may not be to an individuals taste doesn’t mean it’s no good. 1983 110 automatic OM606
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1st Aug 2025 8:34pm |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 3325
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"[quote="TexasRover"]To me a true offroader takes a serious beatings and carries the scars. It's a farm/forestry vehicle or some pay and play car. The car's actual capabilities are beside the point. As they saying goes "It's not how big it is, it's what you do with it that counts"
Maybe in the years to come the new defender will reach that trashing status, currently certainly in the eyes of the public its just another a Chelsea Tractor or at best a life style vehicle designed to appeal to modern car needs" ln a way you are right, although the new Defender has been designed to go further off road than most SUV's. Plus there are already quite a few doing that. l assume you haven't actually driven one off road? The only negative really is the width, it's just too wide for greenlanes. Sadly most new Defenders are wasting away on the school run. But it doesn't make the vehicle any less competent for those who want to Overland in one. lt's also proving to be very reliable in regards to actual breakdowns. My Defender TD5 broke down twice in my ownership and on both occasions it had to be recovered to a garage for repair. Although most mechanics could repair an old Landy. The new one, not a chance. "However the independent suspension design makes the drive a lot bumpy when the track is rough! " That's my experience as well, although only after a point. On rough unmade roads and bridleways (those that are wide enough) my 2022 90 on coils is smoother than my old 110 TD5. But once the track is bad enough to exceed the new Defenders suspension articulation it's worse (than my old TD5) |
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1st Aug 2025 8:46pm |
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| TexasRover Member Since: 24 Nov 2022 Location: Paris Posts: 1298
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Urbanlife, exactly, you put that down much better than I did.
For that same reason the new Defender is infinity more successful in terms of sales and share holder value than the Ganadier. We are all gullabe to the clever marketing, but awareness helps. Nice discussion this! |
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4th Aug 2025 7:00am |
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| XplusYplusZ Member Since: 16 Aug 2021 Location: UK Posts: 545 |
People who are jealous or feel threatened will often have their fight or flight response triggered by situations like this. Well done for giving them a hint of how good this vehicle is off-road.
The Defender is absolutely designed to thrive off-road. The fact it's extremely comfortable on-road doesn't detract from this. In fact, road manners facilitate getting further out into the wilds - something a 'real offroader' needs to be able to do. Yes they're expensive, but not as expensive as a 4-pot Toyota Landcruiser. And when a new Vauxhall Astra can come in over £40,000, relatively speaking, you are getting a lot of car for your money with a Defender. And not driving off-road because you're scared to scratch it is more of a "you" problem, than a shortfall of the vehicle. |
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4th Aug 2025 10:42am |
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| XplusYplusZ Member Since: 16 Aug 2021 Location: UK Posts: 545 |
I'm not so sure this is true - their launch event in Namibia focused on showcasing the immense offroad capability. All their ads feature the vehicle off-road - to the point they were banned for going 'too far' off-road! This is their latest google search results:  Click image to enlarge I think the general public saw the price-tag, modern exterior, ad jealousy, reluctance to change, technophobia, etc.. that fight/flight response kicked in. I think in spite of JLR trying to highlight the offroad capabilities, the public had already begun to write it off as being too luxurious. |
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4th Aug 2025 11:12am |
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| Wilderness Woodsman Member Since: 06 Mar 2022 Location: Wales Posts: 24 
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Any vehicle, and especially 4x4's are only as good as the tyres you have fitted, which is aided by the technology it has on board (if any).
No doubt a Grenadier has competencies over an L663 Defender, just as a Land Cruiser, Wrangler, Bronco et al all do. Likewise, an L663 will have its merits over all of the others and it falls to personal choice & requirements about what the buyer wants from their vehicle. We have never had it so good (price aside), with how many vehicles there are to choose from in the marketplace, all of which are over-engineered for what most buyers need and intend to do with them. Should it really matter what others think or perceive? Er, No; and quite frankly, I do not think LR really care about comments from onlookers or bystanders that about whether the vehicle they produce is suitable to park in a muddy field, because the L663 has sold in masses globally, and continues to do so now 5 years since launch. How many brands can say the same about any of their models? The question shouldn't be: is the Defender an off roader, because of course it is. Hell, any 4WD vehicle with the right tyre application can do things that would amaze the owner and doubtful onlookers. The question should be; 'if that vehicle (regardless of manufacture) is going to try and park there, and if it gets stuck, do I have a long enough tow rope or suitable footwear to help get them out! |
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5th Aug 2025 6:27pm |
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| lightning Member Since: 23 Apr 2009 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 3325
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l sat in a Grenadier at the weekend, l really like it, the vehicle felt like my old Defender 110 but better engineering.
I would love one, but would have to change the vast front bumper for something more aesthetically appealing. |
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5th Aug 2025 7:54pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17915
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You'll be fine - you can't see the bumper from the driving seat!
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5th Aug 2025 8:21pm |
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