All I know is after a whole day or wheeling on some difficult trails with a group
Of lifted explorers here comes a group of brand new land rovers headed down the same trail, all of them stock looking. The kids in the back seats were comfortable with their ac and dvd player headrests the owners all had on nice polo shirts and had no issue making the same trail we just did.
We laugh at them and poke fun, but those modern trucks with their advanced traction control can definitely go places… at the end of the day it’s 80% driver and 20% vehicle
I’m here for the ford reliability and toughness
Land Rover does not have that reputation
The old ones are tough, but also way complex and parts impossible to find for what they are. I would still take an old Ford over a Land Rover any day but they each have their place
Run what ya brung
That's funny you say that. I'm in a good position to comment on that. Just did a 30 mile off road drive in the Sierra's yesterday to check on a friend that we haven't heard from in over 2 weeks at a gold claim (he was ok). Been raining heavy thunderstorms on Fri, Sat and Sun. I took my 2012 Ranger Rover (2" air bag lift kit and 32.5" tires, everything else stock) and loaded with gear since we didn't know what to expect. The truck is just a master off road and has probably the best traction control system on the market (Terrain Response) and way more under chassis clearance than even a new Jeep Rubicon on 35" tires. My passenger could not believe how easy this thing handled mud pits, 12" deep rain ruts, moguls cut across the trial from water run off, etc. The factory rear locker and center transfer case lock work seamlessly to keep the vehicle moving. The only other vehicles that we saw all day was one 4wd Quad and two 4wd Side by Sides. It was just messy conditions from all the rain.
I've owned a 2004 Discovery, a 2013 Range Rover Sport, a 2012 Range Rover and a 2019 Range Rover. Once you've had a Range Rover it is really hard to drive anything else, especially on the road. Super comfortable ride, huge power, built like a tank and when you do need to go off road they make an OK driver look like a pro.
I also have a 1993 Explorer that I bought around 2020 with under 80k original miles. I've put on a 5.5" James Duff lift, front and rear lockers, 5.13 gears and 35" tires. Comparing a built Explorer to my 2012 L322 is interesting....the Range Rover just feels like it effortlessly climbs over and into and out of obstacles. The Explorer does a very good job but it takes a lot more driver talent and works the driver harder. The ride is much more fatiguing, the steering is not as precise, there is more noise and the HVAC system is nowhere near as powerful as the Range Rovers. Here are real world pluses and minuses:
2004 Discovery....bought for my daughter to go to school in. Got it for next to nothing with 40k on it...tons of metal surrounding her and great visibility for a new driver. She put over 60k on it and it never once failed her or stranded her on the road. We had a couple of issues like an EGR valve that threw a check engine light and a leaky intake manifold gasket. Amazingly minimal issues. Other than basic maintenance that was it. It had tons of room, live axles front and rear and was just fun to drive. Downfall was the V8 engine was prone to leaky head gaskets but ours did not fail in the 100k we had it. I was expecting it but I guess we got lucky. It was under powered...could have used another 75 hp to make it really peppy. Another downfall is 12-13 mpg in all around real world driving. We sold it so my daughter could get a more economical car for her work commute now that she is out of school. The sunroof drains can also fail causing a wet headliner. We fixed this by putting a clear piece of paint protection film covering the entire sunroof making it inoperable but no leaks. Much, much cheaper than removing the headliner, etc.
2013 Range Rover Sport....Supercharged V8 with over 500 hp. Really designed for the road with an active front sway bar that made the car feel like a sports car. Never took it off road, only driven in the snow. An absolute hoot to drive....who needs a sports car when this thing just hauls the beans in the stoplight grand prix. We still own the car with over 100k on it. Failures include a leaky fuel injector ( covered under warranty), a fuel pump, (one of three on the truck, it would only throw a code when hot rodding over 90 mph and covered under warranty) and the active sway bar hydraulic pump (covered under warranty). The only failure that stopped the car was the leaky fuel injector. The car ran but ran so rough it didn't feel right to drive. This car averages 13 mph in the city and will easily get 18 mph at freeway speeds. Rougher riding than the full size Range Rover since it is designed more for spirited driving than all out comfort. Biggest disappointment is the lack of interior storage space, even with the rear seats folded forward.
2012 Range Rover (full size)...my daily driver. The L322 model is just a beast of a car when comparing drivetrain components with the LR3, LR4 and the Range Rover Sport (up to 2013). Those three cars all share the same size A-arms, hubs, etc. The L322 parts are much larger when put side by side. The CV's are bigger and stronger and can handle a lift kit with no issues. My failures or problems include a whistle sound from the HVAC system at highway speeds that required a gasket in the defroster air circuit to be replaced under warranty. Didn't affect the drivability, just a noise. The biggest failure was the car just shut off when driving to work one day and would not restart. Engine spun over but would not fire. Turned out to be the in tank fuel pump relay wire had broken the circuit. This would have definitely stranded the truck unless towed to a shop for repair. It was covered under warranty but it was a major failure since the car was not drivable. The truck is super plush to drive, has an incredible HVAC system, air conditioned seats, 510 hp and feels like a vault. But the super charged V8 comes with giant front Brembo brakes...they work great but you cannot go smaller than a 20" diameter wheel. The non supercharged V8 trucks come with smaller front brakes that can accept an 18" diameter wheel allowing for more sidewall and air down potential. The biggest issue is the lack of interior storage space when loading up the rig for trips. As big as the L322 is, my 1993 Explorer has at least 30% more usable storage when the seats are folded down. I can sleep in the Explorer but not in the Ranger Rover, even if the rear seats are folded down.
2019 Range Rover....great street truck, super quiet and smooth. I would not take it off road with 21" rims. Built like a tank and you feel very safe in it. It has a supercharged V6 that is underpowered for the weight of the truck but gets over 22 mpg on long highway drives and averages 18 mpg in city commute. Wife likes it, I like how safe you feel in it but I prefer my 2012 Range Rover. Nothing has failed on that truck in 40k miles but it has the stupid auto stop that makes the truck turn off at stoplights when idling, like most new car. You have to manually disable it every time you start the truck. That's the kind of crap that drives me crazy. Not the roomiest interior for storage, but it has more than my L322.
My 1993 Explorer was probably the most cream puff truck I could find. I knew I was going to build it up as a trail rig for narrow two track trails in the Sierras. Even though the truck had very low miles, a lot of little things fail on a truck that is 30 years old. Plastic parts, HVAC bits and pieces, window regulators, door latches, etc. Plastic deteriorates with age, vacuum hose fittings and rubber hoses crack, radiators, power steering hoses, etc. I've spent more than the trucks purchase price to make everything "right" and still there is always something to fix. The engine is under powered and the auto transmission is not the strongest out there. The transfer case has been good (wish it had a lower low range) and the front and rear axles are plenty strong for a truck this weight. I love the useable interior room, the simple dash layout and the narrow track of the truck. I really wish the truck had a stronger A/C for those 110 degree days. Mileage is still impressive even with the low gears and big tires...I average 15-16 mpg in running around. Biggest failure point was the shift linkage inside the auto trans fell apart locking my shift column in drive. Once I figured out what was going on I could get under the truck and tap the pan while somebody moved the shift lever to park so the car could start. Lots of little issues but nothing that shut down the truck to make it un-drivable. I love square body trucks and the first gen's are a sexy look.
Everything has it's pluses and minuses....if you do have a Range Rover that is out of warranty, find a good independent Land Rover mechanic shop. I only let the dealer work on my cars when they are under warranty....not been happy with either my Ford dealer or Land Rover dealer for repair quality. Land Rover parts are really no more money than a new Explorer's parts cost. And because there are so many Land Rovers out there, the options for generic parts helps lower the cost. I would never drive an older Land Rover Defender (the live axle ones, especially pre-1990's). Those things are essentially tractors with a license plate. Very loud, not super great off road when stock (no lockers/ LSD, not great articulation, small tires, way under powered), minimal HVAC and crap to drive on the freeway. But they look cool as hell and have a lot of history.
