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Compared to a Defender - some general thoughts and concerns.

Iceman153

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I test drove the new defender with both engines, as well as a 2020 JLU Jeep.
Let me tell you this:

- The Jeep road noise is awful and the Defender was super quiet at 80mph. Quieter than most recent cars I have been in.

- The Defender ride is insanely confortable on road, almost no body roll and flies over road imperfections, all due to the excellent air suspension. The Jeep ride was harsh and unpleasant

- It is absolutely false that the Bronco has better off road capability than a defender. A base defender still has 11.5” clearance, and far superior angles than any Bronco except Sasquatch. If you look on YouTube you will see the defender doing crazy shits than most people will never try in their life wether they have a Bronco or a Defender. It’s more than capable. The only trim that can beat the defender offroad is a Badlands Squatch. With equal clearance but better articulation(sway bar disco) and front locker.

I have the same need as you I do long road trips across western USA, that involve 90% road then 10% of off-roading to reach remote wild places where a Subaru can’t go. Plus it’s also my DD. The Defender is the dream vehicle for that. The only reason I am not getting one is because of poor reliability and extreme depreciation (as seen on any luxury SUV) which makes the cost of ownership awful.

Give me one modern platform for sale that can do the above? I don’t see any other than the Bronco. I hate Toyota/Lexus design and the fact they are old platforms, also hate the way they drive.
TBH the best car for me is probably the Bronco Sport Badlands with 1” lift and bigger tires, that puts it at 10” clearance with rear lockers and all the confort features and quiet ride and stuff for less than a Big bend. But it’s a bit too small.

I am still on the fence but as of now I do not have a better option than the Bronco. I fully expect it drives better on road than the Jeep but noise will be the same shit. I wished they made a non removable top version with SUV like noise insulation.
I've recently come to the realization that the bronco I want is around the same cost as a defender, exactly as you mentioned here. I can't get past the fact that the defender feels like you are getting way more car for the money, and only compromising slightly on offroad ability. I test drove the P400 the other day, drives like a range rover with a higher driving position, it's amazing on road. I'm coming from an FJ, so the bronco would also feel like an improvement, but it won't get close to the defender on road. For my use case thats 95% of where it'll be driving.

Valid points on reliability, extended warranty is always an option. I plan on waiting a year or two and seeing how bad it is. You can extend the warranty all the way out to 10 years 200k km for around 7k CAD, they wouldn't offer that if they are really THAT bad. Depreciation also might not be as bad as you'd think, both the bronco and defender are iconic brand new models. Ultimately I think reliability will be the biggest factor in which depreciates faster. The defender is definitely more of a gamble, but even if you need the extended warranty you'll get at least 10 years out of it.

While I was in the dealership they had a customers car there with 1.5" lift (johnson rods) and aftermarket 33" (275/60R20) duratracs on it, it looked amazing and is definitely luring me away from my bad squatch. The more aggressive rubber makes a huge difference to the look of the truck, and won't hurt offroad too. You'd have a hard time going bigger than 33", but you really don't need to.

For my use case I honestly think the defender is a better option than a lux badsquatch. Cost of ownership will probably end up higher, but you are also getting a far more luxurious vehicle for the money.

Ford Bronco Compared to a Defender - some general thoughts and concerns. 20201204_152211
Ford Bronco Compared to a Defender - some general thoughts and concerns. 20201204_152251
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rtsherry73

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I was regretting liking the Defender because I doubt I could justify getting the one I would want (better engine, leather, moonroof, sound system, and the advanced four-wheel-drive stuff) and my builds always landed in the 70K range. I really love the Panega Green with a white roof but hated that you could not get the steel wheels with the better engine. Also, I did not want to drive a luxury brand associated with exclusivity, with a sparse dealer network, questionable reliability, and higher than average ownership costs.

I liked the idea of a boxy, rugged, large (but not huge) vehicle that is very good on the tarmac in addition to doing well on the trail. I now own a JK Wrangler, and don't like the narrowness of the cabin, the cheapness of the materials (a little better in the JL but nothing like the Defender), and the highway manners. I live on the east coast, and I want to explore North American with my vehicle, but I find this a little too taxing in the Jeep. I am not an extreme rock crawl kind of guy but want some ability.

I expect the Bronco will be better than the Defender on the trail, but I worry about a few things and would appreciate hearing from others.

  1. Road Noise: My JK has the hardtop with the sound damping carpet which I am not sure how much it does. I hope Bronco does a better job than Jeep and get within the ballpark with Defender here.
  2. Handling: Same as above in expect better than Jeep but hope close to Defender. I drove the Toyota 4 Runner before buying my 2016 JKU, and despite IFS, I found the drive worse than the JK in 2016. The 4-Runner felt crude. I have heard that driving the new Ranger will give someone a good idea of how the Bronco will drive. But I also heard that the Bronco has a different frame.
  3. Cabin fit and finish. I really hate the interior of my JKU. The JLU is better, and I like the look of the Bronco as much as I like the Defender, which is saying a lot, but not sure about the touch and feel. Has anyone sat in both vehicles?
Defender quality sucks. You spend $70k and on the way home you get a check engine light and the infotainment screen freezes. But, guess what? They give you another one! Watch TFL on YouTube to see the carnage. It is like dating the best looking girl in the school: You always worry.
 

ZackDanger

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I have to say the 90 looks good. I spec'ed it out at 57k. My Bronco Badlands spec is 56k.

Ford Bronco Compared to a Defender - some general thoughts and concerns. 2021-land-rover-defender-side-view-carbuzz-767506


Ford Bronco Compared to a Defender - some general thoughts and concerns. 2021-land-rover-defender-side-view-carbuzz-767506
Ford Bronco Compared to a Defender - some general thoughts and concerns. 2021-land-rover-defender-side-view-carbuzz-767506


Ford Bronco Compared to a Defender - some general thoughts and concerns. 2021-land-rover-defender-side-view-carbuzz-767506
I don’t know what voodoo you guys are doing, but a base 4-door Defender 110 is the same price as my kitted out BL through Granger.

Once I start ticking off options I’m quickly $10k more for the privilege of driving 100 miles each way every time I have to bring the Defender in for warranty work.
 

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NotoriousBDP

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I don’t know what voodoo you guys are doing, but a base 4-door Defender 110 is the same price as my kitted out BL through Granger.

Once I start ticking off options I’m quickly $10k more for the privilege of driving 100 miles each way every time I have to bring the Defender in for warranty work.
My temptation is worse as I’ve got a dealer just a few miles from where I live here in Northern Virginia. I’m tempted by the 110, and that superior towing rating on the 110 doesn’t help matters (7,716 to 8,201 lbs, depending on engine selected). I’ll probably schedule a test drive for next week, despite the reliability issues and despite all the problems documented on the TFl YouTube channel. Still, I’m still firmly in the 4-door Badlands Lux camp (still deciding between Sas and non-sas), but I figure it can’t hurt to at least give it a spin. I should note I’ve always been a Land River fan, and I even bought a new one (Right hand drive) when I worked/lived in Tanzania in the mid-90s, though I did sell it after two years to buy a Nissan Patrol, which I drove for the next 3 years I lived in Kenya.
 
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My temptation is worse as I’ve got a dealer just a few miles from where I live here in Northern Virginia. I’m tempted by the 110, and that great two rating on the 110 doesn’t help (7,716 to 8,201 lbs, depending on engine selected). I’ll probably schedule a test drive for next week, despite the reliability issues and despite all the problems documented on the TFl YouTube channel. Still, I’m still firmly in the 4-door Badlands Lux camp (still deciding between Sas and non-sas), but I figure it can’t hurt to at least give it a spin. I should note I’ve always been a Land River fan, and I even bought a new one (Right hand drive) when I worked/lived in Tanzania in the mid-90s, though I did sell it after two years for to buy a Nissan Patrol for my 3 years in Kenya.
I am really curious about your process.... keep me posted. Seems like we are in the same spot on this.
 

Jmh745

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Same for me... the LR dealership is just 2 miles further away from my Ford dealer and a defender 110 with the explorer pack and Pangea green is kind of calling my name
 

Iceman153

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One thing to remember is that most of the lux options on the bronco are just standard on defenders, at least the main ones I care about. The only real option packages you need are offroad $1920 for the rear locker, and the $700 tow hitch. those are CAD. The rest are mostly exterior asthetics.
 

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NotoriousBDP

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I am really curious about your process.... keep me posted. Seems like we are in the same spot on this.
Will do! My problem is I love spirited driving when I’m on the road, especially here in the DC Metro area (where aggressive driving is the norm, and timid driving can get you into a jam). I have to believe the handling of that Defender would be superb (at least for my aggressive driving style). Still, as far as the fun factor that the Bronco would give me (top off, doors off, etc.), I’m torn at the moment, but still 90% going with the Bronc!
 

Iceman153

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Will do! My problem is I love spirited driving when I’m on the road, especially here in the DC Metro area (where aggressive driving is the norm, and timid driving can get you into a jam). I have to believe the handling of that Defender would be superb (at least for my aggressive driving style). Still, as far as the fun factor that the Bronco would give me (top off, doors off, etc.), I’m torn at the moment, but still 90% going with the Bronc!
Make sure you try the P400 then, its quick, and is probably worth the $$'s. Just wish I could test drive a bronco before I fully commit, like everyone else on this forum :p
 

NotoriousBDP

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Make sure you try the P400 then, its quick, and is probably worth the $$'s. Just wish I could test drive a bronco before I fully commit, like everyone else on this forum :p
Thanks! I'm trying to continue my research into anything I can find on the Defender before I head over there to test drive one, and absolutely agree with what you said about the P400. I've been playing around with the Build Your Own Defender page and find myself overwhelmed with all the options! So far, doing a build with just the base engine, I'm up to a bit over 62k, and adding the P400 adds on about $12,200 to that, I believe.
 

Iceman153

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Thanks! I'm trying to continue my research into anything I can find on the Defender before I head over there to test drive one, and absolutely agree with what you said about the P400. I've been playing around with the Build Your Own Defender page and find myself overwhelmed with all the options! So far, doing a build with just the base engine, I'm up to a bit over 62k, and adding the P400 adds on about $12,200 to that, I believe.
Yeah it adds up fast, and it's definitely a good chunk above a bronco if you decide you need the P400. I feel like I'd regret getting the P300, but then I think about what I could buy for the difference, lol. Definitely still on the fence. Just remember if you get the big engine you can't get 18" rims (due to larger brakes with P400). and KO2's and Duratracs don't come in 19's, so you have to go with 20's if you want any tire options. I thought I had it figured out, but the rim's in my pics above (which I love) for some reason can't be selected with the rear locker, ford isn't the only one with a wacky build system.

Now I'm trying to decide if I can live without the locker, as the defender does have brake based torque vectoring. Its no locker, but it'd probably be good enough in most situations. That said it's alien magic to me as I haven't experienced it, needs more research.
 

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I'm a bit partial to Rovers. Having once had 5 in the driveway. Yeah, I'm a glutton for punishment. To me, the new Bronco is what the New Defender should/could have been. What the new D90/110 should really have been called is a Discovery. And the Defender name saved for something more...rugged.
The second I saw flared fenders, instead of the iconic slab side, I was out. I tore off so many flares over the years I just kept spares in the garage. It's cheaper than replacing fenders. That and no option at all to go topless? No thanks! When I'm out offroading, unless it's pouring rain, the top is off. I want to see and hear the outdoors, not be insulated from them in layers of soundproofing.

It kills me to turn my back on Land Rover. But then they turned their back on the hardcore enthusiast long ago.
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