landcruiser 80 vs discovery 2

[Shayne]

Seconded. 90s are very capable out of the box and sub £40K there's little to touch them. I've been froading more than 25 years in most makes and a 90 is still weapon of choice for bodging about in the UK. But for anything further afield its a different story.

Given the LR Defender and the Jeep Wrangler are the only mass produced vehicles still in production designed specifically for off road use there has to be some truth in this but if the LJ70 or the FJ40 where still in production i think the best out of the box title would be sorely contended .

 

[Doodle]

Ok I had to google that - tesco and unimog.

This came back - a lego uni mog. Awesome.

http://www.tesco.com/direct/lego-technic-unimog/215-0855.prd

Got it last Xmas. It is indeed awesome.

 

[Ben]

Given the LR Defender and the Jeep Wrangler are the only mass produced vehicles still in production designed specifically for off road use there has to be some truth in this but if the LJ70 or the FJ40 where still in production i think the best out of the box title would be sorely contended .

I think you're forgetting that Toyota still make and sell thousands of 70 series every year!

The UK doesn't get them but Australia, Africa, South America and the Middle East do!

The mines in Australia rely on Toyota's legendary 70 series utes and troop carriers as do farmers, park rangers, police, fire brigades etc. etc.

Other vehicles with live axles and designed for off road use are the Mercedes G Wagon and Nissan Patrol.

 

[Philip A]

I think you're forgetting that Toyota still make and sell thousands of 70 series every year!

The UK doesn't get them but Australia, Africa, South America and the Middle East do!

The mines in Australia rely on Toyota's legendary 70 series utes and troop carriers as do farmers, park rangers, police, fire brigades etc. etc.

Other vehicles with live axles and designed for off road use are the Mercedes G Wagon and Nissan Patrol.

The 70 series are the mainstay of the Safari industry in Africa, yes. Not because they are better offroad than LRs, but because they are reliable, which LRs are definitely not.

My cars are spending months in the bush, and when things get sticky the Land Rovers are always better off than the various 70 or 80 around.

Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu and others are generally modded with bigger tyres, lifts and better suspensions before to go for bush duty, Land Rover owners just get a set of good tyres of standard size, and worry about their engine and gearbox.

The most important bush mod for a Land Rover is a VERY GOOD toolbox...

 

[moggy1968]

Seconded. 90s are very capable out of the box and sub £40K there's little to touch them. I've been froading more than 25 years in most makes and a 90 is still weapon of choice for bodging about in the UK. But for anything further afield its a different story.

likewise, I've owned 14 4x4s over the last 28 years and driven many others, most off road. I think the 90 is so popular in the UK for modding just because of the volume of kit available. most decent stuff for Yotas has to come from overseas so is much more expensive. Overseas it is a different story, but I think that comes down to build quality rather than out and out off road ability. Anything can be made good offroad, just take a look at a VW beetle based buggy!! but I'm talking straight out the box, and a 90, out of the box is better than either a 40 or 70 series LC off road, mostly by dint of superior axle articulation. Note, that's better off road, not better as an overall package. but I don't own a landy anymore. I own 3 Toyotas, and want another one (40) when I can. I just got fed up with the reliability and build quality. As an OVERALL PACKAGE the landie just doesn't cut it anymore. Still want a pre1950 headlamps behind the grill series 1 though

I once took a 90 to an off road play site, and couldn't get stuck! I've driven off road with the military and in the Army's off road competitions, in a standard NA 110. I was the navigator and couldn't believe the stuff my driver managed to get us through in a 25 year old bog standard NA 110! I also drove a 101 ambie round the hillrally course several times, and once managed to get it up a hill (after a couple of goes!) some of the buggies failed to climb!

 

[Ian Rubie]

I can not speak for 70s but have had lots of experience in UK spec 80s. I have always found that axle diff locks were of more use than extra articulation. Of course if you don't have axle diff locks then more articulation helps. I never understood why UK 80s got axle diff locks as standard but markets where they would actually be used more often did not.

 

[Ben]

Landrovers do go well off road theirs no denying that, but I don't believe a standard defender/disco would be better off road than a standard UK spec 80 (3 diff locks). Yes the 80 is heavier but its also got a lot more torque, power and is fully locked.

I can not speak for 70s but have had lots of experience in UK spec 80s. I have always found that axle diff locks were of more use than extra articulation. Of course if you don't have axle diff locks then more articulation helps. I never understood why UK 80s got axle diff locks as standard but markets where they would actually be used more often did not.

This is something I've thought about in the past. The only plausible reason I can think of is because all the UK 80's were fairly well specced as opposed to some of the poverty pack models sold abroad as Toyota UK were pitching it against the Range rover. So maybe they thought it would be bad for sales/reputation etc. if owners were getting them stuck all the time trying to turn the horse float round on a wet field, as off road thats all Toyota UK envisaged them doing.

 

[Towpack]

I'm no off roader, well not on 4 wheels anyway, but even I can see why a standard Def90 will be better than a standard 80 for serious off roading. Short wheel base and a wheel at each corner with good attack/departure angles compared to those of the 80 hampered by large overhangs front and rear. Throw on some aggressive tyres and some diff locks and the benchmark is set.
The length and weight of the 80 is bound to count against it sooner or later. JMO

 

[Dave_S]

Landrovers do go well off road theirs no denying that, but I don't believe a standard defender/disco would be better off road than a standard UK spec 80 (3 diff locks). Yes the 80 is heavier but its also got a lot more torque, power and is fully locked.



This is something I've thought about in the past. The only plausible reason I can think of is because all the UK 80's were fairly well specced as opposed to some of the poverty pack models sold abroad as Toyota UK were pitching it against the Range rover. So maybe they thought it would be bad for sales/reputation etc. if owners were getting them stuck all the time trying to turn the horse float round on a wet field, as off road thats all Toyota UK envisaged them doing.

In practical application the 90 has more ground clearance as stock, less protruding bodywork, better approach, breakover and departure angles. Genuinely, having driven similar vehicles back to back, this is enough to provide an edge. But I still have a LC80 series on my drive, for the various reasons of reliability, etc, etc. My old Pinz 712 6x6 would pi$$ all over both of them straight out of the box - but thats a different story

 

[moggy1968]

as above

and deeply jealous of your pinz (cue lots of lust noises!)