What's everyone driving...?

[Michael Gain]

We had two LR4s at one point. Truly my favorite vehicle, but maintenance costs (and my own OCD) drove change towards new platforms

 

[Marsbilda]

I have a Ford ranger very disappointing vehicle as it keeps breaking down.
In 2019 we drove around Australia in our 2005 100 series I bought it new and will never sell it.
we also still have my dads series 2 Land Rover Ute 1959 which was assembled in Australia.
Our other car is a BMW X5 with the fantastic Diesel engine that will be in the Grenadier.
I went for a ride in the prototype this week very impressed.

 

[Red pepper]

.. "I went for a ride in the prototype this week very impressed.[/QUOTE]" 

Hi Marsbilda, could you tell us more? Your feelings of size (outside, inside), ride, etc..., everything.
Thank you very much.

 

[Marsbilda]

Feels very solid with a very comfortable ride.
we were not allowed to drive it but I sat in the drivers seat and it felt like a good driving position with good vision.
the engine sounded great and the auto settings worked well when an incline called for a gear change.
There wasn’t too much noise coming into the cabin when you consider there is no body insulation on the prototype.
all in all I am very impressed the only thing I don’t like is there won’t be a set of gauges, Speedo etc in front of the driver that we are all used to, it will mostly be on the big screen in the middle.
I feel this will be a fantastic vehicle but I want the Ute which comes later.
cheers jh

 

[Ineos4]

Nissan Pathfinder r51 2009. I've wanted to upgrade to something else and nothing stood out, everyone has Hilux,Navara, LandCruiser/prados , patrols. Always loved the old defender, and the grenadier is awesome, love the interior.

 

[PL1]

2012 Range Rover Supercharged...  Before that an LR4 which I thought / hoped would be the platform for the new Defender.  My excitement for the new Defender turned - almost immediately - to profound disappointment.  Grenadier to the rescue!

 

[JTChef67]

Toyota FJ w/165K on the clock.  FJ is full analog off-road, unstoppable.  I would only replace it with a Land Cruiser, but V8 runs more gas than I can accept for a daily.  Enter Grenadier.  Grenadier has older generation Defender grit w/modern drivetrain reliability and everything else we’ve been looking for.  Way sold if they can keep within reach for the target slot - this is not a 2022 Defender or bloody Velar.

 

[Happygolucky]

Driving a VW Touareg 4xMotion with low range, centre and rear diff locks. Easy to drive and lots of fun offroad. Looking to do mini laps of Australia and need a bigger boot. The sloping Touareg back loses a lot of space. 

 

[stickshifter]

Feels very solid with a very comfortable ride.
we were not allowed to drive it but I sat in the drivers seat and it felt like a good driving position with good vision.
the engine sounded great and the auto settings worked well when an incline called for a gear change.
There wasn’t too much noise coming into the cabin when you consider there is no body insulation on the prototype.
all in all I am very impressed the only thing I don’t like is there won’t be a set of gauges, Speedo etc in front of the driver that we are all used to, it will mostly be on the big screen in the middle.
I feel this will be a fantastic vehicle but I want the Ute which comes later.
cheers jh

I think cars in North America have to have a speedo in the cluster directly in front of the driver (it can't be in the center of the vehicle). I did a quick search, but couldn't find a good source for that, so...  grain of salt.

 

[Paachi]

I think cars in North America have to have a speedo in the cluster directly in front of the driver (it can't be in the center of the vehicle). I did a quick search, but couldn't find a good source for that, so...  grain of salt.

I thought so as much but Tesla got away with that in M3 and Y. So maybe the precedent has been set. In any case a HUD mod is something I’ll definitely do. It makes glancing at quick information quite easy

 

[Spjnr]

Yeah Paachi, a HUD would be really good. Suprised they didn't implement that tbh as its not difficult. 

 

[Michael Gain]

Just traded in the wife's 4Runner. Now we have a Ram Rebel and a Ram Power Wagon.

 

[stickshifter]

[QUOTE username=Michael Gain userid=8442400 postid=1330902639]Just traded in the wife's 4Runner. Now we have a Ram Rebel and a Ram Power Wagon.[/QUOTE]

Maybe this isn’t the right place - but I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Power Wagon. I’ve been considering that for a while. Carli makes rear springs that effectively increase payload to 2000 pounds. This doesn’t change the legal payload (door sticker), but I think it would improve handling when carrying 1500 pounds. You do get some lift with the Carli springs, so it’s not a simple swap…

 

[Michael Gain]

Maybe this isn’t the right place - but I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Power Wagon. I’ve been considering that for a while. Carli makes rear springs that effectively increase payload to 2000 pounds. This doesn’t change the legal payload (door sticker), but I think it would improve handling when carrying 1500 pounds. You do get some lift with the Carli springs, so it’s not a simple swap…

I wish I would have gotten it sooner. The 1500 rebel is great--fast, agile, and good off-road capability. The power wagon is powerful, still quite agile for it's size, and just overall more capable. The huge windshield gives a much better view, and you cannot beat the new Ram interiors. The off road pages are also essential. Very comparable to Land Rover infotainment pages (pitch, roll, articulation, diff status, fluid - thermo info, etc).

I will say that there are some small, possibly negative observations:
- back seat leg room is smaller than the rebel. Not a huge deal, but the kiddo can kick the back of my seat.
- you feel every road imperfection. This is a combination of spring / shock rate, the wrangler duratracs, and the weight of the vehicle-the reverse lights are inadequate on both. At least on the power wagon you can option the trailer spot lights (extra reverse lighting on the tow mirrors)

The Carli suspension definitely would improve the on-road manners while adding off-road capability. 

Another fun note. Rebel can only fit 18" rims, while the power wagon enjoys 17's. Small difference, but more tire sizes are available in the 17's to add additional meat. From what I have gleaned from the HD forums so far, 35's are an easy fit. 37's only require some minor modifications

 

[stickshifter]

[QUOTE username=Michael Gain userid=8442400 postid=1330902948]

I wish I would have gotten it sooner. The 1500 rebel is great--fast, agile, and good off-road capability. The power wagon is powerful, still quite agile for it's size, and just overall more capable. The huge windshield gives a much better view, and you cannot beat the new Ram interiors. The off road pages are also essential. Very comparable to Land Rover infotainment pages (pitch, roll, articulation, diff status, fluid - thermo info, etc).

I will say that there are some small, possibly negative observations:
- back seat leg room is smaller than the rebel. Not a huge deal, but the kiddo can kick the back of my seat.
- you feel every road imperfection. This is a combination of spring / shock rate, the wrangler duratracs, and the weight of the vehicle-the reverse lights are inadequate on both. At least on the power wagon you can option the trailer spot lights (extra reverse lighting on the tow mirrors)

The Carli suspension definitely would improve the on-road manners while adding off-road capability. 

Another fun note. Rebel can only fit 18" rims, while the power wagon enjoys 17's. Small difference, but more tire sizes are available in the 17's to add additional meat. From what I have gleaned from the HD forums so far, 35's are an easy fit. 37's only require some minor modifications[/QUOTE]

Thanks for your reply! That's good info. Yeah, the PW still has the older (smaller) cabin, so anyone who wants a "shorter" wheelbase PW (a little better offroad) should buy soon. Reports are that they will be moving the PW to the the newer (larger) 1500 cabin in the next refresh.

35s seem to be the go to tire upgrade. When you go to a 37, you do get a fair amount of rubbing, especially taking a turn and hitting a driveway ramp, or doing anything offroad that requires moderate articulation. There are - of course - solutions, but its just more work and/or more cost. You also get the problem of the spare: won't fit under the bed in the stock spare location, so (1) put it in the bed and you have no more bed, (2) buy a new bumper with a tire carrier which is $2-3,000, and puts a fair amount of weight way at the back of the truck, (3) buy a tire carrier that fits into the tow hitch (much cheaper than option #2), but still quite a lot of weight hanging aft of the rear bumper. Having said all that, 37s really buy you some ground clearance under that massive rear diff (from 8.5 inches to 10.5 inches), and the truck looks great on 37s! A Carli Pintop suspension would eliminate rubbing with 37s, increase functional payload, and take care of some of the rough ride you mention. Anytime you want to share more experience with your PW feel free to message me. Thanks!!

 

[grenadierguy]

Don't Laugh:

2014 Subaru Forestor
2015 Toyota Sienna 

Both 4WD ? 

Miss my 2004 FJ Cruiser. Been looking for an old D1 project car, but seems like a waste of $ when the Grenadier is around the corner.

 

[ChasingOurTrunks]

Don't Laugh:

2014 Subaru Forestor
2015 Toyota Sienna 

Both 4WD ? 

Miss my 2004 FJ Cruiser. Been looking for an old D1 project car, but seems like a waste of $ when the Grenadier is around the corner.

"Old D1 Project Car" has about 3 words more than necessary. You can just say "D1" - the "old" and "project car" are implied! (Kidding!)

And no laughing here at your current stable, my friend, for two reasons. First, the Subaru is legendarily good as a 'Battle Wagon' in the rough stuff, and the Toyota Sienna is an incredibly practical van that is reliable, safe, and handy for families. Second, I've travelled through most of the world with nothing but a pair of good boots. How you adventure doesn't matter, all that matters is that you get out and try to see the marble we call home and appreciate what it has to offer. 

 

[stickshifter]

"Old D1 Project Car" has about 3 words more than necessary. You can just say "D1" - the "old" and "project car" are implied! (Kidding!)

And no laughing here at your current stable, my friend, for two reasons. First, the Subaru is legendarily good as a 'Battle Wagon' in the rough stuff, and the Toyota Sienna is an incredibly practical van that is reliable, safe, and handy for families. Second, I've travelled through most of the world with nothing but a pair of good boots. How you adventure doesn't matter, all that matters is that you get out and try to see the marble we call home and appreciate what it has to offer. 

The FJ Cruiser is a great vehicle! Loved the manual which was full-time 4-wheel drive. That 4.0 is awesome - still have one in my wife's 4-Runner.

Yeah, I also traveled much of the world with a backpack, and a good pair of boots - though not so good that they didn't need a street-repair in India that gave those boots another year of life!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!

 

[grenadierguy]

"Old D1 Project Car" has about 3 words more than necessary. You can just say "D1" - the "old" and "project car" are implied! (Kidding!)

And no laughing here at your current stable, my friend, for two reasons. First, the Subaru is legendarily good as a 'Battle Wagon' in the rough stuff, and the Toyota Sienna is an incredibly practical van that is reliable, safe, and handy for families. Second, I've travelled through most of the world with nothing but a pair of good boots. How you adventure doesn't matter, all that matters is that you get out and try to see the marble we call home and appreciate what it has to offer. 

haha... too true about the extra words for a D1. 
Cheers, I appreciate the comments about the current fleet. No matter how much we get out it's never enough. Plus I got two under five and that adds to some of the toughness. Happy New Year!

 

[PowerfulUSUltd]

2019.5 LR Discovery 5. Same upgrades as the 2020 model but produced at the tail end of the 19s. I love the vehicle with the mods I have added. It will probably take months of comparing with the Ineos before deciding which one to keep. Maybe I will keep both unless the Ineos flops.