Hard to believe but you will get smoked by a stock LR3 or RR in your 90 or

[VTRover]

110. In EVERY situation except for one where water goes over the hood a modern LR3 or Range Rover will absolutely smoke a modified rig off-road. I know that sounds hard to believe but after a bunch of off-road driving I'm a believer.

Now I'm not saying I'd take one somewhere where the dealer is hundreds of miles away but they are really amazing. All those years of experience has been replaced by computers. A 10 year old could drive that thing through gnarly terrain - there is absolutely no skill required other than to dial in the correct TR setting and be easy on the gas.

I'n seriously thinking about selling my 110 for a RR. When I get a moment I'll post a video where I put the LR3 in neutral on a trail called the plunge and just let it roll over the edge. Very cool.

[VTRover]

Neutral - both feet off the pedals and firmly on the floor.

http://picasaweb.google.com/eric.yohe/LandRoverExperience/photo#5211344189803935570

[KevinNY]

Stock vs. Stock, agreed. The tech is amazing.

Vs. modified rigs. Ummmm, no.

Driving around the Land Rover Experience course vs doing real trails with rocks,ledges and mud are two completely different things. Take a new RR down real wheeling trails and you will have 4 flats, crushed sills, crushed bumpers and be hopelessly stuck on the street tires.

EDIT: I want to edit that because it sounded harsh as is and add that with the caveat that no one would be foolish enough to push a new RR onward into a trail that is obviously the realm of a heavily modified truck, your statment is correct.

[VTRover]

Check out the picture/video link I posted from the Muddy Chef event. Most modified rigs on the rock crawl in the video took two or three tries to get up (in come cases 6,7,8,9 tries - you know you are! LOL!). The RR made it without so much as a single slip of a wheel (this was not on the LR course in Manchester, rather out in Northern VT).

I'd bet that thing against a 3 inch lifted rig with protection, lockers and rock tires. Kind of blew my mind to see such the ease at how it went over nasty terrain. It completely removes the driver and the driver's skill from the experience. Man, all that money I spent on stuff for my Defender and all those years driving and teaching replaced by computer chips! AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

I think that I can get my hands on a new vehicle for the August drive so I can prove this theory. The sills may indeed be a problem but I think it can handle the rest with ease as long as we don't get hood deep fording again.

[cellulararrest]

Most of those guys didn't look like they were aired down. It makes a really big difference. The traction control is good, but it's not THAT good. Then the fact that you really can't air the tires down. Plus they aren't really any good tires available in the right sizes.

As for the hill descent, it's quite good. However, if you put my 90 in 1st low it'll crawl just as slow down some really steep stuff.

[Guinness]

Maybe so, but Range Rovers, LR3's and Freelanders do not have the character as Derenders...

[Markl]

I'm pleased to report the 08 Defenders can smoke it up too. I spent some time on a project at LR this spring driving new product off road. With 4 wheel traction control, and the new anti-stall feature you'll be happy to know the Defender is also amazingly capable. m

[cellulararrest]

and the new anti-stall feature

Please do go on

[Leslie]

110. In EVERY situation except for one where water goes over the hood a modern LR3 or Range Rover will absolutely smoke a modified rig off-road. I know that sounds hard to believe but after a bunch of off-road driving I'm a believer.

Now I'm not saying I'd take one somewhere where the dealer is hundreds of miles away but they are really amazing. All those years of experience has been replaced by computers. A 10 year old could drive that thing through gnarly terrain - there is absolutely no skill required other than to dial in the correct TR setting and be easy on the gas.

I'n seriously thinking about selling my 110 for a RR. When I get a moment I'll post a video where I put the LR3 in neutral on a trail called the plunge and just let it roll over the edge. Very cool.

lol.... Well, considering the nearest LRNA dealers *ARE* a hundred miles away from me (Knoxville, Asheville, and Roanoke are more-or-less the same distance away from me)....

And.... I agree, it is a bit of an equalizer for the unskilled... but, does that excuse one from striving to become skilled? Does it surpass a highly skilled driver who understands their vehicle?

I have to admit, knowing that I can change a head gasket w/ a screwdriver and a crescent wrench whilst in the middle of a river crossing (ok, I'm gonna use a socket set and torque wrench in the garage instead, but, if you had to.....)

Know your vehicle, know what it can and can't do, learn to read a trail, and go out there and have fun.....

[draaronr]

I like the new rovers, but call bs that they can be outwheeled by a new truck. The new ones compensate for little to no skill, if you put someone with some offroading knowledge and skill the older vehicles will do better.

[msggunny]

Gotta cry BS on that one. Saw several LR3's and RRS's and Range Rovers not make it up a hill even with their traction control on this past weekend.

The only time i couldnt make it up in my D1 was when i tried once to idle up in 1st low for S&G's.

The electronic aids help, but there is no substitute for skill and knowledge.

[twstrchasr]

I agree. Some of these electronic nannies are cool but cannot take the place of good old fashioned common sense. I drove a new 200 series LC (I know ) the other day and the sales guy kept going on and on about the "crawl" feature..My response to him was didn't that kind of take the fun away from getting off the beaten path in the first place. I don't want the bloody thing to drive itself..If that's the case, I'll hire a chauffeur ! In my opinion all of these electronic toys are just more things that can go wrong. Imagine the cost in 10-15 years to get those things fixed.. Cruise control on the highway is OK, off-road, no thanks !!

[leafsprung]

The latest 4wd areostar might spank them all but I will never know. Any rover with coils from the factory is a mommy-mobile

[Nasdiesel]

Check out the picture/video link I posted from the Muddy Chef event. Most modified rigs on the rock crawl in the video took two or three tries to get up (in come cases 6,7,8,9 tries - you know you are! LOL!). The RR made it without so much as a single slip of a wheel (this was not on the LR course in Manchester, rather out in Northern VT).

I'd bet that thing against a 3 inch lifted rig with protection, lockers and rock tires. Kind of blew my mind to see such the ease at how it went over nasty terrain. It completely removes the driver and the driver's skill from the experience. Man, all that money I spent on stuff for my Defender and all those years driving and teaching replaced by computer chips! AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

I think that I can get my hands on a new vehicle for the August drive so I can prove this theory. The sills may indeed be a problem but I think it can handle the rest with ease as long as we don't get hood deep fording again.

I think you are confused. Care to test this on something like Buffalo Brook?