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Comment by soared | Hacker News Reader

I was under the impression that land rover was purely a luxury car - I live in Colorado and I've never seen one on a trail. Does anyone actually use these for off-roading?

I'm curious because this feature may fit that idea. Excellent marketing for people who want a land rover but will never use the feature.

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In much of rural Spain, the Land Rover has been the car of choice for farmers and goat herders, for decades. Not the fancy version you usually see in the US, but the "Santana Cazorla" which was a much more bare bones one produced in Linares, at the heart of olive oil country. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santana_Motor

Those cars look 30 years old or more! No one is commenting on the absolute off road tanks Land Rover used to build. The new cars are purely luxury cars for rich people, as evident of Land Rover killing off the real off road LR models.

The original Land Rover was launched in the 40s

Yes I know. Same as Jeep. Those are refereed to as the Land Rover "Series" models.

I see why I am confused about Discovery. They were marketed as the LR3/4 since 2004 in North America and called Discovery everywhere else.

These used to be licensed Defenders, not the fancy Range Rovers. Both are distinct types of the same brand (Land Rover).

Your comment reminded me of a Doug DeMuro article where he did just that! "In other words: the Range Rover is a highly capable, brilliant off-roading vehicle with a lot of highly capable, brilliant off-roading components, assuming that you have a comprehensive CarMax warranty to keep these components working properly."

https://jalopnik.com/yes-i-actually-went-off-roading-in-my-r...

I see older discos and a few defenders ocasionally. Usually a more yuppie thing, but they are out there. I can almost hear them bragging about their offset differentials over their moaning about parts breaking. They tend to pick trails that are challenging to stock suvs, but seldom venture where modded jeeps and toyotas go. They seem quite competent on mild to moderate trails. But as I noted in another comment, hard trail use might not be practical, but this feature would make a noob trail diver twice as effective just by placing the wheels where you want them during the 2 times a rover is actually offroad.

The biggest problem with the newer generations is that you can not swap out the bumpers for something that can take even a light hit on a rock. In Colorado that makes most trails a no go as even the best driver is going to hit a rock.

show me a trail where a defender cannot go?

> Furthermore, says Hoyt, “The [new suite of driver assistance] systems will help you get up a steep driveway in winter, or across a muddy soccer pitch without getting stuck.” In other words, even if your posh Rover spends more time in valet lines than the rugged wilderness, these technologies may still come to the rescue.

Mostly a marketing feature? I think something similar is available on new Jeeps too.

Land Rover is a car used by farmers for off road use.

Range Rover is the luxury brand used by people who live in wealthy but rural locations (Cirencester and the surrounding villages) and parts of London.

"Chatham Tractor" is the term isn't it?

Chelsea Tractor

No it’s not. You’re thinking of the old models that looked like they were ready to go on a Safari. Land Rover killed off the old lines.

Could you send me a link to a new land rover you think a farmer would buy? I just can’t see a farmer cruising around in a posh Discovery.

Maybe the U.K. gets a barebones model?

Land Rover (the brand) do not make anything called a 'Land Rover' anymore, only the Range Rover and [Range Rover] Discovery, so he's sort of not wrong in that the historical (farmers) Land Rover no longer is available at all.

That said, you can probably still buy ex-MOD Defenders, I see a few 2015 and onwards online that are clearly privately owned (repainted, on public roads, etc). And the Defender is the historical Land Rover vehicle kept current.

It should be noted that Land Rover (the vehicle) started off with farmers buying ex-MOD Defenders post WW2, and the company (British Leyland - Rover) deciding to make the defender available as the Land Rover.

That's not the case. Range Rovers come in Range Rover base, Sport, Velar (not sure what this one is), and the Evoque. Land Rover also sells the Discovery and Discovery Sport which took the spot of the LR4.[1]

Here's the link the Land Rover's website. Click on Vehicles and you will see there is clearly a difference between Range Rover and Discovery. They are also coming out with a new Defender in 2020.

Edit: Wikipedia cleared up my confusion. The Discovery was called the LR3 and LR4 in North America for the past 15 years (starting 2004). I hate how companies do this, looking at you Toyota Hilux!

[1]https://www.landroverusa.com/vehicles/lr4-7-passenger-suv/in...

[2]https://www.landroverusa.com

[3]https://www.landroverusa.com/future-vehicles/defender/index....

I used to work at Jaguar Land Rover and the answer is: some customers may take their Land Rover off-roading, but usually only once and in a very tame way. They are absolutely status vehicles.

I do a little bit of fishing and trail riding in North Georgia. The only Land Rover I’ve ever seen was a 15-20 year old LR some high school kid had. He was with a couple land cruisers.

Land Rovers around my area look like the only off road they’ve ever seen was the overflow parking lot at the mall. Not to mention the tires they sell are not off road capable in the slightest.

I certainly use my Range Rover for off-roading, but it's a '92 model. It's much harder to imagine their newer luxury models having any utility off-pavement.

My buddy takes his 3rd gen Range on trails in Colorado semi-regularly. Seems to do fine. Granted, his use is less about off-roading than getting to back country camp spots.

Here is a LR doing some off-roaring in Colorado:

https://youtu.be/Qj9vakChCbY

There was the time they used a Land Rover to climb a dam using a winch (Top Gear episode). Perhaps for entertainment, but still, it worked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TZTa2tgJTs

Fun segment, although the vehicle is pretty irrelevant. The winch could have pulled a Dodge Neon up just as well.

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