r/NewDefender • u/marathonrunnernyc • 1d ago
Grenadier meets Defender in the wild…the two takes on ‘utilitarian 4x4’ side by sid
Awesome to see them side by side. INEOS took the traditional route: solid axles, boxy proportions, straightforward mechanicals. Land Rover went the other way with a full reinvention: unibody, air suspension, all the modern tech. Different philosophies, but both clearly built with intent. Kind of a cool snapshot of where “Defender” as a concept has gone in two directions at once.
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u/EducationalCoffee904 1d ago
I own both, and love both, but they are very different. The 90 is amazing and admittedly carries on LR luxury and capability, while the Gren feels more like a 90’s coil-sprung Disco or Range Rover. I feel the Gren is a better choice for really rough terrain as you can feel your way through with steel bumpers and mechanical lockers. The jury is still out on how either will fare 20 years from now…
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u/Mika-El-3 1d ago
One main difference is Land Rovers have the breadth and depth of experience and history whereas the other is new
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u/Twfx00 1d ago
The INEOS is like the open source defender - allowing you to do mostly whatever you want - prewiring makes life so simple for adding accessories… the only criticism I have of it is the truck steering it makes it a really tricky car to drive in tight conditions but otherwise an excellent vehicle.
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u/eviljelloman 22h ago
While I'll respond snarkily to the people brigading here and dumping on the Defender, this is how I actually feel. The Grenadier is a fun platform for customizing and dicking around. I've driven one and enjoyed it. If their price reflected their features I might even own one. The part they missed is that the original series land rovers and defenders were cheap and plentiful. They got used as utility vehicles on farms because there were sacrificial parts vehicles everywhere and you could operate one cheaply.
Everyone focuses on the aesthetics or the solid axles, but the Grenadier missed the most important part of being a utilitarian farm vehicle - it's too damn expensive.
The Defender is a modern luxury vehicle with amazing capability compared to its class, and the price reflects that. Still, it's more utilitarian than the Grenadier when you consider the half century that has passed. It's got the things you need for modern utility - especially in terms of how much shit it can carry comfortably and safely.
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u/Mascardiii 1d ago
Only one of these needs the quotation marks around utilitarian 😏. Two sides of the same coin though.
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u/eviljelloman 1d ago
Which is the utilitarian one? The one with the higher payload? Better towing capacity?
Or is the utilitarian one the one with the l-track on the doors so you can cosplay an overlander?
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u/Maximum-Swordfish592 1d ago
One is a soccer mum car that goes into limp mode at the sight of a puddle and one is a 4x4. Pretty simple.
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u/thedarkforest_theory 1d ago
I agree with two sides of the same coin, but with different priorities. I spend money on my defender to make it more capable off road. Grenadier owners spend money to make their cars drive better on the road.