Hi.
There was a similar Defender vs Jimny discussion on another forum with similar conclusions so I thought a repost of this might be of interest. As some previous posters were rudely treated for posting any lengthy sensible debate, those of you who are still at school and struggle to read more than one paragraph can skip right over this and go back to being nasty to one another.
:welcome2:
I know there have already been a lot of replies to this thread and I suspect much already covered but Im hoping to give a bit of insight too.
Bit of history on me first. Basically Im a Land Rover man. Ive been about them all my life. My Uncle has been competing in them since the late 60s and early 70s. My Dad and my Uncle helped found our local ALRC (Association of Land Rover Clubs) club. And Ive worked or been affiliated with a number of Land Rover specialists over the years.
Right now Ive got a modified Disco 1 and a Series III. But Ive had a classic RR and a Defender 90. In total my close family represent having owned 50 plus different Land Rover models.
So while I certainly wouldnt claim to be an expert, I do feel as though Ive had some exposure to the Land Rover brand.
With that out of the way onto your question.
Well to start with if you want a small proper off roader to actually tackle the rough stuff the vehicle needs certain attributes.
Most notable plenty of axle articulation and flex. Couple this to a suitable chassis and engine and itll be a winner.
As a rule the only way to attain good flex and articulation is with a vehicle running live axles. Any IFS/IRS (independent front or rear suspension) will generally be compromised off road and far less capable. This is because they lack the ability the keep their wheels in contact with the ground.
Modern traction control systems and locking diffs can help out, but very few of these small off roaders have such technology available.
So to the Defender. But where does it start, well back in the 1940s Rover took the idea of the original Jeep, actually using a Jeep chassis to build the first Land Rover prototypes on. The end result is what is now known as the Series 1 Land Rover.
It had a wheelbase of only 80 remember this as it becomes important later on
As time went on the wheel base was increased to 86 and then 88. This was for various reason, partly to allow different engines to be used and to make a larger load area.
The Series II is almost identical under the skin to a Series I. The chassis is the same as are the axles pretty much. But it now carried a wider body, this allowed more room in the cab and again better hauling ability. Still remained at 88 wheelbase though.
The Series III didnt change much from the II.
But Land Rover recognised an issue with Series III and all earlier examples. Basically the axles were pretty naff having originated from a pre war Rover P4.
And they knew that more powerful engines would result in the normally 2wd Series Land Rover to become too fragile. So they created a permanent 4wd vehicle in the shape of the then Ninety and One Ten models, using technology and ideas gained from the Range Rover, Stage 1 and 101 projects.
So what is important here is a Ninety (aka a Defender) isnt actually all that different to a Series III. The diffs and axles are very similar, as is the chassis and indeed much of the body work. And you need to remember the Series III is not so dissimilar from the original 1948 Series 1.
This is important, because instead of looking at a Ninety as say a 20-25 year old design, you really need to look at it as a 60 year old design!!!!
One major change with the Ninety is its wheelbase was increased to 92.9 over a Series III, although the overhangs shrank a bit. But a Ninety while still small is a lot bigger than a Series I.
And this size issue shows up off road, while sometimes brute force and weight can be good, there is no denying a Series I is far more nimble off road than a modern Defender 90. This means its often easier to navigate tough terrain and you are far less likely to prang it!!!
Why is this important?
Well, while Im no expert on the Jimny I have done some reading. And it appears it started off in the 1969 (so, much newer than the Land Rover) as a micro car in Japan (cars of this size had tax advantages of some kind I believe). But there is also a striking similarity to the Series I and the original World War II Jeep in terms of size and specification.
The then called LJ (or Little Jeep) was developed through the years resulting in the SJ (like the one you pictured) and then finally the Jimny as we know it today.
The main difference between the LJ10 and Jimny is coil suspension, a more modern engine and more modern interior. Nearly all the other qualities have been retained.
So what does this mean?
Well it means a Jimny is a small nimble 80 wheelbase off roader. It is everything the original Series I Land Rover was in terms of size and ability. But with the benefit of being a much newer vehicle. So the coil suspension gives it a better ride and axle flex and articulation than a leaf sprung Land Rover. They are also nice inside and dont leak!!!
If Im honest I was a snob for many years and totally over looked what the Jimny is and is capable of. However I now see it for what it is. And thats a very capable and ideally specced off roader!
This then leaves money and what you want to do with the vehicle?
The big difference with the Land Rover is it is a very good utility vehicle. If you want a truck cab, or a hard top then it makes it a great work horse. If you have the need to haul stuff the Land Rover beats the Jimny hands down.
The same applies if towing is a requirement. The Land Rover is quite a heavy duty machine and capable of towing loads to humble many other 4x4s.
The Jimny is not a work horse in the same fashion, but it does do car like transportation of people better than the Defender. Itll be less leaky, less rattley and probably more comfy too.
Money The big difference here is a Defender or Ninety actually hold their value very well. This is good when you want to sell, but less good when you want to buy. £6k is an okish budget and you should get something ok. I suspect probably a Tdi. But do expect to give it some TLC. Land Rovers are not unreliable, but they do like looking after.
The great thing with a Land Rover is the fact you can replace every single part and easily upgrade. A new chassis is doable, as are any parts of the body work. Its even easy to swap in a different Land Rover engine (V8, Tdi, TD5 and so on) or even an automatic gearbox.
A Jimny on the other hand doesnt seem to hold its money that well. But the flip side is they are only between £10-12k new. So a £6k budget will get you quite a new one and in almost mint condition. Many of these are only used for short distances, so it wouldnt surprise me if you could pick up a 2006 model with maybe only 8000 miles on the clock. Where as a Ninety is likely to be more like a 1988-94 model with anywhere from 80,000 to 200,000 miles on the clock.
Performance?
Well most Land Rovers have diesels. The Tdi is a good engine and for around £400-600 can be made to produce around a 150hp. It also makes a load of low end grunt. Fairly economical at mid 20s, on a run theyll do over 30mpg. But on some big off road tyres and a heavy foot expect more like 20-21mpg!
The Jimny only has a 1.3 petrol engine. But it also weighs a lot less and having driven one it is an easy match for a Tdi Land Rover on the road. It may lack the low end grunt, but again the vehicle weight mean it really isnt an issue, just a different experience.
Off road the biggest advantage the Land Rover has is ground clearance. You can also run fairly big (33) tyres on a mostly stock Land Rover. The down sides arise that when you want to do more to it, things will break and itll start to get costly. But there is a huge aftermarket.
The Jimny is arguably equally as capable in stock trim. But it is ground clearance that will likely be the biggest hindrance. But it depends what sort of off roading you plan to do. The narrower track of a Jimny is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on the situation. Lots of mods and a good aftermarket for these too.
I truly love both of these vehicles. So its hard to choose between them. The Land Rover offers so much in terms of a HUGE owners community and vast choice of upgrades. And they are very much a nut and bolts vehicle. So even on your driveway you could take the roof off and turn it into a soft top.
But there is no denying the origins of a Ninety and its underlying technology.
So based on that, your money will get you a newer, better condition Jimny, thatll probably be the Land Rovers equal off road, more comfortable, more hassle free and cheaper to run. The only real downside will be depreciation.
As for me, well Ill always have a Land Rover of some kind, but Im very tempted to get a Jimny as a daily driver!!
