When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I've read that too. I do wonder why - with all the tire choices that would be available to owners all within a 10mm difference - JLR decided to curtail tire choices for owners so drastically? Would a wider tire allow more roof loading or tow more? IDK, must be a reason in there somewhere... All I got is maybe the undersized tire is used for better MPG ratings at point of sale? If JLR sold Defenders on an off road tire size like 265/70/18, maybe that would reduce MPG ratings and somehow maybe that had something to do with it??? IDK, it's always been a head scratcher as to why JLR made Defender awesome off road in tech and build quality of parts, but then forgot about the tires? How can you put the 4x4 tech to work if you're only driving on the highways? Anyways, the 19"s have a good enough sidewall, so hopefully more tire companies will come out with off road tires for the 19"s.
I believe the reason is JLR is leaning into the off-road legacy of Land Rover for marketing, but in reality they know 99% of customers only want the image of ruggedness. Something that looks good in the Starbucks drive-thru. They’re building an on-road focused luxury car with some additional design criteria to allow it to go farther off-road then a typical crossover SUV. This is deeper than selling an off-road vehicle riding on 22s, continues with inaccessible recovery points, and have you seen the labor involved to install the bull bar or a winch? Omg. Where is the Defender event hosted this year….Malibu. JLR knows their customers.
The LX and GX are no nonsense utility vehicles used by the UN, NATO, and various armed forces. It’s a legitimately rugged tool that will hold up to abuse, but dressed up with luxury bits and technology. The design criteria includes a 25 year design life while operating in austere environments. They’ll sell it to a soccer mom with 22” wheels, but the bling is only skin deep, and it’ll still have accessible recovery hooks, a mechanical engine fan, and fit 17” wheels without swapping the brake calipers.
The trade-off is it’ll never be as polished as a Defender because the Defender is like a supermodel in a football uniform. The LX/GX platform is a goddamn Navy SEAL in a dress.
That additional JLR “luxury” also requires some mental gymnastics. My 23’ 130 has heated seats, steering wheel, and windshield - that don’t activate with remote start. I’m supposed to walk outside and turn this stuff on manually, so what’s the point of remote start? It also won’t remote start without the app and cell phone service - service that doesn’t exist in remote areas where this vehicle was allegedly designed to operate. The GX - heated seats and steering wheel activate with remote start AND it allows remote start via the key fob. The front bumper is modular, so you can install a metal lower bumper or winch EASILY without touching the sensors or cameras. You know…fundamental stuff for the off road crowd buying this truck. They’re going to sell a ton of these things.
Nonsense utility platform is this, I encourage you to try it for a day.
Dude, that’s a 70 series with solid axles, a 1980s era vehicle still in production for extreme use. Consider its so good at what it does, Toyota still has enough customers buying these to keep the production line open for 40 years. It’s all business - no luxury.
Not quite the LX600 Kim Jong Un, dictator of North Korea, was seen using to inspect flooded villages.
Dude, that’s a 70 series with solid axles, a 1980s era vehicle still in production for extreme use. Consider its so good at what it does, Toyota still has enough customers buying these to keep the production line open for 40 years. It’s all business - no luxury.
