Newb here making the move to a Defender after over a decade of Wranglers.

The LR online options are kind of puzzling. It looks like you can only get a white top in the S line. Is this correct?

There are also some options available in one package that aren’t part of another. For example, the integrated air compressor is part of the Adventure Package but not the Explorer Package.

As I’m trying to put together an order, I’m curious what some of you added that you love or things that ended up not being worth it. Or, things you didn’t get but now wish you did.

It will mostly live on the pavement but we do some beach/dunes driving once a year (vacation out east).

Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

many of added options are becoming hassles later:
compressor - has some problems
premium LED headlights - basically all of them will have Halos gone, it's a fact
e-diff - sensitive to fluid change, have to babysit
_______
I've added tow hitch, air suspension and family pack due to 3rd row, Air suspension is useful but also can be problematic in the long run.

 

The premium lights have had updated chips put in that was supposed to stop all the halo burnouts. Just saying.

But I’d say air suspension and advanced off road with cold weather pkg and console fridge are all awesome.

 

I would also look at what the GAP folks can offer for options after purchase. For instance, many of us have enabled trailer assist which was a pricey option from the factory, but the tool activated it.

One thing that I took a long time to decide on was wheel size.
19" wheels have about 2 options for uprating or getting different off road tires.
20" are stylistically good, but the reduced sidewall makes for a choppy ride - which is one reason people get the air ride.
18" have a LOT of different tire choices, but selecting this reduces the brake disk size. The small rim and chunky tire makes for a smoother ride if you are buying coils instead of air.

Unless you are hardcore offroading I would skip the e-diff.

I ended up picking a price ceiling and then just filling in around it with things that made me happy. Worked well in the end.

Might be worth adding in a budget for aftermarket toys. Pretty easy to drop another $5k on a rack, ladder, lunch box, etc...

At the end of the day, they are all great looking and performing.

 

I ordered a 23 and I know things have changed. I also ordered a pretty bare bones vehicle.

P300 is a solid engine in a 110. I have not found myself lacking power.

I have air suspension, advanced off-road, towing, etc. I have the 18" wheels and am truly impressed with how this thing handles on road. It's not overly stiff, but it's not a marshmallow either, and it handles the twisties impressively.

I can't think of a single thing I wish I had ordered. Lots of people complain about the base headlights. These are the brightest headlights on any vehicle I have owned. I frequently get flashed at from other drivers who think I have my high beams on. I don't know what the matrix ones are supposed to do but I'm happy with what I have.

You don't have to spend a lot or check a lot of options to get a vehicle that you will enjoy.

 

I think some of this may be a little over stated. I haven’t had any problems with my e diff whatsoever. The lights can now be repaired relatively easily on your own, see the video from PowerfulUK. I am also fairly certain newer lights have a different chip which (supposedly) should avoid the issue.

agreed on the compressor. Save the money and get an ARB under the hood.

 

My 2c

Avoid any dealer installation of stuff. Folks get hosed on dealer installation fees. It's a real scam, particularly the packs. Pick and choose any easy to bolt on accessories you want, and install it yourself. Very very simple.

Avoid 19" rims like the plague if you want tire choices.

GAP tool can activate just about any of the software items like TR2, dynamic mode, tow assist etc. Even adaptive cruise can now be done aftermarket for about $100. GAP will be doing it soon too with their new Gen4. There is plenty of info on these topics in the forum. Again. Very easy to do even for a novice like myself.

Be sure to get an OEM hitch and rear recovery eyes. Respectively, these are costly and a nuisance to add later on. The latest iteration of the front under-shield now comes as a $2500 +install option. No longer available as a stand alone option. You could get a steel front bumper and armor for the same.

 

^ that hitch and rear recovery eye comment is spot on. I think on my 2023 it was $800 and looking at the process of fitting both later that was money well spent! Looks like about nine-fity to add those today. Don't skip those, they are great for resale.

The cargo partition net is only $100 if you add it to the build. If you buy it afterwards it's $300
I added rear heated seats for $500 - but skipped spending on the second set of hvac controls for the rear passengers. Not sure if that's even an option now.

What really sucked was when I went to actually order (april 2023) and I couldn't get some of the options I wanted even though the consumer website said it was available. When the dealer entered the info I was denied 3 stand alone options that had supply shortages.

 

Was wondering if sunglass holder is available on 2024.

 

I don’t plan on towing anything so should I just get the tow hitch receiver for $750 versus the pack? I can at least use for a bike rack (I think).

I’m a dummy because when I did sample builds, I assumed you had to pick one of the packages. I now see that I don’t. So these are largely a waste of money? Am I still able to order OEM stuff and install myself? I don’t see any ala carte options through the website. It would be great if I could, for example, get the larger infotainment screen but looks like it’s only available on the X model.

So stick with the 20” wheels vs 19”?

sorry for the dumb questions.