Hello everyone, I am new to the forum. I have been trying to decide between the Discovery and the New Defender, and I am currently working on specs for the Defender. So far the forum has been most helpful in answering many of my questions. But I still had a few, hopefully you can helo me out,

1- Rear tow hooks: I do not plan to do serious off-roading, but I definitely want to have the capability of pulling a friend out from, say wet, muddy ground due to heavy rain in the countryside. Is it advisable to use the standard rear tow points and eye for this? I understand these are meant more for "recovery" in case of an accident, not for active work?.

2- Exposed rear hooks: It seems the only way to spec in the exposed rear hooks in the Standard trim is to add the Bright Exterior Package. I can't find a good picture with this package.

3- Loadspace rails: Can the "carts" of the loadspace or luggage rails be removed?

4- Tow bar: I do not plan to tow anything in the near future, but definitely want to be able to do so further on. Is it possible to install the detachable tow bar afterwards with the dealer?

5- Dashcam: No information whatsover available on the specifications of the land rover dashcam.

6- Mud flaps: Undecided on this point. For such a tall and big car, it seems like the responsible thing, with respect to other drivers. Probably going for the regular ones (not classic).

7- It seems trim options could be really simplifed!!! No material difference between a Standard HSE and an X-Dynamic HSE...

Thanks!

 

I can help with a couple of these, although I'm a LR3 LR4 owner and have had Defenders, not the new one (sadly).

1. Recovery should be done using the recovery points on the vehicle. The tow hook should not be used for recovery ideally, as the stresses the components are designed to take are completely different. Tow hooks are for towing. Fixed recovery eyes are for recovery.

4. Tow bars: LR are usually pretty good about retro-fitting tow bars, etc. Many cheaper after-market opportunities are also available.

6. Mud flaps: I have fitted these to my LR4 recently (not the crap OEM ones; I fitted Series flaps that were modified). I find they are effective in reducing spray and the accumulation of crap under the rear of the vehicle.

 

 

Others have properly replied to your specific questions, just as I would have done. But, as an LR4 and New Defender owner, and as a person on both of those forums for a while, I find the nature of your questions really interesting, for what they do not contain.

Namely, what are your comparative thoughts on: the exterior looks of the two vehicles, the interior space, finish luxury and proportions -- for third row seat particularly, the entry height, and the location of the spare wheel ? Also, the weight difference is significant due to the strengthening of the Defender for heavy off-road and overlanding use.

I ask because these have been the deciders for others looking at the same purchase decision.

 

Pagoda: Thanks for your reply! (1) That is my concern about the recovery tow point. In the case of the defender the recovery tow points can be replaced with exposed fixed hooks, so it should not be a problem to tow or recover the vehicle with the hook replacements, but I am not sure about towing with the standard recovery tow point.

Crewcabrob: Thank you, this clears that question!

 

TrioLROwner: I currently own a 2015 Discovery Sport S (very happy, and no issues with it), and I am looking for an upgrade. One important issue was cargo space in the trunk, which is already reasonably large for the Sport. So the Discovery seemed like a good place to start, considering it has the largest cargo area in its class, and still manages to measure under 5 meters in length.

Something I have enjoyed with the Discovery Sport is its 60cm wading depth, which allowed me drive through flooded roads with confidence several times. So it's would be hard to go for a competing SUV with a lower wading depth.

I want a large ride to comfortably fit people and lots of stuff, to be able to deal with flooding and bad roads with confidence, and have no worries if after entering a grassy field, rain starts to pour. I had decided on a Discovery until i saw the Defender at the dealer's shop. I don't care much for the third row, but definitely want my second row passengers to travel in comfort. This issue had been in my mind all the time (I asked in the New Discovery forum if anyone could speak on behalf of the "improvements in comfort" JLR says have been made to the second row seats for the 2021 Discovery model. I can't find anything on it though and the local dealer has no 2021 models in stock).

I prefer the exterior looks of the Defender to the rounded Discovery, although this has not been a significant issue. A certain win for the Defender is the driving position which is far superior. I also prefer the physical dials for things like air conditioner and volume (safer and more practical). My brother has an LR4 and had an LR3 before that. It seems to me the Defender is more LR5.

My wife doesn't seem to mind the difference in entry height. I have no issue with the wheel hung in the back, although I have been a bit concerned with city driving/parking with the cars length being more than 5 meters. If I were a JLR designer I would try making a Long version of the Defender, with the wheel in the underside and increasing its length. But in terms of visibility nothing is worse than an Evoque.

Hope some of this makes sense...!

 

Totally agree...no updates on when the 130 may appear. That would be the obvious successor to the LR4. Then again, it would be likely kill D5 sales, so we probably won't see a 130 until LR is ready to discontinue the D5. (Or maybe rebrand the 130 Defender as a Discovery 6)

 

I agree fully with the statement that the Def is the LR5. There's a really good PowerfulUK vid comparing the Disco 4 to the Defender:
I have had a lot of Disco 3s and 4s in the past, and when I moved to the US I bought a V8 LR3. I LOVED that vehicle, but at almost 14 YO, I wanted to get something new so bought the very latest model LR4 I could find - it took me a year to find the one I wanted, and I intend to keep it for a long time. I looked at the Discovery, but I don't like the back or the seats, plus as a creature of habit I know my way around the LR4 better and am comfortable working on it/have all the extra kit to fit to it.

I will watch this thread with interest.

 

Regarding rear recovery points...

The X and all the other models both feature rear recovery points. The difference is that the X has proper one-piece hoop style recovery points that project out of the bumper and are exposed. All the other models have two piece recovery points that are hidden behind rectangular pop-out covers in the bumper. Essentially, one pops out the covers then screws an eye-hook into a threaded hole on the mounted plates.

The mounted plates of the two-piece recovery points on standard Defenders is the same size and bolt-pattern as the plate of the one-piece proper hoop style recovery points of the X model. This means you can buy the X-style one-piece recovery points, pop off your bumper, remove the two-piece recovery point plates, and install the one-piece hoops in their place.

The only caveat is that since the X features constantly exposed recovery points, the rectangular openings in the bumper are smooth and finished. A standard Defender bumper (where you have to pop out the rectangular covers) will have cutouts that are a little janky... basically exposed tabs that work to snap the cover in place.

Powerful UK (which also does a nice DIY YouTube video of the X-style recovery point installation on a standard Defender) sells a kit that includes the X-style recovery points and also some “finisher inserts” they fabricated, which cleans up the janky cutouts on the standard Defender models. I just bought one...

 

I have spent lots of time in the configurator... Standard HSE, X-Dynamic HSE, and X trims really have only small differences which do not seem worthwhile.

If you spec it all out with similar options, color, looks, etc....the Standard trim is 2,200 pounds cheaper than the X-Dynamic, with the main difference being that you can't have the Black Exposed Rear Hooks on the standard without adding the Bright Exterior Pack (you also don't get the X-Dynamic badge...).

Meanwhile, the X trim is 10,475 more expensive than the standard trim, with the differences being: Darkened Tail Lights, Gloss Black Bonnet, Orange Break Calipers, the Domestic Socket, and the off-road options such as the Electronic Active Differential and Terrain Response 2.... The off-road options come standard in the X trim, which means you could add about 2090 pounds in the other trims if you, and that still leaves about 8,350 pounds of difference vs the standard trim... (again, adding to the standard trim similar colors, wheels, interior, seats, sound system, accessories, etc)