For many of us offroaders, the Land Rover Defender 90 is the vehicle to have. With its basic engineering and robust build it makes for the perfect off roader. But what are the alternatives?
The Land Rover Defender has no direct rivals, although the Jeep Wrangler is arguably the closest. Similarly priced compact 4×4’s such as the Nissan X-Trail and Chevrolet Captiva aren’t really true off-road workhorses; they’re better built, more luxurious and more enjoyable to drive but are not an alternative to a Defender. If you are looking for something like this but with the offroad capabilities as a Defender, you would be better to consider a Discovery or Range Rover Classic.
If you’re considering a Defender pick-up, then the Mitsubishi L200, Nissan Navara, Isuzu Rodeo and Toyota Hilux are well worth a look. They all feature a solid chassis and good build quality, up against a Defender 90 off road, the extra size and lengths of the alternatives can be a drawback.
Nissan Navara
One to consider if you are looking for a an Alternative to a defender and a similar size and power, the a Mitsubishi Showgun or import Pajero are worth looking at. How ever these are more expensive to repair and some jobs are very hard and fiddly, unlike a Defender which was designed to be fixed by a farmer in a field with basic tools.
Showgun / Pajero
Land Cruisers and Izuzu Troopers are another alternative to consider, but these are similar to the Showgun/Pajero when it comes to repairs.
The down side to a Defender is the purchase price, as they are more expensive to purchase than the alternatives, how ever they hold value more than the alternatives, so this is also something to consider.
