Dear Truck Trend,
As the proud owner of a 1972 Land Rover Series III 88-inch SW, I am an avid Land Rover fan. That said, I couldn't agree more with your conclusion of this comparison (Truck Trend, September/October 2008). I may have been inclined to put the Jeep ahead of the Nissan as it is probably more fitting as the most capable off-roader, not to mention my affinity for top-down trail-riding. But the Nissan does get it done with much more on-road comfort. As far as the LR2 (Freelander 2 to the rest of the world) is concerned, Land Rover fans should be impressed that it was even included in this group of trucks. I still can't understand why any Land Rover would lack low range. Still, at least it isn't a Jeep Compass/Patriot. These companies need to stay true to what a brand means. I can only hope Tata finds a way to bring the Defender back to the U.S. It still may have placed second or third in this comparison based on its comfort level and it shamefully would likely be priced out of direct competition with the Wrangler. But at least it could carry the Land Rover Green Oval with pride through all these tests and more. Ah, well, solace came with the G4 article "Taking over Nevada." Good stuff!
Peter J. Whelan
Cranford, New Jersey
Dear Reader,
We know why Land Rover decided to make the LR2 more street-friendly than its other SUVs, but it is a shame that American Land Rover fans lost the hard-core Defender and got the road-biased LR2. We keep hoping to see the Defender make a comeback, but the way the economy and the price of fuel are going, it doesn't look like it would happen any time soon.
-Truck Trend
Ps: dont forget to check out these videos of the "Three Days in the Valley"