So, I figured I'd start a discussion on this just to satiate my curiosity. I've been fairly active in my local Land Rover club for over a decade and have seen a bunch of changes over the years on the trails. I'm in NJ, but join up with people from all over the mid atlantic and the north east somewhat regularly to hit the trails.
In the early 2000's, it seemed like there were a ton of Series trucks out there on the trails. I'd say 1/3 to 1/2 of the vehicles had leaf springs and the owners weren't afraid to push them hard. This has steadily declined. Now, there are just as many Series trucks in the group, but many owners have relegated them to classic car duties and they now have a newer rover to dent up and break parts on. The lack of highway comfort and cheap prices on coil sprung vehicles has led to the decline of the Series vehicle on the trails in my opinion. It is common to have to drive 4+ hours to get to an event which would be 6+ hours in a Series so I can't blame anyone.
NAS Defenders have never been that popular for the trails, mostly because of the price and scarcity I assume. There's always been an exception or two but very few have been used in anger. Mine has been mostly relegated to on road duties since the day I got it for those reasons (sad, I know). I take it out on occasion but never push it. That is, until the recent influx of UK vehicles hit the shores. Now, it is uncommon NOT to have a Tdi "1979" Defender on a run. People don't seem to be as afraid to dent and scratch the non-US spec models for some reason.
DI, DII, and RRC models have ruled since my first outing and still do to this day. These seem to be the choice vehicle since they are cheap to buy and plentiful - I got mine for $1 including flatbed delivery and love it. They work well off road with some light modifications and they are simple enough for the average Joe to wrench on. They drive nice on the highway and can keep up with traffic no problem. Aircon, comfy seats, and a stereo make you feel like you're in a modern car. Back in 2004, it was very common to see show room fresh Disco's on the trails getting beat on by the owner. Rust seems to be the only reason to retire a pre-OBDII one of these - everything else is easy to fix/upgrade.
Freelanders were actually reasonably common from 2003-2004 or so. There was a short period of time that people bought them and modified them a bit to try to keep up with their bigger brothers. They performed better than I would have thought, but the fad never caught on really. I can't remember the last time I saw a Freelander in the woods. I've never seen anyone use an LR2 off road but I imagine it would be in the same class as the Freelander - which is probably why this vehicle is mostly seen on the highway. (I actually really like the LR2 btw for a DD)
The P38 has just recently started to catch a small following. It has taken a long time, but people are now picking these up cheaply and giving them a go on the trails. They work great and are comfy just like the DI/DII/RRC. They aren't a run away hit yet, but I think more of these will have dirty tires in the next few years. The additional electronics seem to be keeping some people at bay however.
The new line of independent suspension rovers has had a slow start in my circle. Unlike it was with the Discovery, it is a rare sight to see a showroom fresh LR4 being pushed to its limit (which I will admit, is a higher limit than many give them credit for). Similarly to the P38, the LR3 is starting to appear on the trails. There aren't many of them but I think more will start to show up in the next 5 years or so as prices fall and more off road goodies become available. Quite a few people that were driving Discos have relegated them to trail duty only and have bought an LR3/4 as a replacement DD. Will the LR3/4 become the trail vehicle of choice some day? We'll see. I think the difference I've seen between a DI/DII and an LR3/4 is this: when a Disco was "new" most people used it as a DD and as a fourwheeling vehicle where these days people seem to have a second vehicle just for off road driving. The LR3/4 has not caught on as strongly as a vehicle for pulling double duty. Perhaps this is not so much due to any fault of the LR3/4 as it is due to the new trend to have an extra vehicle just for off road use.
So, what rovers are being used in your area?
In the early 2000's, it seemed like there were a ton of Series trucks out there on the trails. I'd say 1/3 to 1/2 of the vehicles had leaf springs and the owners weren't afraid to push them hard. This has steadily declined. Now, there are just as many Series trucks in the group, but many owners have relegated them to classic car duties and they now have a newer rover to dent up and break parts on. The lack of highway comfort and cheap prices on coil sprung vehicles has led to the decline of the Series vehicle on the trails in my opinion. It is common to have to drive 4+ hours to get to an event which would be 6+ hours in a Series so I can't blame anyone.
NAS Defenders have never been that popular for the trails, mostly because of the price and scarcity I assume. There's always been an exception or two but very few have been used in anger. Mine has been mostly relegated to on road duties since the day I got it for those reasons (sad, I know). I take it out on occasion but never push it. That is, until the recent influx of UK vehicles hit the shores. Now, it is uncommon NOT to have a Tdi "1979" Defender on a run. People don't seem to be as afraid to dent and scratch the non-US spec models for some reason.
DI, DII, and RRC models have ruled since my first outing and still do to this day. These seem to be the choice vehicle since they are cheap to buy and plentiful - I got mine for $1 including flatbed delivery and love it. They work well off road with some light modifications and they are simple enough for the average Joe to wrench on. They drive nice on the highway and can keep up with traffic no problem. Aircon, comfy seats, and a stereo make you feel like you're in a modern car. Back in 2004, it was very common to see show room fresh Disco's on the trails getting beat on by the owner. Rust seems to be the only reason to retire a pre-OBDII one of these - everything else is easy to fix/upgrade.
Freelanders were actually reasonably common from 2003-2004 or so. There was a short period of time that people bought them and modified them a bit to try to keep up with their bigger brothers. They performed better than I would have thought, but the fad never caught on really. I can't remember the last time I saw a Freelander in the woods. I've never seen anyone use an LR2 off road but I imagine it would be in the same class as the Freelander - which is probably why this vehicle is mostly seen on the highway. (I actually really like the LR2 btw for a DD)
The P38 has just recently started to catch a small following. It has taken a long time, but people are now picking these up cheaply and giving them a go on the trails. They work great and are comfy just like the DI/DII/RRC. They aren't a run away hit yet, but I think more of these will have dirty tires in the next few years. The additional electronics seem to be keeping some people at bay however.
The new line of independent suspension rovers has had a slow start in my circle. Unlike it was with the Discovery, it is a rare sight to see a showroom fresh LR4 being pushed to its limit (which I will admit, is a higher limit than many give them credit for). Similarly to the P38, the LR3 is starting to appear on the trails. There aren't many of them but I think more will start to show up in the next 5 years or so as prices fall and more off road goodies become available. Quite a few people that were driving Discos have relegated them to trail duty only and have bought an LR3/4 as a replacement DD. Will the LR3/4 become the trail vehicle of choice some day? We'll see. I think the difference I've seen between a DI/DII and an LR3/4 is this: when a Disco was "new" most people used it as a DD and as a fourwheeling vehicle where these days people seem to have a second vehicle just for off road driving. The LR3/4 has not caught on as strongly as a vehicle for pulling double duty. Perhaps this is not so much due to any fault of the LR3/4 as it is due to the new trend to have an extra vehicle just for off road use.
So, what rovers are being used in your area?
