plainjaneFJC
Deplorable
I’d enjoy driving either one over engineer- so I guess yes I missed your point.👍
I know I am about to get off topic here, but my general advice runs along these lines.After owning a newer Discovery (similar electronics to the new Defender) and Owning a Jeep JK 4 door with a manual transmission. Here are my thoughts on the subject.
Take the Defender and tow the Jeep to the trail, then wheel the Jeep. Be it over Engineer Pass, or any of those passes or Moab trails I would take the Jeep every day.
Why?
My Jeep has 33" tires 3" lift 3:73 gears and loaded was a slug on the highway. Noisy (I have a hard top), slow, and in a headwind with the RTT, it was everything I could to to stay at 70MPH on a flat. Yes better gearing will fix that, but after driving from Virginia to Colorado it is just OK.
The Rover however was amazing on the highway and zero fatigue on the driver.
The electronic in the new Land Rovers are amazing they damn near drive themselves, heck if it is stuck give it a few moments and it will readjust and continue on.
Not once this summer wheeling my Discovery did I ever feel it was not capable and not once did it ever falter, and that is the problem, it takes all of the fun out of offroading and back country wheeling. It was the most boring drive I ever had. I did similar trails in my Jeep and it was a blast, the smile was ear to ear. I think even in an automatic Jeep I would have had just as much fun.
My thoughts.