Defender vs Patrol

[dieselfan]

(who do not have specific training and experience) full-time is probably safer.

But is it? My wife is the one who drove home from the fitment center with the Disco behaving so badly, and something as simple as putting the newer tyres on the front sorted it out - mostly. When I say the car swerved badly it was like someone jerked the wheel out your hands, the car would swerve right for 3 secs then you'd correct and it would swerve left until the TC kicked in and cut throttle and applied brakes to keep you straight. Imagine if I'd put the spare on or was out in Northern cape somewhere. I'm totally off perm 4x4's, they "limit" your options when Africa happens.

I LOVE the idea of having lockable front hubs, after having many of the tech 4x4's I'm glad the Patrol offers the refinement / luxury / safety where I need it but built on the base of a tank. Which other vehicle offers this, objectively?

[Clem]

There are good arguments both for and against full-time 4x4 setups. Furthermore, the earliest 4x4's often had full-time setups that were later dropped in favor of part-time setups, so I don't think you can call full-time 4x4 "more advanced" or "newer tech" than part-time systems.

Early 1900's in a Spyker. 1907 IIRC. :-)

The major difference is how the vehicle reacts at high speeds.

Yes.

Personally, I prefer a part-time setup, because it is less corrupted and thus you have more options to control the vehicle, but for a majority of drivers (who do not have specific training and experience) full-time is probably safer.

IMHO, the part time is also a more robust setup.

[Clem]

When I say the car swerved badly it was like someone jerked the wheel out your hands, the car would swerve right for 3 secs then you'd correct and it would swerve left until the TC kicked in and cut throttle and applied brakes to keep you straight.

That's fancy ETC for you when it goes wrong.

[Clem]

but just get under it as Peter says

I'm still gobsmacked when I look at the underside. Haven't finished looking yet. My steering "issues" were I think because of not being used to the massive unsprung weight of the front axle. Getting used to it now.