Giving up on keeping my Rivian?

[SoCal Rob]

Gosh, I sure hope a Rivian has better suspension than an almost twenty year old LR3. I mean LR3’s aren’t too shabby, but almost anything newer will feel much better. I’d like to hear a comparison of off-road comfort and handling with a new Defender, probably one of the most comfortable riding off road vehicles I’ve ever been in.

Something may not be worse just because it’s older. Part of the reason we didn’t go with a new Defender to replace our LR3 was because the suspension on the Defender was less comfortable on road that the LR3’s. It telegraphed road imperfections in a way the LR3 didn’t.

The Defender would be a sportier drive, for sure, being around 800 pounds lighter than the LR3. Our LR3, also handled remarkably well, too. It always felt lighter and smaller to drive than it was.

Sporty wasn’t our priority, though, and we imagined that a new Defender would be punishing while off-road as a result. Between that, the smaller, harder to access 3rd row, and a few other factors, we abandoned the idea of a new Defender even though we like the look and love the ability to get one with a solid non-glass roof.

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[Shavaloo]

I had an LR3 for years and the new Defender at least to me is a revelation in on road and off road handling and comfort. It handles pavement remarkably well for a truck its size, and its suspension adapts under off road settings to produce an equally amazing ride on rough trails. The LR3 ride off road, for all its considerable positives, is not even remotely close to the refinement of the new Defender. Doesn’t sound like you actually tried it off road in any case. I think you’d be amazed.

 

[SoCal Rob]

I had an LR3 for years and the new Defender at least to me is a revelation in on road and off road handling and comfort. It handles pavement remarkably well for a truck its size, and its suspension adapts under off road settings to produce an equally amazing ride on rough trails. The LR3 ride off road, for all its considerable positives, is not even remotely close to the refinement of the new Defender. Doesn’t sound like you actually tried it off road in any case. I think you’d be amazed.

It could be that I’d be amazed with it off road, but we probably spend 95% of our mileage driving on-road and the Defenders we drove were severely lacking in ride comfort there compared to our LR3.

The best way I can describe it was that the Defenders we drove felt as stiff in normal height as our LR3 did in off-road height. Given the way air springs work, I can’t imagine the Defender ride quality got more compliant when raised.

It may just be that there were differences between your LR3 and ours, the Defender suspension got improvements after the first year versions we drove, or we value different things in ride quality.

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