On the Fence About Buying

[Jack Burton]

Well thank you everyone for your feedback. I’m now part of the club.

I was really close to getting another Toyota 4Runner/Fortuner. I did love my 2004 Toyota 4Runner. My mate bought an FJ the same day as me (we went to the dealership together which is romantic'/camaraderie but we told them to give us both a good deal or we’d go to the other 2-3 Toyota dealerships in the area).

 

[Jack Burton]

 

[Jack Burton]

View attachment 7874170

 

[Zimm]

Well, now that you’re here, you can check out, but you can never leave.

 

[Jack Burton]

I was at the Els golf course and saw this. Yes it is shameful to compare a new model Defender to Grenadier. I couldn’t help but have a laugh.

My wagon supposedly cleared the port and customs today. Who knows in this country.

I’m going to take it completely unchanged as I have some family in for a visit and they want to go north to Ras Al-Khaimah then south to Abu Dhabi. The missus and I can bring all 5 of us around in this vehicle or would have to take 2 BMW saloons otherwise. The dealership said it would take 10 days to add on the dealer installed modifications. Maybe I want to show off my new box on wheels.

I’ll use the vehicle for 10 days stock. I’ll share pictures. Then drop it off for a while to add in the options.

 

[Jack Burton]

Well, now that you’re here, you can check out, but you can never leave.

Welcome to the hotel

 

[Jack Burton]

I asked for loads of options. I thought I’d just go mental and get everything I ever wanted, ever. I went the full hog.

The only thing I paused on was the roof rack/bars and lights. I am used to 2 cross roof bars on my last Jeep, Ford and Toyota. I’m torn between the full roof rack or just the 2 cross bars and now see a 3/4 size / 1.9 metre roof rack will be available soon with roof lights.

 

[Jack Burton]

Id love advice on roof options from those with experience.

 

[Zimm]

Id love advice on roof options with those with experience.

I’ve traveled with roof racks for 30 years. I honestly find them unnecessary, but, if I was to get one for this, it would be the factory unit. Make it big, and make it strong, if you’re gonna do it is my opinion. Otherwise is just a pretender piece of shit to look cool. Right now I’m using 4 factory cross bars. One on each pillar, b,c,d, and the 4the set up in front with lights, but removed when not in use. It also makes it easy to make a clean roof for long highway travel as I don’t need a hoist or friends to remove the other three. Less commitment and more modularity, and the white roof I paid for is sexy and can be seen. There’s always that.

 

[Addison]

If it is a LHD version, then I would support anyone buying the LHD version.

What is the difference? The one I am looking at is a LWB

 

[holdmybeer]

I asked for loads of options. I thought I’d just go mental and get everything I ever wanted, ever. I went the full hog.

The only thing I paused on was the roof rack/bars and lights. I am used to 2 cross roof bars on my last Jeep, Ford and Toyota. I’m torn between the full roof rack or just the 2 cross bars and now see a 3/4 size / 1.9 metre roof rack will be available soon with roof lights.

Probably nothing wrong with the factory rack offerings. But I highly recommend a Leitner roofrack. Built like a tank. Designed and manufactured in the USA. Lowest clearance. It does not clamp to the roof gutters. It has T-slots along front, back, all load bars, on top and bottom surfaces. Loadbars can be added or removed completely. Available in 3/4 or full length. IMO these are all Very Good Things. Good luck!

 

[CrazyOldMan]

Probably nothing wrong with the factory rack offerings. But I highly recommend a Leitner roofrack. Built like a tank. Designed and manufactured in the USA. Lowest clearance. It does not clamp to the roof gutters. It has T-slots along front, back, all load bars, on top and bottom surfaces. Loadbars can be added or removed completely. Available in 3/4 or full length. IMO these are all Very Good Things. Good luck!

100% agree. I have the Leitner HD bars - fantastic. But the 3/4 rack is awesome and you can do some things you can’t do with the HD bars (like mount a Clevershade Ultra-Lite awning)

 

[Krabby]

What is the difference? The one I am looking at is a LWB

LHD - left hand drive - as opposed to our friends in the UK and Oz whose vehicles are RHD - right hand drive.

 

[LC0013]

I went with Ineos factory offering - full length rack (my vehicle does not have safari windows) installed by Sewell Ineos at Plano Tx and am very pleased with it so far. I see no issue with mounting on the roof gutters as long as weight limits are not pushed over max. The factory rack is made by Rhino-Rack and they probably know what they are doing. No to say that other rack options are inferior at all but I liked the idea of a factory product installed by the dealer for warranty issues if any should arise.

 

[Zimm]

I went with Ineos factory offering - full length rack (my vehicle does not have safari windows) installed by Sewell Ineos at Plano Tx and am very pleased with it so far. I see no issue with mounting on the roof gutters as long as weight limits are not pushed over max. The factory rack is made by Rhino-Rack and they probably know what they are doing. No to say that other rack options are inferior at all but I liked the idea of a factory product installed by the dealer for warranty issues if any should arise.

The roof gutter mounting system on the OEM full rack is stronger than all the grab bar mounting systems, and it maximizes usable surface area.

 

[Max]

LHD - left hand drive - as opposed to our friends in the UK and Oz whose vehicles are RHD - right hand drive.

LWB…Long Wheel Base

 

[Jack Burton]

Slight snag with my 2024 Grenadier and now I will have to wait for the 2025. The dealership didn’t give me all the details properly and the one on the way didn’t have safari windows. I did not accept the one we agreed on because of the miscommunication.

The dealership are true professionals and gentleman/gentle-ladies. They offered me the deposit back or a good deal on the 2025. They still have my deposit and will secure me a wagon to my specifications. I just have to wait until June or July to get it. Or a problem as I really need to divest my 330i in June 2025.

Also a godsend. Driving home from work today a HGV tyre blew out next to me and a bit of tyre got lodged into my bumper. Now maybe it would have passed underneath a big vehicle or maybe damaged something else.

 

[Jack Burton]

I would have been driving the new wagon for a few days and that would have impacted my new vehicle. Nightmare fuel. A 9 year car I’m lukewarm about, oh well.

 

[Jack Burton]

Who wants to bet INEOS buys the Recaro tooling or the company and restart production?

 

[parb]

I got the bison gear roof rack and the side molle panels. I'm very happy with them.
If i only would get a roof rack i would seriously consider leitner. They didn't have product when i bought my rack but the design is very well thought out.