Pinnacle Overlanders: The Best Vehicles to Buy Today and Drive Around the World

Scott Brady

Scott Brady is an adventurer, author, and publisher, and the first person in history to cross all seven continents. Brady is executive publisher of the Overland Collective, home to Overland Journal, the Overland Journal Podcast, and expeditionportal.com—the world’s largest vehicle-dependent adventure community. Scott wrote Overlanding 101 (Simon & Schuster) and is currently riding around the world on his BMW GS. He also led Expeditions 7, the first expedition to drive the same vehicle on all seven continents. Brady’s polar crossings include Antarctica and a south–north crossing of the Greenland ice sheet. Scott is a fellow of the Explorers Club and lives in Prescott, Arizona.

Matt Scott

Matt is a leading expert in automotive adventure. He has extensively explored the world’s most remote places by 4WD and is considered an industry authority on overland travel. He is the only American to ever become an editor of a major Australian 4WD publication and has over 15 years of competitive auto racing experience. @mattexplore

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Transcript

Scott Brady: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome to the Overland Journal Podcast. I am your host, Scott Brady, and I’m here with my co-host, Matt Scott.

Matt Scott: What’s going on?

Scott Brady: Well, we’re gonna talk about, we’re gonna talk about Pinnacle Overlanders. Yeah. What can you buy today and literally leave the lot- Yeah … and drive around the world?

Matt Scott: Like, you know, we’re, we’re big fans of the G-Wagen.

Yeah. You know, the G-Wagen has global motor packages now in the United States. We don’t get the, the, the turbo diesel engines. We never have. I mean, I guess until relatively recently in the car’s history, we never even got the G-Wagen. But if you buy a new G-Wagen today, you can get that serviced with a mechanic that actually knows what’s going on in Kazakhstan or Cambodia- Yeah

or, or wherever, ’cause Mercedes international service and international parts network is, I mean, second… I mean, better than Toyota. People always think Toyota’s the best, but, um, you know, Toyota uses a lot of- You know, regional drivetrain packages. Let’s think of the Tacoma, for example. Yeah It has that three-and-a-half [00:01:00] liter Atkinson cycle engine, which that engine is, is primarily built for the US.

I wanna say in Japan it’s in the Toyota Alphard. You’re not gonna find… Well, one, you’re not gonna find a windshield when you break it somewhere. Yep. And you’re not gonna be able to fix that engine without air freighting parts in, and a lot of times that’s just not an option. I mean, people think we live in this really connected world, but you’re gonna end up in a lot of countries where used car parts or car parts have a 500% tariff.

Scott Brady: Right

Matt Scott: And they’re gonna get held up at customs for a week or two weeks. I mean, I, I, I know friends that were in South America that were like, had to fly back and, and smuggle a transmission in with them because I think they were in Colombia or something, and it just, it wasn’t an option.

Scott Brady: Like- It was cheaper to fly home, get the parts they needed, and fly back.

Yeah. And that, that’s, that’s the reason why we’re focusing on these truly being pin- pinnacle, which means does it meet all of the minimum requirements that we have for an overland vehicle for international travel, which means does it have sufficient payload? Is [00:02:00] it capable in technical terrain? Um, does it have a reputation of durability and reliability?

Yeah. And if you look within every brand, there’s going to be a vehicle that rises to the top in that regard, even in the United States. I mean, we don’t get some of the coolest overland vehicles in the world. We don’t get a Y61 Patrol. We don’t get a 70 series Land Cruiser. Yeah. But we do get vehicles that are pinnacle overlanders that are available in most countries of the world, and that’s what we’re gonna talk about today.

And the reason why we really wanna focus on, on models that are available around the globe is because of service and support. Um, one of the cool things about a Mercedes, if you buy a new G-Wagon, you actually not only have your warranty that’s good for however many months and how many- however many miles in your home country, but it’s also good for 12 months unlimited miles globally.

So you could, you could drive your new G-Wagon into, into South Africa, and rock up at the dealership in Joburg, and actually get the truck properly serviced. And, and that’s actually [00:03:00] a huge advantage. When we did the, the big trip with the 70 series trucks when we went to all seven continents, Toyota provided us with that same kind of a support.

They said, “For 24 months, you’ve got service and support at any dealership.” Now, of course, we never needed it- … ’cause we were s- Yeah … they were 70s. ‘Cause they were Land Cruisers. They were 70 series. Yeah, ’cause they were Land Cruisers. We a- literally never needed to go to a dealership for a repair. We did lots of oil changes, but, you know, we never, we never needed to have anything fixed.

I mean, I, I don’t even think a piece of plastic broke. But, um, those are, those are certainly exceptional vehicles. But when we look at what’s available in the United States, I think it’s kind of important to start with what is, you know, arguably the most pinnacle vehicle bu- available in the United States, which is the 200 series Land Cruiser.

Matt Scott: Yeah. I think people need to realize how cheap Land Cruisers are here.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: You know? They are- 25 or 30% more expensive in Australia. They’re They’re, they’re cheap here, and we get top spec Land Cruisers. You know, what we’re [00:04:00] paying for, uh, something with air-conditioned seats internationally would be called a Sahara spec.

Mm-hmm. You’re, you’re probably getting the working model- Yeah … you know, overseas. Some people will complain about that. I will just smile and take the air-conditioned seats.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: Um, you know, but the, the, the point being- Yeah,

Scott Brady: it’s not a reason not to buy the car, right?

Matt Scott: Yeah, exactly. Like, the point being with the 200 series, whether, you know, you’re getting the luxury version here in the United States or, you know, the UN spec version, you know, in Africa, the- they’re the same bones underneath.

You know, that 5.7 motor is pretty phenomenal. Like, I don’t know anybody that’s ever had issues with it. Now, there, there are gonna be countries where that, where that engine just was not available, where maybe the Mercedes is a better for availability, but I would argue all day that for, for what you’re losing with, with the, the small amount of, of decrease in availability from Toyota, you’re making up in, in, in reliability.

Um-

Scott Brady: Yeah, you, you absolutely are. And, uh, Toyota does have the most prolific dealer network, only followed by closely, very [00:05:00] closely by Mercedes. Yeah. If you look at any d- any developing country, even a third-world country, there are bureaucrats in those places that want to drive new Mercedes. It’s a s- Yep

it’s a status symbol, um, so you do find good Mercedes infrastructure throughout the world. And I, I think the 5.7 actually has a couple advantages. The biggest disadvantage is fuel economy. Yes. Um, if you were to get the, the VDJ 200, which is the twin-turbo, uh, 4.5 liter V8 diesel, that is gonna have, uh, about 40% better fuel economy.

Yeah. And it can be

Matt Scott: tu- That’s significant.

Scott Brady: Yeah, and it can be tuned to even better than that, um, while also gaining performance. So you can get very close to the same acceleration performance of the 5.7 out of that diesel while also maintaining much better fuel economy, but we don’t get that. We don’t get that motor.

Matt Scott: And, and that diesel is an ultra-low sulfur engine.

Scott Brady: It, it is. And so even if we got that diesel, it would be more limiting for international travel than the- Yeah … 5.7 would be. So I think we’re, we’re at this crossroads where we just kinda got to [00:06:00] accept gasoline engines for a while, um, and maybe even for long term.

If you look at how efficient the new Ranger is with- Yeah … turbocharging-

Matt Scott: A two-liter engine that’s almost 300 horsepower.

Scott Brady: That’s right. Turbocharging, 10-speed automatic transmissions, all of that has really also improved fuel economy- Yeah … and reduced emissions. Uh, and it’s funny. People will often say, “Oh, you always want diesel ’cause it’s the fuel that’s gonna be available everywhere.”

In my experience as a traveler, that is true to some degree, but I’ve never found gasoline to be less available, and the reason for that is because all of the locals ride motorcycles. Yep. Motorcycles don’t run on diesel.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: I mean- Little scooters in the middle of the jungle in Vietnam, you know, you’re not gonna…

You may not see an over-the-road truck. Yeah. You, you may not even be able to access- Like- … a village by a truck.

Matt Scott: Like, Land Cruisers are luxury vehicles- Yeah, for sure … even when they’re used in a, in a utility sense in a- That’s right … in a less fortunate country. gas. You know, peo- people are driving Kias. Yeah.

Uh, they’re, they’re driving, [00:07:00] you know, Chinese cars that we haven’t even heard of most of the time, and, and generally they’re all, they’re all gasoline engines.

Scott Brady: A lo- a lot of them are. And so, uh, fuel availability has never been an issue. Uh, when I drove across the Silk Road in that little Jimny, that was a gasoline truck.

Yeah. I mean, in the mi- the deepest, darkest Tajikistan, I still could find gasoline. Oh, man. Should

Matt Scott: we have a Jimny on this list?

Scott Brady: Yeah, we … Oh, yeah, I know. We just don’t- They’re really,

Matt Scott: they’re really space efficient- I

Scott Brady: know …

Matt Scott: but we don’t get them, I guess.

Scott Brady: We don’t get them. I know.

Matt Scott: I guess, yeah. May- That’s interesting

maybe on the international list, but- Yeah,

Scott Brady: we’ll have to talk about

Matt Scott: the international- But, but back to the 200, I mean, you’re looking at something… I mean, Scott, I, I remember a while ago you told me you were talking with a Land Cruiser engineer.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: And they said that the 200 was the strongest Land Cruiser that they had ever made.

Scott Brady: That’s true. It was actually the, the lead engineer for Land Cruiser when I was at the Nagoya plant, um, and he just, he reinforced the fact that the Land Cruiser is their pinnacle truck. It’s the one that’s- Yeah … the most durable. The front end, even though it’s independent suspension, is significantly stronger than a 70 series.

And I would say that for me [00:08:00] it’s, the 200 series is the one vehicle that I’ve literally flip-flopped my opinion on. If I- Yeah … when that vehicle first came out in 2008, um, I appreciated it for what it was, but it was still, we were still in the era that the 80 series was the answer to everything. Um, and you could still buy low-mileage 80 series Land Cruisers in, ’cause they would’ve only been 10 years old- Yeah

when that, when the 200 came out. And the 100 series is obviously a very excellent vehicle as well, but I remember when the 200 came out, it felt round, and it felt soft, and it felt too big. Yeah, it felt like a

Matt Scott: Highlander.

Scott Brady: It felt too big, and, and, uh, it felt somewhat soulless. But a lot has changed in the market in the last 10 years.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: A lot of those vehicles that were boxy and cool have, have changed. They’ve gone away. And when you look at it now, the 200 series is like, yeah, that would absolutely be a vehicle I would buy and leave and drive around the world in. Yeah, I

Matt Scott: think it’s, I think it’s, it’s, it’s a smart purchase. They’re obviously quite expensive.

Scott Brady: Mm-hmm.

Matt Scott: Um, I wanna say they’re about 80- 80 … to 90 now. 80

Scott Brady: [00:09:00] grand, yep.

Matt Scott: But… and you’re, you’re getting something that will, will have great resale. You’ll, you’ll drive it around the world, and it’ll still be worth something.

Scott Brady: Yep.

Matt Scott: You know, I, I- I, I think there’s some vehicles out there that just won’t put up with the, the lifetime of punishment.

And, and you know, you kinda touched on the 80 and the, and the 100. We’re not saying that those aren’t bad choices, but, you know, what we’re saying is that, you know, the 80 series is almost a classic car.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: Like, I have one. I love it. That’s the car that I take on, on my serious trips. But your … A, a Toyota dealer’s not gonna stock parts for a, you know, a 25-year-old car.

Scott Brady: No. And they’re gonna be hard, they’re gonna be hard parts to find, and you’ll, you’ll … You start to get outside of the operational window of even a Land Cruiser. Yeah. Land Cruisers are, are designed to be reliable, reliable at that half a million mile mark. Yes. Um, once you get over 20 years or so, all the wiring becomes brittle.

All of the, the rubber and the seals and the- Everything … pesky heater hose and all that other stuff.

Matt Scott: And the parts are not cheap.

Scott Brady: They’re

Matt Scott: [00:10:00] not cheap. I mean- Yeah … they’re, they’re great vehicles, but yeah, I would just take a 200 now.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: Like, they’re, they’re very capable.

Scott Brady: And it’s not to discourage anybody from buying or driving what they want.

I just think that we have to get out of that mindset that the 80 series is the solution for driving around the world. Yeah. There are better choices today- Yes … for that, for that exercise, and it would … At the top of my list, personally, would be the 200 series.

Matt Scott: Yeah, I think push comes to shove, out of everything we’re gonna talk about today, yeah, I would still choose G-Wagon.

Um, yeah,

Scott Brady: so- So, so, so why would you pick the G- the G-Wagon? What, what, uh … I mean, you and I, we both, we both drive cars like that, and, and w- what’s your, what’s your thought on the G-Wagon?

Matt Scott: You know, I, I don’t know exactly. It’s, it’s, it’s, it’s hard to pinpoint. I think that of all of the vehicles on this list that are actively being used by m- You know, the G-Wagon’s the only one that’s actively being used by, by militaries.

It’s the only one that is, has internatio- like, true international [00:11:00] serviceability in a, in, in a lotta countries. You know, here the G-Wagon is that … Post Malone wrote a song about it. Like- Yeah … it’s, it’s kind of a, a hippity-hop Kardashian car. But underneath, it’s the same thing that the Canadian military is using.

Yep. It’s the same thing that the Australian military is using. It’s the same thing that a lotta European militaries use. Um, it is, it is legit. I mean, there’s, there’s four different body coatings that go onto the, the body of that vehicle before it’s painted. Right. You know, they’re all hand-assembled.

They’ve, they’ve been in production for, for so long, and they’re built in Austria. Since the late ‘

Scott Brady: 70s, yeah.

Matt Scott: Yeah. I mean, it was a vehicle- I don’t, I’m a car guy. I’m a car guy, Tim. I’m a, I’m a, I’m a traveler first, but I am still a car guy, and the G-Wagen to me is like, it’s the best resto-mod vehicle ever made.

When you have something that predates, was sold at the same time as the FJ40- Right … that you can get with a twin-turbo V8 if you want- Yep … you know, with a warranty. You know, we have, I’ve always had these sugar plums in my head that I’d drive around the [00:12:00] world in like a, one of Jonathan Ward’s Icon FJs. But what’s actually better than that is a new G-Wagen.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: Um, you have that, that classic shape, that classic, just how you sit in the car. Um, an 1,800-pound payload.

Scott Brady: Right.

Matt Scott: Factory winch bumpers available, factory snorkels, factory roof racks, everything. I, I, I just think, you know, to be honest, the other vehicle that would really be on my list would be a, a Jeep Wrangler, but that roll cage inside makes the inside so space inefficient.

Scott Brady: Inefficient. That it’s- And a very l- and a very low payload. I mean-

Matt Scott: Yeah …

Scott Brady: if you took a, a new Rubicon, like Dan Grech’s a great example. He’s someone that, that used a Wrangler appropriately- Yes … for long-distance travel. Most of the people that I see preparing Wranglers for overland travel overbuild the car, they overweight the car, and then they end up with a lot of problems.

And, um, we’ve talked about this before in the podcast, but if you’re driving across Australia in an overloaded vehicle, they’re gonna impound your [00:13:00] truck.

Matt Scott: I mean, I mean, they … In, in very remote places, they have weigh stations. They

Scott Brady: do.

Matt Scott: You know, you will get defected. Your, your vehicle will get towed.

Scott Brady: Yep.

Matt Scott: Um, and they’re not gonna care if it’s registered in another country.

Scott Brady: Yeah, they won’t. It’s just unsafe. I mean, you’re just gonna have to find, you’re gonna have to find a dumpster and start unloading stuff that’s making- Yeah … your ve- including the rear bumper and the rock sliders and, and all that other stuff. You have to … With the Jeep Wrangler, is the Wrangler even worth talking about now that the Gladiator’s available?

I mean, if you- Yeah, I mean, the Gladiator is the

Matt Scott: solution, I think.

Scott Brady: I think that’s the … I think if you were to look at, um- I mean, I guess to wrap up on the, on the G-Wagon, the downside of the G-Wagon is it is extremely expensive because of the content that they’ve chosen to include in the North American market.

Yes. And that’s the one thing that’s disappointing about the G-Wagon. In other markets of the world, you can get a, a 350 BlueTEC diesel model, still with cloth interior- Mm … uh, where it’s decontented. It’s the same exact car- Yes … same exact diff locks, you know, all of the robustness that comes with a 463 [00:14:00] G-Wagon, but it’s decontented, where it’s not only more affordable, it’s more efficient, it’s easier to, to work on because it’s- Yeah

not so complicated. In North America, we get very complicated up-contented versions of- Yes … the G-Wagon, and that, and that is certainly a downside. So you have to make a huge investment. If you look at a new 2019 G 550, you’re gonna spend 160 to 180 grand- Yeah … if you’re lucky, if you can find one. You might have to even pay over MSRP for the car.

Matt Scott: Yeah. I’ve, I’ve heard people paying $50,000 over sticker.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: Because that… Because since that vehicle has that international warranty, they can be exported.

Scott Brady: Yeah, and that’s why they do export them-

Matt Scott: Yeah. Yeah, they- … all

Scott Brady: over

Matt Scott: the place … like u- the used vehicles that, that we buy. So the United States is the largest market for G-Wagons.

We’re also the cheapest place in the world to buy a G-Wagon. Yep. You’re talking about the, the professional edition, that, you know, there’s no carpet. Yep. It’s, it’s, it’s very utilitarian. That vehicle is more expensive in euros converted than a G 550- A [00:15:00] 550, sure … was, at least for the 463. Yeah,

Scott Brady: sure.

Matt Scott: Uh, i- in 2019 in the US, they made a, an update to the G-Wagon, added independent front suspension, which still fully locked, it’s honestly a better vehicle.

Scott Brady: Yeah, so, uh, i- like, we’ve gone through Toyota pinnacle vehicle, the 200 series for sure. Mercedes G-Wagon easily, ’cause it’s the only option. Yeah. You know, y- with Toyota you could say, what about the 4Runner or what about… And, and it’s not to say that a 4Runner isn’t appropriate to go around the world, it’s that the Land Cruiser is more robust.

It’s- Yes … it’s also available in nearly every country of the world, and that’s why it wins. It, it doesn’t mean that a GX 460 isn’t a great vehicle, it absolutely is. Yes. And that platform, the 150 platform, is used in many countries around the world. Yeah.

Matt Scott: I, I think there’s more of an argument for the 460- Yeah

than there is- For the 4Runner … for the 4Runner. You know, I, I go back to really simple things. What happens when somebody breaks into your car and you need a new driver’s side window?

Scott Brady: That’s right.

Matt Scott: What happens when you, um, are driving down a dirt road and a, [00:16:00] and a truck kicks up a massive rock into your windshield and y- and y- and it’s spidered and y- you can’t see?

Like, you can’t-

Scott Brady: Yeah …

Matt Scott: like, y- you’re not going to find- uh, a windshield or a side window for a- For a 4Runner … for a 4Runner Yeah … anywhere outside of North America. Yeah. I mean, even in Mexico, I think you’d struggle. But again, I mean, that’s why those vehicles, you know, they’re notable, they’re, they’re not a terrible choice.

No. They’re just not … Like, if you’re, if you’re setting out to spend a, a long time on the road, I mean, you are a, a legitimate overlander that wants to go experience countries, you don’t wanna spend a week of your time finding a windshield, ’cause it’s gonna happen. I mean, you know, I remember when you guys did the E7 trucks and they first came over and we were building them, there was multiple windshields in them.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: And I’m like, a- and that’s what occurred to me. I’m like, yeah, ’cause if, if you bust a windshield in the US or Canada

Scott Brady: How do you get a new one?

Matt Scott: How do you get a new one?

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: And I, I know people think that those details are small, but it is the small details that [00:17:00] really make things. I mean, Jeep Gladiator, you know, the Jeep Wrangler is sold, I mean, I don’t wanna say everywhere.

Scott Brady: It’s very popular. But it’s really popular. Much more popular than it used to be. Yeah, now once they came out with a four-door it became a solution for a lot of folks. They still haven’t been widely adopted in, in places like Australia because it really is Toyota country, but they’re very popular in Europe and they’re reasonably priced.

Mm, I actually think that, you know, I think Dan Grech has done a great job of reinforcing why a, a Jeep is still a good solution. He had very little issues with his- Yeah … his vehicle in Africa, no matter what fuel he encountered, he, you know, and his was a gas model of course. But if you look at the Gladiator, now the Gladiator solves all the problems because you could put, you could put any version of a camper or a, or just a topper on the back.

You can have a 1,700 pound payload which is, which is, uh, about 600 pounds more than a typical Wrangler.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: Um, 700 pounds in, in, in some cases as well. And a lot of [00:18:00] capability, and it’s not… It’s, it’s a big vehicle, but it’s not an overly wide vehicle.

Matt Scott: It’s within a foot of length of my 80 Series.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: And, and that’s just because, you know, I can fit a 37-inch spare underneath the factory position.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: On, if I wanna fit a spare that’s larger on my 80 Series, I’ve had to buy a Kmart bumper which sticks out and then the tire sticks out more.

Scott Brady: Yep.

Matt Scott: You know, like, uh, if you wanna add a winch you have to add a winch bumper which means that front bumper sticks out a little bit more.

Scott Brady: Right.

Matt Scott: They’re not, and don’t quote me on a foot, but they’re not that much different.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: I-

Scott Brady: I mean, th- they are, they are a long vehicle but they’re still gonna fit in a container. They’re still gonna go down most roads in colonial cities because they’re not overly wide. Once you get up into full-size truck territory, once you, once the- Yeah … width becomes a consideration, um… Like if you, if you look at most small villages in the world or even, even cities, crowded cities in the world, they still need to have service and infrastructure brought into those cities- Yes

and those villages. And [00:19:00] that’s where you see the Mitsubu- Mitsubishi Fuso FG. Um, you see, um, these medium duty trucks cab over, and they’re very narrow. They have a huge payload, but they’re very narrow- Yeah, yeah … vehicles. They’re actually narrower than a full-size, uh, domestic pickup. And that’s where the Gladiator actually becomes a great choice.

Like right now you can buy a 3.6 Gladiator with, you know, a great transmission, 1,700 pound payload, Dana 44 axles front and rear. Yeah. Um, it’s designed to tow a, a considerable amount of weight if you chose to, to tow something around the world. Um, I think a Gladiator would actually be a great choice to leave- Yeah

and go on a big trip with. I mean,

Matt Scott: they… I, I, I think vehicles, you know- If you would have asked me to drive a very early JK around the world, maybe I would have had a little bit of anxiety, although Dan Grech didn’t have a single issue.

Scott Brady: Nothing, yeah.

Matt Scott: Um, 11,000 miles on mine. I mean, in fact, Laura, my partner, she’s, she’s out in New Mexico with the thing right now, and, you know, we get…

If, if I don’t drive [00:20:00] aggressively, I can get 17 miles to the gallon on 37s with a camper.

Scott Brady: That’s amazing.

Matt Scott: Using cheap fuel, and I don’t have to worry about diesel exhaust fluid. I don’t have to worry about any of those things. It did just come out with a diesel Wrangler- That’s right … and we will see that engine in the Gladiator.

Yep. But other than additional range I, I, I don’t know. I mean, until- That’s a real advantage, that’s a real advantage … until we solve that problem with, with ultra-low sulfur diesel, which is gonna happen faster than you think, um-

Scott Brady: It will happen quickly. And, and also, you know, diesels just, they drive great off-road too.

I mean- Yeah … they, they develop so much torque at, at low RPMs, uh, throttle modulation and that, that ability to kind of effortlessly cross-terrain. I remember just testing the difference between a Bison with a diesel and the ZR2 with a gas motor. Um, it’s, it is a lot different. The, the tip in with a gas motor is a lot more aggressive.

Yeah. It’s, it’s not, um… When it’s in low range, it’s a lot more difficult to [00:21:00] modulate.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: Um, diesels are just a pleasure to drive-

Matt Scott: Yeah, yeah …

Scott Brady: especially small displacement turbo diesels, uh, which is just a, a type of motor that I’ve come to love- Mm … personally. Um, and you know, you know, it’s, it’s a little bit sad.

We’ve got the, the Chevrolet Bison now, which has front rear lockers, this fantastic suspension, you know, a 1,500 pound payload, and a diesel motor, and you’d kind of think for a second like, “Oh, is that actually the best choice to drive around the world?” And for, like, this hot minute, it’s probably not. You’re probably better off getting a gas version of the same truck.

Matt Scott: Yeah. But, but here’s the cool thing is in, in five years when the entire world-

Scott Brady: Yeah …

Matt Scott: now this is hypothetical, is on ultra-low sulfur diesel, ’cause it’s, it’s happening. Eventually you’ll hit a critical mass where the refineries-

Scott Brady: Oh, yeah …

Matt Scott: won’t… They just, they won’t have the economy of scale to make these countries, I mean, you know, Venezuela and that kind of stuff, they’re gonna, they’re gonna do their own thing.

But, you know, imagine in five years when that Bison’s 20 grand.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: And- It’d

Scott Brady: be such a great choice …

Matt Scott: just buy it and go. I mean- Yep … you know, the, the [00:22:00] Sprinter, I, I, I so wish a Sprinter could be on here.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: Um, but you know, they have-

Scott Brady: They’re worth talking about, for sure.

Matt Scott: Yeah. You know, um, I’m, I’m sure there- Super

Scott Brady: popular

Matt Scott: everywhere in the world

I’m sure there’s a solution from the factory to, to, to get rid of that requirement for the AdBlue un- or the DEF. Um, you know, the, the Sprinter’s great ’cause you have interior living space, which is huge. Right. And I think they’re a realistic look at the capability you’ll actually need from a four-wheel drive system while you’re overlanding.

I, I, you know, I think there’s specific trips that require, you know, maybe something a little bit more technically capable. Um, but for most people, 90% of the time you’re gonna be on roads. You know, you’re, you’re, you’re tackling, you know, roads that people are driving in regular cars every day. Um, I just think the Sprinter’s super realistic.

I think if I was to do it all over again and I wasn’t gonna do a Gladiator and I was, it was just a North American truck, I think I would do a Sprinter, and I’d do one of those Winnebago Rebels. I know there’s- Cool … some things I’d have to [00:23:00] fix on it.

Scott Brady: Yeah, sure.

Matt Scott: Um, but you know, I know people that are trying to get their Sprinters built by independent companies, and they’re- $200,000 and a two-year wait list.

I can go buy a brand new Revel right now for 120 grand.

Scott Brady: Yeah, I like the idea of, um, of getting the Sprinter, um, and then, and then doing some off-road modifications to it, and then slowly building out the interior-

Matt Scott: Yeah …

Scott Brady: uh, based upon what I find my needs really are.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: Um, I think I would probably go that route, and I think part of it is because I love the idea of being able to load a motorcycle up in the back.

Matt Scott: Yes.

Scott Brady: So like, so h- or, or anything, go to Home Depot or whatever. Um, it’s kinda what I use the D-

Matt Scott: Really practical …

Scott Brady: it’s kinda what I use the Defender for now- … as, as like my Home Depot truck. But, um, you know, it’s re- it is really practical. And I, and I do like the Sprinter. It’s, it’s funny, um, you know, the more that I travel, the more I realize, like, the idea of being able to retreat in from bad weather, [00:24:00] um, is appealing, and that’s where, that’s where the camper, at least for me as a, as a traveler, starts to, to make a lot more sense is, you know, having been in really crappy weather in Iceland for days and days and days at a time- Yeah

or in, you know, pick any other country, um, it, it is fatiguing when you can’t get away from that. And, and something like a Sprinter is a pretty awesome way to do it.

Matt Scott: Yeah. I mean, close the door, you’re done. Yeah. Um, you could park it in a city. You know, people are gonna know. I mean, guys, the, the… Like, I, I used to live in Fruita, Colorado.

It’s like a mountain bike, van life mecca.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: And, you know, they a- they all kind of roll in and they’re like, “Oh, I’m in my white Sprinter.” People think it’s just a delivery van. Yeah. No. Like-

Scott Brady: Yeah, a delivery van with, like, brand new BFGoodrich all-terrains and a winch bumper, yeah.

Matt Scott: Yeah, like delivery… Yeah, there’s no such thing as a $200,000 custom delivery van.

Yeah. That’s right. But I, I think the idea of, of the, the stealth camping where nobody really knows, you know, unless you’re putting Bob’s Plumbing on the side-

Scott Brady: That ship has sailed …

Matt Scott: ship’s [00:25:00] sailed, especially-

Scott Brady: 10 years ago you could get away from it, ga- get away with it, but there’s been a lot of, like, counter movement in this, like, boondocking and-

Matt Scott: Yeah,

Scott Brady: yeah

and people just camping wherever they want in Telluride right on the street. I mean, but a van, it- A van is a great way to do that, ’cause it is l- much lower profile. Once you set up a roof tent, it’s very- Yeah … it’s very clear you’re

Matt Scott: camping And I think it’s, I think it’s, like, probably if you’re gonna do it the most respectful way to do it, as long as, you know, you’re self-contained.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: Um, you know, people, “Oh, what’s the, what’s the problem with me- Yeah … camping there?” Well, there’s no problem with you camping there, it’s just the fluids that have to find a way-

Scott Brady: Yeah, that’s

right …

Matt Scott: you know, somewhere, so.

Scott Brady: Totally.

Matt Scott: Um-

Scott Brady: But I do, I do like the idea of the Sprinter, and they are very popular all over the world.

They’re-

Matt Scott: Yeah …

Scott Brady: they’re, they’re sold in, in most countries. Uh, there is good dealer infrastructure and support. Um, and you do, especially in, in other countries, you will fly a little more under the radar. Um- Yeah … when you’re just driving down the road, it’s not gonna be this, like, amazing Gladiator on 37s, it’s gonna

Matt Scott: be- Yeah, [00:26:00] that’s the problem.

That’s my biggest problem with the G-Wagen, I think is… I mean, I, I could imagine driving, like, a flat, flat black twin turbo G-Wagen or something in Uganda and Yeah, maybe that’s not the nicest thing to do.

Scott Brady: Maybe not. Maybe not, but it, it’s also very effective, too.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: I mean, there … Anyone, anyone in U- Uganda that drives a matte black G-Wagon is someone that no one’s gonna mess with.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: Like, it, like even someone that doesn’t know what a G-Wagon is knows what a truck like that means. Um, like if you go into Russia, I mean, I guess the only problem you’d have in Russia is that the, the other guy with a matte black G-Wagon- … might think you’re encroaching on his territory. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, but, um, there, there is o- s- at times there is an advantage to driving a vehicle that’s highly disruptive, right? Mm. Um, where because, um, and, and I’m not advocating for, for the, for the display of wealth or luxury. That’s not at all what I’m saying. It’s, it’s about being disruptive as a [00:27:00] traveler, um, when you come into an area with high security problems.

Um, like what we did with Expedition 7 is we had several identically placarded vehicles that looked like an NGO, or it looked like an ambulance. Yeah. You know, it had a large chevron on the door. It had chevrons down the side that looked very much like an ambulance. Um, the whole idea, it, it’s not to be deceptive.

It’s just to be disruptive enough where the local criminal doesn’t try it. They don’t even- Yeah … make an effort to do a carjacking or to break into your vehicle.

Matt Scott: Yeah, yeah, definitely. I mean, I mean, and then I think we should talk about the Tacoma and, like, the Frontier, too. Like, these aren’t bad choices.

No, not at all. I wouldn’t consider them pinnacle choices. I know, I know I’ll have a million people on the internet yell at me if I don’t say that, you know, the Tacoma is an option.

Scott Brady: And it has been an option for a lot of people. Yeah. Um, they, they are still popular to use for international travel. Um, they’re a gasoline engine.

Matt Scott: Yes.

Scott Brady: Um, very reliable platform overall. Um, there are [00:28:00] some functional issues with the vehicle that make it perform at a standard that I consider below pinnacle now. Um, primarily the, the transmission ratio choices that Toyota went with. Yeah, yeah. Um, it, it, once you start to load them up, um- I would actually almost say that they’re dangerous, um, you know, because they just don’t, they don’t respond properly, um, when you’re trying to make a left-hand turn.

For example, if they’re totally stock, um, they accelerate fine and you don’t even notice it- Yeah, yeah … but once you start to put them at, at payload, at maximum payload, um, they respond much differently, even with stock s- stock diameter tires. I,

Matt Scott: I think Nitro recommends, like, 488s for them- Yeah … or something.

And I think they have 373s. I mean, that’s a, that’s a significant jump- Yeah … in gearing.

Scott Brady: And that’s what it needs. And, and all Toyota really needs to do with the vehicle is just adjust the first and second gear ratios. Yeah. Um, you know, the first gear ratio on the Tacoma transmission is in the high threes, uh, whereas the, the [00:29:00] Gladiator is a 5-1 first gear.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: It’s an enormous difference.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: Um, and that results in driver confidence. Like, ’cause w- um, manufacturers, um, they… I think they’ve lost the way on how the, how the vehicles interact with the driver. Um, when a vehicle does certain things right, it gives the driver confidence- Yeah … and that gives the, the person…

It inspires them to buy another one, um, it gives them a good experience while they’re driving it, um, and that first and second gear ratio choice, um, on the newest model Tacoma was a miss.

Matt Scott: Yeah. I mean, the, the thing that I hold out for the Tacoma is that that is the, the first generation, I guess, of, of the third generation, even though- Yeah

it’s really close to the second generation. I think that’s also- True … a failing Toyota had. Um, you know, there’s always the glimmer of hope they’ll go to a world model, ’cause the Hilux, internationally, when that received its update, um, that was essentially a, you know, a rebody of the, of, of the previous generation.

Um, so, you know, if Toyota [00:30:00] threw an eight-speed in that instead of a six-speed-

Scott Brady: Yep …

Matt Scott: they’d probably- Problem solved … solve a lot of their problems.

Scott Brady: Problem solved.

Matt Scott: You know, if they added 20 horsepower-

Scott Brady: Yep …

Matt Scott: problem solved. I mean-

Scott Brady: 20 foot-pounds of torque is what I’d take first.

Matt Scott: Yeah, yeah. I mean, this is going to happen.

Yeah. And I think that’s where I’m excited for the Tacoma- Yeah … is i- it’s inevitable, and they’re gonna have to give it a little bit more power, and they’re g- They know that they have a, a, maybe an issue, but, I mean, they, they sell like hotcakes. Yeah. They s- So do they actually have an issue?

Scott Brady: They sell 200,000 units a year.

Um, it’s a, it’s a very logical choice for a lot of people. I think, I think it’s, it’s, it’s curious because people who are listening to this podcast that own a Tacoma will probably feel like we’re, uh, being critical of their car. What’s actually happened, the thing that’s changed, is that we have options now.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: So, um, the third generation Tacoma, if it was out five years ago, it would s- it would still be, like, we would have it on this list. We would say it’s a pinnacle truck. But if you were to compare it against, [00:31:00] um, against the new Bison, um, the new Bison is a better vehicle. Yeah. If you compare it against the Gladiator, the Gladiator is a better vehicle.

Now, I’m not saying that they’re more reliable, even though there are a lot of reliability indicators that, that do, um, speak very positively of the GM products now. Um, I, I think that the Tacoma just now has a lot of competition. And Toyota’s a, an incredible brand. They’re gonna figure it out. They’re gonna be like, “All right, sales are starting to shift towards our competitors.

Um, we’re losing market share.” Yeah. “We, we have an opportunity to tune the vehicle in a way now that addresses those competitive pressures.”

Matt Scott: Yeah. And I, and I think that they’re, they’re very expensive.

Scott Brady: They are.

Matt Scott: Um-

Scott Brady: Well, not com- I mean-

Matt Scott: No, no,

Scott Brady: I- Says the guy who just bought a Gladiator.

Matt Scott: Okay. Yeah, yeah. So that’s what everybody says to me, right?

So my, full disclosure, my Gladiator’s, has all the leather, it’s loaded, whatever. I’m not saying this to gloat. Just as a position thing, it was 62.

Scott Brady: I think it was the only model, though, that you

Matt Scott: could buy [00:32:00] that early. It was the only model that I could buy that early. That you could buy that early. Yeah. My VIN’s very, very early.

But I have a winch-compatible steel front bumper- Yeah … that has wings that can be removed. I have a 4:1 low range. I have locking differentials front and rear. Um, you know, it came with Fox shocks. It has sliders. It has a steel rear bumper with sliders. Um, you know, what… And, and it came with 411s, which for up to 35s is totally sufficient.

What would it cost you if, if you’re gonna go down the more modified four-wheel drive route, what would, uh… You know. And, and this is the Rubicon, so it has the appearance stuff. It has the hood. What would it cost for you to put a TRD Pro, which is 45 grand- Mm-hmm … and they’re selling, I, I believe still selling for over sticker for-

Scott Brady: Mm-hmm

Matt Scott: some reason. Um, you know, you could- Oh, they’re a

Scott Brady: great truck.

Matt Scott: They’re a great truck. Yeah. But 45, 50 grand, and then you add, what’s a bumper cost? What’s, what do sliders cost?

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: What does a rear bumper cost? ‘Cause you’re gonna have to mount that tire somewhere- Mm-hmm … and then you’re gonna [00:33:00] have to, you’re gonna have to regear.

I- the Gladiator becomes a value

Scott Brady: Yeah, it does. And, and I think the only, the only thing that gives it a little bit of a challenge is the Bison, ’cause the Bison’s, uh, about $7,000 less.

Matt Scott: Yeah, yeah.

Scott Brady: And it does- Sure … and it does have front and rear lockers, and even a diesel engine, which- Yeah, yeah … you know, the Gladiator will come out with soon enough.

But, you know, when we think about these pinnacle vehicles, uh, when you look at a pickup, I would, I would be really inclined, um, you know, if I was gonna look at a, a mid-sized truck, I’d be really inclined in towards a Bison with a gasoline motor right now. Um, that would probably be what I would take around the world.

Um, and, and another option I would seriously consider would be a Frontier. Yeah. I mean, they’re- They’re

Matt Scott: affordable …

Scott Brady: they’re so affordable. They’re

Matt Scott: a global platform.

Scott Brady: Yeah. They are. I mean, they’ll– A lot has changed with the Navara in other markets, and, and I know that Nissan is, is right at the doorstep of a model change, uh, for that vehicle as well.

But, um, it is the most reliable vehicle of its class in the [00:34:00] US right now. Yeah, it’s, it- It’s more reliable than the Tacoma, has l- fewer problems per thousand vehicles. Um, it is, it is a much better choice for

Matt Scott: reliability. It mystifies me why the new Navara over- Yeah … you know, overseas is not sold here, ’cause they’re- Yeah

you know, the D40, I wanna say- Yeah … that the, what we’re still getting is, that hasn’t been sold overseas for some time. Long time. I went to the press launch for the new Navara in Australia in 2015. Um, you know, and I- Yeah … was told there it’d be in the US in, you know, a year or so. But that, that chassis is phenomenal.

It’s coil sprung in the rear. Yeah. It’s really well-balanced. I mean, it’s so good it’s actually what, what Mercedes chose to base their X-Class off of. And Mercedes is-

Scott Brady: Very

Matt Scott: particular, yeah … crazy, crazy particular with, with, with dynamics. Um- Yeah, I mean, there, there’s a lot of really good choices out there.

Um-

Scott Brady: There are. I think the f- the interesting thing about the Frontier when I was talking with some of the program managers recently is, um, they’re selling more of them than they [00:35:00] have even three years ago. Yeah. So, like, they sell, they sell almost 80,000 Frontiers a year. Yeah. That’s a lot, that’s a lot of trucks.

On

Matt Scott: a car that they did their tooling 15 years ago on, you know?

Scott Brady: Yeah. Yeah, they sell twice as many Frontiers as Ford sells Rangers.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: Um, and that’s because they, they come across as very, as a great value. They come across as very honest. They come across as very capable. You can get a PRO-4X with a rear locker- Yeah, yeah

and, and, uh, a large diameter tire. It has a l- a larger displacement engine that has the best torque in its class. Um, and these are, these are a lot of things that compel people to buy them. And, and if you go onto the website and you look at the MSRP, that is… Th- they sell for much less than that.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

So, like, if you go to

Matt Scott: the dealer- You’re gonna pay sticker for a Tacoma …

Scott Brady: yeah, you’re gonna pay sticker for a Tacoma. You’re gonna pay three to five grand off sticker for a Frontier. And that’s- And a

Matt Scott: Colorado

Scott Brady: and a

Matt Scott: Ranger …

Scott Brady: that starts, starts to be very, very compelling as far as the value. Um, well, let’s talk about full size trucks.[00:36:00]

What do you think? Yeah, I mean, if- Is there anything that falls in that category

Matt Scott: anymore? If we, if we set aside that, that ultra low sulfur diesel thing and the diesel exhaust fu- fluid thing, yeah, the, the F-250 is a great choice. I mean, I, I took mine everywhere. I mean, it’s big.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: But I always said, “If she fits, she gets.”

Yeah. Like, um, you know, you can put massive tires on those things. They have the driveline, you know, a lot of times even with large tires they don’t really require gearing.

Scott Brady: Sure.

Matt Scott: Um, you know, I, but I think of full size trucks… And, and then there’s the F-150. I mean, you know, a, a very solid choice would be buy an F-150, throw a four-wheel camper in the back and just go.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: Um, but the Rams, fantastic. I mean, you can actually buy a Ram- that I don’t wanna say bypasses the, the DEF ’cause it still has DEF. Mario just bought that. It was an ambulance- Yeah, the commercial chassis … commercial chassis. It will run completely legally since it is a commercial vehicle. It won’t go into limp home mode, which can [00:37:00] be, can be super valuable.

Yeah. Um, you know, it has two fuel tanks, and I wanna say it was like, I think he paid 40 grand for that thing?

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: With the- 150 grand … Cummins diesel, and now you’re gonna have to do some modification to that. But if you’re, if you’re gonna do a flatbed or, or anything like that, um, you know, those are great.

Yeah, ch- you can check his out, AT Overland. Um, he has big boxes on it. Yep. Um, that’ll be an interesting project to watch. I mean, you know, going back to SEMA, the, my favorite truck at SEMA was, was AV’s new 2500- Yeah, so sweet … Prospector in that cool green color. Yeah. The bumper, they finally did a little bit more brush guard style- Yeah

which I like for animal strike protection. Um, man, that was really cool.

Scott Brady: Totally agree. New, new rear bumper, spare tire mount. Um, that thing looked literally ready to go around the world.

Matt Scott: Yeah, yeah. Um, you know the thing I say about the full size trucks, uh, uh, in comparison to my Gladiator, um, where do you put [00:38:00] that tire?

You have to have a bumper or something. Yeah. ‘Cause it’s funny that my Gladiator will fit a 37 underneath-

Scott Brady: Yeah …

Matt Scott: and a full size truck won’t.

Scott Brady: Right.

Matt Scott: You know? Uh, a friend of mine has a, you know, wedge-style camper on his 2500. Now, he has a six-and-a-half foot bed. I have a five-foot bed on my Gladiator, but I have completely vertical walls, and I don’t have to have my tire inside the bed.

Scott Brady: Right.

Matt Scott: So, you know, granted, you could do a swing away, but swing aways are kinda few and far between for full size trucks. And, uh-

Scott Brady: There’s a lot of details in the Gladiator that I, I really respect. Yeah. I mean, it shows… I mean, Mark Allen, obviously, it comes, it comes back to the guy that’s in charge of design, and Mark Allen is an Overlander.

He-

Matt Scott: Does it … uh,

Scott Brady: he does it. Like, he’s been a subscriber to Overland Journal since the very beginning. Um, so he, you know, and he looks at all of that like, “How do I fit a 37 in the stock location?”

Matt Scott: Yeah. “

Scott Brady: How do I make sure that it has the right payload? How do I make sure that the vehicle can be easily modified?”

Matt Scott: Yep.

Scott Brady: Um, and when you’ve got a, an organization that has people in charge that get it, you end up with [00:39:00] vehicles like the Gladiator, which are a awesome choice.

Matt Scott: Yeah, like I was just on the, I probably mentioned this, was on the Rubicon maybe a, a few months ago with Mark and, uh- Yeah … all, uh, some of the engineering team.

Like, you can’t fake driving skill.

Scott Brady: Yep.

Matt Scott: Like, I, I, I’ve… You know, we’ve both been on a lot of trails with designers and, and, you know, some are in velvet shoes selling four-wheel drives, and some are in hiking boots-

Scott Brady: Yeah …

Matt Scott: spotting you.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: And I think that’s what’s cool about, about Jeep.

Scott Brady: Totally.

Matt Scott: Um-

Scott Brady: Yeah, totally

Matt Scott: you know?

Scott Brady: All right, so the, I guess the other elephant in the room is we haven’t talked about Land Rover yet. Does Land Rover currently sell a vehicle that you think is a pinnacle vehicle, something you’d drive around the world?

Matt Scott: You know, we’ll, we’ll find out, ’cause obviously we’re gonna drive the, uh, the Defender soon in, in Namibia, which I think is, uh…

You don’t send a car to Namibia if you’re not trying to make a statement- Yeah … that it is, um, that it is worthwhile. Um, but I don’t know. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with, with, with Land Rover. Um, I think they make [00:40:00] fantastic vehicles for normal people. Yeah. That’s the problem is they’re for normal people.

Um, it, it, it, it wouldn’t… Would I love to drive a Range Rover around the world? Yeah. Would I actually choose that over, you know, some of the other pinnacle vehicles we’ve mentioned? I don’t know. I- Yeah … I, I, I think I’ve lost a lot of confidence, um- in Land Rover as, as far as a, you know, an international vehicle.

Um, there’s just so many systems, you know. Like the, the 200 series and the G class, those are luxury vehicles, right? But underneath they’re being used on mines somewhere. Yep. A Range Rover is not being used as a mine foreman’s truck or a military vehicle anywhere.

Scott Brady: Right.

Matt Scott: I mean, maybe it’s some general’s vehicle in a- Yeah

corrupt country, but-

Scott Brady: Sure …

Matt Scott: you know, he has an army behind him to fix it.

Scott Brady: Right.

Matt Scott: Um, they’re, they’re great vehicles. They’re, they’re insanely capable off-road for what they are.

Scott Brady: Right.

Matt Scott: But I feel like they’re more like an X5 [00:41:00] these days, and I wouldn’t drive an X5 around the world.

Scott Brady: Yeah, you can definitely see that the, the priority for the organization has shifted towards making a premium luxury SUV.

Um-

Matt Scott: And their sales have skyrocketed because of it. Yeah. I mean, that’s the thing. That’s right. I, I, I- Can

Scott Brady: you fa- can you fault it for, fault them for it?

Matt Scott: Yeah, I always- I don’t know. Yeah … I always give Land Rover, you know, enthusiasts a little bit of grief. I mean, I, I’m, I love Land Rover. We’re both into this because of Land Rover, right?

Totally, 100%. Like, I’ve owned a bunch of them. They’re, they’re some of the most emotional vehicles I’ve ever- Oh, yeah … I’ve ever driven or owned. Um, but Land Rover enthusiasts don’t buy new cars.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: Like, I, I don’t know a, I, I don’t know a single person with a Discovery 5 right now- Right … that is taking it off-road.

Scott Brady: Right.

Matt Scott: I know a lot of people with LR3s and LR4s, and back in the day I knew a lot of people with D1s and D2s. Um, but-

Scott Brady: But they bought them used typically …

Matt Scott: they’re second, third, fourth owner vehicles. Yeah. And unfortunately, like for Land Rover owners, they don’t come out of the, the [00:42:00] factory with 100,000 miles for 10 grand.

Scott Brady: Right.

Matt Scott: They’re, they’re expensive cars. They depreciate rapidly. Um, I mean, you can certainly argue that buying a used Land Rover is the s- only way to buy a Land Rover. I mean, you can buy… But, yeah, I think-

Scott Brady: Yeah, I think it’s just a different, they have a different goal. Yeah. And, and if you look at, like Range Rover now is very much luxury.

Um, uh, you know, the Discovery is very much like this fam- And they’re doing well. They’re actually selling quite well. Yeah. But, you know, they’re, they’re like this, this family truckster that has really good snow capability, and you could take it camping and everything like that. Uh, but it, they, it does seem like they’re, they’re trying to make a statement around utility- Yeah

um, and durability with, with the new Defender. Now, you and I have seen the vehicle in person. We’ve spent a lot of time with the car. Um, we un- we spent a lot of time with the engineers, so we know their intentions behind it, and I think their intentions are, are, at least with the engineering team, I think [00:43:00] are quite good.

Um, I think they missed the mark on some of the styling with the front end, but, um, you know, the, the engineering for a modern vehicle- Yeah … their intentions are, are good. Um, but once we get it out in the deserts of Namibia, we’ll have a, a much better idea how-

Matt Scott: I, I

Scott Brady: think the vehicle- … how it’s

Matt Scott: gonna work as an off-road vehicle

in softer terrain will perform fantastically.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: Um, I- You know, that much power in sand dunes with what is phenomenal suspension for, for something like that. Yeah. It’s gonna be really cool. A low center of gravity. You know, they’re have- they have a roof tent that’ll be available for it, high roof load.

I, I would love this time- High payload

Scott Brady: too … high payload …

Matt Scott: 1,800 pound

Scott Brady: payload.

Matt Scott: I would love this time next year to revisit this, and I, I, I, I, I’m rooting so hard for Land Rover to be on this list.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: I just, you know, u- underneath, you know, w- I, I kinda drilled one of their engineers on this, “Okay, how is this different than the Discovery 5?”

And they told me the ball joint was five millimeters larger on the lower control arm. Yeah. Okay. You know, a [00:44:00] Discovery 5 wouldn’t work for me. It’s gonna take a lot to, um, to convince me that, you know, the, the changes that they have made.

Scott Brady: Yeah, what I’m trying to do is, is look at, look at the Defender as an entirely new model.

I think once you- Yeah … attach the name Defender to it, it brings all of this heritage and legacy and passion that came with the original car. Yeah. Um, and for me, it starts to taint my judgment on, on being able to assess the vehicle. Um, you know, because I, I have a Defender, and I’ve driven Defenders all over the world, and I, I have a lot of passion for that model.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: Um, so I’m trying to come into it with fresh eyes, but let’s see. Let’s give it, let’s give it some time and see where it goes.

Matt Scott: Yeah, yeah. I mean, I… If it was the new Discovery, it’d be the world’s best Discovery-

Scott Brady: Yeah, I know … ever. I know. Um- Yeah, I know …

Matt Scott: you know.

Scott Brady: Yeah, it kinda reminds me of, um, ’cause I owned a Mark 3 Range Rover, and it was an, it was one of my favorite vehicles for what it was, and it reminds me of like, I just got a [00:45:00] super utility version of a Mark 3 Range Rover.

Yeah,

Matt Scott: yeah.

Scott Brady: Which, which to me seems exciting. Um, and it seems, it seems honest, and it seems appropriate. Um, as a Defender, time’s gonna tell if it’s gonna be a good replacement for that vehicle.

Matt Scott: I had somebody say to me recently, “Looks cool. What does it do for me that an LR 4 doesn’t for 15 grand?”

Scott Brady: Right?

Matt Scott: Um, you know, and that’s that repetitive cycle of the Land Rover thing is why would, why would you buy one?

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: Yeah. Anyway.

Scott Brady: Well, that’ll be an interesting one to see as the, as time develops, right?

Matt Scott: Yeah, and then, you know, internationally, we, we kinda touched on it. You know, there’s, there’s some obvious choices for pinnacle vehicles. 70 Series. You know, we put the, the Defenders on that list- It is … with the new Puma motor.

It drives great. I think it has a Mustang transmission now. It’s kinda cobbled together from Ford.

Scott Brady: What was the last year of that car? 2016. ’16. Yeah.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: So you can… I mean, one of our, one of our thoughts with this pinnacle vehicle list was vehicles that were available within the last 10 [00:46:00] years, so relatively new.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: Um, and you can, you can find a 463 G-Wagon, which is what we’d recommend. A 461 G-Wagon, another great recommendation. A Y61 Patrol.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: Um, you can find- Highly

Matt Scott: underrated.

Scott Brady: Yeah, highly underrated. You can find that, that vehicle. Um, they’re still being sold in Saudi Arabia. They’re being sold as the, as the Gazelle and as the Falcon and, and, and- Yeah

other, other models that are- With

Matt Scott: massive, like, gas engines in them. Yeah,

Scott Brady: they

Matt Scott: are. They supercharge and turbocharge and do all kinds of things too.

Scott Brady: That’s right, yeah. So the Y61 Patrol is still a great consideration. Obviously, any variant of the 70 Series is gonna be really worthwhile.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: Um, and particularly if you buy it with the, the 1HZ.

Now, um, I like the motor, the VDJ, a lot. Um- Yeah … but the, the, the 1HZ is a, is a motor that’s, it’s under stressed all the time.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: If you’re driving by yourself or with

Matt Scott: your partner- It’s really slow and you’re not …

Scott Brady: Yeah, you’re just not, you’re not gonna be in a rush.

Matt Scott: But we had one. I mean, that was what was in my 70- Yeah

in my Troopy. I [00:47:00] should say our Troopy. Um, and it was fine. Yeah, totally fine. I just, I wouldn’t wanna drive one in the United States. No,

Scott Brady: it’d be brutal on the

Matt Scott: interstates.

Scott Brady: You know?

Matt Scott: I mean, but I think once you get out of the US, like it doesn’t- It just doesn’t matter … really matter.

Scott Brady: It just

Matt Scott: doesn’t matter.

You’re not going as fast. Um…

Scott Brady: Yeah, it just doesn’t matter.

Matt Scott: You know, and, and just to touch on why we’re, why we’re focusing on things that are in the last 10 years is, is one, I think we wanna reward companies for making, you know, we, we wanna give them a nod for continuing to make these vehicles. But, you know, vehicles are quite reliable- Yeah

right, right now.

Scott Brady: Very more, yeah.

Matt Scott: Um, you know, again, we talked about the 80 Series. Yes, the 80 Series is very reliable, so is the 200 Series. But you’re not gonna find an 80 for under 15 grand that has under 200,000 miles right now.

Scott Brady: It’s tough.

Matt Scott: Like, like you, you are at the point where it’s, it, even if you find a low mileage vehicle, you still, you, you’ve timed out on things.

Like you said- Yeah … the rubber, the gaskets, that kinda stuff.

Scott Brady: Electrical wiring.

Matt Scott: They’re just not- Chase points … gonna be as reliable. Yeah. I mean, you have to want to drive that [00:48:00] vehicle.

Scott Brady: Mm-hmm.

Matt Scott: It’s my choice.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: I mean, that’s the one I’ll actually do it in. Um, but I’ve- I’ve spent a Gladiator in refurbishment and purchase price on, on that vehicle, and-

Scott Brady: There’s a lot of advantage to leaving on a big trip that’s important to you.

I mean, if you, if you think about most people that are doing a big overland journey, um, they call it the trip of a lifetime, right? And that’s because, um, in many cases, it’s the only trip that they will do like that in their life.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: So you want, you wanna pad the experience in as many ways as you can.

Modern vehicles are more safe. Yes. Um, they have airbags, they have better handling, they have better stopping performance, uh, they have advanced ABS, they have vehicle stability control. Um, and it’s, it’s very easy for, like, the curmu- curmudgeony, like, old-timer to say, “Ah, you don’t need those systems.” Well, it’s…

They, they say you don’t need those systems because they don’t understand how well they work-

Matt Scott: Yeah …

Scott Brady: and how many lives that they’ve actually saved.

Matt Scott: Like, like how much fatigue is reduced by radar cruise control-

Scott Brady: Yeah …

Matt Scott: at, at, at no compromise [00:49:00] on, on my Jeep, for example. Like, you know, we just drove to Overland Expo East and back.

That was… Man, it was almost 7,000-mile road trip. If I was in my Land Cruiser, I would’ve been able to do half the distance, I think. Right. Maybe not half, but-

Scott Brady: Yeah …

Matt Scott: you know, a significant-

Scott Brady: Significant impact to the distance, right, that you can drive in a day. So driver fatigue is really important, safety of yourself and your family members or your loved ones that you have along with you, or your best buddies that you’ve got along on this- amazing trip.

Why not make it safer? Why not make it more fuel efficient? Why not reduce the impact to the environment because of emissions? All of those things that modern vehicles have, um, uh, it’s easy to just take this puritanical approach of like, “Oh, it’s, you know, it’s not an 80 series, so I don’t want it.” I don’t think that that works anymore.

I think we have to- No … I think we have to be open-minded to the fact that technologies have changed. Um, vehicles have gotten better in many ways. Uh, you know, a, a 2019, uh, Wrangler is the most capable Wrangler ever made.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: Um, you know, you can l- I can look back at [00:50:00] my CJ-7 that I had, and a new, a new Rubicon would run circles around that truck.

100%. Would run absolute circles around

Matt Scott: it. And that’s the cool, that’s the cool thing with the Wrangler. It’s the only vehicle I know of that each year becomes more

Scott Brady: capable. It just gets better and better. You know? Just gets better and better.

Matt Scott: Uh, obviously people get, you know, stuck on their model, and JK guys are like, “Oh, the JL’s soft.”

Well, stop saying that ’cause then in five years you’re gonna be driving a JL- Well- … and you’re gonna be stoked about it …

Scott Brady: yeah. What, in most cases, what they’re saying when they’re being critical of a new model is that they can’t afford it, so now I’ve gotta pick it apart so that I feel better about the fact that- Yeah

I can’t afford it. Um, but those are, like you said, those are the folks that in 10 years they’ll be buying that vehicle because it’ll be within- Yeah … their price range. And it doesn’t, doesn’t mean that new vehicles don’t have faults. They certainly do. Yeah. But if you look at the Bison, it’s the most capable mid-size truck that GM has ever produced- Yes

and it’s available today. The Gladiator is the, is the Jeep pickup that we’ve always wanted, of course inspired heavily by AEV’s Brute. [00:51:00] Um, but the Gladiator is, it’s the most capable Jeep pickup ever produced- Yeah … and it’s available today. Absolutely. Uh, the G-Wagon, um, the new model G-Wagon still has triple differential locks.

Um, the 200 series is still one of … It’s the, as the engineer said, the most durable Land Cruiser they’ve ever made. So it’s, it’s really easy to be dismissive of modern vehicles. But I think in many cases, they’re listening to consumer need, and they’re responding with trucks that people are passionate about.

Matt Scott: People are gonna ha- Uh, car companies are gonna have to specialize. Yeah. Will people like- Will the need for a Hyundai Elantra exi- Elantra, I don’t know how to say it. Whatever that thing is. Whatever it

Scott Brady: is.

Matt Scott: Whatever the cheap Hyundai or the cheap Kia or whatever, you know, is that… That’s just gonna be absorbed by ride sharing or- It’s gonna be a

Scott Brady: commodity

Matt Scott: rental cars or that kind of thing. So I think if these car companies want to exist, I think a lot of them are on the right path- Yep … Jeep in particular.

Scott Brady: Yep. Build vehicles that people are passionate about, build vehicles that solve problems.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: Um, and we’ve talked about a lot of those today. Those exist.

These [00:52:00] pinnacle vehicles are still available to us, and we encourage doing some research. Yeah. I mean, don’t just listen to what Matt and I are saying. It, it… This is based on our own experience. But a vehicle like a 200 series, when you look at the aftermarket options that are available for it and the global service, it’s a very compelling choice.

Matt Scott: Yes.

Scott Brady: Right on, man. Well, we, yeah, we got a couple trips coming up. We got Africa.

Matt Scott: Yeah. I’m, I’m spending about a month in Baja in a few weeks. Yeah,

Scott Brady: perfect.

Matt Scott: And then Africa, and I think we’re gonna try and do something maybe- Yeah … Botswana, South Africa- Yeah, that’s right … February.

Scott Brady: Yeah, go do some adventuring.

Matt Scott: And then, uh, Alaska, Yukon, Northern Territories for me, probably two months next year. Hopefully leaving right after Overland Expo to avoid some of the mosquitoes.

Scott Brady: Yeah, there you go. I love it. So. I love it. Well, thank you all for listening. Uh, thank you for spending time with us on the Overland Journal podcast.

Um, I’m your host, Scott Brady. You can find me on Instagram at overlandjournal. Um, you can find me at, at globaloverland, and then we’ve got Matt Scott. Where can people find you?

Matt Scott: Yeah, so you can find my sarcastic ramblings on Instagram [00:53:00] at, @mattexplore. Follow me or don’t. I don’t know. You’re gonna see a, you’re gonna see a lot of cool trucks and also a lot of pictures of my greyhound, so-

Scott Brady: Yeah

Matt Scott: you know.

Scott Brady: Yeah, tell people about, uh, about your greyhound. I think it’s important for people

Matt Scott: to know about that. Oh, man. Yeah, so this is little Dakar. He’s, he’s actually… He’s silent. He’s just been hanging out here. You probably didn’t even know he was here. Yeah, super passionate about, about rescuing greyhounds.

Um, I can’t tell you how, how much of a positive influence this dog has been in my life. It’s been a great experience. There’s dogs out there that need homes. You know, this guy, he’s a little bit of separation anxiety and that kind of stuff, but so sweet. He’s awesome. He’s never, never chewed anything up.

You know, we had him for two months, and we took him to Baja for three weeks in the back of a Land Cruiser, and he… I think these dogs are just, they’re… I don’t know. I, I would say greyhounds are very appreciative dogs.

Scott Brady: Yeah. You know? And they, and they need homes.

Matt Scott: They need homes. Yeah.

Scott Brady: So

Matt Scott: go have

Scott Brady: a look. So maybe take a look, take a look at that.

Some holidays. When you look at your, yeah, when you look at your 200 series, switch over to another browser window and start looking for greyhounds.

Matt Scott: Yeah, yeah.

Scott Brady: All right. Everybody have a great week.

Matt Scott: Yeah. Take care, [00:54:00] guys