Grenadier rental review

[GoHawks63]

Thanks for the review. I've seen many of these up close and thought they were nice looking inside and out.

I personally wouldn't be worried about the BMW engine and transmission, assuming it has the twin scroll straight six. I traded in a 2012 X5 for the Bronco. It had the engine I mentioned. It had just over 110K miles on it and quite honestly, it was one of the most reliable vehicles I've owned. Much more reliable than a 2010 F150 we owned and got rid of with comparable miles. Biggest repair was the AC compressor crapping out when it had 105K miles. That engine is smooth.

As for the steering, it's most likely attributed to the recirculating ball setup which is supposed to be more durable than a rack and pinion setup.

As has been pointed out by others, I guess it's supposed to bring you back to what a purpose built off-roader was, but for 83K, you can get comparable off-road chops with a much more features.

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[GoHawks63]

That changes for the 4Runner (and 'new' LandCruiser 250) if you get their hybrid versions. The battery in the back takes up maybe 4-5 inches of load space. My bud just picked up a new LC, was showing it to me (I thought it was very nice but of course prefer a Bronco which is why I bought one!) but I was surprised as to how much space that battery takes up.

Agree. I owned two Land Cruisers (1998 and 2004). I loved them. Bought the 2004 brand new and it had 160K miles when we got rid of it and all it ever asked of me was oil changes, brakes and tires. I still regret giving it up.

So, when Toyota brought it back, I was excited, but after seeing one, it just didn't do anything for me, so then I waited for the 4Runner. Nice looking rig, but in order to get it optioned the way I wanted, I had to get the hybrid (which I didn't want). Along with the loss of cargo space because of the battery.

So, I went with the Bronco. It currently has 14K trouble free miles. Yes, I have had three recalls on it, one fixed with an OTA update and the other two will be addressed at my next oil change. However, I have not experienced any of the issues that the recalls are supposed to address.

Having said all that, I have no illusions that my WildTrak will come even close to the reliability that my Land Cruisers provided.

 

[crenca]

As for the steering, it's most likely attributed to the recirculating ball setup which is supposed to be more durable than a rack and pinion setup.

I don't believe a production vehicle with a solid front axle has ever used any design other then a recirculating ball...AI says that while rack and pinion is theoretically possible for a solid axle, it is impractical in a production vehical.

Getting a rack and pinion steering system is a (probably "the") main motivation for IFS on the modern off road vehicle.

 

[5GENIDN]

I don't believe a production vehicle with a solid front axle has ever used any design other then a recirculating ball...AI says that while rack and pinion is theoretically possible for a solid axle, it is impractical in a production vehical.

Getting a rack and pinion steering system is a (probably "the") main motivation for IFS on the modern off road vehicle.

I would agree that the Rack and Pinion is the Broncos greatest strength and it's most glaring weakness.

But there are options to strengthen it....

 

[heavyD]

Thanks for the review. I've seen many of these up close and thought they were nice looking inside and out.

I personally wouldn't be worried about the BMW engine and transmission, assuming it has the twin scroll straight six. I traded in a 2012 X5 for the Bronco. It had the engine I mentioned. It had just over 110K miles on it and quite honestly, it was one of the most reliable vehicles I've owned. Much more reliable than a 2010 F150 we owned and got rid of with comparable miles. Biggest repair was the AC compressor crapping out when it had 105K miles. That engine is smooth.

As for the steering, it's most likely attributed to the recirculating ball setup which is supposed to be more durable than a rack and pinion setup.

As has been pointed out by others, I guess it's supposed to bring you back to what a purpose built off-roader was, but for 83K, you can get comparable off-road chops with a much more features.

B58 will likely go down as peak ICE and one of the greatest engines ever mass produced. It combined with the ZF8 has been a total workhorse for the BMW lineup and brought their reliability way up over the last decade.

 

[Desmolicious]

I have owned a 24 Fieldmaster Grenadier for almost 2 years now and if anyone is interested I could write an in-depth review. Ask any questions you may have and I’ll answer to the best of my ability.

I currently have a 25 Bandlands as well so am in the unique position of being able to compare and contrast. Have owned it since March/April of 25.

I’d love to read a comparison of the two.

 

[Oilbrnr]

I was really headed down the Grenadier purchase path but stopped for a couple key reasons for my use case.

First and foremost, can’t flat tow it behind a RV. (though, tbh you have to jump through underhood fuse pulling hoops now on EBB equipped Broncos as Ford can’t seem to do a code fix to prevent the brakes from randomly locking up while in tow-mode)

Second, due to the price, I would have either had to sell my Power Wagon or my 80 Series Lexus with factory lockers. Both are built and I do go to significantly difficult places here in AZ and UT, which would require a lift and 35ish tires minimum. In doing research on lifting, one thing became clear real quick is how short the front driveline is with a Rzeppa’s and guys were having issues with the joints being at their limits. Also, I can’t remember if anyone had addressed the caster issue that would change with a SFA lift either. (Much experience in this area with 80 Series LC’s, same scenario sans Rzeppa). There were other small things that I didn’t care for as well, like no HomeLink (but then again, Ford dropped that too for 26). HVAC seemed to kinda struggle here in Phx in August, center stack would take some getting used to, yada-yada. But a solid truck with good bones and a proven powertrain.

So I shifted gears, literally and ordered the Bronco with a 7MT. I figured I’d enjoy rowing again, and having more creature comforts. The Fox shocks do a decent job handling the six miles of washboard, whoops and dry washes I do every day from my home to pavement and back. But, at the end of the day, it is a cost cutting Ford, with so many things that are done shocking cheap.

 

[Quatermain]

Interesting on the turning radius. My '92 Defender TDi had the turning radius of the Queen Mary, and the aerodynamics of a brick. But it was an amazing off road vehicle. . Seems like Grenadier copied a lot more than the Defender body. Just shows how badly Land Rover dropped the ball with its Defender re design. One of the biggest screw ups in automotive history IMHO.

 

[Desmolicious]

Interesting on the turning radius. My '92 Defender TDi had the turning radius of the Queen Mary, and the aerodynamics of a brick. But it was an amazing off road vehicle. . Seems like Grenadier copied a lot more than the Defender body. Just shows how badly Land Rover dropped the ball with its Defender re design. One of the biggest screw ups in automotive history IMHO.

That biggest screw up in automotive history has been a roaring success for LandRover. It is a massive seller.

Quick search on that:

Yes, the Land Rover Defender is an enormous commercial and critical success for the brand, currently standing as Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) best-selling model globally. [1]

Sales and Market Growth

• High Demand: The vehicle surpassed 115,000 global unit sales in 2024, outperforming traditional stablemates like the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport (sales data via Autoblog).
• Unusual Growth: Unlike typical car models that see a sales drop over time, the Defender has experienced rising demand.
• Global Popularity: It dominates luxury SUV charts in international markets like Australia and North America.

 

[Quatermain]

That biggest screw up in automotive history has been a roaring success for LandRover. It is a massive seller.

Quick search on that:

Yes, the Land Rover Defender is an enormous commercial and critical success for the brand, currently standing as Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) best-selling model globally. [1]

Sales and Market Growth

• High Demand: The vehicle surpassed 115,000 global unit sales in 2024, outperforming traditional stablemates like the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport (sales data via Autoblog).
• Unusual Growth: Unlike typical car models that see a sales drop over time, the Defender has experienced rising demand.
• Global Popularity: It dominates luxury SUV charts in international markets like Australia and North America.

That's the problem. They dumped the utility market for the luxury market. Works fine except for the fact that they eliminated the utilitarian off road crowd, which are now buying Bronco's. Pricing out their traditional market with a less capable off roader, with almost zero farm / utility use ability. grenadier shows where the off road crowd is going. An upmarket Defender is a flash in the pan.

 

[Desmolicious]

That's the problem. They dumped the utility market for the luxury market. Works fine except for the fact that they eliminated the utilitarian off road crowd, which are now buying Bronco's. Pricing out their traditional market with a less capable off roader, with almost zero farm / utility use ability. grenadier shows where the off road crowd is going. An upmarket Defender is a flash in the pan.

Flash in the pan? The new Defender came out in 2019 and continously has seen sales increases every year since!

you may not like it but that does not take away from the fact that it has been a huge and enduring success for JLR.

 

[Quatermain]

Flash in the pan? The new Defender came out in 2019 and continously has seen sales increases every year since!

you may not like it but that does not take away from the fact that it has been a huge and enduring success for JLR.

For 40 years i drove Series and Defender vehicles. The new ones are crap in comparison and lack the abilities of Bronco's, which is why i switched. I'll bet i am not the only one. As to success, sure the pent up demand for Defenders caused by decades of import bans will cause the market to snap back. But a lot of it is eating into the Range Rover sales, as noted. Having two upscale SUV's will not be a winning strategy as we shall see.

 

[Desmolicious]

If there was a pent up demand, the Grenadier would be snapped up. As it is basically an old Defender made new.
However it is a very slow seller in the US. My local dealer - Rusnack in Pasadena - has 48 new ones in stock! And a bunch are 2025 models. We are getting near the end of the 2026 model year now.

 

[Quatermain]

Well, to begin with it is not a Defender, but just looks like one. As to the demand: judge for yourself: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2677773284...9380|tkp:Bk9SR8bU5YmPaA&LH_ItemCondition=3000

 

[Desmolicious]

Well, to begin with it is not a Defender, but just looks like one. As to the demand: judge for yourself: https://www.ebay.com/itm/267777328413?_skw=Land+Rover+Defender+110&itmmeta=01M1W9SD8FFZ5QCTRC653JQ6V1&hash=item3e58c5c51d:g:l0sAAeSwwtFqnNGN&itmprp=enc:AQALAAAA4GfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xCF59Qs1oIGoDuPxkn3sb0mJQU4MXJEw0d9xjV/D/ta1dQUwJ8Cg+X/0k0da3IG4Y91gzR91kqJMscePAScBBMOUPhaIZt70gc4UCHuMATMpdS/eXubNW3NafD0KNVpxHB9QZ1M2XWamnyvpdqm08Smz3p4Bld/wzlDdY/WAWtf73RXkoJwVOC3TC79kB/bUKEqU/h3o1aOdpkvsJ8CNqs8jIN1Ph8IlgkocnUW6L2Rv8vsUYC5JoOUc/PUkRgAR4CxpjezrbK6/pTNke4T9380|tkp:Bk9SR8bU5YmPaA&LH_ItemCondition=3000

exotic car trader is trying to sell a custom build for $280K and you think that is a bellweather for the demand of old Defenders?

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