Blizzard Tested! Is a Cheap Jeep Wrangler a Better Snow Wheeler Than a Land Rover Defender?

[@patriot5526]

This video makes a good point. No matter how great the 4WD system or traction system your vehicle has, it always comes down to tires and traction. You can’t fault a vehicle for getting stuck in mud or snow if it doesn’t have the proper tires for the conditions you are in. This a lesson that I unfortunately learned the hard way.

[@patrickirish8110]

As a Canadian, it's hard not to love winter wheelin' and you guys most definitely deliver the goods.

[@Le_Royaliste_Perlino]

As a previous Defender owner, the manual explicitly states to use “Sand” Mode for Deep Snow. Grass Gravel Snow Mode is for Light Snow Conditions. Come on guys, don’t you guys look up stuff in the manuals or forums ever? 😂

[@kentuckywindage222]

My old 2015 Ford Exploder, 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee long gone now, when snow is over a couple 3 inches or traversing a hill, Sand mode or basically anything to turn off traction control is your best option from experience. My drive is pretty bad. Gravel, no run from park and a long steep incline with a curve. The Cherokee put me in a bad situation with 6" of snow and ice underneath when it cut power, locking down right in the curve. Luckily I had done lots of offroading and snow driving in hills. Knowing wheel speed and momentum are needed in some area's. The wife however was going to get out but we were sliding backwards. Lesson learned. Pull a fuse if need be! Just saying Edit: All should know also there are different types of snow. Wet, dry powder, etc. changing at times with weather and or temperature.

[@tripleseven8361]

Perhaps, but to be fair, that's not "deep snow"... Subjective Threshold: The perception of "deep" snow can vary by region and context: Snowbelt Regions: In places like Eastern Canada, Northern U.S., or Scandinavia, 12 inches (30 cm) is often considered the baseline for "deep snow."

[@Le_Royaliste_Perlino]

@@tripleseven8361 that’s certainly not light snow is my point

[@tripleseven8361]

@@Le_Royaliste_Perlino My point is that they're not wheeling in "Deep" snow...Having said that, as a former Land Rover owner, you're probably quite correct, about which off-road "mode" ought to be used, but it looks to be 3" of 4" of snow...6" at the most...

[@grahameroberts8109]

Tyre pressure? The Disco flattened the snow for the Jeep. Put the same tyres on next time and lower the pressure.

[@gregoriovarvakis5822]

Tires, really made the difference

[@ronaldrrootiii6040]

They're actually pretty similar tires, I know the ko3 is newer but they're both top-tier all-terrain I'm thinking solid axles probably help the Jeep more because that cheap Defender with coils doesn't have the articulation of a defender on airbags. Some people don't realize what the airbags link up left to right when it senses the need for articulation and it allows air to travel from One bank to another to mimic articulation in the moment where the coils are completely independent of each other and don't know what's going on unless you have a solid axle

[@swampypolitics9574]

Tires always make the difference

[@rondavidson7275]

@@ronaldrrootiii6040as an LR3 and LR3 owner I 100% agree, LR air suspension has the same if not more flex than an equivalent jeep that I’ve ever seen, I think the only reason that wrangler made it look like a walk in the park, is because it was driving through already turned up mud instead of ice

[@donhappel9566]

@@rondavidson7275 As an LR3 owner (and a bunch of other rovers), the Rover has pretty good travel but nothing like the articulation side to side. Much like here, one of the biggest problems of the LR3 is sheer weight. However in this specific episode the tires were the biggest difference. The KO and KO2 were never very good in snow. I'll also agree with the people who've already said to skip grass/gravel/snow in anything but hard-packed snow on pavement and go with mud and ruts or possibly sand to get some wheel speed.

[@Cloud30000]

As another LR3 owner, the LR3 is really good, but the wrangler is just subjectively better in these conditions. You have to find pretty gnarly conditions to challenge the LR3, but the Wrangler will always surpass it in those conditions. No comparison on the paved road (especially high speed highways) though, where the LR3 feels like a luxury vehicle while the wrangler still feels like an off-roader.

[@p1g17]

I would love to see a Wrangler vs Ranger Raptor, both on KO3s, comparison. That would focus on Truck vs SUV (weight distribution) differences in snow✌️

[@johnmadsen37]

They are all shitty drivers so it wouldn’t matter.

[@-zerocool-]

Probably Defender, the Ranger Raptor dosnt have quite as good TC

[@uh60ce1]

Or the ZR2

[@dead_playzgames]

I feel like it would be better to put the bronco raptor against the wrangler

[@homertalk]

With the two hot chicks driving.

[@dwiyual]

Tire pressure as low as possible would help.

[@lanceislateagain]

Possibly, but those giant rapper hubs on the Defender wouldn't help it either. I mean what size are those, 19"?

[@matthewalbers31]

put the new K03s onto the Defender, to show a proper result...

[@juanthelawnmowerthief1641]

A full time 4x4 system will never beat a part time 4x4 system when it really matters.

[@Mugwump7]

Bought my fender 4,900 miles ago and it’s the first ‘thing’ that didn’t exponentially lose its luster and excitement post-acquisition. Not one bit. I have a nice little stable and cool loot but this vehicle is so special. Be well everyone.

[@jeffengland8136]

As one who owns both a Jeep and a Defender, my feeling is that all the traction control aids on the Defender are best for lighter off-road applications or adverse conditions on the road. I refuse to take my Jeep on snow packed roads, the Defender outperforms the Jeep in this situation hands down. As for snow wheeling, the Jeep out performs, no question. I tried to create my ideal terrain response setting through the customization screen and feel I got part of the way there, but most times I find I just wheel in normal mode. I would really like to see Land Rover provide additional settings that make it perform more aggressively rather than just throttle its capabilities when truly off-road.

[@gilbertferguson1685]

Defender more comfortable but Jeep more capable for less money. Nice video guys.

[@TFLoffroad]

Thanks! 👍

[@RadRover99]

Agreed

[@sallhame]

Nice video. And it is always much steeper than it looks on the video. But those cars should have the same tires.

[@TreatsOnTheStreets]

I think the biggest difference here is tires. Those usually make the most difference in any situation.

[@Biglukev]

Impressive. I have a 2021 JL Willys that I put the KO3 on last year the moment they became available in the 33” size. I live in northern Pennsylvania and it has been unstoppable with those tires.

[@stop_lying_bro]

Tires! K02’s are know to suck in snow and wet while the new K03s fixed those problems. Come on guys, the test isn’t relevant due to that alone.

[@HelicopterDad-u5b]

TFL should have a raffle for a subscriber to be “on scene” with you guys on a shoot like this one. Great video!

[@user-up1wy3sy8k]

I really think it comes down to tires. I have K0’s on one vehicle and K02’s on two others and they all loose traction very easily whenever the road is wet with rain. I’m interested in seeing how the new K03’s are improved with wet traction as the older tire versions seem to have very little when it’s wet. Good tires and real locking diffs. cannot be beat.

[@daveallen7767]

I wonder how overheated the Wrangler brakes got with all the TC activation during that last segment ? Either pay for locking axles or brake pads & rotors - nothing is free

[@josephgittos3787]

Are you not suppose to put the defender in sand mode for deeper snow?

[@taylorj959a]

in sand you don't want to dig down as there is not a hard surface at the bottom but with snow you do.

[@lorenjones7222]

@@taylorj959a snow mode in land rovers dramatically limits wheelspin. It is for people that don’t know how to drive when they are on hard packed snow or ice. It totally cuts throttle input when you get any wheelspin in my LR4. Sand mode allows lots of wheelspin and shenanigans that generally are needed for snow wheeling like this.

[@bernardhossmoto]

Only compare with vehicles on the same tires, please.

[@jesseflores9087]

Relax this isn't one of those huge budget channels. It was entertaining, cut them some slack

[@bernardhossmoto]

@@jesseflores9087 Yeah, beautiful snow and scenerey.

[@atombomb6719]

​@@jesseflores9087 agreed

[@3pedal372]

@@jesseflores9087it’s completely irrelevant without the same tires

[@Offshore1977]

Chill. This was never meant to be apples to apples.

[@meeeee9407]

Pounds per square inch. Not only is the Wrangler lighter but its contact patch is larger, and its suspension more compliant. In low traction scenarios those differences are monumental.

[@johnsellner6321]

Goodyear dura tracs, had on 4 door f150 and now on 4 door jeep. Northern Michigan snow/mud, versatile tire. Not to noisy on dry pavement.

[@rodjones812]

Tommy was a lot harder on this rig than Roman was on that Toyota that failed😢

[@stephenzerfas5307]

Thinking the exact same. The Jeep was really bouncing around and furiously shifting power left and right. Wonder how long the Jeep will continue to take that abuse. They just did the video with MT tires and were at least as rough on it.

[@-zerocool-]

Notice the Defender didnt have any issue after it was using the Wranglers tracks, like vice versa. KO3s on both would have been a better comparison.

[@steveflo]

I had the KO2 on my 18 Silverado. They were terrible in wet weather for me. They did ok in snow. Not great in sleet, but not much is. I’ve been impressed with reviews of the KO3.

[@DanielDaniel1]

My dad had a fwd RAV4 with ko2s and they were legitimately terrifying on such a light vehicle in the wet. Would light up the tires even from a soft start, but the hydroplaning was the real showstopper.

[@dalejones4322]

Great video guys. I've been wondering about the KO3s. This video sold me on them. When the KO2s are worn out the KO3s are next. Thanks guys

[@wblchzhd]

I had Toyo Open Country tires on our old Wrangler. They were also 3 snowflake rated and were great in the snow..

[@brahmstein]

In my LR3 grass, gravel snow is only useful on compact snow on roads. In any accumulation of snow the best option is sand. It’s allows more wheel spin but still applies brake to the wheel that starts spinning rapidly. Found that out quickly trying to wheel in a foot of snow in my backyard.

[@AlsDiRT]

Yep, my LR4 is the same - sand would have allowed the most wheel spin

[@TreatsOnTheStreets]

Same situation here with an LR3. The snow mode is great at making sure you don't slide or lose grip which is really only helpful on paved roads. Probably the safest to use on snow but not the best for getting through the deep stuff or up steep hills.

[@1dumpedviper]

Moved to SW Florida 5 years ago, would KILL to wheel in snow again, absolute heaven!

[@DanielDaniel1]

Shoutout to granger motors warranty. They’re legitimately a fantastic deal

[@JTSLJR]

Just look at the video, which one do you guys look best in? Easy choice plus if you got stuck which one would you rather sleep in ? I own both and the Defender is awesome. The Jeep is great but it will wear you out.

[@haanjamiis]

Tbh, grass, grave, snow is for slippery roads (highway) . For deep snow mud or sand programs are better. Tommy should now that by now :)

[@nicholassmith7048]

LR is even thoughtful enough to provide context for each mode. They just had to spend a few minutes to read it. As the saying goes: you can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

[@nevv8581]

Looked like a lot of fun. Good comparison and an honest review. The Jeep is very impressive with the K03’s!

[@TFLoffroad]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@goadventuregoexplore8588]

@TFLOffroad Did you have the Jeep in 4WL with the Falcons?

[@scoobygms210]

lol love how confident he says MAX TIRE for MT but all the tire manufactures say it stand for MUD TIRE

[@gordonchen9533]

Viewer request: Can you do a snow episode with a FWD car, like a civic (maybe in milder snow conditions of course)? Back before I bought an AWD, I struggled with figuring/learn out how to drive in snow with my FWD car. Watching you guys drive a 2WD in snow, and watching your thought processes, would've helped out a lot. Thanks!

[@tarfeef101]

Drove most of my Canadian life with 2wd sedans. All you need to do is: - get winter tires - slow down if you're slipping tires - if you start to slide, steer where you want to go and keep on the gas. Don't brake while turning and losing control, it'll get worse The first step and number 2 are the most important. 3 ideally you're not gonna need very much.

[@mediocreman2]

The only thing you really need with a Front Wheel Drive car is snow tires on all four corners and gentle steering, braking, and throttle inputs. And if you can, start out in second gear if you have a manual.

[@dailylife3975]

There are a lot of differences that can play a role between the two tires one is the ko2s could have a harder compound than the ko3s 2 air pressure you guys could have different air pressure and 3 you got two different kinds of tires on two different types of vehicles.

[@shawnconti8915]

How about running k03’s on the Defender, and doing this trail again.

[@MontysMotos]

KO2's (and 1's) are kinda notoriously bad in snow which is one reason I wouldn't consider them. Seems the 3's might be a good improvement.

[@malifestro3319]

When offroad in the snow, you want fresh snow on your tracks if you can and you want very very low tire pressure. Ideally you want to stay on the snow and not spin at all. If you spin you go down. If you go down you high center. Now if it's not all that deep like this then you can spin straight through if you want to. But snow on snow traction is the best.

[@tarfeef101]

In deep snow. With the amount they had, may as well have pizza cutters to get down to the dirt. Different conditions merit different approaches.

[@elizavala4347]

Taking the landrover. It does all my offroad needs and more than covers my comfort needs

[@JeremyHoutgoogleplus]

Cheap jeep with a winch all anyone really needs just wish it was really cheap

[@backwoodstherapy]

You can find them for about $30k on Autotrader. That’s for a 2 door sport with the Auto transmission. I bet this time next year you could get a closeout 2025 with the standard power windows and locks for about the same price.

[@williamdarico2369]

They are laying off a lot of workers at the Ohio plant that builds wranglers and Glatiators because off decline in sales they should cut there prices down to maintain better sales

[@cgee3999]

Fair shout, if you didn’t think the Land Rover would do it then don’t. No point damaging a vehicle! Even though I’ve put an order down on one😢

[@husshardan3511]

Case looking cool, Tommy looking like he's wearing his grandma's puffer jacket.

[@6226superhurricane]

"the defender would be better for day to day use with 5 seats and more storage" you know jeep make a wrangler unlimited that has 5 seats, more storage and still probably weighs and costs less than the defender right? in future if the first car struggles and the second one walks it, take the first one back down for another go to eliminate any doubt if it was a consequence of going first. in this case i'm sure it wasn't, but it needs to be done anyway.

[@avongil]

Would have liked to see you do that again in the defender in sand mode

[@jordanennis8592]

I don't know if there is a realistic budget for this but I would love to see a multiple tire review with different brands in the snow on the land rover or another vehicle of your choice

[@MrRaveDark]

Cutting trail in snow is always more challenging than following…

[@4X4Grandpa]

You guys can send that snow storm to PA, I miss it😭

[@SaltyDog69]

If you could only have one as a full time vehicle? Defender hands down.

[@Offshore1977]

It will still weigh 1,000lbs more

[@jacobshort5378]

You guys are lucky to get that snow, we haven't gotten any yet.

[@AndieBlack13]

Ever fit "Sand Paddles" when going thru snow?...virtually unstoppable...eight inches, twenty-four inches, no problem.

[@Jonatan_SE]

Cool video, looked like a lot of fun!

[@rodjones812]

It’s hard to beat a 2d Jeep. Bill is old school, like the only way they came in the 80’s. Had a few and they were a blast!

[@LebMotorsports]

Indeed

[@andrewsnow7386]

I'd love to see you test a true winter tire against those AT tires in snow conditions like that.

[@bryanhawkins836]

Tommy are you aware of the press and hold the traction control button in High range until it beeps it helps in some situations they explain what it does in the owners manual.

[@johncarter9964]

Try some dedicated ice tires like Blizzaks or arctic ice or winter masters as opposed to those KO twos or threes or whatever you try. I think you’ll be very surprised in the snow.

[@bigchiefer7135]

Mornings with TFL ☕️ 🤙🏼

[@TFLoffroad]

Morning!

[@royeinbar6116]

The single most important thing to do in snow is airing down.Your tyers look too inflated.8 psi will imrove your traction by 200 percent. For me the new defender is not a legit off road vehicle.

[@ronaldrrootiii6040]

I bet the defender on air suspension would have done a little better because of the articulation from the air suspension. A lot of people don't realize that the air suspension allows for more articulation by linking the airbags together left to right in the valve block via the cross valve. So when the height sensors detect the need for articulation it opens the center valve allowing air to travel from one bag to another to mimic articulation while the coil one is completely independent and knows nothing with the other side is doing. The solid axle on the Jeep probably helped it

[@lonerider5315]

Not when the bags are full.

[@rafaeldomenikos5978]

It might have more articulation on the standard height, but it has way less when it’s on the full height.

[@jabroni6199]

Air suspension makes it adjustable it does t add articulation for the most part. Especially compared to dual solid axle vehicle. What it can do, thanks to IFS/IRS and other geometric factors is maintain a better contact patch provided you don’t exceed the relatively limited articulation vs the jeep which will start riding nearer the edges of the tire.

[@Steve-yr5vi]

A lot of people don't buy them because they don't want to pay to have them fixed.

[@Salsgarageadventures]

Cmon guys!!!!! Sand mode on the defender!!!! Read the manual!!! Ggs is just for slippery flat road conditions!!!!! We've been through this with you guys before!

[@Ric757heavy]

Finally snow ❄️🌨️ videos and 4x4 😢

[@Eightball2516]

You should have lowered your tire pressure a little to get better traction I have the BF Goodrich trail terrain TAS they are awesome in the snow almost better then the ko3s

[@WW-wf8tu]

So, light weight jeep, KO'3 tires and you won't be out falling on your dirty chin pushing or trying to do recoveries. Noted. Mics were good in this video. Not muffled.

[@TheCapn23]

Tires are the most important factor for most performance metrics. Whether it's offroad, track, or efficient commuting.

[@timoliver8940]

Tommy/ Case - did you disable the DSC manually to prevent the power being cut? It also uses the amount of steering input when it’s on (the default setting) and will cut the power if you start doing rapid “full lock to full lock” type steering inputs as it thinks you are trying to crash the car? The other thing is in GGS and Mud and Ruts modes you get the option to to pull away using low traction launch control in the first page of the screen after selecting those modes - did you try using that option? I have a D250 6 cylinder 3.0ltr Defender 90 HSE with the air suspension pack and the offroad pack (optional locking rear diff) and in deep mud doing the above makes a big difference. FYI we don’t get snow like that here where I live in Central Scotland so I get no opportunities to explore deep snow performance, I have to make do with deep mud instead

[@mblake0420]

They are junk, modes are stupid

[@arnoudjanschut]

Would be interesting to see if all these electronic aids would beat a 4x4 with 3 lockers without any traction control.

[@PKDesigns2011]

Ty for sharing ... being prices have jumped so high that a Sport costs as much as a rubi use to ... a rear elocker would help tons in these lower end trims... @jeepDevelopmentWatchin 😉

[@tahirallawati3512]

From my experience Jeep is the best 4*4, however Land Rover is the best 4*4*FAR😅. Here in Oman we do sand dunes crossing where jeeps tend to breakdown a lot. I had an LR4 for 10 years (300k km) along with a JL Sahara for 2 years (20k km). Both had only center diff lock only. When stuck diagonally jeep’s traction control can’t take me out. However with the LR4 I would say 4 out of 5 times it will crawl it self out. I found that with LRs never floor the gas pedal and the vehicle will perform much better. Its traction control intervention will work to your advantage. Anyway I sold both vehicles and got the gladiator Robicon for 4 years (70k km) now and a defender for 3 years (35k km). To my surprise on all 4 vehicles with off-road use the jeeps were less reliable developing engine oil leaks and abs failures and other problems despite being all bought brand new and maintained at the dealer.

[@Al_Pollock]

It would be interesting to see the same 2 vehicles with the same sets of tyres but reversed and see just how much the tyre or vehicle was at play. What a disappointing end though.

[@ickna2002]

Snow mode is the land rover is not for snow wheeling it for driving on the snow on the road. Its to stop wheel spin and keep you on the road. When your snow wheeling you want wheel spin and to turn off DSC.

[@HeliRy]

The modes can be very deceiving with the Land Rover. I’ve owned an LR4 since new in 2012. Learned pretty quickly that the snow mode… it sucks in snow. It seems to prioritize safety over everything else. So as soon as it detects a loss of traction, it cuts power completely to prevent an uncontrolled slide. I’ve been in snow mode with the gas pedal floored… and no power was going to the wheels at all. No rpm change period. It just said “Nope!” and stayed at idle. Switched it into sand mode and it just walked out and away, no problems at all.

[@BillyBobTup]

Fantastic hard core testing! I can't help but wonder if some other/newer brands intended for off might have broke during that thrashing the Jeep was enduring. That was a ton of wheel spin and bumping ledges!

[@larzlarz1140]

Did you guys lower the tire pressure? If so, how low?

[@ronaldrrootiii6040]

As a Land Rover owner I like how they changed the name of "special programs off" the "comfort mode"😂 thats smart cuz it's true

[@nealesmith1873]

Modern stock Wranglers have amazing capability!

[@ShaunsJeep]

Was super happy about this video until they threw in the towel for the land rover. Whats the use in having a semi capable machine if you dont use it .

[@mech-E]

The smaller tires and lower pressure on the land rover will make a large difference especially with the higher vehicle weight.

[@reallyemptypockets6509]

World love to see results you would get with Blizzaks on🤔

[@chrisaquino4602]

Ummm can somebody say tire pressure?

[@chrisgraham477]

They just don't like the defender

[@djuell01]

I got new KO2s and it would be good to see how they're different than the KO3 on the Jeep.

[@golferpro1241]

Nice place to wheel! Really cool!

[@robervin9107]

Just wholesome family fun. Excellent job mica family. Five stars.

[@KemApak]

Love Jeeps but for the price unfortunately they do not make sense. Great video, thank you folks.

[@Javy1021]

All that defender needed is a real driver he drives like a scared girlfriend

[@tc1uscg65]

Heck, so many cool gee whiz screens and graphics on the Defender, by the time I figured out what I wanted to press, the snow would be melted, the mud dry. Problem solved. Great work Rover. /s Now, at the end of the day, in a crash, which one would you rather be in?

[@gavinsmith28]

Guys, low range doesn’t help in such a low traction environments if you’re slipping on all 4 wheels

[@solarcell07]

That Defender coil spring already softens with that weight..

[@JustinKingOffroad]

i'm eyeballing KO3 for my truck before 2025's winter sets in.

[@neiljanssens1486]

I'd love to see you guys take the red Jeep Liberty from the Cheap Jeep series. Gotta admit...those old Liberty jeeps are kinda growing on me. Lol

[@jedero8046]

I own a jeep Wrangler 2 door and a Land Rover Lr3. I love them both but I find the Jeep is best in DEEP snow and slushy roads. On dry pavement or gravel the Lr3 is incomparable.

[@billnorblat4047]

Not convinced it was the tire more than it was the mass and suspension difference.

[@rd4k04]

A basically useless comparison without KO3s on the defender.

[@tomoneal5627]

Wrong tires on both cars 😂

[@havinfun44884488]

Great video, would like to see how some Mickey Thompson Baja Boss do. Maybe with a 4Runner against the defender?? I hear the Baja Boss are good in the snow for 3 peak tires.

[@edwinlawrence7694]

U should have same tires or keep them factory when comparing capabilities

[@Moparornocar74]

I'd be curious how the Defender does on KO3's. Never been very impressed with the KO2 in snow, my go to AT is the General Grabber ATx they've been amazing in everything I've thrown at them and they are currently at 80,000km on them and they are still good

[@McGurble]

This is at least the second time you guys have said those wheels on the defender only "look" like steel wheels. They ARE steel wheels! Those are clearly the 18 inch wheels which are in fact steelies. They have another set of big 20 inch white wheels that are just aluminum knock offs of these.

[@seaneastman6323]

Fact, first snow break is harder . Da!

[@chucklucas5653]

Both tires and vehicles not a problem with chains.

[@ishmaelmoses]

Y u no use same tires?

[@crossroadadventures]

Did you guys lower the tire pressure? 😮 I also wonder if the rear locker option would have help the Defender on this snow situation, would love to see another Defender with rear lockers