this feels like the designer built the whole car as best as they possibly could, and still had a good $50-$75 of set budget to use, and they went ham with every single possible deluxe feature they could make :D
What I can’t get understand is why Lego would set the budget for a vehicle like this to $330 (Canadian). That’s an abnormal amount of money for these ‘creator expert’ vehicles and makes this set so unappealing.
@@astrobot3038 They've obviously decided that people with a bit less budget will buy one of the $150 sets, and people with more budget will buy the $330 set, meaning the maximum possible money for Lego regardless of who the customer is. But in this case it's a huge shame to see the model be so wasteful.
Thank you jang for reminding us that there are other hobbies out there besides lego - I feel like a question you ask that no one else seems to ask with these icons "adults only" sets is "would I be happy with a thing of this size if it wasnt made of lego?" It's a thought provoking question, which has helped me sharpen what I'm interested in, and hold off of buying things
I'm building it right now. I actually managed to get mine for FREE as a gift from a Range Rover dealer for the delays in them handing over our car (which was very nice of them indeed). You can't help but notice how accurate it is, it looks great! I love the way the seats are made, and technic aspect is very well integrated with the traditional bricks. A $200+ price tag is a bit steep, but the best lego 4x4 they've ever made so far imo.
This is super awesome! You're right, this is like a metal diecast model. I would love to see this vehicle be remade into a speed champion's version as well just because almost every speed champions car is a super car and it'd be nice to get some variety plus they already have the license to it.
I agree. literally the only trucks, or SUVS, or whatever, we've gotten are the Jaguar e-pace, Ford Bronco, and Lamborghini Urus. the Bronco's the only one that's close to "normal" also I guess technically the mini Countryman from the Mini 2-pack counts too.
100%, I also really want them to start doing speed champions sets on cars that are still iconic without necessarily being super expensive, and branching out beyond race cars
jang u are hands down one of the best creators on here. ur dedication to being an honest and objective reviewer and how ur always holding lego accountable for production errors despite their premium prices is remarkably refreshing. thank u for ur commitment to making this and all ur other channels safe environments for ur viewers. ive been watching ur vids for almost a decade. thank u for ur reviews mocs and everything else u do on these channels
Other Chanel’s seem to always avoid talking about a more ‘objective ‘ value and just blindly say that a multi hundred$ product is worth every pennie but jang keeps it real and tells you where it’s lacking and gives his to cents on the price witch I like
Your conclusion is pretty much spot-on! I do think it's a great model with just a few flaws. I'd say the windscreen is the biggest one, it's actually kinda ironic that they used a curved one while it should have been absolutely flat. And stickers are just unforgivable for a display model, especially at this price point. I do absolutely want the thing. But I will wait for a hefty discount....
Great review, Jang. This is a very nice looking LEGO model, but I actually own the Traxxas TRX-4M and it's loads of fun. Really happy you threw that in there. Lots of options for consumers.
Love to hear a landmark Jang rant about RC cars and the value of toys in contrast to Lego. I love lego, but it's good to be reminded that it's not the only way to enjoy things. And ending with a celebration of what's good about it, and the fact it is a set you love, it's great balance
An absolutely excellent review of a fantastic set. I cannot afford to buy this kind of Lego set but I really appreciate your effort to allow people like me appreciate Lego regardless.
I wasn't that fond of the model before but now I think it looks pretty great. Definitely well done designer. Only issue is the price, I would be okay with 200€ but the current price is just too much.
Another great review. This is how a review should be. Honesty about the insane pricing the Lego group does. Good job. Valuable lesson for other Lego RUclipsrs, especially the LAN ambassadors.
This reminded me of the early days when the JANG channel also talked about toys cars, as toys to have fun. 🙂 And I totally agree. It is a fantastic Lego set, but it's not unique. There are other options for a Land Rover model.
Wanted to also say - your comments on the end has got me legitimately interested in getting into RC. Your description of going to the park to drive around a car actually sounded really fun
It’s awesome you pointed out the TRX-4M It’s a sick 1/24th scale crawler! I own the regular TRX-4 Blazer with the light kit and a souped up SCX-10 II XJ, and it’s definitely a great hobby. Though an honest warning to everyone, it is an absolute money pit. You’ll get the truck, then you’ll see the light kit, then you’ll find the sick scale accessories, then you’ll see the sound kit. Then you’ll have spent almost 1k on your crawler 😂
@@JANGsLEGOreviews Ahhh, UltimateRC. It’s strange to think you’ve always been apart of my hobbies throughout my life, from watching you as a young boy gazing at Lego sets I would never get to own, to watching URC and your review on the Slash 4x4 when I was debating on what RC I should get, to now circling back and watching your set reviews as entertainment and using them as my 1# source of unbiased reviews on UCS/“Collectors” sets to make sure my money is worth being spent. Thanks for doing so much for the community, and thanks for giving me important information throughout the years. I appreciate you a lot, Jang!
Just wanted to let you know that this video has gotten me into RC. I love Lego, but you were very right about getting more out of something that is a better value. I also stumbled upon your old RC channel and can't imagine how frustrating it must be that you had to give most of that up because of where you live. Thank you for making great in depth content and I hope your channel continues to grow.
Thank you for speaking truth to pricing here, like... JEEZ it's wild. I do understand the lego purity, but like... it's plastic. It's printable plastic. I saw another person's video as well showing that you can basically buy EVERY Modular Building, including the retired ones, for a flat $125 each that works in system so... I respect it a lot Jang, thanks so much for reviewing these again!
Watching this video reminds me of when I was driving the military version of the Lannie Defender at work, and I pushed the clutch in to change gear and the clutch did not come back up with my foot 😂😂. Despite the £210 asking price, it’s a must-buy for me
Totally agree Jang. It's a great LEGO set, BUT BUT BUT, its so dang expensive. Brilliant comparison against the Traxxas RC Land Rover, which offers so much more for so much less. I hope this goes the way of the Table Football and is heavily discounted. I won't buy it until then.
A lot of good points made, and as valid as the seek other options are, subjectively it ultimately depends on exactly what you want. As someone who has virtually no interest in either RC/dicast/cemented assembly models, but still wants a sizable/semi functional east enough to assemble display model Lego just hits right. Given the piece count of the set, size, and variety of optional display parts/assemblies I feel $240 is more or less justified and the majority of people who buy this will only feel the full value when it's fully kitted out opposed to the stock version. T2 didn't have the customization attached to it but still felt decent in value for the 240 it cost. $330 though this time around feels absolutely insane as that doesn't reflect either the value of the build or piece count but that's mostly because of the crazy dollar conversion rate which is about $10 off but still a lot to ask for. Definitely going to use VIP points this time out.
Such a iconic car.Always when i see Land Rover vehicle reminds me on legendary Camel Trophy series of annual events.It was endurance race/event with crews from individual countries,and in that event they used exclusively Land Rover vehicles.That event was also special,because it was not all about winning the event,but about cooperation,fair play and teamwork among competitors,even though they were competing against each other,it doesn't matter.But,i doubt there is a many people who remembers that event.It was canceled for good a long time ago...Anyway,nice video!👍
Great review as always JANG! I love your point on the availability of non-Lego models. You’ve made me think about getting some cool model 911 instead of the Lego set.
Another great review, may have to buy 2 so I can build a 110. As a Defender owner I'm delighted to see that Lego have gotten the play in the steering almost perfect! 😉
I've never been into these big Lego cars, but this might be the first one I'm getting. If this thing is on Black Friday discount or something, it will definitely be going on my shelf.
Fully intend to get it as I love the expert car sets and I love off-roaders. Really like how they went the extra length to give it 4 link suspension. Plus this gives me hope they'll do something similar for the new Bronco.
About the last point. Sure there are other options if you want a model of this car, but no other options if you want a LEGO model of this car. With that said, this is 40 dollars more and 200 pieces less than the Creator Bookshop set, so that tells me it's too much, and you can get a much better value out of those 240$ somewhere else in the LEGO store.
When I like a Lego set, what I often do is: check the parts. When there are a bunch of parts I need for my mocs, I buy the set. Build the set for fun and inspiration. Break it up. Sell the parts I don't need via bricklink, and add the rest to my moc building collection. That is why I am interested in Lego and only Lego. I don't think I am one of only two. Which is why TLG makes so much profit.
Is it just me or is mounting a pickaxe/any of those other tools on the hood in front of the driver's seat just a recipe for disaster in a potential crash
I love how this looks but man I wish the extras came as an add-on pack. I was okay when they did it with the Mustang. A little less okay with the Porsche but still fine. This just has so much extra stuff that even though I want to display the plain version of it, I'll feel like I'm wasting my money and probably will end up displaying everything. I'll eventually get it but not until goes on a big sale. I used to be a day one person for these Creator Expert/Icons vehicles but I feel like I've been priced out. The Delorean and Camaro were at the max price for now for me so another price increase so soon was too much. I go the Camaro at £50 off and I might wait and see if I can do the same with this
Awesome review!! Thanks JANG! It looks exactly like a 1990 Land Rover Defender 90 to me. Exactly like the name suggests, not sure why people would think its not. I used to have one with chauffeur in the army :D
I have a Tamiya Toyota Land Cruiser semi-rock crawler RC with weighted soft tyres which looks great. Unfortunately it would make a great partner for this so I’m doomed to buy this too :)
Thanks for the review. That random minifig from a viewers perspective is technically the "repeating" minifig, saw him in the avatar review at least. I really don't care its just the scale minifig is one of the most significant attention draws when you use it because its not part of the set. Somehow.
You pretty much summed up my feelings towards this set, and this set pretty much seals it for me to move away from this series of builds. The Camaro was already expensive and had cost cutting with the stickers (which the past two sets, the Mustang had very few of and the Porsche 911 didn't have any of), which pushed me away. It had hefty discounts but the damage was already done. This Defender has the same flaws and is even more painfully expensive. It looks fantastic and I would fully deck it out with the stuff it comes with, not only cos I want to make the most of the pieces it comes with (and the huge expense it came with!), but I really like the whole "extreme ironing" look of 4x4s, like it is intentionally being used and driven for the purpose they're built for, but for even more hardcore offroading. But there is no way I will splash this much on a set that's this relatively small; it's not tiny by any means, but there's plenty far bigger and equally impressive sets for less than this, even if subject and tastes are variable. It's also DOUBLE the price of the Technic Ford GT, which is bigger. Yes, they're two different build styles and yes the Ford GT doesn't look anywhere near as nice as this Defender but that Ford GT feels like you get your money's worth; the Land Rover is very much on build experience, because of it's relatively small overall size. The only way I'd go for this is if some other retailer sells it and knocks about 30% off, but that's highly unlikely as these kinds of sets hardly get discounted much (except for the Camaro which has been discounted here and there by 20% and 33%)
I agree that this is too expensive. It should be $170-200 like the others. I love this model and I want it but I won't pay this much for this model and I will only buy it if I can get it on sale for the price it should have cost. The problem is that I would be even less likely to buy one of the other things you mentioned in this case. I would not be buying this because I want a Defender model no matter what it's made out of. I could just buy a little diecast car then if that was the case and save the most money possible. I collect and even build things besides Lego but in this case, I like it because its built out of Lego. That is the selling point. I just think that's neat to build something this complex out of bricks and the final product is cute. I don't know how else to describe Lego. It's just the right amount of realism. The remote control model might technically be more accurate but I don't care about those features and its not something I want to look at on a shelf. Anyways, Lego is a terrible greedy corporation (and they keep getting worse) that is testing the limits of its fans. It makes me sick. But the alternatives are not really an alternative for someone like me if what you are looking for is the lego style build and look. The only thing we can do is not buy at these outrageous prices.
@Jang You mentioned this is 1/12 scale which is what Hasbro claims their SW Black Series or GI Joe Classified are. I was wondering if one of those figures would fit inside or at the least, what it would look like next to it.
The price is on point with the piece count of ECTO-1. I would have preferred LEGO offer all the accessories as an upgrade pack. That’s a lot of extra stuff some people may not want.
Everything you say about the RC car vs. this model is true, but it feels like you're talking to 2 different people - one is a LEGO fan who's enjoying their hobby indoors, the other is an RC fan who is doing it outside as you point out. I wonder what the intersection of that Venn diagram is.
In Brickset’s recent interview with the set designer, it’s said that it was actually Land Rover’s request to include all the extra accessories. So I don’t think it’s fair to say that they were just included to meet a certain price threshold.
Did LEGO design the "clean" truck as a $190 USD product, take that to LR, and LR said "No, we will not allow this, we need you to cover it with every overlanding accessory that can possibly make sense, no matter how much it costs?" Did the designer create the best, most accurate, most detailed vehicle he could at its wheel-/tire-limited scale, but it didn't come close to the budget allocation and so LEGO approached LR for ideas to use up more parts and LR responded with a list of possible changes & add-ons? Were the accessory suggestions among pages of blue sky ideas submitted very early in the process, before LEGO chose a target retail price for the set to be designed to? These are just a few possibilities that could be inferred from the interview. While I don't believe there's ever an intent to mislead with LEGO's designer interview packages, keep in mind they are carefully worded materials released ultimately to help sell more product. They are not transcriptions of casual, off-the-cuff, no-holds-barred, real-time discussions between designers & fans. Instead, they are essentially extensions to the press release targeted more towards fan communities. You'll never see them talk about the realities of any consumer-unfriendly cost-cutting measures or high-level set design decisions that are made to increase profit margins per unit sold. This isn't a cynical take. LEGO a business, they need to be successful to survive & thrive, and the LAN is factually a marketing group. It exists to tell consumers why they should always be happy to buy more, not less.
Luckily, I'm stupid so I'm going to get this when I can, though the traxxas TRX 4 is a great RC car that's fully upgradable. Also I believe the roof on this model might just be a standard roof, though there is a similar roof style that was made known as the safari roof, though they were most common on the series 2 and 3 land rovers.
Think that lego set is not sure what year it is based on, as the interior and bonnet bulge looks to be from a late defender, the first engine and rear seats looked to be based on an early 90
thanks for this awfully great review. I almost went for this at half way through the video then decide not to spend on something I really don't want and save myself from fomo.
I think that they chose the wrong customizing options. The accesories are cool but not in scale with the car and the structures for holding them are ugly. I like the model without the accesories but the windshield is not flat, the A pillars are a ridiculous sticker when they should be thick, the wheels are ugly... I would have chosen a roof tent, or the pickup version wich is really cool(with the accesories at the back) as customization options. And of course the price is too high. Is the same price of the new UCS xwing.
I on the other hand compare this to the Almost Real 1:18 model. And, for once, in this case the Lego wins over the diecast model for me. Similar price, but way bigger and with the satisfaction of building it, plus making the different versions. It would be nice to hace it in Camel colours as well...
I like the model, it's like the perfect combination of creator and technic. Sadly, I agree with you about the price, lego can get pretty greedy with some models, even consider 2023.
I want the set, but have a hard time chewing the $240 price tag... sure, it may have been designed to that budget, but would rather have lost some of the roof accessories for a cheaper model, or for Lego to have a more static price for these sets with a little flexibility in part count. Will look out for sales on this....
I see eye to eye with how you broke it down. I think @RacingBrick touched on similar sentiments in regards to the accessories that clutter up the set and much more affordable options out there especially in the Technic line. It is nice to have other options with Lego vehicles and they bring in new fans looking for a hobby with every new car they put out. There's a huge market for Lego cars for many reasons. Ultimately it comes down to the individual paying for the premium 18+ Lego experience which is where the magic really lies. At the end of the day it's only worth as much as what people are willing to pay for it. For myself, the fragile build, the extra accessories and the absurd price are enough to make me happy to wait for Rivendell instead. That set is going to leave many people eating ramen noodles. : (
I have ten of the creator expert cars but after the last price increase I might be done. The Camero was kind of boring to me but these things just aren't worth $170+. If I didn't already have the Technic Land Rover I might consider this base version for $170 but I don't want all this other crap. They could have just included instructions for building the accessories as an online download to build with your own parts. I'm increasingly voting with my wallet because chunks of plastic just aren't worth this much and honestly the planet can do with less plastic anyway.
I don't think I ever saw another Lego vehicle that is sooo well detailed! This is way amazing and you can change the look of it in many ways, so many accessoiries that goes with it, interior is amazing as well, lots to see. But the price? Holy smokes! And here in Canada, it's 100$ more?! Why do we always get the short end of the stick? Not fair if you ask me. Anyway, it's still a great looking Defender for sure, just about perfect detail-wise, if you can afford it of course, thanks for the review, Jang!
You're not nitpicking when you're pointing out the visible, blue technic pins. You've paied a premium price and shouldn't have to deal with such silliness, especially in a set made to be a showpiece.
I like the look of it without all the accessories attached ONLY, which is why I really don't want to buy this at all. It is $370 Australian, $40 more than the Technic defender which had a full working gearbox (and about 200 pieces more). Last years Expert car didn't wow me, and nor does this, so my affinity for these 1:10 or 1:12 scale cars has definitely waned. Sorry, but you're losing me, Lego.
I feel the same about the accessories. They look good but I wanted a plain one to display. I know if I get this, I'll feel like I have to put them all on or I'll be wasting money paying for parts I've just left in a bag
I really don’t like what they’re doing at the moment when making these good looking sets and then adding a whole bunch of “extras” that just boost the price
"There's a ton of slop in the steering" Glad to see the set designer took that into consideration and made it accurate to the real thing.
this feels like the designer built the whole car as best as they possibly could, and still had a good $50-$75 of set budget to use, and they went ham with every single possible deluxe feature they could make :D
edit: i just got to the end of the video and u said the same thing XD sorry for the redundant comment
What I can’t get understand is why Lego would set the budget for a vehicle like this to $330 (Canadian). That’s an abnormal amount of money for these ‘creator expert’ vehicles and makes this set so unappealing.
@@astrobot3038 They've obviously decided that people with a bit less budget will buy one of the $150 sets, and people with more budget will buy the $330 set, meaning the maximum possible money for Lego regardless of who the customer is. But in this case it's a huge shame to see the model be so wasteful.
Great to see lego making more sets based on British culture that aren’t just double decker buses and telephone boxes
I bet part of that is down to the worlds biggest Lego shop opening in Leicester Square.
Can't wait for the beans on toast set
17:08
The fact that it's driving over Lego pieces (or a clone brand) is the nicest of little touches.
Thank you jang for reminding us that there are other hobbies out there besides lego - I feel like a question you ask that no one else seems to ask with these icons "adults only" sets is "would I be happy with a thing of this size if it wasnt made of lego?" It's a thought provoking question, which has helped me sharpen what I'm interested in, and hold off of buying things
I'm building it right now. I actually managed to get mine for FREE as a gift from a Range Rover dealer for the delays in them handing over our car (which was very nice of them indeed). You can't help but notice how accurate it is, it looks great! I love the way the seats are made, and technic aspect is very well integrated with the traditional bricks. A $200+ price tag is a bit steep, but the best lego 4x4 they've ever made so far imo.
This is super awesome! You're right, this is like a metal diecast model. I would love to see this vehicle be remade into a speed champion's version as well just because almost every speed champions car is a super car and it'd be nice to get some variety plus they already have the license to it.
I agree. literally the only trucks, or SUVS, or whatever, we've gotten are the Jaguar e-pace, Ford Bronco, and Lamborghini Urus. the Bronco's the only one that's close to "normal"
also I guess technically the mini Countryman from the Mini 2-pack counts too.
100%, I also really want them to start doing speed champions sets on cars that are still iconic without necessarily being super expensive, and branching out beyond race cars
jang u are hands down one of the best creators on here. ur dedication to being an honest and objective reviewer and how ur always holding lego accountable for production errors despite their premium prices is remarkably refreshing. thank u for ur commitment to making this and all ur other channels safe environments for ur viewers. ive been watching ur vids for almost a decade. thank u for ur reviews mocs and everything else u do on these channels
Other Chanel’s seem to always avoid talking about a more ‘objective ‘ value and just blindly say that a multi hundred$ product is worth every pennie but jang keeps it real and tells you where it’s lacking and gives his to cents on the price witch I like
The jerry can design is genuinely my favorite part of the build. It just looks so darn good!
Your conclusion is pretty much spot-on! I do think it's a great model with just a few flaws. I'd say the windscreen is the biggest one, it's actually kinda ironic that they used a curved one while it should have been absolutely flat. And stickers are just unforgivable for a display model, especially at this price point. I do absolutely want the thing. But I will wait for a hefty discount....
Great review, Jang. This is a very nice looking LEGO model, but I actually own the Traxxas TRX-4M and it's loads of fun. Really happy you threw that in there. Lots of options for consumers.
"Hi, JANG here with UltimateRC, and this is my review of the Traxxas TRX-4M."
I'm not a huge car guy, but I am a Lego fan. I have to say, this is one of the best sets Lego has made in recent years
They'd never do it, but I wish Lego would let you buy a base config of a icons car and sell $20-50 add-on packs.
Love to hear a landmark Jang rant about RC cars and the value of toys in contrast to Lego. I love lego, but it's good to be reminded that it's not the only way to enjoy things. And ending with a celebration of what's good about it, and the fact it is a set you love, it's great balance
An absolutely excellent review of a fantastic set.
I cannot afford to buy this kind of Lego set but I really appreciate your effort to allow people like me appreciate Lego regardless.
I wasn't that fond of the model before but now I think it looks pretty great. Definitely well done designer. Only issue is the price, I would be okay with 200€ but the current price is just too much.
The Lego designers managed to create a vehicle here that simply looks like the real thing with all the details
Another great review. This is how a review should be. Honesty about the insane pricing the Lego group does. Good job. Valuable lesson for other Lego RUclipsrs, especially the LAN ambassadors.
This vehicle was done very well in LEGO, SO SCALE! Thanks for this awesome review!
This reminded me of the early days when the JANG channel also talked about toys cars, as toys to have fun. 🙂
And I totally agree. It is a fantastic Lego set, but it's not unique. There are other options for a Land Rover model.
This set has a personal touch as I’m from Solihull in the uk and the factory where this was made is about 2 miles away
Wanted to also say - your comments on the end has got me legitimately interested in getting into RC. Your description of going to the park to drive around a car actually sounded really fun
omg is this the spiritual return of URC? great to hear you reference RCs in any capacity
The slop in the steering is authentic to the vehicle 😊
I really do like the inclusion of the trailer hitch, though it needs to be more robust.
It’s awesome you pointed out the TRX-4M
It’s a sick 1/24th scale crawler! I own the regular TRX-4 Blazer with the light kit and a souped up SCX-10 II XJ, and it’s definitely a great hobby. Though an honest warning to everyone, it is an absolute money pit. You’ll get the truck, then you’ll see the light kit, then you’ll find the sick scale accessories, then you’ll see the sound kit. Then you’ll have spent almost 1k on your crawler 😂
Having owned over 700 RCs in ~12 years at last count, I can fully confirm this! {turns around, thinks about his LEGO city room, hangs head in shame}
@@JANGsLEGOreviews Ahhh, UltimateRC. It’s strange to think you’ve always been apart of my hobbies throughout my life, from watching you as a young boy gazing at Lego sets I would never get to own, to watching URC and your review on the Slash 4x4 when I was debating on what RC I should get, to now circling back and watching your set reviews as entertainment and using them as my 1# source of unbiased reviews on UCS/“Collectors” sets to make sure my money is worth being spent.
Thanks for doing so much for the community, and thanks for giving me important information throughout the years. I appreciate you a lot, Jang!
Just wanted to let you know that this video has gotten me into RC. I love Lego, but you were very right about getting more out of something that is a better value. I also stumbled upon your old RC channel and can't imagine how frustrating it must be that you had to give most of that up because of where you live. Thank you for making great in depth content and I hope your channel continues to grow.
So glad you bring up the Traxxas. Great points mate.
Thank you for speaking truth to pricing here, like... JEEZ it's wild. I do understand the lego purity, but like... it's plastic. It's printable plastic. I saw another person's video as well showing that you can basically buy EVERY Modular Building, including the retired ones, for a flat $125 each that works in system so... I respect it a lot Jang, thanks so much for reviewing these again!
Watching this video reminds me of when I was driving the military version of the Lannie Defender at work, and I pushed the clutch in to change gear and the clutch did not come back up with my foot 😂😂. Despite the £210 asking price, it’s a must-buy for me
This review was worth waiting for. The base model, without accessories, is beautiful. I'd pay $100 for it. Will I pay $240 for it? Hell no.
Totally agree Jang. It's a great LEGO set, BUT BUT BUT, its so dang expensive. Brilliant comparison against the Traxxas RC Land Rover, which offers so much more for so much less. I hope this goes the way of the Table Football and is heavily discounted. I won't buy it until then.
A lot of good points made, and as valid as the seek other options are, subjectively it ultimately depends on exactly what you want. As someone who has virtually no interest in either RC/dicast/cemented assembly models, but still wants a sizable/semi functional east enough to assemble display model Lego just hits right. Given the piece count of the set, size, and variety of optional display parts/assemblies I feel $240 is more or less justified and the majority of people who buy this will only feel the full value when it's fully kitted out opposed to the stock version. T2 didn't have the customization attached to it but still felt decent in value for the 240 it cost. $330 though this time around feels absolutely insane as that doesn't reflect either the value of the build or piece count but that's mostly because of the crazy dollar conversion rate which is about $10 off but still a lot to ask for. Definitely going to use VIP points this time out.
Hey you snuck in and RC car awesome,love your Lego stuff.but I do miss the RC channel!
Such a iconic car.Always when i see Land Rover vehicle reminds me on legendary Camel Trophy series of annual events.It was endurance race/event with crews from individual countries,and in that event they used exclusively Land Rover vehicles.That event was also special,because it was not all about winning the event,but about cooperation,fair play and teamwork among competitors,even though they were competing against each other,it doesn't matter.But,i doubt there is a many people who remembers that event.It was canceled for good a long time ago...Anyway,nice video!👍
Great review as always JANG! I love your point on the availability of non-Lego models. You’ve made me think about getting some cool model 911 instead of the Lego set.
Another great review, may have to buy 2 so I can build a 110. As a Defender owner I'm delighted to see that Lego have gotten the play in the steering almost perfect! 😉
I would love to see a 1978 Ford bronco in this build ❤ love your work Jang and the channel
If I ever DO get that, I'm definitely turning it into the Sniper's camper van.
I've never been into these big Lego cars, but this might be the first one I'm getting. If this thing is on Black Friday discount or something, it will definitely be going on my shelf.
Fully intend to get it as I love the expert car sets and I love off-roaders. Really like how they went the extra length to give it 4 link suspension.
Plus this gives me hope they'll do something similar for the new Bronco.
About the last point. Sure there are other options if you want a model of this car, but no other options if you want a LEGO model of this car. With that said, this is 40 dollars more and 200 pieces less than the Creator Bookshop set, so that tells me it's too much, and you can get a much better value out of those 240$ somewhere else in the LEGO store.
TBF there is the technic version. Even a brand new one on bricklink is significantly cheaper than this
@@RealUlrichLeland and that's a retired set so those prices are even better. I got that set for £100 on sale about a year ago
I'm one of the people who had no idea what the sand ladders were, Googled them and laughed out loud. Well played, LEGO.
When I like a Lego set, what I often do is: check the parts. When there are a bunch of parts I need for my mocs, I buy the set. Build the set for fun and inspiration. Break it up. Sell the parts I don't need via bricklink, and add the rest to my moc building collection. That is why I am interested in Lego and only Lego. I don't think I am one of only two. Which is why TLG makes so much profit.
Is it just me or is mounting a pickaxe/any of those other tools on the hood in front of the driver's seat just a recipe for disaster in a potential crash
This just makes me love my olive green Technic version from a few years ago even more!
I love how this looks but man I wish the extras came as an add-on pack. I was okay when they did it with the Mustang. A little less okay with the Porsche but still fine. This just has so much extra stuff that even though I want to display the plain version of it, I'll feel like I'm wasting my money and probably will end up displaying everything. I'll eventually get it but not until goes on a big sale. I used to be a day one person for these Creator Expert/Icons vehicles but I feel like I've been priced out. The Delorean and Camaro were at the max price for now for me so another price increase so soon was too much. I go the Camaro at £50 off and I might wait and see if I can do the same with this
I'm so glad you explained what the sand ladders were... I totally forgot those exist
The hood bulge is for the Ford produced turbo diesel, earlier turbo diesels and NA diesels and V8s didn’t require.
Awesome review!! Thanks JANG! It looks exactly like a 1990 Land Rover Defender 90 to me. Exactly like the name suggests, not sure why people would think its not. I used to have one with chauffeur in the army :D
It would have been much nicer if they made the gas cans red and the tool box black, gunmetal, or grey
The set just explodes with extra things.
Really insightful review. I hope soon Lego gets the insentive not just to offer competitive products but competitive pricing as well
Wish they’d sell just a standard diesel one without all the extra kit
I have a Tamiya Toyota Land Cruiser semi-rock crawler RC with weighted soft tyres which looks great. Unfortunately it would make a great partner for this so I’m doomed to buy this too :)
It’s good to know that you have the option to decide what side the steering wheel goes on.
Adore that toolbox, it reminds me of my dad's toolbox!
I would buy it then set it up on my subwoofer speaker with the rest of my collection scattered about, I like it
Thanks for the review. That random minifig from a viewers perspective is technically the "repeating" minifig, saw him in the avatar review at least. I really don't care its just the scale minifig is one of the most significant attention draws when you use it because its not part of the set. Somehow.
A very well designed and sturdy set. Thanks for the review!
You pretty much summed up my feelings towards this set, and this set pretty much seals it for me to move away from this series of builds. The Camaro was already expensive and had cost cutting with the stickers (which the past two sets, the Mustang had very few of and the Porsche 911 didn't have any of), which pushed me away. It had hefty discounts but the damage was already done.
This Defender has the same flaws and is even more painfully expensive. It looks fantastic and I would fully deck it out with the stuff it comes with, not only cos I want to make the most of the pieces it comes with (and the huge expense it came with!), but I really like the whole "extreme ironing" look of 4x4s, like it is intentionally being used and driven for the purpose they're built for, but for even more hardcore offroading.
But there is no way I will splash this much on a set that's this relatively small; it's not tiny by any means, but there's plenty far bigger and equally impressive sets for less than this, even if subject and tastes are variable. It's also DOUBLE the price of the Technic Ford GT, which is bigger. Yes, they're two different build styles and yes the Ford GT doesn't look anywhere near as nice as this Defender but that Ford GT feels like you get your money's worth; the Land Rover is very much on build experience, because of it's relatively small overall size.
The only way I'd go for this is if some other retailer sells it and knocks about 30% off, but that's highly unlikely as these kinds of sets hardly get discounted much (except for the Camaro which has been discounted here and there by 20% and 33%)
Nice design, if they created the 4 door open top SAS version, either the 109 (pink) or 110 (sand), I would put some dollars down for that.
I agree that this is too expensive. It should be $170-200 like the others. I love this model and I want it but I won't pay this much for this model and I will only buy it if I can get it on sale for the price it should have cost. The problem is that I would be even less likely to buy one of the other things you mentioned in this case. I would not be buying this because I want a Defender model no matter what it's made out of. I could just buy a little diecast car then if that was the case and save the most money possible. I collect and even build things besides Lego but in this case, I like it because its built out of Lego. That is the selling point. I just think that's neat to build something this complex out of bricks and the final product is cute. I don't know how else to describe Lego. It's just the right amount of realism. The remote control model might technically be more accurate but I don't care about those features and its not something I want to look at on a shelf. Anyways, Lego is a terrible greedy corporation (and they keep getting worse) that is testing the limits of its fans. It makes me sick. But the alternatives are not really an alternative for someone like me if what you are looking for is the lego style build and look. The only thing we can do is not buy at these outrageous prices.
@Jang You mentioned this is 1/12 scale which is what Hasbro claims their SW Black Series or GI Joe Classified are. I was wondering if one of those figures would fit inside or at the least, what it would look like next to it.
The price is on point with the piece count of ECTO-1. I would have preferred LEGO offer all the accessories as an upgrade pack. That’s a lot of extra stuff some people may not want.
One day Lego will make the technic pins match the color of the kit like for this one sand green pins to match the sand green of this vehicle
RC Jang, baby.
Everything you say about the RC car vs. this model is true, but it feels like you're talking to 2 different people - one is a LEGO fan who's enjoying their hobby indoors, the other is an RC fan who is doing it outside as you point out. I wonder what the intersection of that Venn diagram is.
I mean, a whole lot of micro RC crawler/scaler folks do all of their driving indoors! I get what you mean though, yeah.
In Brickset’s recent interview with the set designer, it’s said that it was actually Land Rover’s request to include all the extra accessories. So I don’t think it’s fair to say that they were just included to meet a certain price threshold.
Did LEGO design the "clean" truck as a $190 USD product, take that to LR, and LR said "No, we will not allow this, we need you to cover it with every overlanding accessory that can possibly make sense, no matter how much it costs?" Did the designer create the best, most accurate, most detailed vehicle he could at its wheel-/tire-limited scale, but it didn't come close to the budget allocation and so LEGO approached LR for ideas to use up more parts and LR responded with a list of possible changes & add-ons? Were the accessory suggestions among pages of blue sky ideas submitted very early in the process, before LEGO chose a target retail price for the set to be designed to? These are just a few possibilities that could be inferred from the interview.
While I don't believe there's ever an intent to mislead with LEGO's designer interview packages, keep in mind they are carefully worded materials released ultimately to help sell more product. They are not transcriptions of casual, off-the-cuff, no-holds-barred, real-time discussions between designers & fans. Instead, they are essentially extensions to the press release targeted more towards fan communities. You'll never see them talk about the realities of any consumer-unfriendly cost-cutting measures or high-level set design decisions that are made to increase profit margins per unit sold. This isn't a cynical take. LEGO a business, they need to be successful to survive & thrive, and the LAN is factually a marketing group. It exists to tell consumers why they should always be happy to buy more, not less.
Luckily, I'm stupid so I'm going to get this when I can, though the traxxas TRX 4 is a great RC car that's fully upgradable. Also I believe the roof on this model might just be a standard roof, though there is a similar roof style that was made known as the safari roof, though they were most common on the series 2 and 3 land rovers.
Think that lego set is not sure what year it is based on, as the interior and bonnet bulge looks to be from a late defender, the first engine and rear seats looked to be based on an early 90
thanks for this awfully great review. I almost went for this at half way through the video then decide not to spend on something I really don't want and save myself from fomo.
Would have been better to have 110" wheelbase option. Would have suited all the accessories better. But still too expensive.
I love my TRX4M!😊
Huh, didn't know I liked this set as much as I do! Its great!
I think that they chose the wrong customizing options. The accesories are cool but not in scale with the car and the structures for holding them are ugly.
I like the model without the accesories but the windshield is not flat, the A pillars are a ridiculous sticker when they should be thick, the wheels are ugly...
I would have chosen a roof tent, or the pickup version wich is really cool(with the accesories at the back) as customization options.
And of course the price is too high. Is the same price of the new UCS xwing.
That price is insane. I picked up the Lego Technic Defender from Argos for £110 in December. This is twice the price for a smaller, simpler set.
I on the other hand compare this to the Almost Real 1:18 model. And, for once, in this case the Lego wins over the diecast model for me. Similar price, but way bigger and with the satisfaction of building it, plus making the different versions. It would be nice to hace it in Camel colours as well...
I like the model, it's like the perfect combination of creator and technic. Sadly, I agree with you about the price, lego can get pretty greedy with some models, even consider 2023.
God that’s a sexy car, it really does look amazing
Can’t even be mad about the price (but yes, it’s *very* expensive)
build to a price - ok. Theme like icons vehicles would be preferred to be stable though so people can plan..
Correct hand drive, is it a Jeremy Clarkson reference? 😂😂😂
Awesome review 👍
There’s more to this than I thought!
Excellent design!
This is so cool!
I want the set, but have a hard time chewing the $240 price tag... sure, it may have been designed to that budget, but would rather have lost some of the roof accessories for a cheaper model, or for Lego to have a more static price for these sets with a little flexibility in part count. Will look out for sales on this....
I see eye to eye with how you broke it down. I think @RacingBrick touched on similar sentiments in regards to the accessories that clutter up the set and much more affordable options out there especially in the Technic line. It is nice to have other options with Lego vehicles and they bring in new fans looking for a hobby with every new car they put out. There's a huge market for Lego cars for many reasons. Ultimately it comes down to the individual paying for the premium 18+ Lego experience which is where the magic really lies. At the end of the day it's only worth as much as what people are willing to pay for it. For myself, the fragile build, the extra accessories and the absurd price are enough to make me happy to wait for Rivendell instead. That set is going to leave many people eating ramen noodles. : (
I have ten of the creator expert cars but after the last price increase I might be done. The Camero was kind of boring to me but these things just aren't worth $170+. If I didn't already have the Technic Land Rover I might consider this base version for $170 but I don't want all this other crap. They could have just included instructions for building the accessories as an online download to build with your own parts. I'm increasingly voting with my wallet because chunks of plastic just aren't worth this much and honestly the planet can do with less plastic anyway.
now we just need an 08 4runner
HEY JANG!!
I don't think I ever saw another Lego vehicle that is sooo well detailed! This is way amazing and you can change the look of it in many ways, so many accessoiries that goes with it, interior is amazing as well, lots to see. But the price? Holy smokes! And here in Canada, it's 100$ more?! Why do we always get the short end of the stick? Not fair if you ask me. Anyway, it's still a great looking Defender for sure, just about perfect detail-wise, if you can afford it of course, thanks for the review, Jang!
The US price is $240 USD and the CA price is $245 USD. We both have sales taxes. That price difference is absolutely negligible.
@@JANGsLEGOreviews I'm sorry, but I think you said it was 330$ CA, at 14:55 in the video, unless it was a mistake, but that's OK. ☺
Correct. 330 Canadian Dollars. Go to any currency converter, it equals ~245 US Dollars.
Ah! OK, thanks for the clarification. :)
You're not nitpicking when you're pointing out the visible, blue technic pins. You've paied a premium price and shouldn't have to deal with such silliness, especially in a set made to be a showpiece.
I like the look of it without all the accessories attached ONLY, which is why I really don't want to buy this at all. It is $370 Australian, $40 more than the Technic defender which had a full working gearbox (and about 200 pieces more). Last years Expert car didn't wow me, and nor does this, so my affinity for these 1:10 or 1:12 scale cars has definitely waned. Sorry, but you're losing me, Lego.
I feel the same about the accessories. They look good but I wanted a plain one to display. I know if I get this, I'll feel like I have to put them all on or I'll be wasting money paying for parts I've just left in a bag
I really don’t like what they’re doing at the moment when making these good looking sets and then adding a whole bunch of “extras” that just boost the price
not a thing i would ever buy, but good lord its a nice looking set, price is just too dang high
I’m curious much this would cost if it was all technic - I feel like that would be cheaper and look good still
Great review. Thank for sharing.
Me through the video 🙂😀😃😁😲
Me in the last part 😶