AEV - Couldn't help myself

Hey guys. As far as conversion...it was a quick grab word and doesn't articulate the true nature of AEV. I have never been a fan of the Jeep simply because it lacked luxury and comfort...and simply put, straight out of the box it's about as capable as an LR3 without any of the added creature comforts.

AEV is a dedicated Overland company that takes jeeps straight from the factory and adds their suspension, bumpers, wheels and so on to the vehicle. They've fined tuned the suspension for very specific characteristics. Consequently they've managed to eliminate the negatives while creating a monster off road vehicle. Additionally, they take into consideration EVERYTHING else that may be affected by any modification, and they bolster, change, or fabricate appropriate parts with the correct geometry.

The company is endorsed by Jeep and a vehicle purchased through them or a dealer is warrantied as a new vehicle under OEM warranty policies. Every AEV is marked with a ID inside the door and consequently Scott Brady at Overland Journal is a big believer in the vehicles longevity and capabilities.

Capability wise, this thing will destroy an LR3 off road...actually, it would destroy my old modded Disco. It has every creature comfort my LR3 has and believe it or not, it's more comfortable on the washboard roads. I WAS SURPRISED. A standard Rubicon is none of these...it will have the added tech gadgets most cars have, but the LR3 is far more comfy.

Getting an AEV is a lot like getting an M3, or a Shelby, or an AMG...it's that much different in performance and quality.

My primary off road vehicle will be the AEV, but I'm keeping the LR3 as I'm still Rover at heart. The only thing that saddens me, is that I believe Rover has moved away from the true hard core off road market (Defender) and Jeep is one that has kept one model in the game.

The Jeep interiors have come a long way. Anyway, Youtube AEV if you're curious how "bolt on" they are.

Take note, I got rid of the Range Rover and not the LR3...I believe the LR3 will always have a place in my outdoor excursions.

Its still not a factory vehicle. I will admit new land rover vehicles dont reflect what that jeep is doing there. But claiming that jeep is stock from the factory is a large stretch from truth. The point is made in the o.p. post describing the AEV geometry corrections, and host of expensive mods this company makes to the vehicle. My 04 dII stuffs the tires close to that pic and its stock.

The width of a jeep does more to hurt it through the woods in my area than how well it stuffs the tires. Im sure it is a little more stable off road. As long is its wide open.My disco with heated seats and highway prowess will run down a four wheeler trail through pine trees after doin 90 on the hwy to get there.

There no comparison in my opinion. And that is not a representation of a stock jeep to out do a modified disco. Its a representation of more readily available mod packages and attention given in our u.s. I still like and respect the jeep. Its just not what your saying it is. Its just the list of crap I need to do to my rover financed into a loan. Convenience and demand made that package possible.

Now wheres the LR4 conversion package. I guess that what happens when rappers start to take over the target audience. I guess they pay more money.

was out of pocket...Army field training = not fun

Hey guys, so like any good grown man would do, I play with my new toys and forsake all others until that new toy becomes familiar. I think now I have a better feel for the AEV vs Rover. Honestly, and I think someone above mentioned it already (soccer mom comment), the AEV is the evil twisted version of a normal Rubicon. As stated above, it IS NOT STOCK, however all of their components were created in harmony with Chrysler in order to insure you don't end up with an "out of the box bolt-on conversion", and so the overall handling is better than a normal Rubi, both on and off road. This is the off road version of an AMG essentially (yes you can get it with the Hemi...no I did not...not for $90k).

That said, there's no way I would choose a stock Rubi over a Rover...not a chance, not even over a Disco...definitely not since the two are probably closer build-wise with solid axles.

That said, I would choose an AEV over a Rover only because this is pretty much the dream build many of us have been after with our Discos. Try as I might with LR3, it won't attain the suspension flex or crawl (without tire spin) like a well built locked vehicle.

No offense Disco Biscuit, but a stock Disco II does not have the flex of the AEV...or my modded Disco for the matter. I'm not sure you realize how big that vehicle is (lift wise), but even I was surprised how large it is with this build, hence it's difficult to look at the pic and fully grasp the droop.

Here's my Disco (R.I.P) after the Rovertym lift and Fox 14" shock install. If you scroll to the top of the thread, you can see that the flex is close in comparison. If my stock Disco performed like this, I sure as heck would not have put a 4" lift on it and longer shocks. Regardless, the Disco is great either way and we mod for our intended purpose:





I am definitely not knocking a stock Disco, as these are probably some of the most versatile stock 4x4s out there that offer great comfort, cargo capacity, and overall capability. In my mind, the Disco was the last great Rover, beside early Ranges and Defenders.

After I modded my Disco I would say it came close to the AEV flex. On that note, I would offer that anyone with a Disco I/II w/CDL and locked front and rear...and decent articulation would have essentially an AEV equivalent in "aggressive" off road capability. Here's the kicker! While AEV could increase drivability, the Rubi's lack of cargo space is a bummer.

In the LR3 I can lay the rear seats down and sleep fully extended in the back (I'm 5'9"). In the Rubi I have to bend my knees slightly. While I don't make a habit of sleeping in my vehicle, I had to during my last field problem. I started off in the Rover but ended up having to take it back home because the sun roof got stuck in the open position (Rover quirks) and we were expecting snow...which we got here in Colorado last week.

So now I'm planning a Utah trip in the next 3 weeks and I'm wishing I had the room of my LR3 but the capability of my AEV. I guess I'm missing my Disco. Unfortunately I couldn't justify maintenance on her anymore. The last year I owned her I spent well over $5k just keeping her running in perfect condition. When I got back from Afghanistan I just couldn't see doing that anymore.

More about the LR3. Definitely far more comfortable!!!! After driving the Jeep for almost 2 weeks straight, I jumped in my Rover to grab some things this last weekend and was pleasantly reminded of why I've owned Rovers for so long. While the Jeep has all the goodies my Rover has inside, it doesn't have air suspension, and you don't realize how much abuse those things hide until you switch back and forth from springs to air shocks.

Here's where I'm at with everything. I love my Rovers and will not part with my LR3, she's elegant and calm under pressure. The Rover can handle trails rated 1-6 (could probably go 7...but I like my paint), and carry plenty of gear...plus it just looks cool as hell. Unfortunately reliability is not at the top of the list. While not the most unreliable, if I had to choose a vehicle to take on the remote regions of Utah (Smokey Mt. Road...etc), I'm going with something that has fewer things that when they fail it's game over (shocks).

The AEV has its place in Overlanding, and perhaps better suited for the "extreme Overlander" who intends to take on some very serious terrain vs. just serious terrain. While the two have overlapping roles, I don't feel there's a real comparison and the Rover excels at many things the Jeep (AEV or not) just cannot be. I would caveat this by stating that a heavily modded Disco would also fall into the same dilemma as the AEV. Once you cross a certain threshold you gain something and you lose something. I think AEV does this a little better only because they've worked so closely with the manufacturer.

At the end of the day, the Rover is by far the best stock 4x4 out there. I would say that any modded solid axel Rover is easily a competitor with an AEV, but the only real question is...do you want all the bells and whistles (bluetooth music and phone, SAT radio, etc) or is strictly about the added performance. This is where AEV moves slightly in front of the modded older Rovers.

If Rover would retain a solid axel model that we could easily mod and it had many of the interior features of a modern SUV, I would say Rover would once again reclaim that part of the market (not even sure they care anymore).

Anyway folks...I'm done bringing this Jeep filth into our forum (I same the same in Jeep forums about Rovers ) but couldn't pass up giving some sort of review of what's out there and how it compares.

Thanks for keeping an open mind.