Land Rover vs Toyota: Which overlander?

Any idea what percentage of independent overland trips use Land Rover's vs Toyota's?  Read on to see what percentage of overland trips use Land Rover's vs Toyota's vs other vehicles.

Here are a few interesting statistics from The Africa Overland Network pages.  

Please note that these stats are generated from the independent overland websites listed on The Africa Overland Network.  Although they offer an interesting read, please keep in mind that not all overland travellers keep an online journal and I certainly have not captured all the overland websites that have been created to remember an independent overland trip.

Total Trips currently listed on the website (In-active websites excluded):

Total Trips	546
Africa	409
Americas	24
Asia	56
World	57

The trips are split between the following vehicle types:

Type of Transport used:
Bicycle	23	4.22%
Campervan	16	2.94%
Ford	2	0.37%
Hitch Hiking	4	0.73%
Isuzu	1	0.18%
large Truck	18	3.30%
LR101	6	1.10%
Land Rover Series / Def / Disco	227	41.65%
Mitsubishi	5	0.92%
Motorbike	55	10.09%
Nissan	16	2.94%
Range Rover	4	0.73%
Toyota	141	24.85%
Unimog	10	1.83%
Other	28	5.14%

The Toyota has gained popularity as an overland vehicle.  These statistics show how they compared to Land Rover's (Defender, Series & Discovery).  i.e. up to 2005, about 30% of trips used Toyota's.  This increased to 40% over the last five years.

Comparing the Land Rover to Toyota’s used between the following dates:

Specific Vehicles	2000-2005	2006-2010
Land Rover	74	159
Toyota	33	107
Total of Both Vehicles	107	266
Land Rover as a % of total	69.16%	59.77%
Toyota as a % of total:	30.84%	40.23%

2000-2005 2006-2010 Other Vehicles (excl motorbikes;bicycles) 26 83 Total Vehicles 133 349 Land Rover as a % of total 55.64% 45.56% Toyota as a % of total 24.81% 30.66%

The stat above shows alternative vehicles (excl motorbikes, bicycles, LRs and Toyota's) compared to the main choice.  Land Rover has lost about 10% over the last five years whilst Toyota has gained an additional 6%.  This essentially means that overlanders are beginning to choose alternative vehicles to the standard Land Rover or Toyota.  These include Nissan, Ford, Campervans, Taxi's and even a Rolls Royce.

The two vehicles split per year:

Over the last ten years, I noticed that 2009 was a bumper year for overland travel – this could be from a number of reasons:

Majority of overland trips that report via the internet has increased due to easier internet access whilst travelling or, its just become a very popular way of independent travel.

The use of the Toyota as an overland vehicle has steadily increased when comparing the two main brands of choice: Land Rover or Toyota. 

The current list of overland trips starting in 2011 use Toyota as the vehicle of choice (list will expand during 2011).

Specific Vehicles per year	2000	2001	2002
Land Rover	6	11	6
Toyota	1	2	4
Total of Both Vehicles	7	13	10
Land Rover as a % of total	85.71%	84.62%	60.00%
Toyota as a % of total	14.29%	15.38%	40.00%
	2003	2004	2005
Land Rover	15	17	19
Toyota	5	8	13
Total of Both Vehicles	20	25	32
Land Rover as a % of total	75.00%	68.00%	59.38%
Toyota as a % of total	25.00%	32.00%	40.63%
	2006	2007	2008
Land Rover	28	19	26
Toyota	17	12	18
Total of Both Vehicles	45	31	44
Land Rover as a % of total	62.22%	61.29%	59.09%
Toyota as a % of total	37.78%	38.71%	40.91%
	2009	2010	2011
Land Rover	48	38	5
Toyota	32	28	8
Total of Both Vehicles	80	66	13
Land Rover as a % of total	60.00%	57.58%	38.46%
Toyota as a % of total	40.00%	42.42%	61.54%

In summary, if you are starting your planning phase of your overland trip, rest assured that no matter which vehicle you choose, it will get you on the road and onto your dream trip.

So, here's a thought:  Choose something different!  

Additional Reading:

Malachite - A Journey in Africa

In Search of Will Carling

Who Needs a Road: The Story of the Longest and Last Motor Journey Around the World

Footnote:
Source: The statistics represented here are only a sample of overland trips currently listed on The Africa Overland Network website.  Majority of these trips are Trans-Africa based and are generally from English speaking nations.

Updates:
04/01/11 - Added 1x Toyota to the 2011 departure list