Land Rover Defender review

Reinventing an icon like the Land Rover Defender isn’t easy, and it's something Land Rover thought long and hard about before reviving such an famous nameplate.

To keep fans of the old Defender happy while attracting modern SUV buyers, the British brand decided to leave no stone unturned. So this latest model aims to offer exceptional on-road comfort and usability while being even more capable off road than its illustrious predecessor.

The Defender is available in a choice of three body styles. There's the three-door Defender 90, the five-door Defender 110 – available as a five, six or seven-seater – and the enormous Defender 130, which is available with up to eight seats.

Land Rover Defender video review

That means the Defender has a varied set of rivals. The Defender 90 is up against premium family SUVs including the Audi Q5 and BMW X3. In 110 form it competes against the Audi Q7, Toyota Land Cruiser and Volvo XC90. And the Defender 130 is up against the BMW X7 as well as its Land Rover Discovery stablemate.

Read on to find out how we rate the Land Rover Defender against its many rivals and which version makes the most sense.

What’s new?

• July 2025: Defender Octa Black revealed with gloss and satin black-painted detailing

• June 2025: Trophy Edition launched with Sandglow Yellow body paint and various off-road accessories, such as all-terrain tyres, a rear scuff plate and extra wheel arch protection 

• July 2024: Octa model introduced and billed as the most dynamic Defender yet, thanks to 626bhp 4.4-litre hybrid V8, new ‘intelligent’ suspension system and bespoke driving modes

• May 2024: Standard Defender upgraded with more comfort-enhancing features, plus the option of individual ‘captain’s chairs’ for the second row

All diesel Land Rover Defenders use a 3.0-litre, six-cylinder engine, which is available in a choice of two power outputs. The cheaper 246bhp D250 has plenty of low-rev grunt and is all the engine you really need, while the more powerful 345bhp D350 makes progress even more effortless. You might be disappointed by its punchy price tag but you won’t be disappointed by its punchy power delivery – it can do 0-60mph in around six seconds.

Both diesels have mild-hybrid assistance to improve the smoothness of the stop-start system and boost fuel efficiency a little.

Another option – and the one to go for if you pay BIK tax – is the plug-in hybrid (PHEV), which is only in the 110 bodystyle and combines a 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor. It can officially manage up to 31 miles on battery power (20 miles is more realistic) and when both power sources work together it delivers fairly nippy acceleration.

If you're after a pure petrol there's the 5.0-litre V8 (P425). It sounds suitably fruity and can launch the Defender to 60mph from a standstill in around 5.5 seconds. However, the quickest Defender is the Octa, with its 626bhp 4.4-litre V8 and a 0-60mph time of just 3.8 seconds. You can read more about that in our Defender Octa review.

All the 130s and the Defender 110 PHEV can tow up to 3000kg (that's a lot for a PHEV), while other Defenders pull up to 3500kg.

The Defender isn't quite up there with the most luxurious SUVs for ride comfort but it's still very agreeable along most roads, especially with air suspension fitted. This is standard on the Defender 130 and optional on most 90 and 110 versions.

There are minor differences between the various bodystyles and the 110 offers the best ride comfort. It's also best to stick with the 19in or 20in alloys. However, even with enormous 22in rims the Defender remains comfortable enough.

If ride comfort is your number one priority, check out the very smooth Audi Q7 and BMW X7.

The Defender isn't as unwieldy on the road as its tall body might suggest, although you can’t rush it down a winding country lane the way you can some road-focused SUVs, including the Audi Q7 and BMW X5.

The smaller, lighter 90 feels a bit more nimble than the longer 110 and 130, but all Defenders sway around a fair bit through tighter twists and turns. Air suspension helps here because it improves the way the Defender controls its body movements. While the steering is quite slow, it's reassuringly weighted and gives you a good sense of connection with the front wheels. 

What about the Defender's prowess on the rough stuff? Well, serious off-roading is incredibly straightforward, with a Terrain Response system that makes it simple to set up the car for different conditions (snow, sand etc), and the Defender has a wading depth of up to 850mm – or 900mm with air suspension. 

If off-roading is your thing, you'll definitely want that air suspension because it can jack up the Defender by an extra 70mm to avoid scraping the underbelly. The Defender 90 has a tighter turning circle and the best breakover angle (the sharpest angle it can drive over without bottoming out), but even the longer Defender 110 beats the Toyota Land Cruiser for this, as well as approach and departure angles.

While the Defender looks like it has the aerodynamics of a brick, wind noise at motorway speeds isn't too bad. True, there's more gusting around the windscreen and door mirrors than in an Audi Q7 or BMW X5 but less than in a Land Cruiser, and road noise is fairly subdued.

None of the engines produces much noise at cruising speeds or sends annoying vibrations through the steering wheel. In fact, even the diesels are smooth and quiet – not just compared with the noisy Land Cruiser diesel but also some of the best road-biased SUV alternatives too, including the Q7.

Of particular note is the mild-hybrid technology that's incorporated into start/stop system. It can restart the engine in traffic with barely a shudder, and the eight-speed automatic gearbox is smooth most of the time.

"If you plan to take your Defender off-roading you can spec all-terrain tyres. I think most buyers are better off with the regular all-season rubber though." – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

One of the best things about the Land Rover Defender is its towering driving position, which feels significantly higher than many of its rivals'. It’s also easy to set everything up just how you like it, and even entry-level S models have 12-way electrically adjustable seats. 

Whichever trim level you choose, the pedals, seat and steering wheel all line up neatly with one another. And while the driver's seat doesn't have a huge amount of side boltersting for faster cornering, it's extremely comfy and supportive when you're going in a straight line.

The dashboard is super functional, with chunky buttons that you can operate while wearing gloves and physical controls for the air-conditioning. All versions have a clear digital driver's display that you can configure to show information in a variety of ways.

Thanks to the Defender’s boxy proportions and lofty driving position – and despite its substantial exterior dimensions – it’s surprisingly easy to judge the outer extremities when you're threading it through car parks or along narrow lanes. 

The spare wheel mounted on the rear door (and in the longer 110 and 130, the sheer distance from the driving seat to the rear window) does make it tricky to see out of the back. However, all models have front and rear parking sensors plus a 360-degree camera as standard.

If you pay a bit extra, you can specify the ClearSight rear-view mirror. At the touch of a button it becomes a digital screen that shows a live camera feed from behind the car, so you can see what's there even if the boot is loaded to the roof.

All versions of the Defender come with a 13in infotainment touchscreen, which is clear and responds promptly when you press it. It includes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard.

As touchscreen systems go it's one of the better options in the class, and is easier to use than the equivalents in the Toyota Land Cruiser and Volvo XC90.

That said, we'd still prefer the option of having a rotary controller interface as well as a touchscreen, something you get with the BMW X5 and BMW X7 systems, making them less distracting to use while you're driving.

Land Rover has taken a back-to-basics approach with the Defender’s interior design. There are exposed screw heads dotted around the interior, for example, and most of the surfaces you touch are covered in a rugged rubberised material as opposed to fine-grain leather.

Crucially though, everything seems solidly made and bolted together tightly, so while the Audi Q7 and BMW X7 have more luxurious interiors, the Defender still feels reassuringly expensive.

"The exposed bodywork screw heads might put of some buyers but I think they tie in nicely with the rest of the utilitarian-look interior." – Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

One of the benefits of designing the Land Rover Defender with boxy proportions is that it gives everyone on board lots of space in every direction. As in the equally perpendicular Mercedes G-Class it doesn’t matter if you’re broad-shouldered, long-legged or tall in the body, you’ll have all the room you need in the front.

If you've ever sat in the front of the cramped original Defender, let's just say the current one will be a refreshing change. And for a reasonable outlay, you can replace the standard centre console between the driver and passenger seat with an occasional middle "jump seat".

It means you can carry up to three people in the front, but the middle seat’s high, narrow base means an adult will only want to sit on it for brief journeys. For tax reasons, you can’t have the jump seat if it would turn your Defender into a nine-seater.

Those on the second row of seats in the Defender 110 will find masses of head room, and the sheer width of the car means sitting three abreast is pretty comfortable for all concerned. Leg room is impressive – there’s lots of space to stretch out – although the floor is a little higher than it is in the Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90 so the seats are slightly less comfortable for adults.

The 90 has lots of head room too, and while leg room isn’t as impressive as it is in the 110 or the 130, a tall adult will have enough space. Of course, the absence of rear doors makes getting in and out tricky for adults, especially if you're loading young children into child seats.

If you need to carry more than six people, you can either specify the "five plus two" seven-seater variant of the 110 – which has two seats that can be pulled up from the boot floor – or opt for the even longer 130, which is available with five or eight seats (unless you choose the five-seat only Outbound version).

If you need to carry adults on the third row regularly you'll want the Defender 130. It has much better leg room than the 110 and is roughly on a par with the BMW X7 and Land Rover Discovery for third-row roominess.

The Defender 90 and five-seat versions of the Defender 110 have 40/20/40 split-folding second-row seats, but they don't slide back and forth or recline.

If you pay extra to have seven seats in your 110, the second row gains a sliding and reclining function, but the seatback switches to a less flexible 60/40 split. It's the same in the 130, although that version's third row folds in a 40/20/40 arrangement.

Accessing the rear seats in the Defender 90 is awkward. You have to tip the seat back manually then push a secondary button to slide the whole seat forwards. You need to push and hold another button to move the seat back – and it doesn't remember its original position.

The three-door Defender 90 has less luggage space below its load cover than many family hatchbacks. Yes, the boot is high, which is fine if you're happy to stack items on top of each other, but there isn't much room at all between the tailgate and the rear seatbacks.

The 110 has a bigger boot, with space for seven carry-on suitcases below its load cover. While many rivals, including the Audi Q7, Toyota Land Cruiser and Volvo XC90, can swallow a few more, the Defender does show up the Jeep Wrangler for luggage capacity.

The seven-seat 110 and eight-seat 130 lose some underfloor storage, and the 110 has a tiny boot when all seven seats are in use. The 130 is better thanks to its longer rear overhang.

Fans of the original Defender will probably love how this latest model has a side-hinged tailgate rather than one that lifts straight up. However, the arrangement does make accessing the boot tricky if you're backed up to a wall or another car (the spare wheel hanging on the rear doesn't help). The same problem afflicts the Mercedes G-Class.

"I like that there's no lip at the boot entrance, and the tough anti-slip floor of the load bay can stand up to more abuse than a carpeted floor." – Dan Jones, Reviewer

The cheapest way into a Land Rover Defender is the 90. Yes, it's still pricier than an entry-level Audi Q5, BMW X3 or Jeep Wrangler but by the time you’ve upgraded any of those rivals to match its more generous level of standard equipment there isn't a huge amount in it.

However, we think the mid-range Defender 110 makes the most sense in terms of price and size. If you want a seven-seater version, the price is reasonable compared with an Audi Q7, Land Rover Discovery or Volvo XC90.

It’s worth noting that the seven-seat option isn't available with the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and it's best to stick to the cheaper trims with the 110 because otherwise the price can creep into BMW X7 territory – a bigger and better car, although not as capable off road.

The 130’s extra space and practicality commands a hefty premium over an equivalent 110, partly because it comes only in a relatively high spec with more powerful engine options.

While we're on the subject of engines, even the diesels are pretty thirsty. We averaged less than 29mpg during a 4000-mile long-term test of the Defender 110 D350. The D250 is more frugal but only marginally.

Meanwhile, the PHEV version offers the cheapest BIK tax for company car drivers, although its mediocre electric range means it's not as tax-friendly as many rival PHEV SUVs.

The Defender's entry-level S trim comes well-equipped, with power-folding door mirrors, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, climate control, heated front seats, adaptive cruise control, visibility and parking aids, and touchscreen infotainment.

If you want more standard kit and additional styling accoutrements, we wouldn't try to talk you out of buying the X-Dynamic SE or X-Dynamic HSE. However, if you go higher up the trim ladder the Defender becomes decidedly pricey. Once you're paying BMW X7 money it starts to become much less recommendable.

Worthwhile options include the third-row seats (if buying the Defender 110) and air suspension.

This isn’t traditionally an area of strength for Land Rover. Indeed, the brand came a lowly 27th out of 31 manufacturers in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, above only Nissan, Vauxhall, Alfa Romeo and MG.

The Defender itself bucked that trend though, and was actually the second most dependable seven-seater in the survey, behind only the Hyundai Santa Fe.

All Land Rover models come with a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty – although this can be extended for a cost.

Euro NCAP awarded the Defender five stars out of five in its safety tests. If you look at its individual categories scores, it doesn't score as highly as the Audi Q7 for adult or child protection, but the margins aren't huge.

And at least the Defender been appraised by Euro NCAP: the Ineos Grenadier and Toyota Land Cruiser haven't even been tested. 

All trim levels come with plenty of safety aids designed to prevent you from having an accident. These include lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, traffic-sign recognition and automatic emergency braking (AEB), which can recognise pedestrians and cyclists. 

"The Defender will prove cheaper to own over three years than either an Ineos Grenadier or a Toyota Land Cruiser, mainly because it's predicted to hold on to its value incredibly well." – Darren Moss, Deputy Digital Editor

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