Land Rover Defender is a solid choice
For consumers, there are many choices out there in the off-road jeep-type vehicles.
You have Stellantis’ Jeep Wrangler itself, which is always an acceptable option. But then of course you have Mercedes’ GWagon, which is the extravagant option for offroad luxury lovers. But when looking for something in between those price levels, a limited vehicle list is available. That’s where Land Rover steps in with its new boxy Defender.
Ohh do we really love this one. It’s off-road ability is superb, while it’s exterior and interior appearances are different and
very likeable, but most importantly, it is solid as they come.
Similar to Honda’s discontinued boxy Element,
the Defender can actually make it through the woods and go hiking, camping and more. There are tons of additional options, like a tent, ladder, etc. With Ford’s new Bronco, and Jeep’s powerful new 4xE Wrangler, Land Rover did just the right thing in providing consumers with the upscale version of the boxy ute in what seems to be a new category in off-road vehicles.
Our Defender 110 tester was the X model, Land Rover’s top dog. It came with the four-door option, slammed with all the accoutrements. The vintage tan off-setted with ebony interior was really a nice touch for the British manufacturer. The Cold Climate package was really enjoyable in the winter months which included a heated windscreen, washer jets, steering wheel and headlight power wash for an additional $700 combined.
The interior came with a durable rubber cabin for easy cleaning and carpet mats. An easy to use 10 inch PIVI infotainment system with navigation was positioned correctly in the center stack aligned with a meridian surround sound system with SiriusXM, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The driver display was also digital and very interactive.
Performance was no struggle in the Defender as it came with a six-cylinder 3.0 liter mild hybrid turbo Ingenium gas engine producing 395 horsepower and 406 lb.-ft. of torque. The Defender rode very solid, with over 5,000 pounds of overall weight. Land Rover’s newest model is sure to provide the driver with the necessary confidence that the Defender is ready for any terrain.
We enjoyed the Defender 110 X in the snowy mountainous terrains of New York’s Shawangunks where we had no issues maneuvering in multiple elevations and overcoming road debris. For the upscale Jeep needing consumer, Land Rover is a great choice for the money and the ruggedness and off-road ability is nothing short of superb, but it’s solidness is what stands out the most for me. You are sure to “over”come anything in your path.
Land Rover Defender
MSRP: $80,900 As tested: $85,750 MPG: 17 city, 22 highway, 19.1 as tested