The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Appealing personality
- Great off-road ability
- Comfy rough on-road
- Lots of options
Dislikes
- Gets expensive quickly
- No version is really frugal
- Turbo-4 isn’t powerful enough
- Some option package quirks
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2025 Land Rover Defender is a rugged SUV that can double as a luxury vehicle when the going gets less rough.
What kind of vehicle is the 2025 Land Rover Defender? What does it compare to?
The 2025 Land Rover Defender is an off-road-ready SUV available in three lengths. Compare it to the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler, and Toyota Land Cruiser, plus the automaker’s own Discovery.
Is the 2025 Land Rover Defender a good SUV?
It’s not the most practical or comfortable SUV, but the 2025 Defender has an undeniable appeal and is available in myriad configurations. This expensive SUV rates a 6.4 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2025 Land Rover Defender?
A new OCTA special edition aimed at high-speed off-roading features a BMW-sourced 626-hp V-8 and its own drive mode with launch control. Otherwise, the Defender 130 gains a second-row captain’s chairs option, and trim packages have been streamlined across the lineup.
Available in short-wheelbase Defender 90, medium-size Defender 110, and garage-filling Defender 130 body styles, this Land Rover wears styling inspired by the brand’s nearly 80-year-old heritage. The latest incarnation is so comfortable and luxuriously outfitted that it’s akin to glamping, though it's plenty capable.
The standard 296-hp turbo-4 is adequate, but the available turbo inline-6’s extra 100 hp is a worthwhile upgrade especially if you plan to take advantage of the Defender’s impressive towing ability. The supercharged V-8 can vault this heavy SUV to 60 mph in less than four seconds, and the new BMW V-8 is likely even more outrageous. At about 15 mpg combined, even the base V-8 is simply too thirsty to be justifiable, especially since other versions can slurp at a more palatable 20 mpg combined rate.
Any version comes with standard four-wheel drive, as you might expect. A locking rear differential and additional traction control modes cost extra, as does a terrific air suspension that provides a better ride and rises to the occasion for increased ground clearance.
Defenders have a stylish cabin with terrific small-items storage and high-quality materials. The Defender 110 and 130 have reasonable second-row room, but you’ll need the Defender 130 if you actually want to put people in a third row. The 110’s available rearmost seating is a cramped affair. All models have boxy cargo areas that aren’t quite as spacious as the massive exterior proportions might otherwise suggest.
Land Rover comes with a suite of crash-avoidance technology including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and adaptive cruise control.
How much does the 2025 Land Rover Defender cost?
In addition to the three body styles, the Defender comes in S, X-Dynamic SE, X, V8, Outbound, and new OCTA trim levels. The base Defender 90 S runs $58,525, while the four-door 110 is about $4,000 more. The Defender 130 checks in at $71,325 to start. These SUVs are expensive but pretty well-equipped with synthetic leather upholstery, a 10.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Meridian-branded audio.
Budget accordingly, though, as another $10,000 in options is typical, and some models can easily top $100,000.
Where is the 2025 Land Rover Defender made?
In Slovakia.
2025 Land Rover Defender Styling
The 2025 Land Rover Defender oozes retro off-road chic.
Is the Land Rover Defender a good-looking SUV?
It’s a bit overdone in some ways, but overall the 2025 Land Rover Defender does a nice job honoring its past while looking forward to the future. It gets a 7 out of 10 here thanks to its appealing squared-off interior and exterior lines.
Land Rover sells three Defender configurations: the short two-door 90, the four-door 110, and the slightly ungainly four-door 130. All have the same front end with a high grille flanked by headlights with a round element that sort of recalls the brand’s boxy off-roaders dating back to 1948. Plentiful surface detailing includes overwrought checkerboard-like (or is it chequerboard-like) trim on the hood, though overall the automaker has captured the outdoorsy spirit well. If only the cool white-painted steel wheels were still available.
Inside, it’s more like a high-end Lego set thanks to all the panels that give off a decidedly modular appeal. There are plenty of storage spaces, though, and Land Rover tastefully integrates rugged touches with high-end materials.
2025 Land Rover Defender Performance
A luxury-grade ride and serious off-road credentials highlight the 2025 Land Rover Defender dynamic strengths.
The 2025 Defender boasts impressive off-road chops and it has a comfy enough ride to ratchet this score up to a 7 on the TCC scale. Models with 6- or 8-cylinder power would score higher if rated independently.
Is the Land Rover Defender 4WD?
But of course. It comes standard with a 2-speed transfer case, a locking center differential, and good ground clearance. You’ll need to add one of two packages for more off-roady gear like an off-road cruise control system, more traction control modes, a locking rear differential, and an air suspension.
How fast is the Land Rover Defender?
The base 2.0-liter turbo-4 musters 296 hp, which really isn’t enough to motivate this heavy SUV with any authority. It’ll get to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds, but it feels winded doing so. The turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 adds mild-hybrid tech to reduce lag and it slices around a second from that 0-60 mph run thanks to its 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. It’s worth the spend.
We’ve not driven a Defender with the supercharged V-8, which offers upward of 500 hp, or the new BMW-sourced twin-turbo V-8 that puts out 626 hp. We predict that it will be comically fast, and we probably can’t talk you out of one if that’s what you want.
Regardless of engine, you’ll find a well-behaved 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters as well as an annoying center console-mounted gear lever.
The fully independent suspension works great with the standard coil springs, and it’s even better with the optional air suspension that can rise up for more ground clearance or drop down for easier ingress and egress. The vehicle leans reasonably into corners for predictable handling, which is aided by terrific electric power steering. Strong brakes bring the Defender to a halt quite well.
Most Defenders are rated to tow around 7,700 pounds, though special equipment can ratchet that up to an impressive 8,200 pounds. We’ve not towed extensively with a Defender, but we suspect the long wheelbase of a 110 or 130 would make it a good choice among SUVs.
2025 Land Rover Defender Comfort & Quality
The 2025 Land Rover Defender presents a roomy, classy cabin.
More like a designer brand than what you’ll find at REI, the 2025 Land Rover Defender has a roomy cabin dripping with cool design details. It’s an 8 here thanks to its plush front and middle-row seats plus its SUV-grade cargo area. Top-end models might even get a 9 thanks to their luxurious leather and wood.
The front seats are power-adjustable and heated in all trims, and they are comfy enough for any kind of exploration. There’s also an available jump seat that replaces the center console up front, but it’s more of a novelty than a genuinely useful feature. Still, it’s pretty cool.
Even the 90 has a fairly spacious second row, though access is predictably challenging. The 110’s third row is an afterthought; if you need to carry more than five passengers with any regularity, you should step up to the big Defender 130. Its third row won’t give a Chrysler Pacifica a run for its money, but it is fairly roomy and will fit adults in a pinch.
The Defender isn’t as spacious as its boxy lines might otherwise suggest, though the cargo area is usefully shaped without many awkward intrusions. The 90 holds just 15.6 cubic feet of stuff behind the second row, while the 110 grows that figure to a more impressive 34.0 cubic feet. Defender 130s have a minimum of 14.0 cubes behind the third row, which grows to 35.8 cubic feet with those seats folded down. These SUVs max out at 58.3 cubes for the D90, 78.8 cubes for the D110, and 76.1 cubes in the D130.
All models have well chosen, sturdy materials that are appropriate for the price, starting with the newly standard synthetic leather on the base S trim level.
2025 Land Rover Defender Safety
The crash-testing agencies haven't wrecked a 2025 Land Rover Defender.
How safe is the Land Rover Defender?
We cannot say for certain since neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS has crashed one. However, the 2025 Defender comes with a nice array of crash-avoidance features, now including standard adaptive cruise control. All models also have automatic emergency braking, active lane control, a surround-view camera system, and parking sensors.
Outward vision isn’t great due to the big roof pillars and hefty rear headrests.
2025 Land Rover Defender Features
The 2025 Land Rover Defender is well-equipped, if pricey.
It’s no bargain in any form, but the 2025 Land Rover Defender is quite well-equipped for the money. It’s not a bad buy overall. We score it at 8 out of 10 thanks to its plentiful standard features, numerous options, and good infotainment system with a big screen.
The 4-year/50,000-mile warranty is typical for a luxury brand.
The Defender comes in three configurations: 90, 110, and 130. Deciding between those is easy; we’ll largely focus on the midsize 110 here as it’s the most popular.
All three models kick off in base S trim, which includes synthetic leather upholstery, power-adjustable and heated front seats, a 10.0-inch touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and 19-inch alloy wheels. The turbo-4 is standard on 90 and 110s, while the 130 comes only with the turbo-6. The 90 is the cheapest at $58,525, while the 110 runs $3,900 more. The 130 costs $71,325, but recall that it comes with the bigger engine.
Which Land Rover Defender should I buy?
The base S trim is good enough for us; the $12,000 upgrade to the X-Dynamic SE buys few features you can’t add to the base version, while the costly Defender X is just too close to $100,000 for us. There’s also the $115,000 Defender V8, which we likely can’t talk you out of.
To the base S, we’d spend $7,500 or so for the turbo-6 engine, and we’d budget another $1,000 for metallic paint. The additional $1,000 for a contrasting roof is tempting but maybe a bit too rich for us. Land Rover charges $600 for the County exterior package, which looks great with its steel wheels—though we think it’s a bit cheeky that the brand charges more for wheels that used to be the base setup. Budget another $3,000 or so for off-road gear and towing gear, and you’re looking at a very nice Defender for around $80,000.
How much is a fully loaded Land Rover Defender?
The new Defender OCTA runs $153,475 to start, plus there’s a special edition package for another $16,000. Its BMW-sourced V-8 is currently exclusive to this model, though it’ll likely replace the supercharged V-8 that has been a Jaguar Land Rover mainstay.
2025 Land Rover Defender Fuel Economy
The 2025 Land Rover Defender doesn’t offer great fuel economy.
Is the Land Rover Defender good on gas?
It’s not good, though the mid-level turbo-6 is actually the greenest choice here. For 2025, the base 4-cylinder is estimated at 18 mpg city, 21 highway, 19 combined in Defender 90 guise, while the 110 checks in at 18/20/19 mpg.
Other powertrains have not yet been rated for 2025, though we doubt the turbo-6 will stray far from last year’s 18/23/20 estimate. The V-8s should check in at more like 15 to 16 mpg combined.
All Defenders need premium fuel.
