Land Rover Defender

Model Years Produced: 2020 to Current

Summary

When Land Rover announced they were finally releasing a new Defender for 2020 for the first time since 1983, the world waited in great anticipation. Although the end result was much closer to a modern “lifestyle” off-road SUV than the farm trucks it had replaced, the new Defender still won over auto journalists for its remarkable ability to clamber over a ridiculous amount of terrain while still providing a comfortable and relaxed ride on-road.

In many ways, the Defender is really a true successor to the Discovery 4/LR4. While the Discovery 5 leaned fully into being a comfortable suburban family hauler and distanced itself from its boxy, pseudo-off-roader predecessors, the Defender has a similar shape and sacrifices interior luxury for durability. That’s not to say it’s not a nice vehicle – in true Land Rover fashion, the Defender can be optioned with a wide array of luxury options and customized to your heart’s desire. Just don’t expect it to be on the same tier of opulence as a Range Rover.

The engineering underneath the bodywork is on the same level as something like a Porsche Cayenne…but while the Cayenne uses that engineering in service of taking corners, the Discovery uses it in service of climbing rocks. However, with Land Rover’s reliability reputation being what it is…purchasing one of these with a warranty may be a good idea considering how complex they are under the hood.

The Defender is available in three sizes:

• 90 – Short wheelbase, two doors
• 110 – “Standard” length
• 130 – Extended wheelbase

---

Verdict

Pros

• Very capable off-road
• Cool, tons of presence
• Forward and side visibility is excellent; like a “greenhouse”
• Comfortable ride
• Eminently customizable
• While the standard four-cylinder engine is merely “adequate,” the optional inline-six engine provides plenty of thrust, and the V8 engine is properly fast

Cons

• The incredible engineering also means there’s an incredible amount of things that can go wrong—consider an extended warranty a requirement, especially in light of Land Rover’s questionable reliability reputation
• Rear visibility is poor thanks to the spare wheel—the digital rearview mirror is essentially a required option
• Hardly any interior amenities are standard on the lower trims, so make sure the vehicle you’re looking at has been configured with the options you want

---

Reviews

Consumer Reports

• URL: https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/land-rover/defender/2022/overview
• Overall score: 49/100
• Road test: 61/100
• Predicted reliability: 2/5
• Predicted owner satisfaction: 4/5

SavageGeese

Other Outlets

• Car & Driver: https://www.caranddriver.com/land-rover/defender
• Motor Trend: https://www.motortrend.com/cars/land-rover/defender/

---

Specifications

All figures are as of 2022 model year.

• Transmission: ZF 8-speed automatic
• Drivetrain: 4WD standard w/ 2-speed transfer case
  • Air suspension standard
  • Electronically locking center differential standard
  • Electronically locking rear differential optional
• Base curb weight: 4815 lbs
• Max cargo capacity: N/A
• Seating: 2 rows (3 rows optional)
• Rear leg room: 39.1 in
• Towing capacity: 7716 lbs

Engines