Land Rover Defender
How it looks when you see on the street: Our friend recently sent us a photo of his adorable baby posing with his Brand new 2023 Land Rover defender. This proud papa image says a lot about the handsome SUV that the Land rover brand has recreated forthe modern customer sensibility. it has a just-right boxy Appeal that is cool and rough and tumble without being overly flashy. We have a lot to say about the Land Rover Defender, a vehicle that screams icon. We first drove it in 2021 and have watched as its trickled into the high end SUV owners driveways.
How it makes you feel when you get in: Ready for the world, seriously. Land Rover Defender interiors feel like the inside of a cozy Jackson Hole ski resort: hearty, luxe, and ready for action. The tech experience is better than many brands — and impressive for a smaller company. Very important in a vehicle with so many angles is the camera that offers solid surround-views.
How it drives: If you want to go off-roading on the weekends, this is the one. But its also super cozy and powerful for extra verve on serene stretches of highway. The Defender 110 and 90 have a 3.0-liter turbo six-cylinder that combined earns 19 mpg w — which for its girth, is actually on the respectable side. We’ve driven the Defender in the northeast Catskill mountains, on the Pacific Highway and on the mean New York streets — it’s a solid big ride that always feels like a guilty pleasure and a power trip. There’s also a more mindful option for the 110 plug-in hybrid that earns 27 miles of electric-only range.
How its set up: True to the Land Rover portfolio, there are a ridiculous amount of configurations of the various Defender trim and equipped packages. We’ve counted 18, so far ranging from 90, 110, 130, which doesn’t even count special ediitons.
Space for People and Things: Tall people will appreciate the available headroom in the boxy Defender and ample leg room. For storage, lowered the ride height actually makes schlepping heavy objects in and out of the rear storage compartment easier.
What to compare it to: Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler.
How much does it cost: Pick your poison — on the base end the Defender 110 P300 starts at about $55,000 and on the high end the 110 P525 Carpathian Edition starts at $119,750. Shopping for a Defender requires really digging into the details and knowing what matters is there.