Compare the2022 Land Rover DefenderVS 2021 Lexus LX 570

Both the Defender 110 and LX 570 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Defender has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The LX 570’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Defender’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The LX 570 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Defender uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The LX 570 uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Defender and the LX 570 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The Defender P400’s standard 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid produces 12 more horsepower (395 vs. 383) and 3 lbs.-ft. more torque (406 vs. 403) than the LX 570’s 5.7 DOHC V8. The Defender V8’s standard 5.0 supercharged V8 produces 135 more horsepower (518 vs. 383) and 58 lbs.-ft. more torque (461 vs. 403) than the LX 570’s 5.7 DOHC V8.

As tested in Motor Trend the Defender P400 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Lexus LX 570:

On the EPA test cycle the Defender 110 gets better mileage than the LX 570:

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Defender’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip (not available P400). The LX 570 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

For better stopping power the Defender V8’s brake rotors are larger than those on the LX 570:

The Defender’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the LX 570’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Defender offers optional 22-inch wheels. The LX 570’s largest wheels are only 21-inches.

For superior ride and handling, the Land Rover Defender has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Lexus LX 570 has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Defender’s wheelbase is 6.7 inches longer than on the LX 570 (118.9 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Defender is 2.2 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the LX 570.

For better maneuverability, the Defender 90’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the LX 570’s (37.1 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Defender 110 has a 2.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the LX 570 (11.5 vs. 8.9 inches), allowing the Defender to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Land Rover Defender may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 1250 pounds less than the Lexus LX 570.

The Defender 90 is 1 foot, 7.6 inches shorter than the LX 570, making the Defender easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the Defender’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The LX 570 uses body-on-frame design instead.

The Defender 110 has 2.3 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 4 inches more rear legroom, .1 inches more rear shoulder room and 4.9 inches more third row headroom than the LX 570.

The Defender’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the LX 570’s (7716 vs. 7000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Lexus LX 570 is only 7000 pounds. The Defender offers up to a 8200 lbs. towing capacity.

The Defender has a much higher standard payload capacity than the LX 570 (1760 vs. 1280 lbs.).

The Defender has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the LX 570 (1870 vs. 1280 lbs.).

The power windows standard on both the Defender and the LX 570 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Defender is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The LX 570 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the Defender to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The LX 570 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Defender’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The LX 570’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

The Defender has standard heated front and optional heated second and third row seats, which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Lexus doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the LX 570.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Land Rover Defender has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the LX 570 Three-Row offers wireless charging and it costs extra.

The Land Rover Defender comes in two door and four door bodystyles; the Lexus LX 570 isn’t available as a two door.

Motor Trend selected the Defender as their 2021 Sport Utility of the Year. The LX 570 has never been chosen.

The Land Rover Defender outsold the Lexus LX 570 by over four to one during the 2021 model year.