Compare the2024 Toyota 4RunnerVS 2024 Land Rover Defender

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota 4Runner are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Land Rover Defender doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the 4Runner are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Defender doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Toyota 4Runner has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Defender doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The 4Runner has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Defender doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the 4Runner and the Defender have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available four-wheel drive and around view monitors.

Warranty

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the 4Runner 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Land Rover covers the Defender. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Defender ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the 4Runner for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Land Rover doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Defender.

There are over 6 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Land Rover dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the 4Runner’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the 4Runner’s reliability 39 points higher than the Defender.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 4Runner first among upper midsize suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Defender isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Land Rover vehicles. With 9 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Toyota higher than Land Rover.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Land Rover vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Land Rover is rated below average.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the 4Runner gets better mileage than the Defender 110/130:

			MPG
4Runner
	RWD	4.0 DOHC V6	16 city/19 hwy
	AWD	4.0 DOHC V6	16 city/19 hwy
Defender 110/130
	AWD	P525 5.0 supercharged V8	14 city/19 hwy
		P500 5.0 supercharged V8	14 city/19 hwy
		130 Outbound 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cyl. Hybrid	16 city/18 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota 4Runner uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Defender requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

The 4Runner stops much shorter than the Defender:

	4Runner	Defender
70 to 0 MPH	184 feet	204 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	131 feet	147 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	145 feet	150 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Toyota 4Runner’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Land Rover Defender only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

Suspension and Handling

The 4Runner TRD Off-Road offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Defender doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The 4Runner TRD Off-Road handles at .73 G’s, while the Defender 110 SE pulls only .70 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The 4Runner TRD Off-Road executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Defender 110 SE (29 seconds @ .57 average G’s vs. 30.1 seconds @ .54 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the 4Runner’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Defender 90’s (37.4 feet vs. 38 feet). The 4Runner’s turning circle is 4.7 feet tighter than the Defender 110/130’s (37.4 feet vs. 42.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the 4Runner has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Defender 90 (9.6 vs. 8.9 inches), allowing the 4Runner to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The 4Runner is 7.3 inches shorter than the Defender 110, making the 4Runner easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Toyota 4Runner amounts to more than styling. The 4Runner has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .36 Cd. That is lower than the Defender (.38). A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the 4Runner get better fuel mileage.

For excellent aerodynamics, the 4Runner has standard flush composite headlights. The Defender has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the 4Runner TRD Off-Road is quieter than the Defender 110 SE:

	4Runner	Defender
Full-Throttle	73 dB	78 dB
70 MPH Cruising	67 dB	69 dB

Cargo Capacity

The 4Runner’s cargo area provides more volume than the Defender 90.

	4Runner	Defender
Third Seat Folded	46.3 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	47.2 cubic feet	10.5 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	89.7 cubic feet	58.3 cubic feet

The 4Runner’s cargo area provides more volume than the Defender 110.

	4Runner	Defender
Third Seat Folded	46.3 cubic feet	34 cubic feet
Third Seat Removed	47.2 cubic feet	34.6 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	89.7 cubic feet	78.8 cubic feet

The 4Runner’s cargo area provides more volume than the Defender 130.

	4Runner	Defender
Third Seat Folded	46.3 cubic feet	35.8 cubic feet
Third Seat Removed	47.2 cubic feet	n/a
Second Seat Folded	89.7 cubic feet	76.1 cubic feet

The 4Runner 5-Passenger’s optional sliding cargo floor is capable of supporting 440 pounds, to make loading and unloading cargo easier and safer. The Defender doesn’t offer a sliding load floor.

The 4Runner’s cargo area is larger than the Defender’s in almost every dimension:

	4Runner	Defender 90
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42”/66.3”	15.6”/51.7”
Max Width	57.7”	46.6”
Min Width	42.4”	44.3”
Height	39.5”	35.6”

The 4Runner’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The Defender’s swing out door blocks loading from the driver’s side.

The 4Runner’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Defender’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

Ergonomics

If the windows are left open on the 4Runner the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Defender can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the 4Runner has standard extendable sun visors. The Defender doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The 4Runner’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The Defender’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

Model Availability

The 4Runner is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Defender doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

The TRD Pro was selected by Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine as their 2015 4x4 of the Year. The Defender has never been chosen.

The Toyota 4Runner outsold the Land Rover Defender by over 8 to one during 2022.

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