Compare the2024 Toyota Land CruiserVS 2024 Land Rover Defender

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Land Cruiser 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.

The Toyota Land Cruiser 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.

Both the Land Cruiser 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, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Land Cruiser 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 Land Cruiser for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, 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 Land Cruiser’s warranty.

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.

The Land Cruiser’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 30 more horsepower (326 vs. 296) and 170 lbs.-ft. more torque (465 vs. 295) than the Defender P300’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Land Cruiser’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 30 more horsepower (326 vs. 296) and 118 lbs.-ft. more torque (465 vs. 347) than the Defender 130 P300’s standard 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid. The Land Cruiser’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 59 lbs.-ft. more torque (465 vs. 406) than the Defender P400’s standard 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid. The Land Cruiser’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 4 lbs.-ft. more torque (465 vs. 461) than the Defender P525’s standard 5.0 supercharged V8.

On the EPA test cycle the Land Cruiser gets better mileage than the Defender 110/130:

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

The Toyota Land Cruiser’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.

The Land Cruiser offers an active front sway bar, which helps keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnects 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 Land Cruiser is 3.7 inches shorter than the Defender 110, making the Land Cruiser easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

The Land Cruiser has a much larger cargo volume than the Defender 110 with its rear seat up (37.5 vs. 10.7 cubic feet).

The Land Cruiser’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 Land Cruiser’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.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Land Cruiser (except 1958) has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Defender doesn’t offer a power cargo door.