Compare the2024 Chevrolet TraverseVS 2024 Land Rover Defender

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Chevrolet Traverse 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 Traverse 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 Traverse has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Defender doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Traverse has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Defender doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

Both the Traverse and the Defender have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive, front parking sensors and driver alert monitors.

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Traverse 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.

There are over 14 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Land Rover dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Traverse’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Traverse first among midsize suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The Defender isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Land Rover vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 54 more problems per 100 vehicles, Land Rover is ranked 23rd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Land Rover vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 94 more problems per 100 vehicles, Land Rover is ranked 28th.

The Traverse’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 32 more horsepower (328 vs. 296) and 31 lbs.-ft. more torque (326 vs. 295) than the Defender P300’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Traverse’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 32 more horsepower (328 vs. 296) than the Defender 130 P300’s standard 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid.

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

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

The Traverse has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Defender doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Traverse LS/LT’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Defender’s standard 70 series tires.

The Chevrolet Traverse’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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Traverse’s wheelbase is 2 inches longer than on the Defender 110 (121 inches vs. 119 inches).

The Traverse is 9.8 inches shorter in height than the Defender, making the Traverse much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

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

The front grille of the Traverse uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Defender doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Traverse uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Defender doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Traverse offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Defender 90 can only carry up to 6.

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

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

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

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the Traverse RS’ second row seats and pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Defender doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Traverse’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.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Traverse’s power cargo door can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Traverse’s power cargo door can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The Defender doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening cargo door.

The Traverse’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Defender does not have an oil pressure gauge.

On a hot day the Traverse’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. 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, the Traverse has standard extendable sun visors. The Defender doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Traverse (except LS)’s optional Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Defender doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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

The Chevrolet Traverse outsold the Land Rover Defender by almost six to one during 2023.