Compare the2025 Land Rover DefenderVS 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser

Both the Defender 110/130 and Land Cruiser 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 Land Cruiser’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.

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 Land Cruiser uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Defender and the Land Cruiser 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, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Defender comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Land Cruiser’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Defender’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Land Cruiser’s (6 vs. 5 years).

The Defender P400’s standard 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid produces 69 more horsepower (395 vs. 326) than the Land Cruiser’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Defender P500’s standard 5.0 supercharged V8 produces 167 more horsepower (493 vs. 326) than the Land Cruiser’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Defender P525’s standard 5.0 supercharged V8 produces 192 more horsepower (518 vs. 326) than the Land Cruiser’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Defender OCTA’s standard 4.4 turbo V8 hybrid produces 300 more horsepower (626 vs. 326) and 88 lbs.-ft. more torque (553 vs. 465) than the Land Cruiser’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Defender P400 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Toyota Land Cruiser:

As tested in Motor Trend the Defender P525 5.0 supercharged V8 is faster than the Toyota Land Cruiser (base engine):

Both the Defender and Land Cruiser have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Defender has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Defender has 5.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Land Cruiser (23.8 vs. 17.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Defender’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Land Cruiser:

The Defender stops much shorter than the Land Cruiser:

For better traction, the Defender has larger standard tires than the Land Cruiser (255/65R19 vs. 245/70R18). The Defender’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Land Cruiser (275/45R22 vs. 265/60R20).

The Defender’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 Land Cruiser 1958’s standard 70 series tires. The Defender’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Land Cruiser’s optional 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Defender has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Land Cruiser 1958. The Defender’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Land Cruiser.

The Defender offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Land Cruiser’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Defender 110’s wheelbase is 6.8 inches longer than on the Land Cruiser (119 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Defender is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 2.1 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Land Cruiser.

The Defender 130 Outbound handles at .77 G’s, while the Land Cruiser pulls only .69 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Defender 110 V8 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.7 seconds quicker than the Land Cruiser (27 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 29.7 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Defender 90’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the Land Cruiser’s (38 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Defender 90 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Land Cruiser (8.9 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Defender to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Defender 110 OCTA’s minimum ground clearance is 4 inches higher than on the Land Cruiser (12.7 vs. 8.7 inches).

The Land Rover Defender may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 800 pounds less than the Toyota Land Cruiser.

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 Land Cruiser doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Defender 130 Outbound is quieter than the Land Cruiser (67 vs. 68 dB).

The Defender 130 offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Land Cruiser can only carry 5. The Defender 90 offers optional seating for 6.

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

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

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

The Defender’s cargo area is larger than the Land Cruiser’s in almost every dimension:

The Defender’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Land Cruiser’s (7716 vs. 6000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Toyota Land Cruiser is only 6000 pounds. The Defender offers up to a 8201 lbs. towing capacity.

The Defender uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Land Cruiser uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional in the Land Cruiser (except 1958), the Defender offers an optional driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle and climate settings and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Defender’s standard Keyless Entry allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, unlock the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Smart Key System standard on the Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

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 Land Cruiser doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Defender offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Defender’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Land Cruiser has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Defender and the Land Cruiser have standard heated front seats. The Defender also offers optional heated second and third row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Land Cruiser.

Optional air conditioned front and second row seats keep the Defender’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

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. Wireless charging costs extra on the Land Cruiser.

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

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