Costumes, capabilities, and the Land Rover Defender 110

You may have noticed as you peruse MWS that for the most part, press cars come just one way: fully loaded. I don’t mind, of course, but I also don’t need to sign on the dotted line for 36 months. So when England called (said Queen, idk) to offer up a Land Rover Defender 110, I was expecting the V-8. Maybe even the OCTA! Yeeeaaaa, buddy!

So what’s this X-Dynamic SE doing here? And why is it all the better for it?

Well that’s why we review ’em.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE

I should be able to copy and paste this by now, but you’ll never guess where the original Land Rover came from. Rhymes with Beep.

This time, the need for the Land Rover came right after World War 2, and Rover (the car company) used a Willy’s Jeep as inspiration for its Series 1. The Defender itself came from that original LR, and had a 33-year production run that finally ended in 2016.

What you see here has nothing in common with that Lego on wheels. Born in 2020, it looks the part in a modern way. Thankfully, its off-road ability remained.

You can option this Defender in many ways, from two doors to four, two rows or three, four, six, or eight-cylinder power, and pricing from $58k all the way up to $153,000. Regardless of what you choose, all models have the kind of running gear needed to drive through every kind of surface you can think of.

Our SE falls right in the middle of that range. Let’s ignite the inline-six.

Performance Score: 8. More isn’t always better

If the Land Cruiser from last week was fun off-road, but a bit much on it, this Defender is the opposite. Refined, dignified, but still just as capable.

Engine

It’s not possible to sit here and tell you that, with my two all-time favorite V-8s available, I’d be happy with the six you see here. BMW’s N63 in the OCTA, or that wonderful supercharged block from heaven in the aptly named V-8 model are difficult to pass up.

But this 3.0-liter six is not to be forgotten. With 395 horses and 406 lb-ft of torque, it utilizes an electric supercharger, a turbocharger, and a 48-volt hybrid system, and it offers tons of smooth, silky grunt that pushes the Defender to speed with little stress. Makes the turbo four in the Land Cruiser feel like a buzz saw.

You can also get a more powerful six. The V-8s are at least $40,000 more than the SE, and I don’t think I could justify the cost in what is an off-road truck. You just don’t need all that power if you’re gonna be as dirty as I think you are with this thing. It’s a sweet spot in price and performance.

Transmission

It’s the ZF, and it’s wonderful.

This is an eight-speed unit that never hunts for gears, or slams you into the seat back on each kick down. This car is much too dignified for that, and it mostly stays out of the way.

The running gear it’s attached to is just as impressive, with all-wheel drive and locking differentials at both ends. But they never feel grabby or make uncouth noises on a paved road.

The shifter itself sprouts from the dashboard like a unicorn’s magic horn, and the way it’s positioned can block pretty much all the controls you’ll need. No bueno. Cool shape though.

Steering and Chassis

The Land Rover Defender is undoubtedly a truck, but it’s simply a comfortable and capable car that might as well be a 5 Series on a regular road. For awhile.

Once you get out of town and head for the highway, the Defender hunts for grooves and can be a bit squirrelly. Going above 70 just isn’t where it wants to live, and with steering that’s a bit loose off-center, it’s not quick to pull back into the lane. That said, it’s far more comfortable and less truck-like than the 392 Rubicon, Bronco Raptor – pretty much anything the Defender is priced around.

None of that matters once you hit the dirt, where that loose steering wheel becomes a boon for maintaining control on loose surface. I can’t overstate just how comfortable this car will make you off-road – all the bumps and impacts are far away. It’s not as tossable as the Land Cruiser, but the way it pushes and bullies itself through obstacles is really impressive.

Also here is an optional air suspension that helps you get in the car, and can raise it by nearly six inches. Land Rover’s famed Terrain Response Control takes the guesswork out of which drive mode to be in for your specific conditions. It all works without a million buttons on the dash.

The Defender really has the best balance of true off-road truck with just enough on-road ability. Regardless of the engine, its suspension and chassis are world-class.

Brakes

The Defender has brakes that are perhaps a bit more “exotic” than your run-of-the-mill truck. Four-pot calipers clamp down vented discs, but you can actually see them through pretty five-spoke wheels. They work quite well everywhere, providing enough juice to stop this 5,000-pound truck with confidence.

All this with optional Goodyear Wrangler tires – much more knobby than standard M+S rubber.

The Defender comes without the pomp and circumstance of other off-road things. It certainly looks the part, but I’d call its personality more of a “I know it, no need to show it” deal. Maybe a bit too buttoned up to compete for fun with a Ford Raptor, it’s still a very good SUV for getting dirty.

Lifestyle Score: 9. The box it came in

The word “tough” is often used as an excuse to make something look cheap. Not so here.

Climb up into the cabin and find a pair of very comfortable chairs covered in…vulcanized leather? They call it grained leather on Robustec seats, and they look both high-class and rugged. In fact, the entire cabin is like a giant bin of luxury Tupperware. Hose this down and off you go.

You can get the Defender 110 with a third row, though this example did not have it. The back seat felt a bit tight despite the size, so I can’t imagine a third row would be for anyone aside from tiny humans. Get the 130 if you want more space. Get the 90 if you just want two doors.

The hatch swings out to the right to reveal ample cargo space, but man is it heavy. And you’ll get dirty if the bumper is, because you need to reach over it to place your goodies. It’s cool, you were probably dirty already.

Fuel Economy: 6. Might as well

The Land Rover Defender 110 gets 18 combined MPG. That’s not so bad for 2.5 tons of metal muscle. There’s a 23.9-gallon fuel tank on board too, so you’ll have plenty of range to go exploring. You should know the four-cylinder gets nearly identical mileage.

Choose the supercharged V-8 and get 14 combined MPG. To be honest, I don’t think that’s enough of a difference to select the lesser engine on fuel economy alone.

Features and Comfort: 8. The JLR bar

Modern Land Rovers and Jaguars share many things, from engines to displays, and they are both better as a result.

The Defender isn’t a Range Rover inside, but it isn’t meant to be. You really wanna get white leather dirty?

Hand me a Torx

I refer to the dozens of exposed Torx bolts scattered throughout the cabin, and it’s just one way in which the Defender conveys “tough lux”. Even the bolts are pretty.

The interior is well thought-out, with a big shelf in the dash so you can put fossilized bees, molten lava, and whatever else you’ve taken from your expedition.

Despite the width of the car, everything feels crammed together – the screen and buttons are small. Why is the volume button for the stereo waaay over there? Good luck deciphering all the HVAC and off-road controls mushed together. I’d hate to see you fall down a mountain because you thought the recycle air button turned the Defender into a hover craft.

Elsewhere, we have niceties like a front windshield with a defogger, a panoramic roof with those cool skylights in the rear, a Meridan surround sound system, and Adaptive cruise control. It’s a nice place to work – much nicer than the Land Cruiser.

Code Brown

Gondwana Stone. That’s the name of the color, and if you’re thinking “brown”, you’ll be happy to know that it’s actually a very complex and beautiful color. If anything, I’d be afriad to scratch it.

You can outfit the Defender with ladders and campers and brush guards and light bars, but most of that is unnecessary. Opting for the V-8 trim will get you a more butch-looking front-end, but overall, the Defender looks the part regardless.

Bolted here are 20-inch Satin Grey five-spoke wheels (with full-size spare), heated washers for the headlights, tow hitch and a few nice touches like diamond plating on the hood. Restrained fun, just like the rest of the car.

The Land Rover Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE is perhaps the best real SUV you can buy

This car works as a sort of antithesis to BMW’s X5 M. In the same way you might marvel at the M car’s magically ability to perform on-road despite its SUV origins, you’ll drive the Defender and think “Wow, how is this thing so good everywhere?” despite its prodigious off-road ability.

Let’s talk price. As it sits, this Defender (with everything you need) rings up the register at $81,923. I think that’s a terrific deal, considering the Land Cruiser was just $5,000 cheaper, and the Ford Bronco Raptor and Jeep 392 are much more expensive. That said, the Defender would be a 10 with the right motor in it. Rarely can you put monetary value on soul, but it’s $40,000 here.

Want even more special? Try an OCTA Edition One for $164,000. Is it better than the SE here? Of course. Is it two times better?

That’s all rhetorical. I don’t know if I need the Defender to be a 10. Maybe it’s perfect for taking me home in snow and mud, or hitting a trail on the weekend without worry. Maybe it provides enough theater and character for me alone, and not everyone around me.

Sometimes cars do live up to their reputation.