The Land Rover Defender 90 is 2021's Coolest SUV - Two Takes

The Land Rover Defender 90 may not actually have a 90" wheelbase like its name, or its history, would suggest, but that doesn't mean it's not a brilliant exercise in usable, comfortable space versus exterior dimensions, refinement, and off-road capability. It's powertrain makes driving on tarmac easy and stress-free, even at higher speeds, while its off-roading gadgets make incredibly light work of challenging terrain, allowing you to venture farther off the pavement in incredible comfort. And it is by far the most refined cabin of any two-door SUV on the market today. This, combined with its relatively compact exterior dimensions, makes the Defender 90 our favorite SUV of 2021.

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[TheSmokingTire]

Do you prefer your 4x4s with two doors or four?

[billfrigo]

I was all hyped up for the new Bronco after seeing some very concerning initial reports on the (4 door) Defender regarding reliability issues. No surprise there... I thought. After watching 1, 378 Bronco videos, placing a pre-order 6 months and 10 days ago as of this writing, taking a 2 day test drive in the Badlands, and playing with the configurator 27, 819 times - I figured I'd check the current competition one last time as I continually wait for my Bronco. Well, that was a mistake. The Defender, especially the 90, really stole the show. I drive an e46 M3 (for the past 10 years now) and the Land Rover sales guy threw me in a 2 door 90 immediately. It wasn't even a consideration of mine considering how "impractical" I thought it was but it's really just the same interior cabin with a tiny trunk. Most of the length 'lost' vs the 110 is in the trunk. Even better, though "hard" to get in and out of, is the rear's safari windows are located above the rear seats instead of above the trunk space in the 4 door / 110. Throw in the ~$4, 000 cheaper MSRP and the $10, 000-$20, 000 cheaper dealer mark up and you have a really strong competitor right now.

I couldn't agree with your thoughts regarding the interior comfort any more. The glass in the Defender is insulated. The roof is endlessly more practical (I prefer the panoramic roof which allows for clearance for the factory roof rack). If I'd go with the Bronco, I don't see myself taking the doors off to go to the Whole Foods hot bar on a Tuesday for lunch. Although I still really like the Bronco, it's held up too much by Wrangler design constraints it should have never forced upon itself to include. *Au revoir, Shosquatchanna.*

[calebloewen]

I appreciate the video inserts of notable issues like the screen and seat movement. Very helpful.

[solitaryhero]

Love the informative cutaway short vids within the driving vid

[Silentblogger]

Me and my wife are gettin a 110 in a couple years. Glad you're reviewing it 👍

[golfinguru]

I have the 6-cylinder 90, no complaints so far other than the awful gas mileage in LA traffic + you can't put steelies on the 6-cylinder models due to the brakes. People harp on reliability but that's what the warranty is for. The cloth sunroof seems ridiculous though, considering the glass sunroof is cheaper.

[Fixinbones]

I don’t know why but I love the little notebook that you jot down your stats in.

[BigDaddy_BHJ]

Be glad when you guy tryout the defender 90 with the supercharged v8 when it comes out

[dragospahontu]

The Suzuki Jimny is really what you only need.

[baddriversofcolga]

They should offer a traditional roof in the Bronco for those that want less noise in the cabin.

[chaseteter]

400hp Defender. What a time to be alive!

[rontaumelscheibe]

Driving my 90 3.0 D200 Basic (incl. 5 additional options) "green bulldog" now for 8 month. I have never been disappointed. The engine is powerful, quiet and economical for the weight of the car. The Defender is also a fantastic touring vehicle. Comfortable, quiet and agile thanks to the shorter wheelbase. Drive it in the city, in the country and on the highway. And this winter we already had ample opportunity to test the suitability for snow. I would never buy a German car. Greetings from Munich 😛

[scrabble]

Ordered mine in June, hopefully il have it for Christmas !!!

[jcv]

What sunglasses are you both rocking? And which walkie-talkies are the ones featured in the video (in the cup holders)?

[Mamo]

Bummer, no white steelies.
Would have been cool to see the cheapest base version 90 in action since we already know what a loaded-up 110 can do.

[will]

Great review. As an owner one thing I disagree on is the pivi pro. I find it fast and much superior to others . I recently rented a bmw while traveling and found myself missing every aspect of the LR infotainment system - really I was amazed

[eddiefalcon]

I like that jump seat, for when you need a quick extra seat, but cannot stand ingress egress for rear seats.

[asimrc]

What's more comfortable on road defender or Landcruiser 250?

[PaulTC]

Do you get the Defender 90 V8 P525 in the US? It's the 3 door Defender with the same engine as the Jaguar F Pace SVR but a bit detuned (520hp).

[PatrickSzczypinski]

I'm less in to off-roading and really wanna know how these things, specifically the 110, tow a smaller sized (~5000 lb loaded) travel trailer. I have a Touareg TDI for towing now with a family of 4 in comfort and this seems like an ideal replacement for it in a few years without having to go with a truck. Not too many SUVs this size, this refined, with the same listed tow rating.