Outside of its flagship Range Rover offering, Land Rover’s most interesting vehicle may be the Land Rover Defender, which delivers a rugged, boxy look, an upscale interior, and a high-performing option to fans of getting off the beaten path.

With four decades of history, including a lengthy time frame when it was not sold in the U.S, the Defender is somewhat of a niche vehicle option today — but still has plenty to offer buyers in the off-roader segment.

WIth many off-roaders being rather pedestrian in terms of interior design, the Defender offers an opportunity to explore far-flung locales while remaining in a high-class setting.

I recently spent some time behind the wheel of a Land Rover Defender 110 SE, and I’m back with a full report on how it holds up vs. other top off-roaders.

Defender is a classic British automotive nameplate from Land Rover with as much history as nearly any vehicle in existence. Stretching back all the way to 1948, when it was first introduced as the “Series 1” as a Jeep-inspired vehicle, this tough customer has seen a seven-decade run and gone through a handful of redesigns (with the Defender name coming into play starting in 1990). More than 2 million of these vehicles have been sold worldwide between all of its renditions over those seven decades.

For the 2020 model year, after a few years dormant (and not being sold in the U.S. since the 1990s), a newly remodeled version of the Defender returned to the world automotive stage to much fanfare, and that excitement continues into 2021. I recently tested the latest incarnation of the Defender and I’m back with a full report of how this classic vehicle contends in today’s automotive landscape.

LOOKS 

First let me just say that for a rugged and off-road capable vehicle, the Land Rover Defender is a beautiful vehicle that will catch your eye and looks like nothing else on the road.

The exterior design is squared off and tall (with up to 11.5 inches of ground clearance). The Defender shares limited similarity to a Jeep design, with the added bonus of being much more attractive. Two-door and four-door versions of the Defender are offered.

In my experience, I’ve found that you’re either a Jeep person, or you’re not.

Many people will avoid Jeeps like the plague, as it’s just not for them. But for those of you who are Jeep people, you probably think there’s no legitimate alternative.

Here’s a look at a couple Jeep options, the 2020 Wrangler, and the 2020 Renegade.
I’ll start with the Wrangler, the ultimate Jeep for Jeep people.

LOOKS

In terms of looks and design, the Jeep Wrangler exudes that off-road character that you’ve come to expand from this brand that dates back to the WWII era. You’ll never mistake the Wrangler for another ride.

It’s a totally unique vehicle, incredibly rugged, and you can literally take it apart (doors, roof, windshield are all optional) if you want to experience an extreme sense of freedom while driving (just check the forecast first).

The Wrangler sits high up,  is made of very strong materials and has a unique grill that has never been mimicked. A Wrangler is a Wrangler, and that's why it has kept its loyal fans for so long.

Another unique aspect of the Wrangler is the large number of customization options, both from the factory and in the aftermarket.

Even the paint colors are nice. My test vehicle had a pumpkin metallic clearcoat paint that was a type of bright orange that was shocking yet pleasing to the eye. Inside was a more traditional look with black leather trim seats.