Questions Answered About Your Land Rover Defender 110 | Carscoops

      The focus of this set of questions about the Land Rover Defender revolves around comparisons with other SUVs.

      We recently completed a week of on- and off-road evaluations of the Land Rover Defender.

      Before our testing, we inquired about your questions regarding the vehicle, and here are the responses.

      Among the SUVs we’ve evaluated lately, the Land Rover Defender truly distinguishes itself. While it may not be the most efficient, the fastest, or even the most proficient off-road, it is a well-rounded luxury SUV built for adventure. Prior to taking it off-road, we gathered your queries related to the Defender, and today we provide answers.

      To recap, our Defender was a 110 model, which translates to a four-door five-seater. It features the P400 powertrain, comprising an inline-six engine with an electric supercharger, a conventional turbocharger, and mild hybrid systems. With the X-Dynamic SE trim, it carries a starting price of $81,923. Now, let's dive into your questions.

      Why Compare the Defender to the Jeep Wrangler V8?

      In our earlier "Ask Us Anything" article regarding the Defender, we made a direct comparison between the Defender's specifications and those of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Final Edition. One reader questioned our decision to highlight pricing and speed when Land Rover also has a V8 option that we didn’t discuss, and noted that speed isn't necessarily the main concern for serious off-road enthusiasts.

      Let’s clarify this point. Suppose you have about $90,000 to invest in an SUV and seek one with genuine off-road capabilities. In that scenario, you would likely compare the Defender to the Wrangler we tested. While we could have contrasted the V8 Defender with the Wrangler, here’s our reasoning.

      The V8 Defender is often priced lower than the Wrangler in various trims. Although we didn’t have access to the V8 model, even the inline-six proved to be a superior all-around SUV compared to the Jeep. As indicated in our full review of the Wrangler, for those focused on extreme off-roading, there are numerous options available at a significantly lower price.

      Should Jaguar Have Installed This Engine in the XE?

      Absolutely. The XE was a decent sedan, and there were no issues with the engine options it had. However, we would love to experience what a Jaguar XE could be like with the P400 inline-six engine. It’s responsive, powerful, and exceptionally smooth. Who wouldn’t want that kind of engine in a sedan? Unfortunately, this never materialized. But who knows—perhaps a future owner will choose to perform an engine swap.

      How Does It Compare to the Discovery?

      Consider the Discovery as the more luxurious, softer version of the Defender. This is the simplest way to differentiate between these two similar SUVs. The on-road driving dynamics are slightly sharper, the driving position feels more traditionally Land Rover, and the cargo space is a bit easier to access. It's also important to mention that the Discovery is quite capable off-road as well, so choose the one that aligns best with your preferences and don’t look back.