2025 Toyota Land Cruiser vs 2024 Land Rover Defender

The 2024 Land Rover Defender presented a harmonious blend of classic and contemporary design elements. Its exterior maintained a traditional boxy silhouette, complemented by modern touches like angular headlights that linked it visually to other Land Rover models. Inside, the Defender diverged from its siblings, offering a rugged and adventure-ready cabin reminiscent of a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco, yet with more refined materials. The Defender was available in three body styles—90, 110, and 130—and offered various trims, each catering to different aesthetic preferences. Our test drive of the Defender 110 S, equipped with the County visual package, highlighted its retro appeal with white wheels and vintage graphics, while also showcasing its modern features like a panoramic glass roof and a 10-speaker Meridian sound system.

In contrast, the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser embraced a more utilitarian design with a nod to its heritage. The base model, 1958, featured a retro look with round headlights and basic equipment, while the more upscale Land Cruiser trim offered a modern appearance with additional color options and enhanced interior features. Our test vehicle, equipped with the Premium Package, boasted Heritage Blue paint, 20-inch wheels, and a roof rack, enhancing its off-road capability. The interior, though utilitarian, was upgraded with Java-colored leather and dual 12.3-inch digital screens, providing a technologically advanced feel. Despite its traditional two-box SUV design, the Land Cruiser's high load floor and limited rear seat comfort were notable drawbacks.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender offered a range of powertrains, starting with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the P300, delivering 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Our P400 test model featured a mild-hybrid turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, producing 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. For those seeking more power, the Defender offered two supercharged 5.0-liter V8 options: the P500 with 493 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque, and the P525 with 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque. All engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time active four-wheel drive. The Defender's towing capacity varied, with the six-cylinder and eight-cylinder models capable of towing up to 7,716 pounds, while the four-cylinder could tow up to 5,500 pounds. The Defender excelled in off-road conditions, particularly with features like the adaptive air suspension system and Terrain Response 2 system, making it a formidable off-road vehicle.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser, on the other hand, was equipped with Toyota’s i-Force Max hybrid system, combining a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, producing a total of 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. This powertrain was mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and a full-time four-wheel-drive system, allowing for a maximum towing capacity of 6,000 pounds. The Land Cruiser featured standard off-road capabilities such as Downhill Assist Control and Crawl Control, with the higher trim adding Multi-Terrain Select modes and a front stabilizer bar disconnect. Despite its impressive off-road prowess, the Land Cruiser's real-world fuel efficiency fell short of expectations, achieving only 15.7 mpg during testing. Its handling on twisty roads was also less than stellar, but it excelled in urban and suburban environments, offering a comfortable and capable ride.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender offered a versatile interior, blending luxury with practicality. It featured soft-touch materials, grip handles, rubberized floors, and ample cargo compartments, making it suitable for both city driving and off-road adventures. Seating capacity varied, with the Defender 110 offering an optional third row best suited for children, while the Defender 130 could accommodate up to eight passengers, albeit with limited space. Cargo capacity was generous, with the Defender 130 providing up to 76.1 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. The Defender 110 offered 78.8 cubic feet in its two-row configuration, while the two-door Defender 90 provided up to 58.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.

In comparison, the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser offered a more utilitarian interior, with the base model featuring cloth upholstery and the higher trim upgrading to SofTex artificial leather. Our test vehicle, equipped with the Premium Package, included real leather and a power sunroof. While the front seats were comfortable, the second-row seats lacked thigh support and had an uncomfortable backrest angle. The Land Cruiser offered 46.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, expanding to 82.1 cubic feet with the seats folded. However, the high load floor made loading heavy items challenging, and the rear window design limited airflow through the cabin.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender came equipped with a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and an 11.4-inch touchscreen, which, while smaller than some competitors, suited its utilitarian design. The system included navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, satellite radio, HD radio, and a 10-speaker Meridian stereo system. The straightforward setup and home buttons made it user-friendly, providing a blend of refinement and utility.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser, when upgraded from the base model, featured two 12.3-inch displays with the Toyota Audio Multimedia system. It offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and access to Apple Music and Amazon Music accounts. Five connected service plans were available, including Drive Connect, which provided cloud-based navigation and a digital assistant. The Premium Package added a 14-speaker JBL sound system, wireless smartphone charger, head-up display, digital rearview mirror, and digital key technology, enhancing the overall technological experience.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender was equipped with a comprehensive suite of standard driver assistance features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Additional safety tech included traffic sign recognition, automatic high beams, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and a 360-degree parking camera system. However, the lane-departure and lane-keeping assist systems were noted to be overly sensitive, potentially causing interference during normal driving.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser featured Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, the latest collection of advanced driving assistance systems. It included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcyclist detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist. The adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist provided semi-autonomous highway driving capabilities. Additional safety features included a road sign reader, automatic high-beam headlights, and Predictive Driving Assist. The Premium Package added front cross-traffic alert, lane-change assist, and Traffic Jam Assist. The Land Cruiser received a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in side-impact testing but a three-star rollover resistance rating.