The Defender is designed to go where the pavement ends. It’s the vehicle you’ll want when the San Andreas Fault lets go and destroys the freeways—the real deal, not some wimpy crossover SUV.
The 2021 Defender is the successor to Defenders last sold in the U.S. in 1997. Rather than a steel body-on-frame design, the new Defender has an aluminum monocoque body and a four-wheel independent suspension. Loaded with sophisticated technology, it offers a plethora of specialized driving modes—from rock crawling to river wading. Tall, wide, and hunky, it’s a Tonka toy for adults.
But features that make the Defender so capable off road make it less than ideal on it. High ground clearance means it’s a long reach to enter or exit the cabin. The suspension can take big hits but doesn’t coddle occupants with a soft ride. The massive all-terrain tires are noisy on pavement. A heavy brute, even the mild hybrid 6-cylinder Defender swills premium petrol.
Some buyers enthralled with the Defender’s rugged style will never venture off road; for them, other Land Rovers are better suited to daily driving than is the Defender.
