2025 Land Rover Defender Review By Andrew Frankl

By Andrew Frankl
European Bureau Chief
The Auto Channel

I have been a member of the Belvedere Tennis Club in Marin County, just North of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The Club only has 240 members but its would be fair to say that at least 25 percent of them drive either a Range

Rover or a Land Rover Defender.

The one had for test was as solid as a rock but in all honesty it was just a bit too much for this part of the World.

I have been to Africa and seen old battered examples taking everything in their stride. Equally I have seen many more recently heading to the Sierras. Unfortunately two mega companies own most of the ski resorts totally obsessed with pleasing Wall Street and consequently the4y squeeze every cent out of the skiers and boarders. What makes all this even worse it that they are expanding into Europe and will kill the ambiance of those famous resorts stone dead.

You will probably say that if you can afford a Defender you can affords a ski pass but you multiply this by 6-two adults, four children then you are talking very serious money indeed.

Of course the Defender could cope with the terrain invert one of its 15-yes 15 varieties. The price starts at 58 thousand and goes up to the truly ridiculous 170 thousand dollars .

What is common to the brand is the unmistakable Land Rover styling and the robustness. You know you are going to get there. I don’t quite understand why you have to have lots of luxury in a product essentially designed for rough terrain but I supposed some folks like to be spoilt even ask the top of the mountain.

The Defender is a genuine rival to the Jeep Wrangler and also to the Lexus GX.

The choice within the Defender family is truly mesmerizing, if money is no object do get one with the truly exceptional Twin-turbo V8, a dream of an engine.

But before you buy a Defender you really have to study, may at the local dealer because otherwise you will never figure out whether you should have two doors, four doors, extended wheel base and size of the engine as well as the size of your bank account. For most folks the 110 X-Dynamic seems to make the most sense. 20 inch aluminum wheels, a decent sound system an excellent digital gauge display.

Some of my fellow writers pointed the fuel consumption which does depend on how you drive. All I can do is enclose a picture showing 19.7 mpg which I think is pretty reasonable.

All in all a very fine product currently facing tariffs in the USA. Looking at it another way it enables the dealers to sell their Defenders already in the country. The company have decided to stop exporting for the moment because the situation changes day to day. So if this is what your little heart desires go and get it now!