2025 Land Rover Defender

The 2025 Land Rover Defender is Land Rover's nod to nostalgia, a recently resurrected nameplate that, despite really never having gone away — the first-generation Defender only bowed out in 2016, though it left the U.S. in the late 1990s — recalls the appeal of its boxy, Jeep-like utilitarian predecessor. Today's Defender offers a cushier ride, modern electronics and supremely capable off-road ability, all with its familiar squared-off profile. It's offered as a short Jeep Wrangler-esque two-door with a blistering optional V8 engine (Defender 90), a four-door two-row model (Defender 110), or a family-friendly long-wheelbase three-row model (Defender 130). You can even get the three-row model without a third row, reclaiming it all for cargo space instead.

Among the Land Rover siblings, the 2025 Land Rover Defender is the one that rebelled, listened to loud music, and joined the Forest Service. While the genteel Range Rover preens as a universal status symbol, and the Discovery quietly gets along as a middle child, the Defender takes itself less seriously, instead turning its gaze to capability and adventure. Loaded with off-road-oriented features and specs — big tires, nearly 12 inches of ground clearance, advanced four-wheel drive, computer-aided traction controls — the Defender is ideally suited for the dirty work of trails and tree stumps. For 2025, there's also a new Defender Octa. It comes with an exclusive 626-horsepower V8 and a specialized suspension that Land Rover says allows for better control of individual wheels, increasing the potential off-road while delivering better control on asphalt.

The Defender's toughest competitors come from within its own family, with the similarly priced Discovery and much further upmarket Range Rover. Outside of those alternatives, the Lexus GX also offers formidable all-terrain ability but falls short in on-road comfort. The Jeep Wagoneer is suitably snazzy and strong for towing but limited in its off-road flexibility. There's also the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, which can go anywhere the Defender can and then some, but it's comically priced by comparison. Be sure to read our Expert Rating below to learn if the Defender is best for your adventures.