2024 Land Rover Defender 130

How does the Defender 130 drive? Our test Defender 130 had the 395-hp six-cylinder engine. It's punchy, and it helped the 130 accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds at the Edmunds test track. That's on par with other class leaders that have six-cylinder engines. Stopping power, on the other hand, wasn't as stout. The Defender 130 needed a longish 125 feet to stop from 60 mph. For comparison, a Mercedes GLS we tested hauled up in just 105 feet.

Despite its mass, the 130 is supremely easy to live with. The eight-speed automatic shifts almost imperceptibly, the engine auto stop-start function works without being intrusive. This three-row SUV even handles quite well. It's a smooth operator in almost every situation, and we didn't expect that from something this large.

How comfortable is the Defender 130? In almost every condition, the Defender manages to be as comfortable as more luxurious rivals in the class. It feels sophisticated as it rolls down the road, dealing with potholes and rougher pavement without hesitation. It's also a comfortable place to sit. Our test SUV's front seats provided lots of adjustability, though some of our drivers found the cushioning a little too firm.

The Defender 130 is also quiet. Plenty of metal and fabric insulate you from the outside world, and even at highway speeds, this Defender is quiet enough to coax your seven passengers right to sleep thanks to an almost complete lack of errant noises and vibrations. And no matter the inclement weather outside, the climate control system seems more than up to the task of providing a comfortable interior environment.

How’s the interior? The Defender's interior is like no other Land Rover product, and that's a good thing. While most of its siblings have gotten rid of physical controls, the Defender displays them prominently from the dashboard. Multifunction dials may still take a little time to get used to, but having them alone makes the Defender's interior far more easy to use. And the button array never feels cluttered.

A commanding driving position gives the sense that you're in something with real presence, and there is an exceptional amount of glass to peer through. The panoramic glass roof adds a sense of airiness to the interior too. The view out of the front is nice and wide, and blind spots are kept to a minimum. The cabin itself feels vast, but compared to some of the other behemoths in this segment, the 130 is actually on the smaller side. Still, there's plenty of room in the first two rows. Impressively, the third-row seat is also pretty roomy. Two average-size adults can fit in relative comfort.

How’s the storage? The 130 is the biggest Defender you can buy, and it features 13.7 cubic feet of space with all three rows up. Drop all of the rear seating down and you'll have 88.9 cubic feet of cargo room to work with. It's easily big enough to handle more Ikea and Home Depot runs (even if you hit both on the same day). It offers similar cargo capacity to the BMW X7 but isn't quite as capacious as the Mercedes GLS or Jeep Wagoneer. The rear air suspension can also be lowered at the touch of a button located at the back of the vehicle, making loading and unloading cargo just a little easier on your back.

Storage spaces for small items are also abundant. The door bins are a good size, the center console is both deep and wide, and there is a handy parcel shelf that runs almost the entire length of the dash. The shelf is a great-looking feature that elevates the Defender's interior and adds a practical place to put phones, wallets and other smaller addenda. Parents who need to install a car seat might find the Defender's height an issue, but lowering the standard air suspension into "entry height" remedies this somewhat.

Is the Defender 130 a good value? It seems build quality has gone up since our initial impressions of the Defender. We initially reported misaligned panels and squeaks from the interior, but not anymore. This Defender is built with an almost stone-wall solidity. The panels fit nicely together, too, and they should for a luxury SUV in this price range. When you factor in the 130's extra utility, standard air suspension (an option on other Defenders), and its excellent on- and off-road performance, the 130 is fully worth its price tag.

Land Rover's warranty coverage falls slightly below the industry average in this class, however. It only offers four years/50,000 miles of basic and drivetrain coverage. Many other manufacturers also offer a free maintenance package of some sort, but not Land Rover.

The Defender is an icon, and despite the immense popularity of SUVs, it continues to be one of the originals. It's a well-thought-out reimagination of a classic nameplate, and it looks like little else on the road while still being comfortable, competent off-road and largely vice-free. The Defender 130 is a very complete SUV, and an option that's difficult to ignore if you're looking for a big off-road-capable SUV that can also seat eight.