Article content Peter Bleakney: On the face of it, this comparison test might seem a tad lopsided. After all, pitching a $134k Land Rover Defender 110 against a $70k Toyota 4Runner TRD (pricing before freight and taxes) hardly seems fair. On top of that, the Defender is armed with a 493-hp supercharged 5.
0L V8 while the 4Runner soldiers on with an ancient 270-hp 4.0L V6 that is well past its sell-by date. Come to think of it, so is this generation 4Runner, now in its final year.
So what gives? Well, this face-off is all about the off-road experience, and both the Land Rover Defender and Toyota 4Runner TRD are legitimate and legendary when tire meets the muck. We’re not concerned with day-to-day usability, comfort, luxury, or price, which the Land Rover handily takes the prize for all. Fuel economy? As would be expected, the 2,600 kg V8-powered Defender sucks premium fuel at an alarming rate (16.
4 L/100 km city, 12.7 hwy, 14.7 combined), but surprisingly, the 2,150 kg V6 4Runner TRD does its best to keep up (14.
9 L/100 km city, 12.6 hwy, 13.8 combined).
This latest model Defender, the first to officially be sold in North America, bowed in 2019 and successfully blended a luxury on-road experience with bona fide off-road abilities. Its fab rugged-chic design both inside and out adds to its appeal. Available in three lengths (90, 110 and 130) and with either four-cylinder, six-cylinder or V8 power, this Defender 110 P500 specimen packs the latter and gets a host of standard off.