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-road hardware — sophisticated independent air suspension, multi terrain programs, electronic locking differentials and all-terrain tires.
Learn more about the cars Clayton, what is your antediluvian truck bringing to this party? Clayton Seams: Well first of all, it blows my mind that the “affordable” angle to this comparison costs $70,570 as-tested. The most-affordable configuration of Toyota’s venerable off-roader is an astonishing $55,320! In fact, the 4Runner is such a long-lived item, we can use it to track the depressing march of inflation that consumers face. In 2010, when this generation debuted, the base MSRP was $36,800 and the median household income was $69,890.
In the intervening years, the base price of the 4Runner has risen by 50% while median household income has risen by just 8%. Lovely. In automotive years (calculable similar to dog years), the 4Runner is a downright fossil.
Like the Paleozoic horseshoe crab, it has simply outlasted all of its 2010-era competitors. And it did so for the same reason as the plucky arthropod: the basic design is excellent. The 4Runner eschews turbos, hybridization, independent rear suspension, and newfangled unibody construction.
If you’d like to be crass, you could say that the stone-age 4.0L V6 and live-rear-axle are outdated. But for those who venture far from the beaten track, there’s something to be said for a known combination.
The 4Runner has no sexy numbers. It has 270 hp and drinks gasoline like a truck twice its size. Our TRD Pro model is endowed with Fox shock absorbers and that’s about the most cutting edge technology on the vehicle.
In fact, the entire 4Runner is much like the front skidplate fitted to the front of it: heavy, overbuilt, basic, and effective. How’s life in the future, Peter? PB: Well, my highway drive to our boonie-bashing session in this two-tone Defender was pretty sweet. Effortless wafting, and me cosseted in fine Windsor leather while enjoying the outstanding 825-watt Meridian audio (a $600 upgrade).
Oops, not supposed to talk about that stuff. One would never know the off-road capabilities of the Defender by the way it so convincingly plays the luxury SUV card. But today we’re going to get its Fuji White flanks soaked in mucky water, and then given a coat of grime and fine sand for good measure.
Call me crazy (it’s never happened before), but I’m pretty sure this Landie knows what’s ahead, and is a tad excited. It wants to play in the mud as much as we do. “Oooooh.
Jack up my air suspension. Put me in Mud and Rut mode. Can we climb those sand dunes and do doughnuts?” Yes.
Yes we can. So the two legends collide. An elemental bare-bones tough guy Toyota with time proven hardware set against a modern Land Rover, bristling with every imaginable system and electronic aid designed to make the switch from negotiating mall parking lots to the Rubicon Trail a matter of pressing a couple of buttons and motoring on.
So Clayton, what’s first on the agenda? CS: Like you said up top, the fact that I trundled here on the highway turning the stereo up to drown out the din of the 4Runner’s knobby 31.5” tires doesn’t matter for this comparison. We have full road tests of each of these already.
Today, we are putting these two 4x4s to the test at their intended purpose. First up! Muddy trail bashing. The mud holes at our disposal aren’t really enough to tax these two machines and frankly I’d hate to find one that did.
The Defender, for example, boasts a maximum fording depth of nearly three feet. The Defender is a full-time AWD system and it automatically diverts power to the front and rear wheels as needed depending on the situation. The 4Runner is a more classic affair.
To prepare for off-road driving, shift the transmission into neutral and then give the transfer-case lever a hefty pull into 4-HI or 4-LO. Once slotted into the appropriate ratios, we began plodding along the muddy tracks at our disposal and a surprise soon emerged. You would think that the stone-age Toyota with its beam axle and full frame would be the bumpier ride of the two.
The Defender has fully independent suspension and air-shocks to boot. And yet, it was the 4Runner that rode smoother on the rutty paths. I credit a lot of this to the chunky sidewall of the Toyota.
It uses 17” wheels where the Defender uses 19s and I really think that makes a difference. It may be somewhat clunky on the highway, but the 4Runner is in its element when the conditions turn to dirt. But what happened when we took it up a notch, Peter? How about steep climbs, rocky descents, and sand dunes? PB: Like you, I’m surprised at how compliant the 4Runner is on these rutted roads.
And it’s a controlled ride too — not bouncy, and nary a crash to be heard. Those Fox shocks are showing their worth. I’m sure it helps that our Toyota is about 450 kg lighter than the Land Rover.
It’s also a tidier size which made negotiating the narrow 40-degree dirt ramp and tree-lined trail easier — although the Defender’s “gopher-view” camera helps in these situations. Additionally, select any of the Landie’s off-road terrain modes (Rock Crawl, Mud//Ruts, Wade, Sand) and the air suspension jacks the Defender up on its tippy toes. Both HDC (hill descent control) and ATPC (low-speed cruise control) have adjustable speeds, enabling controlled ascents and descents without having to touch the accelerator.
One just has to focus on steering while the Defender takes care of all the tricky traction stuff. Off Roading for Dummies . When you know what buttons to push, the Defender is essentially unstoppable, especially on these all-terrain tires.
Clayton, I noticed you had a brief moment of difficulty in the TRD while climbing up that steep rocky crevice. What was going on there? CS: While the pilot of the Defender has access to all manner of electronic off-road assists, things are a bit more analogue in the 4Runner. Sure, I can activate crawl control on downward descents but the action is clunky.
The Defender has much smoother off-road assists. Climbing a steep and rocky v-notch in the TRD, I reached a point where one lofted rear tire spun uselessly in the air, refusing to propel me forward. I stopped, activated the electronic rear locker, and with that engaged I made it to the top without a fight.
The 4Runner TRD Pro also has some basic trail cams but nothing like those fitted to the Defender which can make the bottom of it actually see-through via lacing the footage of various cameras together. I found that in the Defender, I merely had to aim it in the direction I wanted to go and its magic suspension and diffs would sort it for me. In the 4Runner, I had to be much more involved.
I was feeling what the tires were doing, listening to the rpm and spotting around the vehicle for the best possible route. One party trick the Defender has is that addictive V8 power. You can bomb up sand dunes with ease sending 50-ft rooster tails behind you.
Matting the gas pedal in the 4Runner isn’t nearly as dramatic or fun. These two vehicles off road are like a Miata and a GT-R on a track: both are fun, but in very different ways. PB: Absolutely.
I have to say I really enjoyed the engaging, analogue feel of the 4Runner when tackling this rough terrain. Sure, it has a weird driving position, but you are always involved and part of the proceedings. There’s an elemental charm to this old bullet-proof Toyota and I see why it has a cult following.
The Defender, especially with this vocal supercharged 5.0L V8, is an astoundingly impressive piece of kit with a massive bandwidth of capability. It can go anywhere with little effort, and given the opportunity, will bellow like the hounds of hell and draw huge sandy doughnuts.
It’s a tough call on which vehicle is the more capable off-roader, or to put it another way, which one will get you stuck the farthest from civilization. So Clayton, we must decide a winner based purely on the off-road experience. I’m giving the nod to the Toyota 4Runner TRD because it’s fun, chuckable and makes you work to access its impressive capabilities.
Plus, if something breaks, you could probably fix it with a crowbar and a pipe wrench. The TRD’s compromised on-road comportment (loud, terrible driving position, lousy handling, worse fuel mileage) actually works in its favour here, showing this Jurassic Toyota-osaur is laser focused on one thing. The end of an era, ‘cause here comes the asteroid.
That said, I’m damn happy I’m driving home in the Land Rover! Thoughts, Clayton? CS: We’re not considering things like value for money or pavement comfort here. And out here on the dirt, the Toyota is king. This is the final year for this aging platform and we have an off-road test of its revamped pickup truck sibling, the Tacoma , coming here soon! But until then, I think we have to crown the outdated, underpowered, and low-tech Toyota 4Runner the winner.
Not only is it an absolute champ off road but it makes the driver feel like one too. Our biggest gripe with the Land Rover Defender is that off-roading with it is almost too easy. With the 4Runner, you get to feel like you worked for your meal.
Maybe we will have to host a rematch with the updated 2025 4Runner when we can get our muddy hands on it. Sign up for our newsletter Blind-Spot Monitor and follow our social channels on X , Tiktok and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest automotive news, reviews, car culture, and vehicle shopping advice..
