2021 Toyota Land Cruiser Vs 2021 Land Rover Defender Comparison: Real Off-Roading

It’s not usually now we have the prospect to check two of essentially the most venerable off-road autos identified to man, not to mention on the similar time and on among the finest trails our planet has to supply. However fortunately for us, the celebrities aligned to place a 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Version and Land Rover Defender in our driveway on the similar time, and the Colorado wilderness was calling.

The present Land Cruiser, nicknamed the 200 Sequence, is on its method out the door, however not earlier than heralding the return of the brand new Defender, which arrived for the 2020 mannequin 12 months. It’s the proper time to hit the path and see who’s king of the off-road area.

Editor’s Be aware: Because of our associates at Out of Spec, we will carry you this rock crawlin’ comparability between two off-road heavy weights. Take a look at the Out of Spec channel on YouTube for extra nice content material.

Fort Collins, Colorado: 8:00 AM

As somebody who has owned 60 and 100 Sequence Land Cruisers, I may barely get a wink of sleep the night time previous to executing our deliberate comparability check. Naturally, I’d be piloting the Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Version, and Kyle Conner, our resident Land Rover man, can be behind the wheel of the brand new Defender. Our chosen battlefield was IronClads, an in-and-out path within the Entrance Vary of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. It gives a number of good obstacles, some locations to crawl, and loads of off-camber conditions that may check each autos’ capabilities.

As somebody who daily-drives a 100 Sequence Land Cruiser, the brand new mannequin feels decidedly like residence, and whereas the 2 are virtually 20 years aside, there’s no denying the similarities. The 5.7-liter V8 and eight-speed automated make freeway driving no situation in any respect, although Kyle’s Defender proved to be a lot faster getting as much as 65 miles per hour.

It makes good sense, because the Defender now has a turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that options an built-in starter-generator and an electrical compressor to spool the turbo virtually immediately. Whereas it solely makes just a little extra energy than the Cruiser’s V8 (395 horsepower versus 381), turbo lag is non-existent and it makes higher use of what little air is obtainable at Colorado’s 5,000 ft of elevation. No worries, although; they’re Land Cruisers and Land Rovers, not Land Racers.

Bunce Faculty Street Trailhead: 10:00 AM

There is no feeling like making it to the trailhead, and as we neared our entry level I used to be critically excited to get after it. Earlier than beginning, although, we stopped briefly to speak about preliminary impressions of our rigs and provides one another a number of jabs, primarily about Land Rover reliability and the way frankly outdated the Land Cruiser’s 14-year-old chassis has turn out to be. Typical Land Cruiser versus Land Rover banter – I wouldn’t have it some other method. We then jumped into our rigs and started to push onward.

IronClads Trailhead: 10:30 AM

It’s good apply to cease on the trailhead and ensure your automobile is prepared for the abuse that off-roading presents, and seeing as these weren’t our rigs, it made much more sense. We checked all 4 tires to verify all the things was good, particularly with my Land Cruiser, which comes with tame Dunlop Grandtrek AT20 all-terrain tires that go away one thing to be desired.

That is really my first gripe concerning the Heritage Version: Given the deleted working boards, one would assume Toyota would go all out in making it a extra worthy off-road automobile. Utilizing 33-inch all-terrains would have gone a great distance with trying the half, offering further floor clearance and providing a stiffer sidewall for crawling, on high of further grip from a extra aggressive tread sample. We had no disappointment like that on the Defender, because it was fitted with non-obligatory Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac mud-terrain tires.

Regardless of its age, the Land Cruiser does have some trick off-road tech for when the pavement turns to grime, sand, mud, rock, or snow. Fitted with Toyota’s ATRAC traction management system, the massive Land Cruiser makes use of indicators from 4 wheel pace sensors to simulate locking differentials on the entrance and rear, collaborating with a limited-slip and locking middle differential. Even so, I actually want the Heritage Version introduced mechanical axle lockers again to the Land Cruiser, because it’s one thing now we have not seen obtainable prior to now 20 years.

Crawl Management is one other nifty tech function for the Land Cruiser, kind of appearing as a cruise management for sluggish pace conditions and managed by a knob on the middle console. I opted to not use this when wheeling as a result of I desire to have as a lot management as attainable. So I put my Cruiser in Low, locked the middle differential, and chosen Rock and Grime for the ATRAC setting earlier than seeing how Kyle arrange his Defender.

Whereas the Defender doesn’t have a reside rear axle (learn: much less articulation), it has loads of different bells and whistles to make up for it, together with an actual locking rear differential. Each the middle and rear locker on the Defender will have interaction mechanically, and whereas it appears like a recipe for digital fussiness, in apply it really works quite properly.

The Defender additionally comes geared up with an air suspension and has 11.0 inches of floor clearance on its highest setting, versus 8.9 inches for the Land Cruiser. That stated, air suspensions are typically thought-about a no-no for off-road functions, because it’s extremely tense on the system at most peak when the luggage are at full stress. Time will inform if the Defender’s system is as much as snuff for long-term use, particularly as soon as the guarantee has expired. For longevity, it’s finest to run an air suspension in its regular journey peak, utilizing the max carry to traverse massive obstacles, then airing again down afterward.

Whereas the Defender doesn’t have a reside rear axle (learn: much less articulation), it has loads of different bells and whistles to make up for it, together with an actual locking rear differential.

Like its Japanese competitor, the Defender additionally has a novel terrain administration system known as Terrain Response 2. Although it has selectable modes just like the Land Cruiser, you may go away it in Auto and it’ll determine the remainder out for you, working 500 checks per second of its environment and traction situations, altering traction management, throttle, response, and extra. Kyle selected Rock and Grime mode and we set off.

Impediment #1: 11:00 AM

IronClad’s first impediment is an off-camber rock step with the choice to go round it, which nonetheless has one other small rock step. I went first with the Land Cruiser, choosing the harder observe. I edged as much as it, picked my line, and dedicated. It took the ATRAC system just a little bit of labor to determine what was occurring, however including some skinny pedal helped.

Ultimately I used to be in a position to energy by way of and made it over the impediment. Kyle opted to take the Defender on the simpler line in order to not danger damaging the Defender, and as a lot as I’d like to offer the Cruiser a win for that, we each agreed the Defender would have made it by way of the tougher line with no drawback.

Impediment #2: 11:20 AM

Shortly, we arrived at a small rock backyard, however you’re rewarded in the event you take the troublesome line to the far proper. Once more, I went first. The Land Cruiser had no situation apart from getting hung up on its underbody safety. It was reassuring understanding the Heritage Version has 4 further skid plates and that I used to be not damaging the drivetrain. I dragged a little bit of bumper coming down, nevertheless it made it by way of it no much less.

Kyle introduced the Defender up subsequent and pulled a large wheel carry in spectacular trend. Whereas the Defender has a bit extra floor clearance than the Land Cruiser, he nonetheless dragged some stomach. The Defender obtained by way of the rock backyard higher, however each autos held their honor.

Impediment #3: 11:30 AM

Alas, the ultimate impediment, a rock shelf that’s off camber and a little bit of a climb. This treacherous part of path is what I used to be most excited concerning the night time earlier than.

Because of the lack of floor clearance (most rigs that take this impediment have no less than a number of modifications), we took just a little precaution and constructed up the step with rocks to get rid of potential points. It is a apply known as ‘path constructing’ that’s usually very useful. A lot to my shock, the Land Cruiser walked up with no drawback. Kyle’s Defender adopted swimsuit.

Whereas Kyle’s Defender did a great job, the DuraTrac tires didn’t deal with the ice combine fairly as properly.

Regardless of being considerably anticlimactic, we pushed on by way of some ice and snow combined with rock till we reached the summit, the place we have been rewarded with gorgeous views of the Entrance Vary that reached all the way in which to the plains, at a peak elevation of 9,384 ft. After some alternative pictures, we began our descent down the mountain.

I used to be very impressed with how properly the Land Rover’s ABS system dealt with the ice combine on the way in which down, significantly in shady areas, and whereas Kyle’s Defender did a great job, the DuraTrac tires didn’t deal with the ice combine fairly as properly. Ultimately we reached the primary impediment once more on the descent, and I opted to take the Land Cruiser down a extra wild line, pulling an enormous rear tire carry within the course of.

Finish Of Bunch Faculty Street: 12:30 PM

The snow was pouring down in typical Colorado trend by the point we reached the top of the path, and we pulled off to gather our ideas. Regardless of some trendy facilities, the Land Cruiser is akin to an agricultural automobile, and its chassis is getting outdated. The ATRAC system works properly, as does the crawl management and all the things else, however these aren’t the issues that make a Land Cruiser a Land Cruiser.

It does all the things it’s speculated to do, nevertheless it’s lacking the appeal that authentic Land Cruisers provided. Possibly that’s as a result of it’s a 2021 mannequin and must mature like a advantageous wine for 20 years after racking up a number of hundred thousand miles. Certainly it can last more than its preliminary proprietor with just a little little bit of upkeep, however the lack of aggressive off-road tires and a $91,000 price ticket left us wanting just a little bit extra.

Quite the opposite, the Defender is a brand new spin on a basic components, versus a basic components that has, dare I say, gone a bit stale. The Defender brings a whole lot of new tech to the desk and is packaged in a phenomenal trendy physique that basically seems to be the half and does even higher on the path. It’s superior now we have the Defender again, and its functionality is the icing on the cake.

Solely One Can Rule

On the finish of the day, it’s robust to crown a winner. If I needed to maintain one of many autos for greater than 10 years, I’d decide the Toyota each single time. Given its observe file as one of the vital dependable autos on the planet, you’ll possible be rewarded with low upkeep prices and confidence that you simply gained’t be left stranded when off-roading. And like most instruments, they get higher and extra lovable with time.

If I needed to maintain one of many autos slightly below guarantee, I’d take the Defender. It has extra tech, and it’s arguably extra succesful and definitely higher trying. So long as I don’t must pay for the upkeep, particularly if the air suspension breaks, it is a extra trendy and succesful automobile that additionally prices much less – ours was geared up to only over $70,000.

Because the day got here to an finish, we determined to crown the Land Rover Defender as king of the paths. Each SUVs have been in a position to sort out IronClads with no drama, however the Defender has all the brand new tech, off-road functionality to spare, and party-piece styling. There are few autos which might be as succesful out of the field as the brand new Defender. The brand new chassis is simply as spectacular on-road as it’s off, as is its nifty turbocharged inline-six. Couple all that with a contemporary inside that is good however can nonetheless take some abuse and you’ve got the makings of a brand new king.