Land Rover Defender 110 vs Lexus RX

The Land Rover Defender 110 starts from $100,900 before on-road costs, while the Lexus RX opens at $93,550. That makes the Lexus RX the more affordable entry point by $7,350.

Once you factor in stamp duty, registration, CTP insurance, and dealer delivery, expect to add roughly 8-12% on top of the RRP depending on your state. That puts estimated driveaway prices in the ballpark of $110,990 and $102,905 respectively.

Over 5 years, the running costs favour the Lexus RX by roughly $3,850 in fuel alone.

Both the Land Rover Defender 110 and Lexus RX hold a 5-star ANCAP safety rating. Adult occupant protection scored 85% for the Land Rover Defender 110 and 90% for the Lexus RX.

Where the two diverge is in active safety technology. Both models are evenly matched with 6 out of 10 key ADAS systems.

Both include the essentials: autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera. Airbag count is 6 in the Land Rover Defender 110 and 8 in the Lexus RX.

The Land Rover Defender 110 features a 11.4-inch touchscreen paired with a 12.3-inch digital dash, while the Lexus RX gets a 14-inch display and 12.3-inch instruments. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across both.

The Lexus RX counters with head-up display, panoramic roof, Lexus Premium Sound audio and ambient lighting that the Land Rover Defender 110 does not offer. Which feature set matters more depends on your daily routine and priorities.

Interior trim differs: the Land Rover Defender 110 gets leather upholstery while the Lexus RX offers synthetic leather.

The Land Rover Defender 110 uses a 3.0 i6 Diesel Mild Hybrid producing 183kW and 570Nm of torque, sent through a 8-speed automatic to a AWD layout. It covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 8.3 seconds.

The Lexus RX responds with a Hybrid making 184kW and 239Nm, paired to a automatic driving all four wheels. It gets to 100km/h in 7.7 seconds.

The Lexus RX has the clear power advantage at 184kW vs 183kW. In the real-world sprint, the Lexus RX is 0.6s quicker. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.

The Land Rover Defender 110 measures 4,758mm long on a 3,022mm wheelbase, 132mm shorter than the Lexus RX at 4,890mm (2,850mm wheelbase). The longer wheelbase on the Land Rover Defender 110 generally means more rear legroom.

Boot space is 972L in the Land Rover Defender 110 and 612L in the Lexus RX, giving the Land Rover Defender 110 a 360L advantage.

For towing, the Land Rover Defender 110 leads with a 3,500kg braked capacity vs 1,500kg. That 2,000kg difference matters if you regularly hitch up.

Based on 15,000km of annual driving, fuel costs roughly $2,309/year for the Land Rover Defender 110 and $1,539/year for the Lexus RX. That is a $770 annual difference in favour of the Lexus RX.

Estimated annual total: $2,309 (Land Rover Defender 110) vs $1,539 (Lexus RX). The Lexus RX saves you roughly $770 per year in total ownership costs. Use our Fuel Cost Calculator to estimate based on your driving.

Warranty: 5 years / 999,999km (Land Rover Defender 110) vs 4 years / 100,000km (Lexus RX). The Land Rover Defender 110 has longer coverage. Capped-price servicing: —4yr (Lexus RX).