Land Rover Defender 90 vs Lexus RX

The Land Rover Defender 90 starts from $98,400 before on-road costs, while the Lexus RX opens at $93,550. That makes the Lexus RX the more affordable entry point by $4,850.

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 $108,240 and $102,905 respectively.

Over 5 years, the running costs favour the Lexus RX by roughly $3,565 in fuel alone.

ANCAP safety ratings have not been published for both models yet. We will update this section when crash test results are available.

The Land Rover Defender 90 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 Land Rover Defender 90 stands out with Apple CarPlay that you will not find on the Lexus RX. The Lexus RX counters with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, head-up display, panoramic roof, ventilated seats, power tailgate, Lexus Premium Sound audio and ambient lighting. Which feature set matters more depends on your daily routine and priorities.

Interior trim differs: the Land Rover Defender 90 gets leather upholstery while the Lexus RX offers synthetic leather.

The Land Rover Defender 90 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 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 0.3s quicker. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.

The Land Rover Defender 90 measures 4,323mm long on a 2,587mm wheelbase, 567mm shorter than the Lexus RX at 4,890mm (2,850mm wheelbase). The longer wheelbase on the Lexus RX generally means more rear legroom.

Boot space is 397L in the Land Rover Defender 90 and 612L in the Lexus RX, giving the Lexus RX a 215L advantage.

For towing, the Land Rover Defender 90 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 $2,252/year for the Land Rover Defender 90 and $1,539/year for the Lexus RX. That is a $713 annual difference in favour of the Lexus RX.

Estimated annual total: $2,252 (Land Rover Defender 90) vs $1,539 (Lexus RX). The Lexus RX saves you roughly $713 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 90) vs 4 years / 100,000km (Lexus RX). The Land Rover Defender 90 has longer coverage. Capped-price servicing: —4yr (Lexus RX).