2020 Land Rover Defender 110 P400 S In-depth Off-Road Review | CarAdvice 

First decent review I've seen doing really good off-road assessments. Great work.

Great review! Nice job capturing and conveying the steepness of the hill challenge. Seeing competitive vehicles going over the same, or similar obstacles, is much appreciated. Especially nice job covering the third row seating which most other reviews just gloss over. Very helpful and thanks!

We all take a minute to appreciate how beautiful Australia is, beautiful scenes

Wow! What a vehicle! At 19mins I felt the relief as you made it up that incline. Well done to you all!

One of the best new Land Rover reviews I have seen

Excellent review and great footage of its off-road prowess. With regard to comments from some watchers re gremlins on new defenders, there are many many examples of gremlins with new SUV’s of other makes. My new Landcruiser had engine overheating problems, Aircon cutting out amongst other issues. The point is that LR are pushing 4x4 design forward, and I am sure that the other makes will end up following suit. I intend to buy a new defender (with 18 inch tires), and I am sure that having got used to the standard of driveability, interior design AND off-road capability of this car it will be hard to step back in time to the more popular suvs like Toyota, Nissan etc. 👍

Finally a proper 4wd review of an awesome 4wd. Not taking a 4wd and reviewing it like a road car like how fast it goes from 0-100 . Also mt walker is proper challenge , nice review all

decent hill to test it on! did that in a D3 a few years back. well done guys with the test.

Best review I've seen yet. You actually know what you're talking about and can explain how the car is designed to be used. First time I've heard the bonnet chequer-plate is for pedestrian safety.

Thank you for finally giving a really honest review of its off-road capability without it being an advert. You have gained a sub. Best video I have seen on the Defender.

Probably the most balanced review about the new Defender ,no over the top comments .Im very impressed and just seeing the new Defer in the flesh last week It ticks alot of the right boxes.Being a Defender and Toyota driver Landrover had to do what needed to be done update.Im waiting to see the lower spec hardtop 90 as that looks the goods for me and my wife.Dont get me wrong I still love my Defender 90 to bits but it to has got alot of electronics due to being the tdci but nowhere as much as the new Defender I know.

Unbelievable road to get up to the top with. I honestly didn’t think it would make it. Salute, LRD!

Good detailed review Sam.

People need to stop bothering with the comments about TFL. Its just one example of a car with a warning light on. And TFL is milking it for all its worth to get youtube views. Give this vehicle a chance, its really a great vehicle.

Hands down this is the best review of the Defender I've seen yet - concise, informative, just the right amount of on road testing with a great off road test and honest, unbiased judgement about its capabilities and limitations. I think the only thing I would've liked to have seen is how it handles boggy terrain, but as a complete off road novice I'm not really in a place to comment on that. I imagine that hillclimb is a far harder test than anything I'd ever be willing to throw at it.

Good update of a great car, awesome review. I think the reality is most of these are going to be slaying drive thru cafes on the black top 80 % of the time or more

Have to say what a great video and presentation from over the pond 🇬🇧 stay safe great Australians..)) 😊

As a current LR4/Disco 4 owner with the HD package, I can say that this is the Disco 5 all of us Disco 4 owners wanted. If you go spec by spec it is a Disco 4 upgraded (or retrofitted as the case may be- like the swinging door with mounted spare and Alpine windows which were also on the Disco 1 and 2, not just the Defender). And since I take my LR4 offroad I already know how good this Defender will be. It won’t do it like the old one, or like a Jeep, but it will go about 90% of the places the others will go. Traction and clearance and angles will be just as good, only downside will be articulation will not be as good, especially in the front. The one thing that pisses me off are those 20 in wheels- same issue with the LR4. You can get 18s on the 4 banger but not the six- allegedly the reason is the same as my LR4- the brake calibers. Compomotive UK make 18 in wheels for the LR4 that require no spacers or other mods to fit over the brake calibers, so I assume they’ll do the same for the Defender. With those wheels and a lift (like Johnson Rods) you should be able to fit 33s with no space issues and no trimming, and with that you would have 7.5 inches of sidewall which should be ample for airing down more. I’m waiting to see ARB’s aftermarket bumper for the Defender. With an ARB bumper and winch and 18s with 33s (or maybe even a bit bigger) this will be a very good machine offroad and great on road driver. For someone looking for a load it up (the payload and towing are amazing), go anywhere, do anything vehicle that will also be a daily, where driving long distances will be required, but you’ll never be too far from civilization (cause I’m not sure I’d want to be in the middle of Africa with a veh this electronic), this will be a great option. It really is hitting the niche that the Disco 1 aimed to hit and LR has moved ever further from that niche since the Disco 1 with the Disco 5 really no monger hitting that sale niche. I think with this they are back. They seem to have foregone the niche that the Defender hit- the utilitarian, more hardcore old school offroader, but with Defender becoming a family now not just one veh who knows if maybe they will build something like Grenadier in the future. In my opinion the Disco 5 should have been a Range Rover (the more family oriented Range Rover than either the daddy or the Sport), this Defender should have been the Disco 5, and they should have replaced the Defender with something like the Grenadier. Then they could have decided whether to have the Velar or the Evoque, but I wouldn’t have both. But hey, I dont run JLR so wtf do I know. Btw- when you were running out of clearance, if it is like the LR4 which I believe it is, there is an extra level of clearance. Only to be used to clear an obstacle because you will have air sus maxed out and thus no articulation. In my LR4 I access it by, when you were high centered or nearly so, lowering the sus. It will then hit and raise up into full height giving you additional clearance compared to offroad height. Clear the obstacle, then put it back into offroad height and carry on.

A really good, thorough, honest review.

Great review, Looks amazing in my book, would love to know if some one will manage a 16" rim conversation for some proper off-road tyres.

Awesome video. Thanks.

You know the new defender is just as or more capable as the old defender both on and offroad trails when caradvicd shows you. I only trust the Aussies when kt comes to proper offroad car reviews. 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

Brilliant review

Excellent video - didn’t realise you had water in Australia 😂

Excellent review

The problem is the price and the fit for function, at 120k you can get a hyundai santa fe as the family run about and still have change to buy a Nissan patrol for the hardcore weekend trailwork.

Given the amount of big tyres rutting out more and more of our tracks I’d take the independent suspension anyday over live. Beautiful rig. I reckon LR have secured the defenders survival for years to come.

That proves it really is good off road.

I love my 2023 Defender! Best SUV I’ve owned

I'm curious to see the g class capabilities on that off roading terrain

That hill climb was bloody impressive. Great video.

One thing I did notice is that the rear diff lock option hasn’t been included on that unit. Would be good to mention it’s an option that’s available. In actual fact, the body doesn’t really flex at all - that’s the beauty. The new platform D7x is 3 times stronger and any of its closest rivals and is much stiffer than the previous design. The only flexing is in the suspension - the monocoque is very very rigid.

Great review as always but I noticed you have dark spot in some of your footage like at @18:36 mark.

Thanks for a helpful review. I failed in a hill climb recently... Obviously lack of driver skill on my part ... Plus I didn't hold my tongue quite the same as you...

The interior is truly neat! Very likable, indeed! But since it's an all-new Defender, we don't know if it will be a reliable vehicle over-all. But in time, we'll all see.

With 18s and a good set of A/T 33s and the optional rear dif locker this thing will be even more capable. Not for me though, I prefer vehicles that can be repaired on the trail. With all the electronic aids, there is little to no chance of repairing this thing on a remote trail if anything goes wrong. The reliability is another question mark. If money wasn't an issue, I would have one though, along with another more analogue 4x4, like my FJ. Love the look of these things and the interior looks pretty damn good!

Great review and levelheaded comments thank you. Agree with the comments about the scenery. Brilliant. In reality how many old defenders or new defenders will be required to face such a challenge. Which makes the new one perfectly competent For normal mixed use. Whilst it is expensive is it dramatically more expensive than a well option and LandCruiser. And just how much is the Ineos grenadier going to cost? It’s a lot cheaper than the G-wagen

Great review. Car advice shows real off road tests. I know these can be had with rear lockers, I didn't catch if this one had it though. I also appreciate all the time stamps as well.

Great review. What tyre size on the vehicle? Standard or bigger? Thank you.

Nice video , very impressive defender and good clime more than of the jeep,please compere defender and wrangler

Is this the chicken line or the main line up walker? I saw this being done by Rohnny Dahl and mousa and it looked a lot tougher. Off camber Rock steps fir example

This is my grail rig. Just so beautiful.

When you scraped it would have been good to see you use the extended mode for higher ground clearance.

my d4 in years to come will not drop so much in price, new defender price is ridiculous, thanks for the vid, nice work

Proper Set o Tyres !!!!!!!!!!! Looks Well !!!!!!!!!!!

Was ATPC or Terrain Response 2 used or tested during this review?

what do you think about the defender compared to the jeep Rubicon

With the Defender SE you can only get 19’s or 20’s. Would 19’s been better than the 20’s if 18’s is not an option? Great video, best coverage of off road footage! Thank you

I’d like to see one lifted with 33s or set up how someone who’s serious about off reading and see how it handles and if it was even capable of being modified in such a way.

Great review. Great car, I’d like one.

FINALLY a decent off road review, and the final push I needed to order myself one specifically for off roading and overlanding around Australia.

Where did you shoot this video? That dam where is it? Thank you!

Hell Hill for sure! WOW,,,good job Defender! Good Driving….cheers from California

It seems like the defender could articulate more in certain areas but maybe there's an update that's either going to fix this or already has fixed it.

The Impressive Off Road Ability and Phenomenal ability to find Traction is the Beginning !! To EARN RESPECT and JUSTIFY THE PRICE TAG !!

Would be useful to know your own height in respect of the 3rd row seating. I.e is it worse than any other 7-seater?

Could you root your Sheila in the back with the seats down.

Looks fine, but why you drive on usual D mode, but not S mode with manual speed selection? It should go better then....

Question is: How long will this Defender last, can you easy fix it in 20,30,40 years? like you can fix an old Series or Classic Defender / Classic Range Rover...

The options list sounds like the whole car is an option.

Nice review , i see the Defenders an expensive stone throwers. No mud flaps

What colour is that? It's beautiful.

Excellent Review. I agree that the LR wheel/tire options are poor. Perhaps they will correct with future builds? I have tackled a good bit of terrain to date in my 2020 P400 - over 1500 miles in Moab and Colorado Rockies. I recommend equipping with rock sliders, 1" lift rods, 18" wheels and 33" KM3 tires. Also, recommend use of the sport manual gear shift to drive at proper RPM's in lieu of AUTO settings.

After TFL review one lemon car of defender in their videos.. all the promo defender come up to cover that lemon new defender car

Really good technical terrain to test this car, good job! It’s an awesome car, but JLR have a lot of skeletons in the closet and the sticker price is hard to accept. Only a back to back heavy duty long term test doing all the most challenging outback treks will finally prove if this car is a match for a Toyota or Isuzu.

I do like it, but the amount of electro wizardry is a bit daunting. I'm following a report on one atm, brand new basic model and been back to dealer constantly because it failed to upgrade itself. Granted we are moving forward in the industry but I can't help worrying what would happen if you're out trekking and this issue comes up. But to be fair I had similar reservations with my range rover l322 and that turned out OK. I love that it is still the best in the world but baulk at the price.

When working. These things are amazing. By far best clearance of all vehicles. Except maybe the new Nissan as it also has independent suspension. Give it time. Landcruiser will follow suit. It’s just superior overall. Nice track width. Good stability. Great platform.

An actual hard track tested. 👍

I love everything about it - except the price!

Will the diesel version be better?

One of these would be more appealing at about $20k less than the sticker price. I’m not sure who they are targeting at current pricing.

If you are thinking about buying one, watch the TFL guys from Boulder CO. They have had theirs 3 days in 1 month. It has been at the dealer the rest of the time.

Wow! 50% of those options should come standard, and the rest for half the listed price. I reckon this model is going to be a great secondhand pickup at less than half the price in 2-3 years. When I test drove a couple of them, they didn't feel like nearly 300kw or 550Nm

"We made it" that's real Camel Trophy hint there! Bloody GJ

And the check engine light remained off? I am amazed 😆 Imagine the depreciation of this heap.

The biggest issue that wasn't commented on is the complete lack of wheel travel when the air suspension is up. I like the review and the best challenge I've seen thrown at it. It definitely looks out of it's element unlike other 4wds.

Thanks Sam and Car Advice. Great review. I prefer and will.stick by my 2019 Disco ! Biggest problem with the LJR New Defender and New Discovery is a well established 4x4 aftermarket ! Keep up the informative reviews and technology in the 4x market. Mic M GCoast AU

A popular reviewers team bought one and in the first 24 days it was in the LR dealer shop for 20 days, last time I checked it was still there, they can’t figure out why the check engine light is on ! Seriously!

They are called "giraffe windows" From Kenya

Simple test/review would be to take it to the bush using corrugated roads.... for a week... and see if it will bring you back.

Most excellent review. The front of this car's looks is the biggest disappointment. They should offer the option to graft on the previous defenders front end paneling.

I had to watch the defender again after watching the Rubicon.

I wish you took the same lines to do a fair comparison between cars.

In my opinion, this car's design is biased towards towing rather than off-roading because of those large brake rotors obviously for more effective stopping power when towing a heavy load. But it limits you to use wheels smaller than 18" which is what you want when you go off road.

Have you brought it back to the dealership yet?

Think you could have added a few more adverts to this video….

Not a Defender Replacement - more a Discovery Replacement...

Great review!! great capabilities of the new defender!! very nice rock climbing, despite the steep hill and the slippery surface. I will 100% will own one like this in the future. I had a Nissan Patrol 2010, and it was 10!!! unfortunately, there are no new Patrols like the previous ones, and the new one seems to be inferior to the Defender regarding extreme off-road capabilities. Do you agree?

great review, what % of shit show for a bush fix when she breaks down?

I can see why people like it, but it just does not have that Swiss Army Knife appeal about it, ie it can be what ever you want it to be, as proved by the 130 or my military 110 FFR.

What a job

It looks Right when Off road

I think i will stick with my real defender thanks 👍

Great review. I am an 'old' Defender owner (the current one is my 3rd). I do not like the whole strategy and thinking of JLR with the new 'Defender' - at all. Having said that, its capability (when brand new and under warranty) is without question. I just don't believe, give LR's durability/reliability that it will be commercially sensible to keep one of these vehicles on the road, much beyond its warranty period. 85 ECUs is just asking for trouble, I'll just leave this here for people to make up their own minds: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9K_0w2XTstQ.html The price at $120,000 is just a complete ^%$-take by JLR. No ute also shows their true cards in terms of who this vehicle is aimed at. Would love to see a proper offroad comparison between the new Defender, a doubled-locked 'old' 110. I cannot wait for the Ineos Grenadier.

Best vehicle Land Rover has Produced since Range Rover Classic !! Bar the Price Tag !!!!- Coz its supposed to be cheaper to build than old defender but twice or three times the price !!!!!!!!

Good report/video - thanks. 20" wheels are a no go! With the electronics there are too many things that could possibly go wrong. We took a Discovery 3 up to the cape and due to the electronics and air suspension it limped home. Now the owner had a Prado, no issues. Us 4wd's aren't too worried how our vehicles handle around a corner or it's 0-100 times. We want the vehicle to be reliable and simple when tackling the bush or the outback. That means live axles or even IFS at the front end with springs (maybe leafs on the rear). You can modify the vehicle to your required 4x4 activity etc...but with the new defender you can not. Plus the cost of the new defender is ridiculous. Much prefer to buy a Fortuner, MUX or even a Everst, good value and proven reliable vehicles at almost half the cost. Thus i bought a new Fortuner though loved the Defender but couldn't gamble on the electronics....and then the cost.

How does a Land Rover Defender cost 126k...... Can get a great spec 7 seater Discovery for that cash

To go off road with this new Land Rover, you need two things: 1. put 16 rims and good off-road tyres. 2. read the instruction manual carefully. Then, it's better than the old man to defend at all levels.

Very impressive. I just hope the air suspension lasts.

Was it me or did the tires seem a little bit out of air?