2026 Defender 110 vs. Toyota Land Cruiser Comparison with Price, Specs, & Photos

For the most part, Toyota doesn’t compete with Land Rover. Even Toyota’s off-road-ready trucks and SUVs lack the refinement necessary to be considered competitors. But there is one exception, the Land Cruiser, which is sized and priced to compete with the Defender 110. Like the Defender, it is a direct evolution from the company’s first off-road SUV from the early 1950s (or late 1940s, in the case of the Defender 110), and both are inspired by the same WWII-era Willys military off-roader. But after several decades of changes and evolution, how does the Land Cruiser of today stack up to the Defender 110? Let’s take a closer look.

Defender 110 VS Toyota Land Cruiser

Both of these vehicles are built to be tough but comfortable off-roaders, providing excellent capability without sacrificing luxury. But when it comes time to pick out trims and options, you’ll immediately notice some big differences. The Defender 110 is available with a choice of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, a 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine, or a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 in two different states of tune. For the Land Cruiser, you get just one drivetrain. You also only get two trim levels to choose from, with one of them being a special edition known as the 1958. The Defender 110 is available in six trims, including two versions of the special Trophy Edition. There is also the Defender OCTA, which is a special enough edition that it no longer competes with the Land Cruiser, but it is still one more option for the 110. Even the paint colors offered by Toyota are extremely limited, with only two that aren’t black, white, or grey.

While both vehicles are built for off-roading, the Defender 110 comes with an extra inch of ground clearance, 8.9 inches compared to 7.9 inches in the Land Cruiser. And that’s with the standard suspension, the Defender 110 has available air suspension that can be raised to 11.5 inches, but no such option is available for the Land Cruiser. The Defender 110 scores additional utility points in the area of towing capacity, where it boasts a capacity of 7,715 pounds, compared to 6,000 pounds for the Land Cruiser.

The interior of the Defender 110 offers some pretty serious advantages over the Land Cruiser, including an available third row of seats. Heated second-row seats are available for the Defender 110 as well, but not the Land Cruiser. You get a name-brand Meridian stereo system in the Defender 110 as standard equipment, but the only way to get the JBL system offered in the Land Cruiser is with an option package that adds nearly $5,000 to the price of the vehicle. Quite a bit, even by audiophile standards.

Winner – Defender 110

The Land Cruiser might be the only Toyota model to be considered in this segment, but it doesn’t quite manage to offer everything that the Defender 110 has going for it. Not only is it easier to dial in the Defender 110 for exactly the sort of adventure you’re planning, but it will also be more capable on and off the road. Let Land Rover North Hills help you find the Defender 110 that’s just right for you.