2022 Land Rover Defender vs 2023 Toyota Venza

The 2022 Land Rover Defender retained its distinctive exterior styling, reminiscent of its original version with a boxy profile, tailgate-mounted spare wheel, and flat hood. These elements visually connected it to the classic Series Land Rovers. Despite these retro callbacks, the Defender boasted a thoroughly modern design with rounded corners for improved aerodynamics and recessed LED headlights that gave it a unique personality. The modern Defender was larger than its predecessor, offering more interior space and better ergonomics. Inside, the Defender's rugged character was evident, with a mix of bare metal, exposed screws, and a combination of leather and suede upholstery, making it suitable for off-road adventures without worrying about interior damage.

In contrast, the 2023 Toyota Venza was a midsize crossover SUV with a sleek and sculpted design, setting it apart from the typical boxy vehicles in its class. Its shape, with a tapering rear roofline, gave it a coupe-like appearance without compromising strength. The Venza's contoured body was a departure from the usual Toyota design, resembling a Mazda with harmonious curves. Inside, the Venza borrowed heavily from the Toyota RAV4 but featured upgraded materials and details, approaching Lexus's level of luxury. The cabin was attractively styled, with integrated climate-control buttons and more soft-touch surfaces, making it one of the best-looking vehicles in Toyota's lineup.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender offered a range of powertrains, including a base 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, and a mid-level 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six mild-hybrid powertrain producing 395 hp and 406 lb-ft. The highlight was the new-for-2022 V8 engine, delivering 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque, propelling the Defender 90 from zero to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds, with a top speed of 240 km/h. All models featured a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer case. The V8 model included an electronic active rear differential, Dynamic drive mode, and unique transmission and suspension tuning for sportier handling. Despite its off-road capabilities, the Defender was comfortable on pavement, with a suspension that absorbed bumps well and minimized noise from its 22-inch tires. It also boasted a 3,500-kilogram towing capacity.

The 2023 Toyota Venza was powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine paired with a hybrid system, producing a combined 219 horsepower. The hybrid system included electric motor/generators and a 1.6-kilowatt-hour nickel metal hydride battery pack. Power was delivered through a continuously variable transmission (CVT) to the front wheels, with a separate electric motor powering the rear wheels for standard all-wheel drive. The Venza accelerated to 100 km/h in just over 7.5 seconds, with seamless transitions between electric and gasoline power. The Venza prioritized ride comfort over sporty handling, with light steering effort and adequate handling for easy and calm transportation. Its ride quality was smoother than the RAV4 Hybrid's, though not as plush as a Lexus, providing enough compliance to handle most road imperfections.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender offered versatility with its seating configurations. The two-door Defender 90 featured 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats, though accessing them was challenging, and cargo space was limited. The four-door Defender 110 provided more options, with two-row, five-seat, and three-row, seven-seat configurations. Three-row models offered 160 litres of cargo space with all seats in place, 743 litres with the third row folded, and 1,826 litres with the second row folded. Two-row versions had 786 litres with the rear seats up and 1,875 litres with the rear seats folded. The interior design emphasized functionality, with a large caged storage space below the dashboard and a spacious centre-console storage bin that could be equipped with refrigeration.

The 2023 Toyota Venza provided ample front seat space, enhanced by large windows and a panoramic sunroof. The Star Gaze panoramic roof, standard on the Limited trim, could turn opaque at the touch of a button. Outward visibility was excellent, though rear visibility was limited. The rear seats offered sufficient space for average adults, with abundant legroom and foot room. The Venza's rear passenger area featured materials as nice as the front seats. However, cargo capacity was limited to 816 litres, significantly less than competitors like the Honda Passport and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The Venza was not rated for towing, but it excelled in holding smaller personal items, with a wireless phone charger, well-sized cupholders, and a deep centre armrest bin.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender came equipped with the Pivi Pro infotainment system, featuring a 10-inch central touchscreen and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster was standard on all trims except the base model, with an optional 11.4-inch touchscreen available. The user interface was well-designed, though the screen required a firm touch to respond. A surround-view camera system was standard, with optional features like a 14-speaker Meridian audio system and head-up display.

The 2023 Toyota Venza offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a wireless charging pad. The base LE trim featured an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, while the XLE trim and above had a larger 12.3-inch multimedia display. The new infotainment system delivered sharp graphics and quick responses. The Venza XLE and Limited trims included a one-year trial subscription to Drive Connect services, activated by saying "Hey Toyota." The base audio system had six speakers, with a nine-speaker JBL premium audio system available on the XLE and Limited models.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender included standard driver-assist features like lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, traffic-sign recognition, and blind-spot monitoring. Adaptive cruise control was optional. Safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available for the Defender, which was common for luxury vehicles.

The 2023 Toyota Venza received high safety ratings, with five stars from the NHTSA in overall and side crash protection, and four stars in frontal and rollover protection. The IIHS awarded it "Good" ratings across the board, except for an "Acceptable" rating in the new side impact test. It was named a Top Safety Pick. All Venzas came with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, and more. The XLE added parking sensors and reverse automatic emergency braking, while the Limited trim included a surround-view camera system and a digital rearview mirror.