2025 Jeep Wrangler vs 2025 Land Rover Defender

The 2025 Land Rover Defender presented a rugged yet customizable aesthetic, with the Defender 110 four-door model striking a balance between the stubby 90 and the visually heavy 130. Despite its unconventional design, the Defender exuded a rugged charm, offering a plethora of customization options to suit individual tastes. The base price in Canada ranged from $79,050 for the 90 model to $160,720 for the 130 V8, with the OCTA variant priced at $198,460. Our test vehicle, a Defender 130 X, featured black exterior elements and premium interior materials, priced at just over $130,000 with additional options like the Towing Pack and Cold Climate Pack. The Gondwana Stone paint, however, clashed with the orange brake calipers and delicate twin-spoke wheels, suggesting that colours like Woolstone Green or Santorini Black might be more appealing.

Inside, the Defender X boasted an industrial theme with quality materials, including premium Windsor hides and Kvadrat fabric. The interior was functional rather than luxurious, with illuminated door sill treadplates and metal pedal covers adding a touch of sophistication. The cabin's purposeful design was appreciated, offering a unique blend of ruggedness and refinement. Despite its quirks, the Defender's interior provided a comfortable and practical environment for both driver and passengers.

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler Sport S, on the other hand, was a black-on-black-on-black model that seemed ill-suited for a tropical climate. Despite the initial disappointment, the Wrangler's open-air experience with windows down and roof panels removed made the colour less of an issue. In Canada, the Wrangler was available in various trims, including Sport, Willys, Sahara, and Rubicon, with prices ranging from $42,995 to $80,085. Our rental Sport S model featured a few options, including a black hardtop and a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, bringing the MSRP to $66,070. The Wrangler's interior was functional, with a focus on durability and practicality, though it lacked the sophistication of more modern vehicles.

Despite its uninspired wheel design and all-season tires, the Wrangler retained its fundamental appeal, rooted in its World War II military vehicle heritage. Its design and capability to traverse almost any terrain made it a popular choice, even if it lacked the refinement of newer models. The Wrangler's interior was designed to withstand dirt and mud, emphasizing function over form, and its rugged charm continued to attract enthusiasts.

The 2025 Land Rover Defender's performance was characterized by its turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine, delivering 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. Coupled with a mild-hybrid system and an eight-speed automatic transmission, the Defender offered robust acceleration and a maximum tow rating of 3,720 kilograms. The Defender 130 X accelerated to 100 km/h in 6.6 seconds, showcasing its power and capability. The adaptive air suspension, hill descent control, and Terrain Response 2 driving modes enhanced its off-road prowess, while the Off-Road Pack and Advanced Off-Road Pack added further capabilities.

Despite its off-road capabilities, the Defender 130 was primarily driven on pavement during testing, with a brief off-road excursion demonstrating its ability to handle rutted trails with ease. The Defender's ground clearance, approach, breakover, and departure angles were impressive, though the 130's departure angle was shallower than the 110's. The six-cylinder engine provided ample power, though the brakes were occasionally challenging to modulate smoothly. The Defender's ride quality was commendable, absorbing bumps and potholes with ease, though its 20-inch wheels and fluid steering limited its on-road agility.

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler offered a choice between a 3.6-litre V6 engine with a six-speed manual transmission and a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The four-cylinder engine produced 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, offering marginally better fuel efficiency than the V6. Our rental Wrangler achieved an average fuel economy of 12.3 L/100 km during testing, with four passengers and air conditioning in use.

The Wrangler's standard four-wheel drive, high ground clearance, and generous approach and departure angles made it a capable off-road vehicle. However, its three-star rollover resistance rating from the NHTSA was a concern. The Wrangler's ride was rough, with a steady stream of jiggles and jolts, and its disconnected steering feel was disconcerting at higher speeds. Despite these drawbacks, the Wrangler's off-road capabilities remained impressive, with previous experience demonstrating its ability to tackle challenging terrain.

The 2025 Land Rover Defender 130 offered three rows of spacious seating, though getting in and out required effort due to its height. The front seats were 12-way power-adjustable with heating and ventilation, providing excellent comfort. The Defender's tall seating position offered outstanding forward visibility, though the square side mirrors seemed undersized. The panoramic sunroof and large windows created an open and airy feel, while storage space was plentiful in the front but less accommodating in the rear.

The Defender 130 excelled in third-row seat accessibility and comfort, with heated and supportive seats. The side-hinged cargo door was heavy and awkward, but the load floor could be lowered with the air suspension. Cargo space was limited behind the third row, but folding the seats expanded the volume significantly.

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler's high ground clearance and narrow door openings made entry and exit challenging. The front seats were comfortable, with cloth upholstery and optional heated seats and steering wheel. Rear-seat legroom was adequate, though taller passengers needed to be cautious of plastic hooks on the front seatbacks. Storage space was limited, with small items often ending up in cupholders.

Cargo space in the Wrangler was reasonable, but accessing it required opening the tailgate and lifting the rear window. The four-door model offered 897 litres of cargo space, which could be expanded to 2,050 litres by folding the back seat down. Despite its utility focus, the Wrangler's storage solutions were limited, with small bins and flimsy nets for stashing items.

The 2025 Land Rover Defender featured the Pivi Pro infotainment system with an 11.4-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The system's response to voice commands was slower than preferred, but its accuracy was impressive. The user experience was more intuitive than previous iterations, with fewer dead ends and easier programming of favourite radio stations. The Defender's Meridian premium sound system was also noteworthy.

Additional technology included a head-up display, ClearSight digital rearview mirror, and surround-view camera system. These features enhanced visibility and parking ease, while the optional Towing Pack added a hands-free trailer reverse-steering system.

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler's Uconnect 5 infotainment system featured a 12.3-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system remained bright and easy to use, even with the roof panels removed. The Convenience Group pack added a 7-inch digital display, passive entry, and remote engine starting. Rear parking sensors were available in the Safety Group option pack.

The Wrangler's infotainment system provided access to adventure guides and GPS trail logs for off-road navigation, while Jeep Connect offered connected services and a vehicle finder. The optional Alpine premium sound system enhanced the audio experience.

The 2025 Land Rover Defender was equipped with several driver aids, including automatic high beam headlights, forward collision warning, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality. The lane keep assist decisively corrected potential lane departures, though it occasionally attempted to steer the Defender into a turnout area. Crash-test ratings were unavailable, as the NHTSA and IIHS typically do not test low-volume models like the Defender.

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler featured side curtain airbags as standard equipment, with optional advanced driver assistance systems available on higher trims. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were available on most trims, while forward collision warning with automatic braking was limited to the Sahara model. The Wrangler received a four-star frontal-impact rating and a three-star rollover resistance rating from the NHTSA. The IIHS awarded the Wrangler a Good rating for side-impact protection and moderate overlap frontal-impact test, but a Marginal rating for the small overlap frontal-impact test.