2025 Lexus RX Hybrid vs 2025 Land Rover Defender

The 2025 Land Rover Defender presented a rugged and customizable aesthetic, with the Defender 110 four-door model striking a balance in design. Despite the Defender 90 appearing stubby and the 130 carrying excessive visual mass, all models maintained an appealingly robust look. Buyers had numerous customization options, allowing for personalization. The base prices in Canada ranged from $79,050 for a basic 90 model to $160,720 for a 130 V8, with the Defender OCTA priced at $198,460. Our test vehicle, a Defender 130 X, was priced at $125,500 and featured black exterior elements, upgraded interior materials, and comprehensive off-roading technology. The test model, painted in Gondwana Stone, lacked the new matte paint protection film, and its colour clashed with the orange brake calipers and delicate twin-spoke wheels. Inside, the Defender X boasted premium Windsor hides and Kvadrat fabric, with options for Ebony, Caraway, or Light Cloud upholstery. The interior maintained an industrial theme, focusing on quality materials and a purposeful design.

The 2025 Lexus RX Hybrid, particularly the RX 500h F Sport Black Line, was priced at $90,000 and featured an exclusive Incognito paint job with orange brake calipers. Despite these unique touches, the RX's design remained unremarkable, with a large front grille and dramatic rear haunches. The RX lineup included three models: the RX 350h, RX 500h, and RX 450h+, each offering different power outputs and fuel efficiencies. The RX 350h was the base model, while the RX 500h provided more power and the RX 450h+ offered a plug-in hybrid option. All models came with standard AWD in Canada, with base prices ranging from $66,689 to $92,804. Inside, the RX featured a contemporary design with quality materials and ambient lighting. The controls varied in usability, but the RX avoided the common single curved display approach, maintaining a unique interior look.

The 2025 Land Rover Defender's test vehicle was equipped with a turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine, one of four powertrain options, delivering 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. This engine, paired with a mild-hybrid system and an eight-speed automatic transmission, provided robust acceleration and a maximum tow rating of 3,720 kilograms. The Defender 130 X accelerated to 100 km/h in 6.6 seconds. It featured an adaptive air suspension, hill descent control, and Terrain Response 2 driving modes, enhancing its off-road capabilities. Despite its off-road prowess, the Defender 130 was primarily driven on pavement during testing, with a brief off-road excursion showcasing its capability. The Defender's ground clearance, approach, breakover, and departure angles were impressive, though the 130's departure angle was less than the 110's. The six-cylinder engine offered ample power, but the brakes were occasionally challenging to modulate. The Defender cruised comfortably on highways, though wind noise was noticeable due to its boxy shape. The observed fuel economy was 14.5 L/100 km, slightly higher than the expected 13.0 L/100 km.

The 2025 Lexus RX Hybrid offered three models with varying performance. The RX 350h, with 246 hp and 233 pound-feet of torque, was the least powerful but most efficient, featuring a hybrid powertrain with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine. The RX 450h+ PHEV provided 304 hp and a 0-100 km/h time of 6.5 seconds, while the RX 500h, with a turbocharged 2.4-litre engine, delivered 366 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, achieving 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds. The RX 500h featured a sport-tuned adaptive damping suspension, 21-inch wheels, and a Direct4 AWD system. Despite its power, the RX 500h's fuel economy was 13.5 L/100 km, higher than the estimated 8.6 L/100 km. The RX 500h was quiet on highways but firm on city streets, with the adaptive suspension occasionally producing unnatural sensations. While capable on twisty roads, the RX 500h lacked communication between the road and driver, making it more about appearance and straight-line acceleration than dynamic capability.

The 2025 Land Rover Defender 130 offered three rows of spacious seating, with 12-way power-adjustable front seats featuring heating and ventilation. The Defender's tall seating position provided excellent forward visibility, though the square side mirrors seemed undersized. The panoramic sunroof and large windows created an open and airy feel. The second-row captain's chairs were heated and ventilated, with adjustable armrests for added comfort. The Defender 130 excelled in third-row seat accessibility and comfort, with heated and roomy seats. The side-hinged cargo door was heavy and awkward, with a high load floor, though the air suspension could be lowered for easier loading. Cargo space was 433 litres behind the third row, expanding to 1,237 litres with the third row folded, and 2,520 litres with all rear seats folded.

The 2025 Lexus RX Hybrid focused on occupant comfort and practical cargo space. The RX 500h's front seats were snug with enhanced bolstering, though the bottom cushions were uncomfortable after extended driving. The panoramic sunroof extended over the rear seat, which featured optional power-reclining, heated, and ventilated seats. The RX provided ample room for adults in the back seat. Interior storage was practical, though the rear centre armrest storage compartment lacked a lining. The RX Hybrid offered 838 litres of cargo space, with hooks for grocery bags and a small storage space under the load floor. Folding the second row increased cargo volume to 1,308 litres, though the cargo cover could obstruct loading full-size suitcases.

The 2025 Land Rover Defender featured the Pivi Pro infotainment system with an 11.4-inch touchscreen, configurable digital driver display, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Previous iterations of Pivi Pro were unimpressive, but the system performed well during testing, with accurate voice command responses and an intuitive user experience. The Defender also included a head-up display, ClearSight digital rearview mirror, and a surround-view camera system. The optional Towing Pack added a hands-free trailer reverse-steering system.

The 2025 Lexus RX Hybrid was equipped with digital key functionality, a camera-based digital rearview mirror, and a hands-free power liftgate. The RX 500h featured a 14-inch touchscreen display with the Lexus Interface infotainment system, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and cloud-based navigation. The system worked well, though an intermittent glitch caused song titles and album art to disappear. The optional 21-speaker Mark Levinson audio system provided excellent sound quality. However, the unlabeled steering wheel controls were distracting and difficult to use while driving.

The 2025 Land Rover Defender included several driver aids, such as automatic high beam headlights, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality. The lane keep assist was decisive, though it occasionally attempted to steer the Defender into a turnout area. Crash-test ratings were unavailable at press time.

The 2025 Lexus RX Hybrid featured Safety Connect, providing automatic collision notification, an SOS emergency assistance button, and roadside assistance. Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centring assist, and adaptive cruise control. Proactive Driving Assist monitored forward progress and used braking or steering input to ensure safe following distances. The RX earned a five-star safety rating from the NHTSA, though the IIHS rated it Poor in a moderate overlap frontal-impact test.