Land Rover Defender vs Lexus TX

The 2026 Land Rover Defender retained its iconic ruggedness while incorporating modern design elements. Its boxy shape, squared-off wheel arches, and flat hood paid homage to its predecessors, yet the curved edges and minimalist lighting added a contemporary flair. Despite minor updates like a new headlight design and revised bumpers, the Defender maintained a fresh appearance for a six-year-old design. Buyers had options for two-door 90 and four-door 110 versions, with the stretched Defender 130 and high-performance Octa model offering additional choices. The interior combined rugged style with upscale quality, featuring a distinctive concave dashboard and exposed hardware. Windsor leather or textile upholstery options, along with a massive glass roof, enhanced the premium feel, justifying its pricing compared to competitors like the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler.

The 2026 Lexus TX offered a variety of packages tailored to different powertrains, with the TX 350 featuring the Luxury package and the 500h hybrid starting with the F Sport Performance 2 package. The exterior design included a large grille reminiscent of the older spindle grille shape, complemented by sharp bi-LED headlights and rear LED lighting. Inside, three interior colour options were available, but the overall material quality fell short of luxury standards. Redesigned door handles aimed to innovate but seemed unnecessary. The TX's interior featured ambient lighting and suede trim, yet basic plastic materials detracted from its luxury appeal. While the door handles were reimagined, more attention to cabin detail would have been appreciated.

The 2026 Land Rover Defender offered several powertrain options, with the base turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, and the supercharged 5.0-litre V8 delivering 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque. However, these engines were set to be discontinued in 2027. The most common powertrain was a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-six, generating 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 48-volt mild hybrid system. This setup allowed the Defender to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just over six seconds, with a top speed of 191 km/h. The high-performance Defender Octa featured a twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 from BMW, producing 626 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, achieving 0 to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h. The Octa's advanced suspension system provided excellent off-road capability and surprising on-road agility.

The 2026 Lexus TX 350 came with a 275-horsepower 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, while the TX 500h hybrid boosted output to 366 hp. The gas model featured an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the hybrid used a six-speed automatic. The TX 350 had electronically controlled full-time all-wheel drive, and the TX 500h employed Lexus's Direct4 AWD system. Drivers could choose between Normal, Eco, or Sport drive modes, with Sport mode enhancing throttle sensitivity. The TX 500h offered adaptive suspension and rear steering for improved handling. While not designed as a sports car, the TX provided a comfortable and responsive driving experience.

The 2026 Land Rover Defender offered seating configurations for five (90), seven (110), or eight (130) passengers, with the two-door 90 being the least practical but still providing decent rear seat space. The Defender 110, available in two-row and three-row configurations, offered cargo space of 963 litres behind the second row and 2,231 litres behind the first row in two-row models. The Defender 130, with three rows of seats, provided 433 litres of cargo space in a seven-seat configuration. The interior featured analog controls and ample storage space, while certain models boasted a towing capacity of 3,720 kilograms.

The 2026 Lexus TX included three-zone automatic climate control, heated and cooled front seats, and heated second-row seats. The third row offered ample space and a recline function, with each seat equipped with a cupholder and USB-C port. A one-touch button facilitated entry to the third row, though folding the second row flat was more complex. The front seats were roomy but lacked thigh support. The TX provided excellent cargo space, with 572 litres available with all seats in place, expanding to 2,747 litres with all rear seats folded. The TX could tow up to 2,268 kilograms when properly equipped.

The 2026 Land Rover Defender featured a larger 13.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The touchscreen's stylish design and user-friendly interface were highlights, though it occasionally took time to boot. Multiple Meridian-branded audio systems were available, with the 14-speaker, 700-watt system in the Defender Octa providing reasonable audio quality. The "Body and Soul" front seats vibrated in time with the music, adding a fun element. The array of cameras, including a low-angle front view, proved useful for off-roading and parking.

The 2026 Lexus TX's tech was a mixed bag. The 14-inch touchscreen was user-friendly, but some features lacked polish, such as the inability to manually input satellite radio stations. Steering wheel buttons controlled adaptive cruise control and volume, but their multi-functional nature and lack of labels made them confusing. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard but occasionally interfered with the native audio system. Smartphone connectivity required a subscription for in-dash navigation and other features. The back-up camera offered a clear view, and the Advanced Park system handled parking duties. With seven USB ports and wireless charging, device connectivity was well-supported.

The 2026 Land Rover Defender came equipped with standard driver-assistance features, including adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking. A surround-view camera system and a new driver attention monitor were also included. However, safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available at the time of writing.

The 2026 Lexus TX featured the Safety System+ 3.0 as standard, offering forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane tracing assist, lane centring, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, and Proactive Driving Assist. While the adaptive cruise control worked well, setting it up was complicated. The NHTSA rated both the TX 350 and TX 500h five out of five stars for crash safety, while the IIHS gave the TX an "Acceptable" rating for the small overlap front crash test on the driver's side and a "Good" rating for the passenger's side.