I've decided on a Defender 90 - either a 2024 or 2025. I'm not interested a new V8 model and trying to decide between the V6 and the 4 cyl. I'd like to have these options - air suspension, power seat package and the tow package. A bonus would be the cold weather pack with the heated windshield.

Currently looking at several 2025 90S 4 cylinders online - some are certified (nice +) and the prices are around $53-57k. The issue is none of them are close to me - live in Minnesota - and most don't have all the options I'm after. I have found two loaded 6 cyl versions, but they are both 2024s and priced at around $60k. Original sticker on both was around $80k and they both have under 12k miles. I see the nav screen is smaller, the seats don't fold totally flat and I think the '24 doesn't have remote start.

Couple questions for the group;
1 - Are there any other differences between the model years that I may be missing? I know the '24s will have warranty to 2028 vs 2029 (one less year of warranty).

2 - Would you choose the 2025 four cylinder or a 2024 six cylinder if the vehicles are priced the same? I've driven both and the 4 feels a little strained, but plenty of power for the truck.

3 - The three I've driven all had either 18"s or 19"s for wheels. The two 2024s have 22" - will the ride be rough with these? I will likely get a set of snow wheels and tires for the winter.

Thanks!

 

I would personally go with the 2025 4 cylinder model. I owned a P400, the V8 and the P300 in the 110 Defenders. The P300 is my favorite. The acceleration is more linear and the power is very adequate, and the car feels lighter. I also found it to be better off road. At the end of the day, all engines are great. Just go with the one that suits you the best. Good luck and let us know what you end up with.

 

What he said !
However, I’d pick P400 I6 because it does have more power.

 

I'd go inline 6. The 4-banger is too small of an engine (relying on a turbo) for such heavy car.

 

I have the P300 I4 - it's a great engine and will give you the least amount of issues long-term. Plenty of people out there with well over 100k miles on the I4 with no issues. One guy on here has over 150k miles on his P300 with just basic maintenance. I think the whole "smaller engines are strained in heavy cars" argument is overblown. These engines were designed and tested for these applications. Sure, it does have to work harder than a comparable six or eight cylinder. But it isn't overstressed or underpowered. Plus, the P300 is about ~400 lbs. lighter than a comparable P400 I6, and unaffected by the DC-DC converter recall that the I6 is part of. That being said, the I6 is a smoother powertrain, gets better fuel economy, and the extra 100 horsepower is nice. If you do a lot of towing, especially with heavier trailers, the I6 will be the better choice, although the I4 can still tow up to 7,716 lbs., and from my experience makes an excellent tow vehicle. My P300 had no issues towing my 2k lb. enclosed trailer. The I6 can tow up to 8,201 lbs. You can't really go wrong with either engine - they're all very good. Go with the one you like the most.

Also, I'd recommend finding one with the tow pack, as it is worth having, even if you don't tow. It will increase resale value, and the towbar acts as the rear crash bumper and is a lot stronger than the aluminum crash bumper that is in vehicles without the towbar. I just installed the OEM towbar last month after waiting eight months on backorder. I regret not ordering it when I ordered mine.

The 19" wheels have very few tire choices. The size is 255/65R19, and the Defender is the only car on the planet with that tire size. You can get a Michelin/Continental/Pirelli all-season, and the Goodyear Wrangler Adventure "all-terrain," which is a slightly more hardcore all-season. For dedicated all-terrains you can choose between the OEM Goodyear Duratracs, and now BFG offers the KO3 in factory 19" size, and that's it.

18" will give you the most tire options out of the three wheel sizes you listed. 22" wheels have a noticeable difference in ride quality from an 18" or 19." They won't be rough, but you'll notice more impacts from rough pavement a lot more with less sidewall on a 22" wheel. My suggestion would be to get an 18" wheel (on the I4) or a 20" wheel (on the I4 or 16). Those will give you the most tire options. 20" wheels still have plenty of sidewall for off-roading, and give you improved ride quality compared to a 22." Plus, if you get an I6 model, the smallest wheel you can get without grinding down or swapping out the rear brake calipers is a 19" wheel. I recommend getting a 20" wheel on an I6 if you don't want to do any mods to fit a smaller 18" wheel.

All Defenders come with remote start, but it is only through the Land Rover Remote app. You can't start it with the key fob, but you can using the app. It is free through the warranty period, then it is $120.00 a year.

The smaller 10" screen definitely fits the interior better than the 11.4" screen, as it's perfectly integrated into the dash instead of being tacked on. I have the smaller screen (the bigger screen wasn't available on early cars), and while navigation maps on the larger screen is nice, I have never once felt like I needed the bigger screen. Regardless of screen size, they have the exact same software and exact same functionality. You don't gain any features with the larger screen. Now for 2026, they get an unnecessarily large 13.1" screen.

CPO cars have an extra one year/unlimited milage warranty on top of the factory 4yr/50k warranty. You can also add an additional year of CPO warranty, but it caps at 100k miles.

 

Thanks for the thoughtful response. I was curious about the screen and hadn't thought of how it fits into the dash. If I go the route with a 22" wheel I plan on getting a set of 19"s for snow tires. The tough one is both a 2025 4cyl and a 2024 6 cyl are about the same price. I'm weighing the importance of 12 months more warranty against the bigger engine and a fully loaded truck.

 

Do both the 25 and 24 have air suspension? If both do, then it's a harder choice, if one does, then go with that one! My 2-cents....

 

I wouldn't worry about the extra year of warranty and just get the nicer one if I was in your shoes.

It is worth noting that the only snow tire for the 19" wheel is the Michelin X-Ice. The 20" wheel gets you the same Michelins, Bridgestone Blizzaks (which are apparently very good) and the Pirelli Scorpion Winter in the factory 255/60R20 size. All Defenders (excluding OCTA) on 20" wheels come from the factory on 255/60R20 tires, but 275/55R20 is a Land Rover-approved size, and there are loads of winter, all-terrain, and all-season tires in that size.

If I were you, I'd try to find a set of 20" take-offs on Ebay or something.

If you're fine with the Michelins, then I guess go for the 19" wheels for winter tires, but if you want more options, go for a 20" or 18" wheel.

 

I find the argument that a 300hp I-4 turbo is working "too hard" to be quite comical. Maybe it's because I grew up driving series 88s and 109s with the anemic 2.25l I-4 making a stunning 74hp when brand new. Those engines were "working hard" to maintain highway speeds when loaded. We seemed to manage just fine driving 6 people plus equipment up to Scotland multiple times a year. And the Defender that people love to romanticize over here was mostly equipped with a 200TDi or 300TDi that struggled to deliver 110hp when new and was probably down to about 75 by the time I could afford to drive it. 0-60 in a series was 25-30 seconds if you were lucky, 20 seconds in that Defender under absolutely perfect conditions. I'm also old enough to remember that we all raved about the performance of the Golf GTi with 0-60 of 8.5 seconds. Today a 110 P300 beats that and a P400 is nearly a second faster.

We've all got so used to sports car performance from a 2 tonne SUV with 4WD and the aerodynamics of a garden shed that we have forgotten to be impressed. Personally I'm very happy with the P300 and the underfloor storage it frees up in the rear, but others have made great arguments for the P400 here too. Either way, your parents or grandparents would have been drag racing a vehicle with less hp and worse acceleration than the current Defender.

 

Thanks for the laughter! You are spot on! I reckon the better things get, and the faster they go, the more spoiled we get. The P300 is extremely good in my opinion and I have owned all three engines. The P300 is my favorite, but to each their own. That's how the world turns...