So any more takes on this one?

 

There are 3 pages of posts here... what more information do you need?

 

I think everyone was pretty much in agreement.

Defender - more truck like, better off-road, bit more room.

X5 - more car like, better on road, bit more luxurious.

Pick your poison.

Depends on how you want to use it.

Some years back it looked like we were going to wind up living in the Poconos. Lots of twisty mountain roads, snow, ice etc. I started looking at performance AWD sedans/wagons.

Then we took a hard right turn and wound up in the flat straight Pinelands of NJ. I sold the one real sportbike in the fleet and ordered a Wrangler.

 

The only thing I have against the X5 is the looks. BMW have lost all sense of style—with each new model looking worse than the last. But keep your eyes closed before getting in to drive it and all is good in the world. A brilliant car for long fast drives.

One thing that always annoyed when going skiing (lived in Colorado for 15 years) was melting snow all over the inside of the car (on the seats, soaked into the carpets et al). I like the more durable, non absorbent materials in the Defender for that kind of activity. I don’t own a Defender yet and so I can only assume it’s a better choice for ski trips.

Someone mentioned the X5 being good in snow and perhaps they have improved since 2006. Mine was an AWD drive setup with stupidly wide sports tires and it was useless in anything but the lightest of snow. It was damn right scary going over say Berthoud Pass to Winter Park. I have no reason to believe the new X5s are any better in that regard—the car is designed for a different purpose.

All that being said, I think the comparison of X5 and Defender is rather strange. I would say you need to prioritize what features and capabilities will most suit your needs before looking at a particular model.

 

snow is all about tires. A RWD with Blizzaks will beat an AWD with sport tires any day. Then there is a whole sliding scale of All Seasons and Mud and Snow.

There's no reason either an X5 or a Defender can't be an absolute beast in snow, but likely not on most OEM tires.

 

The interior materials of the Defender are not the best for active lifestyles IMO. I trail run and ski a ton, and whether it's sweat from running or slush/dirt from skiing, the leather/nylon canvas mix on the seats and the neoprene-like materials on the door sills and center console absorb a ton of sweat and dirt, and doesn't wipe as easily as the straight leather from my old X5. I find it is actually higher maintenance to keep that material clean. Also, using rubber mats will prevent your carpet issue. My 2017 X5 with Blizzaks was the best ski car I've had, it was unstoppable on that drive you mentioned. The Defender didn't have Blizzaks this last winter (ATs with snowflake rating instead) and I can tell you it was inferior to the X5 setup. Which is why I'll be buying Blizzaks for it next season!

 

I disagree with you in regards to interior but I have the cheap seats, not leather. The cheap seats clean up very easily and I just got back from a 2300 mile trip into Baja with dust everywhere. I haven't even done a full clean, but it sheds dirt easily and the seats look great. The dash somehow doesn't hold dirt like the plastic in my P38 range rover. The rear hard materials are great for cleaning and stuffing gear into. I have weathertech mats so they are easy, just always look dirty.

 

I’ve no experience with the BMW, but I traded my 2016 RRS for the Defender. Someone early in the thread mentioned the RRS as a better direct comparison to the X5 - and I agree, but I think you’re asking about making a trade between a car like SUV that is also good in snow / off road and a more off-road oriented SUV that is also good in road ... so

for snow performance my RRS with winter tires was unstoppable. Lots and lots of ski trips into the Colorado mountains, great great driving dynamics, and with the TD6 unbelievable gas mileage. So, why did I trade? Because I wanted more access to the off road and overland trails around CO.

as an aside, the snow performance of any vehicle is directly related to the tires. Winter tires on a POS front wheel drive will outperform any 4x4 on AT tires for stopping and turning. So no matter which choice you make, don’t fall for the AT tires and 4x4 = excellent winter / icy road / driving dynamics. Winter tires are your best friend for winter conditions.

 

Would like to keep this thread going for a little while as I will be ordering a car in august. Always good to see what you guys have to say

 

As an additional data point, both trucks are solid and built amazingly well, but each has required 1 warranty repair by the dealer. The X5 developed a slight rattle that was correctly diagnosed and fixed on the second trip to the selling dealer. No problems or issues since.

My Defender has the well known ‘sifting sand’ sound from the passenger side A-pillar that many pre-July 2020 builds are afflicted with. The first trip to Land Rover San Antonio reduced the sound 60-75% but did not completely eliminate it. Because I’m 200 miles from LRSA, the closest dealer, I ordered myself the $80 exterior molding that LRNA redesigned as a permanent fix for that issue, will have the part painted body color, then install it myself. I’ll send LRNA the receipts and request reimbursement. I’ve had no problems or issues since.

While my ultimate verdict would be the same (giving slight edge to X5), the Defender oozes personality and charm that the X5 just doesn’t have. Make no mistake however, the X5 is an amazingly good car and my wife much prefers it to the Defender. And she loves Land Rovers too.

We’re spending Christmas in Telluride. Guess which one we’re taking?