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The one that I drove was a Defender 110X. Exterior was Pangea Green. Interior was Vintage Tan/Ebony Windsor leather. It was a 5 seat model with 20 inch wheels. It had the cold climate package with the heated windshield (which I would never get -- feels like you are looking through a screen door in direct sunlight and at night). It was the P400 and not the P300.
The heated windshield is one of my absolute favorite features. I keep my car in a heated garage, but if it’s cold enough outside, it is the nicest thing when I leave the office. It makes an ice scraper obsolete. Every LR I’ve owned has had the heated windshield and it’s something I will always spec. Yes, the wires are noticeable in direct sunlight, but trust me, you get used to it. My Porsche has a heated windshield, but it doesn’t have any wires. However, it isn’t as effective as the JLR heated windshield.
Obviously, it’s your call, but I think the heated windshield is worth every penny.
Also, the Defender is an excellent road trip car. The ride quality is excellent, and the seats, while on the firm side, are super supportive on 5+ hour road trips. Also, the Meridian stereo is great for listening to your tunes.
The biggest gripe I have on mine when it comes to road trips is my Falken Wildpeak tires. They are on the louder side, but not obnoxiously loud. That is the one thing the OEM Goodyear Wrangler Adventures were good at - they were quiet.
Last edited by CincyRovers; Nov 24, 2024 at 12:59 AM.
My ‘23.5 D90 P300 on air suspension w/Michelin all season 20” tires is a dream on the highway and on New England roads. It has plenty of power and the throttle is very responsive (my experience). I’ve been a BMW guy since the late 80s and still have one in my garage. My Defender is not my first LR, had a 2009 LR3 which I also loved. You can’t expect these vehicles to handle like a BMW and comparisons should be limited. I’m obsessed with my Defender and plan to hold onto it.
Road Trips are awesome in the Defender. A month after buying our used 110 SE, wife and I took it on a 18 hour (one way) road trip with the doggos in the back seat. My only complaints are that - at 6'6" I can't quite get my knees to not touch the door and the center console at the same time - but that is a problem with literally every vehicle that isn't a full size truck or SUV. Also the cargo area in the 110 is quite small compared to most mid-sized SUV's. I was astonished at how quickly we had sh*t stacked to the roof. The seats are on the firm side, but quite comfortable. The NVH is, to me, like riding along in a library - even with the roof rack, lunchbox and widdle wadder strapped to the outside. Note: My comparison perspective is quite skewed.
As for the heated windshields - my H1 has heated windshields that are an absolute game-changer in the cold weather - especially on its vertical windshield. Accumulated slush outside of the sweep of the windshield wipers just slowly melts away. I *think* my 110 has a heated windshield (I have the cold weather package) but I literally cannot see any of the filament wires compared to the 0/2ga wires in my H1's windshield.
Thanks for the response. You addressed what my concern had been about the 130 in terms of the non-flat load floor. My dealership does not have any 130s on the lot so I haven't been able to actually see it for myself.
The one that I drove was a Defender 110X. Exterior was Pangea Green. Interior was Vintage Tan/Ebony Windsor leather. It was a 5 seat model with 20 inch wheels. It had the cold climate package with the heated windshield (which I would never get -- feels like you are looking through a screen door in direct sunlight and at night). It was the P400 and not the P300.
Thing is, I have missed the 110 since I turned it back in to the dealer. Some other pros that I didn't mention in a prior post, I love the fact that you can set it to automatically go to access height when you park the car. That's something that I wish BMW did. Also, as compared to the new BMWs, I love that the Defender still has actual buttons for the climate control. My X5 has the buttons, but if we went the X7 route, we would not have climate control buttons.
Can any of you chime in on what your long road trip experiences have been in the Defender? We have a beach house that is 5.5 hours away that we travel to quite often, so I would likely be doing quite a bit of highway driving in it.
I picked up my 2025 100 X-Dynamic (P400) in early October. Three weeks later I drove from Ohio to Washington DC to Wilmington NC and then back to Ohio. It was a FANTASTIC ride the whole way. Through the mountains…along the beach… I was so worried about a long trip with it as my prior car was a BMW (F80). Obviously I was already sold on the Defender and is why I bought it. That long road trip made me excited for the next iteration of the Defender when I’m ready to by another one in eight years or so.
based on my experience thus far I’m for certain going to keep it at the top of my list!
These are all great responses. I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and opinions. Particularly without the snark that you sometimes see on the BMW forums.
I’m not expecting it to be like a BMW on the road, but I just want to make sure it’s not too much of a drop off from what I am used to driving.
These are all great responses. I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and opinions. Particularly without the snark that you sometimes see on the BMW forums.
You're welcome! And you are correct, this is the most helpful and respectful vehicle enthusiast forum I am on.
A little late to the response, but a timely thread for me. Current family stable of 2022 X5 M50i, XC60 and XC90 with the M50 being my daily. This week ordering a 110 X-Dynamic in the extended windsor trim and both offroad packages (reverting to all season). V8 likely excessive for a truck, but considering.
Given what you've said, I'd say you'd be equally as happy with those long haul trips as I expect to be.
We live in the mountains in a rural area 20-25 minutes outside of town with a LR dealer in range (but no BMW) where Defenders are common and seem to have replaced the RRS and RR. We had two new LR4's that saw frequent offroad use, as would a Defender, and I miss that. Hwy and long road trip performance is a must for me. The BMW is the winner there, but I think the LR will do just fine (as the LR4s had back in the day).
My pros and cons:
Pros- -Defender is the better all rounder for us. -Obvious off road capability.
-Even better in snow (with winter tires) -Love the swing tailgate. Storage not best in class, but very well thought out and accessible. -Heated windshield. Such a plus in frequent storms driving at night. You won't notice it after a few weeks. -It looks great. -Easy to get in and out. -Rear easy to clean. -Useful interior overall. -Front and rear fog lights helpful in frequent storms.
-I'm sure there are many others I'm forgetting.
Cons- -Headlights. I don't think these will even come close to BMW's adaptive laser lights. -No pedestrian night vision. -No traffic jam assist as you say. -No emergency stop assistance (and another of safe features you also mention). -Speed limiter option could be dangerous and seems unnecessary. -Interior is not as comfortable as BMW (I know, first world problem. It's a truck, not a BMW, but you get used to things like massaging seats, heated arms rests and center console, sky lounge, etc.). I can live with this. -Cockpit is not ergonomic like the BMW screen that wraps slightly towards the driver. I'm sure you get used to on the road.
In a way, these two vehicles shouldn't be cross shopped. They're completely different, but I know in different parts of the country they're used less as a 4x4 than others and are fantastic family vehicles.
Hopefully no one flames me for my cons and maybe you find something in my response helpful. We're both making a similar transition. I'm returning to LR for sure.
This week ordering a 110 X-Dynamic in the extended windsor trim and both offroad packages (reverting to all season). V8 likely excessive for a truck, but considering. We had two new LR4's that saw frequent offroad use, as would a Defender, and I miss that.
Yes, get the extended leather package, it brings the interior quality closer to BMW. We also had an M50i and I'm completely happy with the P400 I6. It makes me a better and safer driver. I no longer have the urge to pass that idiot clogging up the left lane from the right at triple digit speed. And we also had LR4's which we loved , but the Defender is built better, handles far better on the highway and is far more capable offroad. Low traction launch is amazing.
One more thing nobody noted yet...the wide X5 center console along with the placement of the gas pedal far right made the X5 uncomfortable for me on long trips. The right seat bottom bolster would dig into my right thigh after a while. I find the flatter Defender seat bottom more comfortable on long trips. And the center console on our 2025 Defender is now about an inch narrower. The Powerful UK plastic tray that goes over the power plug area that I used in our 2023 doesn't fit the 2025 center console.
Pros- -Defender is the better all rounder for us. -Obvious off road capability.
-Even better in snow (with winter tires) -Love the swing tailgate. Storage not best in class, but very well thought out and accessible. -Heated windshield. Such a plus in frequent storms driving at night. You won't notice it after a few weeks. -It looks great. -Easy to get in and out. -Rear easy to clean. -Useful interior overall. -Front and rear fog lights helpful in frequent storms. -Factory standard turn signals equipped.
-I'm sure there are many others I'm forgetting.
Yes, get the extended leather package, it brings the interior quality closer to BMW. We also had an M50i and I'm completely happy with the P400 I6. It makes me a better and safer driver. I no longer have the urge to pass that idiot clogging up the left lane from the right at triple digit speed. And we also had LR4's which we loved , but the Defender is built better, handles far better on the highway and is far more capable offroad. Low traction launch is amazing.
One more thing nobody noted yet...the wide X5 center console along with the placement of the gas pedal far right made the X5 uncomfortable for me on long trips. The right seat bottom bolster would dig into my right thigh after a while. I find the flatter Defender seat bottom more comfortable on long trips. And the center console on our 2025 Defender is now about an inch narrower. The Powerful UK plastic tray that goes over the power plug area that I used in our 2023 doesn't fit the 2025 center console.
I'm right there with you on passing those that clog up the left lane. I'm sure my wife would prefer that I lose that urge as well.
