I was initially drawn to the New Defender by its impressive commercial, but it wasn't until recently that I realized it was the vehicle I truly needed.

I'm searching for an SUV with enough seating for my six family members, along with the ability to tow a heavy travel trailer, that can go anywhere, on-road or off-road, comfortably and safely.

IMO, a great SUV should excel in three areas: on-road (seating, comfort, safety), off-road, and towing.

Finding such a vehicle is more difficult than I thought:

- Off-roaders like the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco lack seating options and towing capacity.

- Full-size SUVs like Tahoe/Suburban and Expedition are too heavy, compromising comfort, maneuverability, and agility for off-roading.

- While the Land Cruiser, Lexus LX/GX, and Toyota Sequoia are well-rounded SUVs, when equipped with additional seating or off-road features, they become too heavy, leaving insufficient payload for towing.

"Physics is the law" - within the constraints of GCW, GVW and GAW, achieving all three goals simultaneously is incredibly challenging.

The new Defender tackles this challenge with an innovative approach: a stiff aluminum monocoque body and an electronically integrated 4x4 system. It's lighter but more capable.

Its user experience is next-level. When off-roading, it automatically engages diff lockers so you don't need to know how to off-road to be able to go off-road. It simplifies life on the road and while towing in the same effortless way.

It's just like the iPhone of SUVs - powerful, versatile, and user-friendly.

If we want to enhance certain capabilities, the Defender offers various options, but trade-offs should be considered. Here's my preference:

- 110 Body Style: It offers a balance of people/cargo space, off-road capability, and towing. The 90's shorter wheelbase isn't ideal for towing, and the 130's larger rear overhang isn't ideal for off-roading or towing.

- P400 Engine: The P300 is lighter and better for off-roading with 18'' wheels, but the powerful P400 and its bigger brake is better for heavy towing.

- 7-Seat: My kids can fit in the third row, and this configuration offers the largest payload and GAWR, plus sliding and reclining second-row seats.

- Air Suspension: While coil suspension is more rigid and flexible for off-roading, air suspension offers more benefits - on-road comfort, better off-road clearance and angles, towing auto-leveling, and easy access for daily driving.

- Packs: Towing, Off-Road, and Cold Climate packs are essential for peace of mind. Heated/cooled leather seats, air purification, and ClearSight are nice-to-have features. HUD isn't necessary based on past experience. Other accessories can be added later if needed.

- 19''/20'' All-Terrain Tires: Smaller wheels with taller, narrower tires are generally better for off-roading. There's a debate between 20'' with more tire options vs. 19'' with a bigger sidewall, but I don't think either will pose a significant issue for a typical user like me.

Before finalizing my order, I need to ensure that the curb weight isn't too heavy, leaving enough payload for towing.

Typically, we can check the payload sticker on a similarly equipped vehicle for reference. However, JLR uses a standard calculation (75 kg per seat × number of seats), regardless of the vehicle type and options, which may not accurately reflect the actual payload capacity. For example, a 5-seat Defender 90, a 5-seat Defender 110, and a 5-seat Range Rover all list the same payload of 375 kg (825 lbs).



Could you share your Defender's configuration and its curb weight (the weight of vehicle with full fluids and fuel) to help me verify that my curb weight is under 5,700 lbs which is my limit? Thanks a lot!

Some say the new Defender is a compromise compared to the old one, but I see it as similar to how the iPhone might not be the best digital camera, yet it’s good enough for most of us to be able to capture more photos - already a success.

 

To be honest with you, I think you are going to be better off with a 130 or a Discovery. The third row in the 110 is pretty useless. Good luck fitting anyone over the age of five back there without amputating their limbs. I know you mentioned your children do fit in the back, but kids grow up and get bigger. Also, a good friend of mine had a 110, then it was totaled and he replaced it with a 130 Outbound, and the departure angle hasn't hindered off-road capability at all - and he uses the thing as God intended. I'll link his website below. His is modified, but the folks at the LR Experience center in Asheville have said the same thing - The 130's longer rear overhang hasn't hindered capability, but sometimes you have to take a different line. The 130 also has a larger third row bench seat that is much more usable. The Discovery's third row is designed to comfortably fit people 6'2 and under, and it has the same 8200 lb. towing capacity with the P360 I6. The off-road geometry isn't as good as the Defender, but it isn't far off. I had an LR4 for ten years, and a Discovery 5 for five years, and as a family vehicle, the Disco 5 is about as good as it gets.

https://afterthelandroverexperience.com/

 

If the third row is important then I agree with the post above and I'd also suggest the 130. The 110 third row isn't particularly usable. Otherwise, I agree with pretty much everything else and would suggest the 20s rather than the 19s because the tire choices are more limited on the 19s.

 

My 3rd row is perfectly usable for my crew. I've sat back there. It's not palatial but is perfectly comfy and I'm 6'. You adjust the second row accordingly and everyone get's enough room. I've had 7 (4 adults 3 kids 10,11,12) in the vehicle for 100+ mile round trips. No worries. Kids can sit anywhere. Cars are luxury nowadays by comparison to what we were hauled about in. 3 point seatbelts, drinks holders, in car wifi, air con etc.

It's no land yacht Tahoe or Yukon but is a very usable setup for the times we need the extra seats.

19"s are the ginger stepchild of rims. No tire choices for this unwanted offering LR insists on using.

Downside is the lost storage in the rear and the slightly less than flat loadspace when you need it. Very minor

 

Perhaps the 90 gets an overly negative reputation for towing… I use mine with a 14’ tandem axle cargo trailer outfitted like a toy hauler. The short wheelbase blows every other vehicle I have ever used for trailer maneuverability out of the water. The stable Defender platform and ultra short distance from the hitch to rear axle center line make it punch far above its weight (which is lighter leaving more oomph to move the trailer).

All that said the 110 would be better for the most part at the cost of some maneuverability. I would never choose any half ton truck over this platform for half ton truck sized towing problems. The overall design is simply far superior.

 

Coming from the LR4, the rear cargo area on a 110 feels small, even without third row seats. For usable third row seats, get the 130. I know 2 people that traded in their 110 as soon as the bigger 130 came out and they love the extra space. And if you plan on using this vehicle to move your kids into college, get the 130, especially if you have girls. Thankfully our kids now take a car to college so we can split all the stuff between their car and the 110 support vehicle. Freshman year move-in for one daughter looked like this:

 

Thank you all for the great feedback and suggestions! @CincyRovers @swajames @GavinC @pinion @PaulLR

I appreciate having more options, and both the Discovery 5 and Defender 130 are on my consideration list.

Here are some thoughts I'd like to share:

• I've tried to quantify their capabilities using the radar chart below.

• Since the Discovery 5, Defender 110, and Defender 130 share the same platform (D7x/D7u), they should have the same overall score, but with different strengths across three capabilities.
• The Discovery 5, designed for family, excels in space and on-road use. The Defender 130 addresses the space limitations of the 110.
• Both two Defenders offer superior off-road capabilities out of the box, which is reflected in their higher scores.
• The 130 has the lowest towing score, as it has 100-160 lbs less payload on paper compared to the other two, and a much lower 6,613 lbs towing capacity based on the latest JLR specs. And towing isn't just about capacity or GCM; it also involves payload, tongue weight, GAW, and factors like wheelbase and rear overhang, which can quickly become limiting factors. For example, the Discovery 5's shorter wheelbase and longer rear overhang mean that each pound added to the hitch has a greater impact on the rear axle, quickly using up the rear GAW. I also suspect the more premium Discovery 5 is heavier than the Defender 110 when equipped with a tow hitch receiver, rear diff locks, and a twin-speed transfer box, which isn't ideal for towing.
• @CincyRovers : I'm interested in learning more about your Discovery 5. Is it a P360, and does it come with the Towing and Advanced Off-Road packs? Have you weighed the curb weight to check the available payload?

Considering my needs for the vehicle in the coming years, the scenarios would likely be:

• Interstate Travel: 4 adults, 2 kids (ages 4 and 8), towing a 7,000+ lbs Lance 2445 travel trailer, with most gear stored in the trailer (it's helpful as every 10 pounds on the trailer only consumes 1 pound of the tow vehicle's payload). After setting up the trailer at the campsite, we'd go on light or moderate off-road trails nearby for sightseeing. The distance between one campsite and the next should not exceed 200 miles.
• City Driving: Most of the time, only two rows will be used, especially when we need extra space for shopping larger items. When fully seated, the cargo area will primarily be used for groceries.

Towing is the limiting factor for me. Based on my calculations, the Defender 110, though best among the three for towing, would be pushed to its limits when seating 6 people (750 lbs) and towing a 7,000+ lbs trailer. That's why I asked about the curb weight of your Defender 110s for verification.

Choosing the Defender 110 is a compromise: it would just provide us enough towing capacity, but at the cost of some seating comfort.

@GavinC , it's nice to know you handled similar or even more challenging situations well with your 110. I agree - kids can sit anywhere, and the sliding second row helps. When fully seated, we can always use a roof box for extra storage.

I'd opt for 20'' wheels. As always, the more options, the better. One tire upgrade option I found in an interesting video is the 265/60/20, which shares the same sidewall height as 19'' tires and might perform better than the more popular 275/55/20:

Here’s another video about why narrow tires are best for off-roading if you’re interested:

@pinion , I'd also choose the Defender 90 for better off-roading and maneuverability if I don't need to carry as many passengers or handle such challenging towing tasks.

@PaulLR , my daughter is indeed tough to satisfy. Congratulations to your daughter - what you did for her was worth it! I've got many years before I reach that moment, and I hope by then we'll have even more capable vehicles to celebrate.

Thanks again, and I look forward to more of your input and experiences.

 

130 body proportions are not for everyone, long base and narrow on sides.

Discovery doesn't have same fan base as Defender, way less forum posts and less accessories.

 

@TeddyG Thanks for your comment!

That's also one of my concerns with choosing the Discovery. The larger the user base, the better.

I'm not sure whether they should have increased the 130's wheelbase and GVM/GCM for a more capable full-size SUV, but I must admit, the 130 Outbound with DuraTrac tires does look quite nice.

 

We bought our 130 specifically because of its towing capacity (8,201lbs) and larger cargo area/comfortable 3rd row. It truly can carry eight adults (and we have). Tows our 7,000+ lb wakeboard boat and trailer with ease. We love our 130.