Jeep Wrangler vs Land Rover Defender

Both the Jeep and the Land Rover are available in different sizes: 2-door and 4-door configurations! We took out our measuring tape for a closer look at each model’s 2-door configuration to see how much room you’ll have to work with. Here are the results:

After closer review, the Land Rover is slightly bigger than the Jeep. Is bigger better? For your adventurous crew, yes! For off-roading? Leave it to the Wrangler. The Jeep’s smaller stature and wheelbase allow it to articulate and maneuver tricky trails and obstacles easily. Plus, its shorter height allows you to pass under low-hanging brush without scraping your roof!

The Jeep Wrangler can transform in a way the Land Rover Defender cannot. In fact, most Jeep drivers encourage this alteration: removing the roof and doors! After all, the Wrangler is primed for open-air freedom.

Several roof options are available for the Jeep, including:

• 3-piece hardtop in black or body color
• Sunrider® soft top
• Sunrider® for hardtop, which puts a soft panel over the front row, giving drivers an easy-to-collapse sunroof
• Class-exclusive Sky One-Touch® Power Top, which is a soft-top configuration that pulls back the entire roof and lets you touch the sky at the push of a button

Although it comes with a standard sliding panoramic roof for some refreshing skyward views, the Land Rover is better with its doors on.

Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ will serve as your lifeline to civilization after you spend some time off-grid. These smartphone integrations will help you play music, podcasts, or audiobooks and contact loved ones from the driver’s seat!

The Jeep makes these integrations wireless, so you can get up and go spontaneously. The Land Rover requires a cord for pairing.

If you’re venturing to new restaurants, campgrounds, parks, and hidden gems every week, you’re going to need an SUV that has the best display possible to see directions clearly.

The Land Rover’s Pivi Pro infotainment suite gives you a 10-inch touchscreen, which perches on the dash beautifully. An 11.4-inch display is available with higher trim levels. How does the Jeep fare against these impressive screens? It eclipses them. The Wrangler now comes with the Uconnect® 5 suite and a 12.3-inch screen, making it the largest in its class!

Mud and muck are common in natural adventures. Good thing the Wrangler and the Defender look good with a coat of sludge on their tires. Speaking of tires, the Jeep comes with a 4x4 drivetrain to help maximize grip and rock-crawling abilities and improve traction in inclement weather!

We fibbed earlier. The Wrangler offers three different 4x4 systems:

• Command-Trac® Part-Time 4x4 System
• Selec-Trac® Full-Time 4x4 System
• Rock-Trac® Full-Time 4x4 System

The Land Rover Defender also uses the power of its four wheels; however, All Wheel Drive is its standard drivetrain. While it’s capable and efficient, 4-wheel drive may be better for your most rugged adventures.

Did you know that every Jeep Wrangler wears a Trail Rated® badge? This high honor signifies its off-roading excellence. It took a series of grueling tests of traction, ground clearance, water fording, articulation, and maneuverability to earn this badge—all of which the Wrangler passed with flying colors! Unfortunately, the Land Rover did not achieve a similar off-road rating.

Ground clearance is just one avenue the Wrangler excels in. For instance, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 has a 12.9-inch ground clearance! You can adventure without an undercarriage scrape. At its best, the Defender offers an 11.5-inch ground clearance.