Land Cruiser and Defender Take On Colorado's Ironclads to Showcase Their Skills

So, what better way to settle the conundrum than have the 2020 Defender go up against various competitors that have now become almost direct rivals? We have already seen that Land Rover’s modern take on the legendary nameplate has brought a mixed reception. Still, reliability issues aside, it’s always a solid choice when trying to explore the wilderness.

For example, the guys over at the Out of Spec Reviews YouTube channel have just moved to Colorado and decided that even though winter still hasn’t exactly left for its icy domains further up north, it would be a great idea to explore the Front Range of the Southern Rocky Mountains.

They didn’t just bring out a 2020 Land Rover Defender P400 SE for that because a member of the crew also happens to be a big Toyota aficionado and owns a brand-new 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition. As always, it’s always a great idea to pair up when starting to explore the trails, so they quickly made a case for some off-roading fun and a little bit of comparison.

Naturally, everything kicks off with the presentation of both vehicles. From the 2:05 mark, one can hear about the strengths and quirks of the 2020 Defender (right now, a base 2021 model year P400 goes for $62,700), which is equipped with a 3.0-liter Ingenium six-cylinder engine that’s capable of delivering 395 horsepower from the MHEV setup.

The 2021 Land Cruiser comes with all the features and its interesting quirks (such as the slow-opening partially electric rear gate) from the 5:22 mark as a way to counter the British off-roader with its renowned Japanese reliability and off-road strengths. It’s a V8-toting SUV packing a mighty 5.7-liter and 381 horsepower, but it’s also a lot costlier at a starting MSRP of $87,995.

With everything explained, it’s time for the actual trail action from the 11:14 mark as they’re in a bit of a hurry to enjoy the day before those gloomy clouds take over and have everything snowed in (by the time they wrapped up, it had already started snowing).

Of course, when you have two iconic SUVs at your disposal, just about any trail won’t do—even when some of the rocks look too inviting not to test some of the technology on board the Defender (12:35). So, the Land Cruiser and Defender were also taken on the famous Ironclads (from 17:30), a well-known Colorado trail that’s enough of a challenge even though it’s usually open year-round.

Just to keep automotive aficionados entertained, there’s even more exploration and tricks afterward. The conclusion (from 29:33) naturally doesn’t deliver a clear-cut winner of the comparison. In the end, it really doesn’t matter, because just like with overlanding, it was the journey that was important, not just the destination.