The all-new Land Rover Defender has gotten a lot of stick recently, and the guys at TFL are no strangers to that. Their experience of trying to buy a new Defender has become the stuff of legends, and not in a good way.
You can scour the Internet - our website included - if you want to find out more about that, but what you need to know for this comparison is that they finally have a working Defender and they wasted no time putting it to work. On this occasion, against another iconic off-roader with strong ties to a much older model: the Toyota FJ Cruiser.
The Japanese SUV was created as an homage to the FJ 40 Land Cruiser, the original model to use that name. The styling cues are pretty obvious, but other than that, the two vehicles are about as similar as the 40+ years separating them allow them to be. That said, the technology in the FJ Cruiser does seem a little antiquated, especially when compared to what you can find in the new Defender.
There's not much that hasn't been said about the new Land Rover already. Everyone knows what to expect from it both on and off the road, though for the purpose of this comparison, we'll focus on the latter. The Defender relies heavily on its Terrain Response system - generally believed to be the best traction control system in the business - as well as its good off-road angles, boosted even further by the adjustable air suspension.
The FJ, on the other hand, has an old-school manual transfer case selector with low range and its own version of an off-road traction control system called A-TRAC. The Toyota also has a set of Cooper all-terrain tires to help it deal with the rocks and ruts it'll meet on the trail.
The test comprises two climbs on the same hill, with one trail providing a little more challenge than the other. Looking at them from the comfort of your chair, they might both seem pretty easy to tackle, but tell that to the WK Jeep Grand Cherokee driver who struggled a little despite the hefty mods on his vehicle.
In the end, the trails don't prove to be difficult enough to separate between the two vehicles, though some conclusions can be drawn. For instance, the Defender, with all its tech and "auto" options, can make it all seem extremely easy. It takes a little more skill and work to get it right in the Toyota, but at the end of the day, both vehicles are competent off-roaders in their own right. Watch the video below for the full experience.
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