2020 Land Rover Defender vs 2021 Lexus GX

The Land Rover Defender didn’t have to leave, but as the saying goes, it couldn't stay here. In 1996, after only two model years, the United States banned the Defender 90 because it didn't have airbags, a proud feature this crusty old truck boasted from 1990 until its final breath in 2016. Around the world, the Defender—and the Series I, II, and III models that were nearly the same since 1948—has been Britain's answer to the American Jeep, the German Gelandewagen, and the Japanese FJ. It was a farming vehicle built on warrior bones that served millions, including armies, without a whiff of prestige or wealth.

Today, Land Rover is a luxury manufacturer of extreme off-road vehicles that can and do go everywhere on earth. The new Defender isn't anything like the old Defender, and thank God. But don't think the Defender has gone too soft, because at its core, it's just a cushier, way pricier Wrangler.

Most modern SUVs are really car-based crossovers—lifted station wagons, or minivans without the sliding doors. That’s not the case with the 2021 Lexus GX 460.

Like the mythical Loch Ness Monster, the GX is a creature that time forgot. It’s one of the last SUVs with truck-like body-on-frame construction and true off-road capability. That’s because the GX is actually a rebadged Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (a smaller version of the iconic Toyota Land Cruiser not sold in the United States), and is related to the Toyota 4Runner. It’s also genuinely old: the current generation dates back to the 2010 model year, and Lexus has kept it in production with some updates of styling and tech over the years.

That makes the GX a fairly odd proposition on the new-car market. It has the off-road capability, not as a lifestyle statement, but because that’s what was still expected of SUVs when it was launched. The GX sits between the RX and LX in Lexus’ lineup but has little direct competition. Its only real rival is the much newer Land Rover Discovery.

For the 2021 model year, the GX gets some minor updates, including a new Premium Plus Package, and acoustic front side glass. Lexus continues to offer only the GX 460 model, with a single powertrain option, standard four-wheel drive (4WD), and three trim levels: base, Premium, and Luxury. Our test car was the midlevel Premium version.