2022 Land Rover Defender vs 2022 Ford Explorer

The 2022 Land Rover Defender retained its distinctive exterior styling, with a boxy profile, tailgate-mounted spare tire, and flat hood that visually tied it to the original version and classic Series Land Rovers. Despite these retro callbacks, the design was thoroughly modern, featuring rounded corners for better aerodynamics and recessed LED headlights that gave the Defender a unique personality. The modern Defender was also much larger than its predecessor, offering more interior space and improved ergonomics.

Inside, the Defender emphasized rugged character without seeming cheesy. It featured a mix of leather upholstery and suede, exposed screws, and bare metal, which looked like it could handle mud and dirt better than traditional all-leather interiors. The high-end Defender 90 V8 test car had a comfortable driving position with good outward visibility, generous headroom, and legroom. The interior design was practical, with large storage spaces and functional controls.

The 2022 Ford Explorer offered a wide range of models, from the base trim to the luxurious King Ranch, priced between $33,745 and $54,495, excluding the $1,495 destination charge. The King Ranch model, which we tested, featured 4WD, Rapid Red paint, a Premium Technology package, and a twin-panel sunroof, bringing the MSRP to $59,880. Visually, the King Ranch was not much different from other Explorer models, except for its emblems, shiny 20-inch wheels, and quad exhaust outlets.

The Explorer's rear-drive platform allowed for a long and tall hood, short front overhang, and a rakish roofline, giving it a taut, athletic appearance. Inside, the King Ranch featured exclusive Del Rio leather seating with lasso-perforated inserts and King Ranch branding. The cabin exhibited a mix of quality and questionable materials, but mostly looked and felt worthy of its near $60,000 price tag. The King Ranch's interior was comfortable, with heated and ventilated front seats, heated second-row captain's chairs, and massaging front seats.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender offered three powertrains. The base model had a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The mid-level option was a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six mild-hybrid powertrain rated at 395 hp and 406 lb-ft. The new-for-2022 V8 engine produced 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque, allowing the Defender 90 to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 149 mph. All Defender models used a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and had standard 4WD with a two-speed transfer case.

The V8 model also featured an electronic active rear differential, Dynamic drive mode, and unique transmission and suspension tuning for sportier handling. Despite its off-road capabilities, the Defender was comfortable on pavement, with a suspension that absorbed bumps well and effectively blocked noise from the 22-inch tires. The Defender had a maximum towing capacity of 8,201 pounds and offered impressive off-road capabilities with its 4WD system, good approach, departure, and breakover angles, and up to 11.5 inches of ground clearance with the optional air suspension.

The 2022 Ford Explorer offered three powertrains. The base, XLT, ST-Line, Limited, and Timberline trims came with a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine generating 300 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic and RWD, with 4WD available. This engine provided up to 24 mpg in combined driving and a maximum towing capacity of 5,300 pounds. The Explorer Limited offered an efficient hybrid drivetrain based on a 3.3-liter V6 engine, making a combined 318 hp and 322 lb-ft of torque, with a towing capacity of 5,000 lbs and up to 27 mpg in combined driving.

The twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, available in the ST, Platinum, and King Ranch trims, produced 400 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic, RWD or 4WD, and a maximum towing capacity of 5,600 lbs. Our King Ranch 4WD test vehicle averaged 20.6 mpg on the testing loop. The V6 engine provided plenty of power and satisfying acceleration, but the hybrid powertrain offered the best blend of power, efficiency, and capability. The Explorer's ride was robust, handling bumps and off-road terrain well, with the Timberline model offering even better off-road capabilities.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender featured 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats, which were surprisingly comfortable in the Defender 90 test vehicle. However, accessing them was a bit of a chore, and they didn't leave much room for cargo space. The four-door Defender 110 model offered more versatility, with two-row, five-seat, and three-row, seven-seat configurations. Three-row models had 11.4 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in place, 35.4 cubic feet with the third-row seat folded, and 70.4 cubic feet with the second row folded. Two-row versions had 18.1 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 51.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.

The Defender's interior design emphasized functionality, with a large caged storage space below the dashboard, a big center-console storage bin, and optional refrigeration. The shifter and climate-control knobs were placed on a shelf extending from the dashboard, making them easy to reach. The Defender also offered optional basket-style roof racks and cargo boxes that mounted to the side pillars for additional storage.

The 2022 Ford Explorer provided plenty of comfort for families of four, with the option to carry five people with a second-row bench seat. However, the third-row seat was only useful for children due to the Explorer's rear-drive platform, low rear roofline, and tapered tail. The King Ranch model featured triple-zone automatic climate control, a power-adjustable heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, and heated second-row captain's chairs. Massaging front seats were also standard, with 14-way power adjustment for the driver and eight-way power adjustment for the front passenger.

Practical storage space within the cabin could have been better, with missed opportunities for additional storage in the front door armrests and dashboard. The wireless charging pad and smartphone holder were helpful, but the interior lacked practical pockets, shelves, cubbies, and hooks. The King Ranch test vehicle had a hands-free power liftgate, revealing 18.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seat. Flattening the third-row seats created 47.9 cubic feet of cargo space, and folding both rear rows down provided a maximum of 87.8 cubic feet of cargo volume.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender came with the standard Pivi Pro infotainment system, featuring a 10-inch central touchscreen and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster was standard on all trims except the base model, and an 11.4-inch touchscreen was newly available for 2022. The graphics and menu layouts were well-designed, but the screen required a strong poke to respond. Optional features included a 14-speaker Meridian audio system, head-up display, and a surround-view camera system, which was useful for off-roading.

The 2022 Ford Explorer offered two versions of its Sync 3 infotainment system. The first had an 8-inch touchscreen display, while the second had a 10.1-inch touchscreen mounted portrait style. The smaller screen was well integrated, but the larger screen looked like an afterthought. Our test vehicle had the full menu of Sync 3 technology, including FordPass Connect services, a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, Ford+Alexa functionality, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, and a navigation system. The King Ranch also featured wireless smartphone charging, a surround-view camera system, and a 14-speaker Bang and Olufsen premium sound system.

Ford's next-generation Sync 4 technology was not available in the Explorer, and the differences between Sync 3 and Sync 4 were significant, especially in voice recognition. The Explorer's voice recognition system struggled with basic commands, and the system did not recognize Washington D.C. as a valid destination. Additional tech for the King Ranch included a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation display and Active Park Assist 2.0, which could autonomously park the Explorer.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender came with standard driver-assist tech, including lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, and traffic-sign recognition with speed-limit adapter. Blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control were optional. The IIHS and NHTSA had not published safety ratings for the Defender, which was not unusual for luxury vehicles.

The 2022 Ford Explorer earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS for all versions. The NHTSA had not published complete crash-test ratings for the 2022 Explorer, but the 2021 model earned five-star ratings across the board except for rollover resistance. The Explorer came with Ford Co-Pilot360, which included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Co-Pilot360 Assist+ added adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assist, and evasive steering assist. The Explorer also had a post-collision braking system and MyKey programmable vehicle functions.