2023 Lexus RX Hybrid vs 2022 Land Rover Defender

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 the original, offering more interior space and improved ergonomics. The interior design emphasized rugged character with bare metal and exposed screws, mixed with leather and suede upholstery that seemed more practical for off-road adventures.

In contrast, the 2023 Lexus RX Hybrid featured a cleaner, more minimalistic interior design. The RX 350h Luxury model boasted beautiful Macadamia semi-aniline leather and Ash Bamboo wood trim, while the RX 500h F Sport Performance had a sportier all-black interior with artificial suede and dark gray aluminum trim. The RX's exterior design remained blunt-nosed and somewhat imbalanced, with a wheelbase stretch that reduced the rear overhang. Inside, the new Lexus Interface infotainment system and contemporary textures and detailing, along with backlit ambient lighting, added to the modern feel.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender offered three powertrains: a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six mild-hybrid powertrain with 395 hp and 406 lb-ft, and a new-for-2022 V8 engine producing 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque. The V8 could accelerate the Defender 90 from zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds, with a top speed of 149 mph. All models used a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer case. The Defender was impressively comfortable on pavement, with a suspension that absorbed bumps well and minimized noise from the massive 22-inch tires. Off-road, the Defender lived up to Land Rover's reputation, with features like a 4WD system with low range, good approach, departure, and breakover angles, and up to 11.5 inches of ground clearance.

The 2023 Lexus RX Hybrid offered two hybrid powertrains. The RX 350h featured a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 246 hp and 233 lb-ft of torque, with an expected average of 36 mpg in combined driving. It could accelerate to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds. The RX 500h F Sport Performance had a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with a total output of 366 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, achieving 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. However, it was expected to get no better than 27 mpg in combined driving. The RX 500h also featured an adaptive damping suspension, upgraded brakes, and rear-wheel steering, making it more athletic and fun to drive. Despite its performance, the RX 500h struggled to meet its estimated fuel economy, averaging 20.9 mpg during testing.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender offered 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats, which were comfortable but challenging to access in the two-door Defender 90. The four-door Defender 110 model provided 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 offered 18.1 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 51.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The interior design emphasized functionality, with a large caged storage space below the dashboard and a massive center-console storage bin that could be equipped with refrigeration.

The 2023 Lexus RX Hybrid provided a comfortable and luxurious interior, especially in the RX 350h Luxury model with ten-way power-adjustable front seats, premium leather, and three-zone automatic climate control. The RX 500h F Sport Performance had eight-way power-adjustable front seats with larger side bolsters and standard heated and ventilated front seats. The hybrids' battery packs were housed underneath the back seat, resulting in excellent leg support but tight rear headroom. The new RX offered 29.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat and 46.2 cubic feet with the back seat folded down, a significant improvement over the old model but still short compared to some rivals.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender came with a 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. Optional features included a 14-speaker Meridian audio system, head-up display, and a surround-view camera system that was particularly useful for off-roading.

The 2023 Lexus RX Hybrid introduced a new infotainment system, the Lexus Interface, which required activation of connected services plans after complimentary trial subscriptions expired. The system included Service Connect, Wi-Fi Connect, Safety Connect, Remote Connect, and Drive Connect, which offered a cloud-based navigation system and an Intelligent Assistant digital voice assistant. The touchscreen's size was appreciated, but it could only display one screen menu at a time, and the screen suffered from reflections. The available head-up display came with dual-function touch-sensing control pads on the steering wheel, which could be frustrating to use, especially with polarized sunglasses.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender included standard driver-assist tech such as lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, and traffic-sign recognition with speed-limit adapter. Blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control were optional. The Defender had not been rated by the IIHS or NHTSA, which was not unusual for luxury vehicles.

The 2023 Lexus RX Hybrid came with Lexus Safety System+ 3.0, which included new features like motorcycle detection, evasive steering assistance, intersection turn assistance with front cross-traffic alert, and curve-speed reduction for adaptive cruise control. Proactive Driving Assist was also available, automatically slowing the RX when the accelerator pedal was released. The new RX offered Traffic Jam Assist for low-speed, hands-free driving and Advanced Park for semi-autonomous parking. However, some features, like the front cross-traffic alert and curve-speed reduction, had their irritations.