2023 Dodge Durango vs 2024 Land Rover Defender

The 2023 Dodge Durango, entering its 12th model year without a redesign, maintained a familiar yet attractive appearance. It eschewed the faux ruggedness of other brands, opting for clean, car-like styling. The Durango avoided the trend of oversized grilles, instead featuring slim styling with forward-leaning headlights and a large lower air intake, demonstrating that SUVs can have presence without massive grilles. At the rear, Dodge's signature "racetrack" taillights provided a distinctive look. The muscular SRT 392 and SRT Hellcat models had unique styling features, including a Viper-like hood with a functional center air inlet and heat extractors, unique wheels, and a different front fascia. The Blacktop Package and Hemi Orange appearance package offered additional styling options, while the interior, though less distinctive, offered a pleasant environment with materials suited to their price points.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender combined an old-school, boxy profile with modern features like angular headlights, visually connecting it to other Land Rover vehicles. The interior, however, felt more durable and adventure-ready, akin to a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco, but with more soft-touch materials. Offered in three body styles—two-door 90, four-door 110, and extended-wheelbase four-door 130—the Defender catered to various preferences. Our test vehicle, the Defender 110 S, featured the County visual package with white wheels and vintage graphics, embracing a throwback approach. Standard features included 19-inch alloy wheels, power-adjustable front seats, and a 10-speaker Meridian sound system, with options for premium Windsor leather upholstery and other standalone features. The Defender's interior was a blend of refinement and utility, with a straightforward touchscreen setup that complemented its utilitarian persona.

The 2023 Dodge Durango offered a range of powertrains, starting with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine, producing 293 horsepower (295 hp with dual exhaust) and 260 pound-feet of torque. All models featured an eight-speed automatic transmission, with standard rear-wheel drive and optional all-wheel drive. The 5.7-liter Hemi V8, standard on the R/T and optional on the Citadel, delivered 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. The SRT 392 model boasted a 6.4-liter naturally-aspirated Hemi V8 with 475 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque, achieving zero to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. The SRT Hellcat, with a 6.2-liter supercharged V8, produced 710 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque, reaching zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Despite its size, the Durango Hellcat offered exhilarating acceleration, with minimal wind and tire noise at highway speeds, thanks to adaptive-damping suspension, Pirelli P Zero performance tires, and Brembo brakes.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender offered several powertrains, starting with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the P300, producing 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Our P400 test model featured a mild-hybrid turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, delivering 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. Two supercharged 5.0-liter V8 options, the P500 and P525, offered 493 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque, and 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque, respectively. All engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time active four-wheel drive. The Defender's towing capacity reached up to 7,716 pounds with the six-cylinder and eight-cylinder powertrains. The Defender excelled in off-road capabilities, with features like adaptive air suspension and Terrain Response 2 system, making it a formidable off-road vehicle. Our P400 test model provided ample power for highway speeds, with a pleasant on-road ride and minimal body roll.

The 2023 Dodge Durango was available in seven-seat or six-seat configurations, with standard two front bucket seats, a three-seat second-row bench, and a two-seat third-row bench on SXT, GT, and R/T models. The Citadel, SRT 392, and SRT Hellcat models featured second-row captain's chairs. Interior space was competitive with other three-row midsize SUVs, though cargo space was less than some rivals, offering 17.2 cubic feet with all rows in place, 43.3 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 85.1 cubic feet behind the first row. Small-item storage was generous, with a large wireless charging pad and well-placed USB ports. The Durango's towing capacity was impressive, with V6 models towing up to 6,200 pounds and V8 models up to 8,700 pounds.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender offered a blend of luxury and functionality, with soft-touch materials, grip handles, rubberized floors, and numerous cargo compartments. Seating capacity ranged from five to eight passengers, depending on the configuration and body style. The Defender 110 had an optional third row, while the Defender 130 offered three seats in the third row. Cargo capacity varied by model, with the Defender 130 providing 15.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 35.8 cubic feet behind the second row, and 76.1 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. The Defender 110 offered 34 cubic feet behind the second row and 78.8 cubic feet with the first row folded. The two-door Defender 90 provided 15.6 cubic feet behind the second row and up to 58.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.

The 2023 Dodge Durango featured an 8.4-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto on SXT and GT models, while the Citadel and SRT models had a 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Both used the Uconnect infotainment system, with the larger screen featuring the current Uconnect 5 system. The SRT models included the Performance Pages app, offering performance information on the main touchscreen. A 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system was available with the Premium Package on the SRT Hellcat model.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender came with a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument panel and an 11.4-inch touchscreen, standard with navigation, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Defender also included Bluetooth, satellite radio, HD radio, and a 10-speaker Meridian stereo system. The straightforward setup provided a blend of refinement and utility, with home buttons for easy navigation of features.

The 2023 Dodge Durango received mixed results in IIHS crash tests, with top "Good" marks in some tests but a "Marginal" score in the driver-side small overlap front test. The NHTSA gave it a four-star overall safety rating, with five stars in the side crash test and four stars in the frontal crash test. Standard driver-assist tech was limited, with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert standard on all trims, but other features like forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control were only standard on the Citadel.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender offered an extensive list of standard driver assistance features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Other standard safety tech included traffic sign recognition, automatic high beams, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and a 360-degree parking camera system. Neither the IIHS nor the NHTSA had crash-tested the 2024 Defender at the time of writing.