2023 Land Rover Defender vs 2023 Volvo XC90

The 2023 Land Rover Defender outsold the Land Rover Discovery by more than four to one. Despite being similar in size and price, the Defender's boxy design, reminiscent of the old LR4, attracted more customers. The Defender's design was all about the corners, with a square-jawed face, rectangular hood and doors, and an abruptly chopped tail, giving it a classic truck look. Tasteful accents like the dome and faux-metal step plates on the hood, skylights along the sides of the roof, and the body-color square separating the side glass paid homage to the original 1980s Defender. The Defender was available in three body styles: 90 (short two-door), 110 (medium-length four-door), and 130 (extended-length four-door), offering unmatched choice in the SUV market. Inside, the Defender focused on function and durability, with most of the interior coated in rubbers and plastics designed to wick moisture and resist stains. Despite its lofty price, the interior was basic and barren, with exposed screws and plain-looking air vents. The steering wheel could have been off an old Toyota. However, the build quality and fit were excellent, maintaining the Defender's hardcore character. Despite its high price, the Defender remained popular, with around 20,000 units sold annually, making it the second most popular model in Land Rover's fleet. The 2023 Volvo XC90, in contrast, showcased Volvo's evolution from its boxy, utilitarian past. The XC90's design was purposeful but not boastful, with a stout and solid front end, an assertive grille, and modern "Thor’s Hammer" headlights. The XC90's dimensions and shape leaned toward rectilinear but were far from the toaster-like designs of old Volvos. Our test vehicle, an AWD Ultimate trim, featured 21-inch wheels wrapped in low-profile Pirelli Scorpion all-season tires, adding a bit of drama to the otherwise stoic XC90. The Platinum Gray paint had brown undertones, giving it a rich and deep appearance. Inside, the XC90's design was elegant, with a gorgeous two-tone leather steering wheel, metal Bowers and Wilkins speaker covers, an Orrefors crystal shift knob, and luxurious Nappa leather upholstery. The interior had a beautiful and clean look, with wood deco inlays adding a touch of nature. The minimalist design, with few buttons or physical controls, gave the XC90 a decidedly modern feel.

The 2023 Land Rover Defender excelled off-road, with uncanny grip, incredible wheel articulation, and generous clearance. The air suspension allowed the Defender to climb, clear, and navigate almost any path. However, most owners would not use the Terrain Response 2 system or the vehicle's full off-road capabilities. On the road, the Defender's Old World charms turned cumbersome, with excessive body roll, slow and imprecise steering, and noticeable wind noise. The V8 model, with 518 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque, moved the Defender with alacrity, but the vehicle's top-heavy nature made it a mildly frightening setup. The six-cylinder engine, part of a 48-volt mild hybrid powertrain, offered 395 hp and 406 lb-ft, providing plenty of power without penalizing fuel economy. The four-cylinder engine, with 296 hp and 295 lb-ft, was less impressive, and the non-hybrid turbo-six in the Defender 130 S offered the same horsepower but more torque (347 lb-ft). The V8 returned poor fuel economy ratings of 14/19/16 mpg, but its performance was worth it. The 2023 Volvo XC90 replaced its older turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines with new B5 and B6 engines, equipped with mild-hybrid technology. The B5 engine, with a turbocharger and 48-volt mild-hybrid system, produced 247 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The B6 powertrain, with a supercharger and turbo, churned out 295 horsepower and 310 pound-feet. The mild-hybrid system improved fuel efficiency and smooth operation, with minimal sacrifices in horsepower and torque. The XC90's driving experience was enjoyable, with quick acceleration, a responsive eight-speed automatic transmission, and excellent brakes. The XC90's fuel-saving auto stop-start technology was almost imperceptible, thanks to the mild-hybrid system. The XC90's driving dynamics were simple, with a manual shift feature and an off-road mode, but no low-range 4WD or hill-descent control. The XC90 handled well in a New Hampshire snowstorm, despite not having dedicated winter tires.

The 2023 Land Rover Defender offered exceptional seating configurations, with the Defender 90 seating six with a jump seat, the 110 offering an optional third row, and the 130 seating up to eight with a standard third row. The third row in the 130 had a separate moonroof, air vents, cupholders, USB ports, and armrests. The Defender's large glass, including "alpine lights," provided excellent outward visibility. The 130 had 77 cubic feet of cargo space with the third row and second row folded, while the 90 had 16 cubic feet and 58 with the rear seats folded. The four-door 110 had 34 cubic feet behind the second row and 79 with them folded. The Defender offered various accessories, including off-road or all-season tires, a metal roof rack, a console refrigerator, a heated windshield, a pressurized water rinse system, power-deployable side steps, a brush bar, and a winch. The 2023 Volvo XC90's interior was peaceful and pleasant, but Scandinavian minimalism led to some space and storage frustrations. There was no dedicated space for a cell phone, and the USB port for plugging in a phone was located in the small center console bin. The second row was comfortable and reasonably spacious, but adjusting the seats was challenging. The XC90 came standard with a second-row bench seat for seven-passenger seating, but removing the middle seat for captain's chairs and six-passenger seating cost $500 and required upgrading to the B6 engine. The third row was difficult to access and offered limited space. The XC90 had 12.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the third seat in position, 41.8 cubic feet with the third-row seats folded down, and 65.5 cubic feet with all the rear seats folded. The XC90 drove like a smaller car than a typical three-row SUV, but that was because it was smaller.

The 2023 Land Rover Defender offered two touchscreen infotainment systems running Pivi Pro, Land Rover's newest software. The standard 10-inch screen was wide and nicely integrated into the dashboard's metal bar, while the optional 11.4-inch touchscreen was an oversize square resting over the central dash. Both screens were quick and simple to operate, with the larger screen offering greater legibility. Standard features included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a voice assistant, connected apps, navigation, heated front seats, a proximity key, and power-folding mirrors. The Defender S had heated 12-way power seats with leather and a Meridian stereo. The X-Dynamic SE added silver exterior accents, black rear tow hooks, and woven fabric lining the outer edges of the seats. The X trim included air suspension, a locking rear differential, an upgraded Terrain Response 2 system, adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, the larger touchscreen, and a rearview mirror with a camera display. A cabin air purifier and configurable ambient lighting were also available. The 2023 Volvo XC90 featured a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment display running Google OS, the first standard infotainment system to feature this technology. Google OS included Google Maps, Spotify, NPR, and Google Assistant as standard features. The 12.3-inch driver information display also showed Google Maps. Natural-language recognition, powered by Google, made the XC90's tech experience smooth and intuitive. Owners could issue commands to their XC90 via Google Home devices. However, Volvo filed too many key functions within the touchscreen interface, leading to frustration. The minimalist design inside the XC90 meant fewer physical buttons and redundant controls, making it necessary to use the touchscreen for functions like adjusting the driver's seat position and turning on the heated steering wheel. While these issues might fade with daily use, they could be frustrating during a test drive.

The 2023 Land Rover Defender had not been rated by a U.S. government agency or insurance organization, but it scored five out of five stars in Euro NCAP crash testing. The Defender was praised for its solid structure. It came equipped with six airbags, which seemed too low, as there were no front knee airbags or rear side thorax airbags. The Defender offered an optional digital instrument panel that could show full-screen maps, a head-up display, and a 360-degree camera system. Standard safety features included lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic emergency braking. Automatic steering when reversing a trailer was also available, but a self-steering highway assist was not offered. The 2023 Volvo XC90 was well-regarded for its safety, carrying a five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and being named a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in 2022. The XC90's advanced driver safety tech included adaptive cruise control, which worked well even in Boston traffic, and excellent lane-keeping assist. These technologies combined to support Volvo's Pilot Assist technology, which helped maintain distance between the car ahead from a standstill to highway speed. Best of all, these safety features were standard equipment on the 2023 Volvo XC90.