2024 Land Rover Defender vs 2025 Honda Pilot

The 2024 Land Rover Defender presented a unique blend of classic and modern design elements. Its boxy profile and angular headlights connected it visually to other Land Rover models, yet its interior was distinctively rugged and adventure-ready, reminiscent of a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco. The Defender's cabin featured durable materials with soft-touch accents, offering a balance of luxury and practicality. The Defender 110 S, with its County visual package, showcased vintage graphics and white wheels, emphasizing a nostalgic appeal while maintaining modern features.

In contrast, the 2025 Honda Pilot Black Edition aimed for a sleek, suburban aesthetic with blacked-out exterior trim and black leather seats accented with red perforations. The interior was thoughtfully designed for family use, with practical storage solutions and comfortable seating. However, the digital displays appeared dated compared to rivals, lacking a significant "wow factor." The Pilot's design leaned towards functionality, with a focus on comfort and convenience for everyday driving.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender offered a range of powertrains, starting with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 296 horsepower. Our test model, the P400, featured a mild-hybrid 3.0-liter inline-six engine, delivering 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. The Defender also offered two supercharged V8 options, with the P525 variant producing 518 hp. All engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time 4WD. The Defender excelled in off-road capabilities, with features like adaptive air suspension and Terrain Response 2. It could tow up to 7,716 pounds with the six-cylinder and V8 engines.

The 2025 Honda Pilot was powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, generating 285 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. It offered multiple driving modes, including Sport and Trail, and could tow up to 5,000 pounds. The Pilot's AWD system featured torque vectoring and hill descent control, enhancing its off-road potential. However, the transmission occasionally felt slow to downshift, and fuel economy was less impressive, averaging 20 mpg during testing.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender balanced luxury with functionality, featuring soft-touch materials, grip handles, and rubberized floors. It offered seating for five to eight passengers, depending on the configuration. The Defender 130 provided the most cargo space, with up to 76.1 cubic feet available. The Defender 110 and 90 models offered varying cargo capacities, with practical hard plastic surfaces for easy cleaning.

The 2025 Honda Pilot excelled in family-friendly design, with three rows of comfortable seating and thoughtful storage solutions. The Black Edition's front passenger seat lacked adjustability, but overall, the seats were supportive. The Pilot offered 18.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 86.5 cubic feet with seats folded. Features like a hands-free power tailgate and triple-zone climate control added to its practicality.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender featured a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and an 11.4-inch touchscreen. While smaller than some competitors, the system was straightforward, offering navigation, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The 10-speaker Meridian stereo system provided quality audio, and the layout was user-friendly with home buttons for easy navigation.

The 2025 Honda Pilot's technology appeared dated, with a 10.2-inch digital gauge panel and a 9-inch touchscreen. It included wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. However, the wireless CarPlay function was inconsistent, and the voice recognition system often required multiple attempts. The Pilot's CabinTalk feature allowed communication with rear passengers, but overall, the technology met only basic expectations.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender came with a comprehensive suite of driver assistance features, including forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, and a 360-degree camera system. However, the lane-keeping assist was overly sensitive. As of the review, it had not been crash-tested by major safety organizations.

The 2025 Honda Pilot included Honda Sensing safety features, such as automatic emergency braking and lane-keep assist. The Black Edition added parking sensors and a multi-view camera system. While the adaptive cruise control had some issues, the Pilot earned high safety ratings, including a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS and a five-star rating from the NHTSA.