The Ford Bronco and Land Rover Defender are two legendary names in the world of off-road SUVs. They’re comparable where it counts in the capability department, and they’re satisfyingly retro in their designs, but there are some big differences setting these SUVs apart.
Let’s compare the 2025 Ford Bronco and 2025 Land Rover Defender and find the right off-roader for you.
2025 Ford Bronco
When it came out in 2021, the Ford Bronco was an off-road enthusiast’s dream come true. At last, a worthy rival to the dominant Jeep Wrangler had arrived, and it’s been impressing us ever since. In addition to its stellar capabilities and drool-worthy aesthetics, the Bronco earns our Best Resale Value award in its class. For 2025, the Bronco sees the return of a low-cost base model, which rides alongside the Outer Banks, Badlands, all-new Stroppe Special Edition, Heritage, and of course, the Raptor.
Ford Bronco Highlights
Manual transmission: The Ford Bronco comes standard with a good old-fashioned manual transmission, which you won’t find in the Defender. Of course, an automatic is optional, but we appreciate the availability of the stick shift.
Removable top and doors: When driving your Ford Bronco off-road, pop off the doors and roof to get closer to nature. The Land Rover Defender forgoes this fun ability in exchange for more on-road civility.
Affordable pricing: The Ford Bronco’s starting price comes in considerably lower than that of the Land Rover Defender. Even if you opt for the well-equipped Outer Banks trim, the Bronco is priced well below the Defender’s starting MSRP.
Read our Ford Bronco Expert Review or see 2025 Ford Bronco models for sale near you.
2025 Land Rover Defender
Land Rover is famous for engineering luxury SUVs that are capable off-road and luxurious on-road with little compromise. Such is the case with the Land Rover Defender, which was revived in 2020. It’s available with three distinct body styles giving it a varied model range with something for everyone, assuming it fits your budget. For 2025, the Defender 130 offers second-row captain’s chair seating as an option, faux synthetic upholstery replaces last year’s standard leather, and the Off-Road Pack gains Wade Sensing. New standard equipment includes a Meridian audio system and a Pivi Pro 11.4-inch touchscreen.
The outdoorsy Outbound trim is available on the extended-wheelbase 3-row Defender 130, while a 493-hp supercharged 5.0-liter V8 (dubbed the P500) is also available in the 2-row Defender 110 and 130 models. Lastly, a new high-performance Octa trim is set to debut touting a 626-hp 4.4-liter V8.
Land Rover Defender Highlights
Premium interior: As you’d expect from the brand, the Land Rover Defender is more luxurious than the Ford Bronco. If you like the idea of a fancy luxury SUV that can travel over just about any terrain, few can deliver that experience like the Defender.
Available 3-row seating: The Defender 130 is the longest and most family-friendly version of this SUV with 3-row seating. You can get the Bronco as a 4-door, but you can’t get one with more than five seats. This option adds to the Defender’s versatility.
V8 options: The Ford Bronco Raptor is awesome, but the Land Rover Defender is available with a 518-horsepower V8. This engine gives this SUV a 0-60 mph time of just 4.9 seconds. Even the mighty Raptor can’t match that kind of performance. Not enough power? the 626-hp Octa trim can fix that.
Read our Land Rover Defender Expert Review or see 2025 Land Rover Defender models for sale near you.
Similarities
Both of these SUVs are stellar off-roaders. They have two or four doors and nostalgic, boxy styling. Oh, and they both have a spare tire hanging off the back.
Conclusion
The choice here primarily comes down to price. If you have a Land Rover-sized budget for your next SUV (and maintenance costs), and you don’t care about the doors or top coming off, the Defender will satisfy more refined tastes. However, the highly customizable Ford Bronco is more accessible to a wider range of buyers with its much lower starting price, and it can still get pretty nice if you want premium features in your off-road SUV.
New 2025 Ford Bronco Prices
|
Retail Price
|
Fair Purchase Price (78626)
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
$39,890 |
$38,214 |
|||
$42,265 |
$40,489 |
|||
$49,835 |
$47,741 |
|||
$51,370 |
$49,212 |
|||
$51,990 |
$50,066 |
|||
$77,530 |
$74,273 |
|||
$91,930 |
$89,723 |
New 2025 Land Rover Defender 90 Prices
|
Retail Price
|
Fair Purchase Price (78626)
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
$58,525 |
TBD |
|||
$70,125 |
TBD |
|||
$111,425 |
TBD |
The Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price for any individual used vehicle can vary greatly according to mileage, condition, location, and other factors. The prices here reflect what buyers are currently paying for New 2025 Ford Bronco vehicles and New 2025 Land Rover Defender 90 vehicles in typical condition when purchasing from a dealership. These prices are updated weekly. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) quoted includes the destination fee, but does not include tax, license, document fees, and options.
| 2025 Ford Bronco (2-door) | 2025 Land Rover Defender 90 | |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | 2.3-liter turbo 4-cylinder | 2.0-liter turbo 4-cylinder |
| Horsepower | 275 hp @ 5,700 rpm | 296 hp @ 4,000 rpm |
| Torque | 315 lb-ft @ 3,400 rpm | 295 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm |
| Transmission | 7-speed manual/4WD | 8-speed automatic/4WD |
| Fuel Economy MPG | 20 city/21 highway/20 combined | 18 city/21 highway/19 combined mpg |
| Also Available | 2.7-liter turbo V6, 3.0-liter turbo V6, 10-speed automatic | Supercharged 3.0-liter 6-cylinder, Supercharged 5.0-liter V8, Turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 |
| Specs | ||
| Basic Warranty | 3 years/36,000 miles | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles | 4 years/50,000 miles |
| NHTSA Overall Safety | 5 stars | Not rated |
| Max Seating Capacity | 5 | 8 |
| Wheelbase | 100.4 inches | 101.9 inches |
| Overall Length | 173.7 inches | 170.6 inches |
| Width | 75.9 inches | 79.1 inches |
| Height | 71.9 inches | 77.5 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 35.5 feet | 38 feet |
| Headroom, Front | 41.0 inches | 40.6 inches |
| Headroom, Rear | 39.8 inches | 38.6 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 43.1 inches | 39.1 inches |
| Legroom, Rear | 35.7 inches | 36.6 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 57.1 inches | 60.8 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Rear | 51.8 inches | 59.2 inches |
| Cargo Volume | 22.4/52.3 cubic feet | 10.5/44.6 cubic feet |
