Land Rover Defender vs Lexus GX: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Land Rover Defender burns about $3,800 of fuel annually against $4,450 for the Lexus GX. That $650 yearly gap compounds to roughly $3,250 over five years and $5,200 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Land Rover Defender leads in both cycles — 18 mpg city and 23 mpg highway against 15 and 21 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Land Rover Defender is recorded with 2 distinct engine configurations (SIDI; Mild Hybrid, SIDI), the Lexus GX with 2 (SIDI & PFI, 4.6). Across 54 recorded Land Rover Defender configurations and 12 for the Lexus GX, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Land Rover Defender is offered with 4-Wheel Drive, the Lexus GX with 4-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD and Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Land Rover Defender emits 444 g/mile of CO2 versus 504 g/mile for the Lexus GX. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.