Skip to main content

I Am Reviewing The 2024 Land Rover Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE, and I Think This Is A Rugged Luxury Vehicle For Those Who Want No Compromises For a Tough SUV

We test the 2024 Land Rover Defender's larger two-door variant and come away with a newfound respect for tough SUVs done right.

This 2024 Land Rover Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE is a two-row, five-passenger SUV ready from the factory to transport you and yours anywhere you need to be. 110 means this is the middle size of the Defender line. X-Dynamic SE means this is a trim above the base level. 

Defender 110 Image by John Goreham2024 Land Rover Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE - What Does It Cost?
Our 2024 version had a consumer cost, including Destination and Delivery charges, but less dealer Doc Fees of $81,923. This means that the vehicle we tested had a price about 50% higher than the last vehicle of this type we tested, the Toyota Land Cruiser 1958

2024 Land Rover Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE - What Powers It?
Land Rover equipped this Defender 110 with an engine offering 406 lb-ft Torque mated to an 8-Speed Automatic Transmission. The vehicle has All Wheel Drive with a Twin Speed Transfer Box. We observed a running average over about 250 miles of mixed driving of 19 MPG. During our city trips, the MPG display dropped as low as 11 MPG. 

2024 Land Rover Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE - Favorite Features
We used the hill descent control to head down icy hills many times in our testing. It worked very well. We also found the wireless Android Auto system to be simple to use and effective at keeping us engaged in driving, while offering up satellite-enabled Google Maps, Pandora, and Audible. Pairing was immediate, and we have no issues with the system.

2024 Land Rover Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE - The Drive
This Defender had a personality entirely different from the Defender 90 we had previously tested. While that one was fun and extremely sporty, this larger Defender is solid and steady. It is never hurried, and it feels like a vehicle made from steel girders. We adopted a sedate and steady driving habit with this Defender. We took it into downtown Boston twice during our time with it (against our will!), and it proved ideal for badly broken-up pavement. It is also very nice to eat up highway miles in. The All-terrain tires were a good match for about five inches of snow we drove through. 

2024 Land Rover Defender 110 X-Dynamic SE - Conclusion
Our recommendation for those shopping for a Defender 110 would be to try it before you buy. This Land Rover shares nothing with the personality of a Range Rover Sport or Velar. This is a dedicated off-pavement utility vehicle intended to be put to work. It shines in that role, but Land Rover, Range Rover, and Toyota offer models better suited to suburban life and for vacations such as skiing and exploring. This is the one that feels like an old-school Land Rover, and that’s great. 
 

John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ Grammarly grammar and punctuation software when proofreading. 

Comments

Robert Forman (not verified)    January 21, 2025 - 8:49PM

100,000% agree with the repair bills - keep in mind they had a joint venture with Ford - look for that ford escape motor that pays 9 hours to do a water pump - have fun with that!