British luxury SUVs aren’t really my cup of tea. Land Rovers just have never held the mystique for me that they have for many of my colleagues. I wasn’t dismissive of it, but I was perhaps the least whelmed among the Autoblog staff when the Land Rover Defender nameplate made its return. With that said, this thing has really won me over. It’s comfortable, luxurious, powerful and undeniably eye-catching.
When the 2023 Land Rover Defender V8 landed in my driveway, I still wasn’t particularly excited. It would be a good week of driving, sure, and I was looking forward to getting to know the vehicle better. But that started to change with my kids’ growing enthusiasm as I loaded them into the Defender for school dropoff. They were intrigued by this big box on wheels, and instantly began exploring it and pointing things out. Yeah, they were right … this thing is pretty neat.
It has its obvious good qualities, which are reflected by its six-figure price point. It has its flaws, too. And, there really is something intangible that makes it cool. Here are a few things that stood out to me after spending some quality time with the Defender V8.
1. It looks a little funny
There are a lot of odd things to notice on the Defender. There’s the unique rear lighting. There are the odd body panels floating on the rear quarter windows. There are different patterns, and the strange inserts on the hood look especially off to me.
2. Odd, maybe, but it looks badass
It’s tall and boxy, with a tough stance. The 22-inch glossy wheels matching the painted accents on the car are a nice touch, and the spare tire displayed prominently on the back gives big off-road vibes.
3. It sounds great
It sounds pretty good from the inside, but any time you can catch some of that exhaust note from outside the vehicle, it almost makes you wanna make a little stank face. I didn’t complain when the kids wanted to roll the windows down. JLR has some excellent-sounding V8-powered vehicles, and it’s great that this suburban commando SUV can sound as emotional as a slinky Jaguar coupe.
4. The rear door is a little annoying … half the time
The tailgate only swings open in one direction — the one that’s handy in Britain, and not for those who drive (and park) on the right side of the road. It wasn’t so great in my driveway, either. If I pull into my driveway with my house on the driver’s side, that’s great. Enter the driveway the other way, and I have to juke the door with armfuls of groceries on ever trip inside. It’s not a bad way to practice your footwork, though. The door itself is also pretty damn heavy, thanks in no small part to that big 22-inch spare hanging off of it. Senior Editor James Riswick also found that big spare tire can make it harder to mount a bike to a hitch rack.
5. It has a very smart panoramic roof
It’s especially smart because it automatically closes when you turn the vehicle off. I usually leave these things closed, especially in the summer when the sun can bake the interior while parked. But when it automatically opened up when I hit the ignition, I didn’t mind the bit of shaded sunlight it brought in. I was just thankful that the cabin had remained cooler thanks to the automatic closing function, and that its placement didn’t really allow the sun to blast me on top of the head. Fine, I decided, it has earned the right to keep the shade open while I was driving.
6. The little roof windows are cool, too
These little guys in the back just kind of reminded me of the VW Samba Bus. That’s good enough for me. I spent my entire time in the driver’s seat, so I don’t know if these little windows actually provided any benefit to rear passengers — they’re positioned mostly above the cargo area — but they’re neat.
Look, I hate an icy or foggy windshield as much as anyone else, but when the view is just slightly obscured even on the best of days, it’s maddening. That’s exactly what the thin heating elements embedded in the windshield do. I’d be driving, wondering, is that some sort of weird cloud formation or rain in the sky in the distance? No, it’s just that thing right in front of my face playing tricks on my eyes. Maddening, I tell you. Do not check that option box.
The Defender’s few faults are all redeemed — yes, even the squiggly windshield — by its cupholders. It’s a tight fit, but the center console cupholders can each hold a 32-ounce Nalgene water bottle. The door pockets and rear armrest cupholders won’t accommodate them, but you can put your beverage where it matters most, allowing you to stay mega-hydrated while remaining mega-Defended.