2024 Ford Bronco vs. 2024 Land Rover Defender Comparison

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 2024 Ford Bronco and 2024 Land Rover Defender and find the right off-roader for you.

2024 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. Pricing starts at $41,525, including the destination charge.

Ford Bronco Highlights

Manual transmission: The Ford Bronco comes standard with a good old-fashioned manual transmission, which is unavailable 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 is 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.

See this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Bronco models near you

2024 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. Pricing starts at $57,875, including the destination charge.

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 option: 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.

Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Defender models 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 is primarily about the 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.