Compare the2026 Land Rover DefenderVS 2026 Chevrolet Traverse

Both the Defender 110/130 and Traverse have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Defender has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Traverse’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Defender. But it costs extra on the Traverse.

Both the Defender and the Traverse have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

The Defender comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Traverse’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Defender’s 6 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Traverse runs out after 100,000 miles.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Defender second among large premium suvs in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Traverse isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Defender 130 P300’s standard 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid produces 21 lbs.-ft. more torque (347 vs. 326) than the Traverse’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Defender P400’s standard 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid produces 67 more horsepower (395 vs. 328) and 80 lbs.-ft. more torque (406 vs. 326) than the Traverse’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Defender P500’s standard 5.0 supercharged V8 produces 165 more horsepower (493 vs. 328) and 124 lbs.-ft. more torque (450 vs. 326) than the Traverse’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Defender OCTA’s standard 4.4 turbo V8 hybrid produces 298 more horsepower (626 vs. 328) and 227 lbs.-ft. more torque (553 vs. 326) than the Traverse’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Defender P400 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Chevrolet Traverse:

The Defender has 4.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Traverse FWD’s standard fuel tank (23.8 vs. 19.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Defender has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Traverse AWD’s standard fuel tank (23.8 vs. 21.7 gallons).

The Defender has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Traverse. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

For better stopping power the Defender’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Traverse:

The Defender stops much shorter than the Traverse:

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Defender has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Traverse LT.

The Defender has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Traverse; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Defender offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Traverse’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Defender’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (46.2% to 53.8%) than the Traverse’s (56% to 44%). This gives the Defender more stable handling and braking.

The Defender 110 V8 handles at .81 G’s, while the Traverse High Country AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Defender 110 V8 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Traverse High Country AWD (27 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Defender 90’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Traverse’s (38 feet vs. 39 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Defender 110 has a 2.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Traverse (9 vs. 6.8 inches), allowing the Defender to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Defender 110 OCTA’s minimum ground clearance is 4.9 inches higher than on the Traverse Z71 (12.7 vs. 7.8 inches).

The Defender 110 is 7.6 inches shorter than the Traverse, making the Defender easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Defender. The Traverse doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Defender’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Traverse’s (7715 vs. 5000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Chevrolet Traverse is only 5000 pounds. The Defender offers up to a 8200 lbs. towing capacity.

The Defender has a higher standard payload capacity than the Traverse (1760 vs. 1601 lbs.).

The Defender has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Traverse (1870 vs. 1669 lbs.).

The engine in the Defender is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Traverse. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Traverse RS/High Country, the Defender has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle and climate settings and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Defender offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Traverse doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Defender’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Traverse’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

The Defender’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Traverse’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the Defender to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Traverse doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Defender offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Traverse doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Land Rover Defender has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors are only offered on the Traverse RS/High Country.

The Defender has standard heated front and optional heated second and third row seats, which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Chevrolet doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the Traverse.

Optional air conditioned front and second row seats keep the Defender’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Traverse doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Land Rover Defender has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Homelink® is only available on the Traverse RS/High Country.

The Land Rover Defender comes in two door and four door bodystyles; the Chevrolet Traverse isn’t available as a two door.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Land Rover Defender retains 49.08% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 48.14% resale value of the 2025 Chevrolet Traverse after five years, which can save the Land Rover’s owner.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Defender second among large premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Traverse was rated third in its category.

Motor Trend selected the Defender as their 2021 Sport Utility of the Year. The Traverse has never been chosen.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Defender as the 2021 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Traverse has never been chosen.