2021 Land Rover Defender 110: MPG and fuel economy
The 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 is rated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at 18 combined MPG, with 17 MPG in the city and 20 MPG on the highway. That lands well below the average for cars in the Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD class in the same model year.
This page collects every fuel-economy figure the EPA publishes for the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110. Below you will find the headline combined, city, and highway MPG, the estimated annual fuel cost at three different driving levels, the tailpipe CO₂ emissions, and a full breakdown of the engine and drivetrain. If you want to know whether this generation got more or less efficient over the years, the year-over-year table further down covers every model year the EPA has rated.
Key takeaways
- The most efficient car in the Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD class for the 2021 model year is the Tesla Model X Long Range Plus at 105 MPG.
- The Land Rover Defender 110 has gained 10 MPG since its first rated model year, the 1993 Land Rover Defender 110 at 10 MPG.
- EPA estimates this car costs around $8,500 more in fuel over five years than an average new vehicle of the same model year.
- Requires premium gasoline, which typically adds about 40 to 60 cents per gallon to the EPA's annual fuel cost estimate.
Fuel economy at a glance
These are the EPA's official ratings for the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110. The numbers come from a standardised laboratory test cycle and are the same figures that appear on the window sticker of every new car. Real-world mileage varies with driving style, weather, fuel quality, and how heavily loaded the car is.
Combined MPG is a 55/45 weighted blend of the city and highway test cycles. The EPA uses it as the single number you can compare across the entire dataset, including hybrids and EVs (which use the equivalent MPGe figure).
| Combined MPG | 18 MPG |
| City MPG | 17 MPG |
| Highway MPG | 20 MPG |
| Annual fuel cost | $3,850 |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 492 g/mi |
| Fuel type | Premium |
How the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 compares
The 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 returns 18 combined MPG. Cars in the Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD class for the same model year average 22.1 MPG, which puts this car behind the class average by about 19%.
The most efficient car in the Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD class for the 2021 model year is the Tesla Model X Long Range Plus at 105 MPG. The bar chart below puts the Land Rover Defender 110 alongside the class best and the class average so you can see the full picture.
For broader context, the average new car of the 2021 model year (across all classes) returns 27.9 MPG. Larger vehicles pull the all-cars average down, so do not use that figure on its own to judge a small car or a hybrid. The full list of the most efficient cars of the 2021 model year is on its own page.
Annual fuel cost across driving patterns
The headline annual fuel cost the EPA publishes assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year and a fuel mix of 55% city and 45% highway. The dollar figure is calculated using the EPA's current reference price for premium gasoline, which is $4.61/gallon. EPA updates that reference periodically rather than tracking live pump prices, so treat it as a window-sticker estimate rather than today's pump number.
The table below scales the EPA's number to three common driving patterns. The combined MPG and the reference fuel price stay constant, only the annual mileage changes. To get a current-prices estimate, take your local gas price and multiply by 833.3 gallons (the car's annual consumption at the rated MPG).
| Driving pattern | Estimated annual fuel cost |
|---|---|
| Light driver, 7,500 miles per year | $1,925 |
| Average driver, 15,000 miles per year | $3,850 |
| Heavy driver, 25,000 miles per year | $6,417 |
Year-over-year MPG for the Land Rover Defender 110
The EPA has rated the Land Rover Defender 110 across 8 model years, from 1993 Land Rover Defender 110 through 2026 Land Rover Defender 110. The numbers below are the best combined MPG figure the EPA published for each year, which lets you see when the car was at its most efficient and how recent generations stack up.
The 1993 Land Rover Defender 110 returned 10 MPG. The most recent 2026 Land Rover Defender 110 returns 20 MPG. That is an improvement of 10 MPG over 33 model years, the kind of gain that usually comes from smaller engines, hybrid systems, or aerodynamic redesigns.
| Year | Combined MPG | Open year page |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 20 MPG | 2026 Land Rover Defender 110 |
| 2025 | 19 MPG | 2025 Land Rover Defender 110 |
| 2024 | 19 MPG | 2024 Land Rover Defender 110 |
| 2023 | 18 MPG | 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 |
| 2022 | 18 MPG | 2022 Land Rover Defender 110 |
| 2021 | 18 MPG | this page |
| 2020 | 18 MPG | 2020 Land Rover Defender 110 |
| 1993 | 10 MPG | 1993 Land Rover Defender 110 |
Compare against other Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD for 2021
If you are cross-shopping the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110, the most useful comparison is against the other cars in the Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD class for the same model year. The list below shows the highest-MPG peers, ranked from most to least efficient. Click any of them to open its full page.
The Tesla Model X Long Range Plus leads this group at 105 MPG, 87 MPG ahead of the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110.
Specifications
The 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 runs a 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine paired with a automatic (s8), sending power through 4-wheel drive.
Engine, transmission, and drivetrain together drive most of the variation in fuel economy across trims. A larger engine moves the car with less effort but burns more fuel. A turbo lets a small engine punch above its weight, often without much MPG penalty. All-wheel drive adds traction and weight, and usually costs a couple of MPG compared with two-wheel drive of the same engine.
- Vehicle class
- Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
- Engine
- 2L 4-cylinder turbocharged
- Transmission
- Automatic (S8)
- Drivetrain
- 4-Wheel Drive
- Fuel type
- Premium
- Annual petroleum use
- 16.5 barrels per year
- Start-stop system
- Yes
Common questions about the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110
Quick answers to the questions people most often search for when looking up the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110.
-
Is the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 fuel efficient?
Not particularly. The 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 returns 18 combined MPG, which trails the average car in the Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD class for the same model year by about 19%. -
What MPG does the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 get?
The EPA rates the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 at 18 combined MPG, 17 MPG in city driving, and 20 MPG on the highway. Real-world numbers depend on your driving style, the weather, and how loaded the car is. -
How much does it cost to fuel a 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 per year?
The EPA estimates an annual fuel cost of $3,850 for the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110. That figure assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year, a 55% city and 45% highway split, and the EPA's published average fuel price for the rated fuel grade. -
Does the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 require premium gas?
Yes. The EPA lists the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 as requiring premium gasoline. Running it on regular can reduce performance and may affect engine warranties, so it is not a recommended way to save at the pump. -
Has the Land Rover Defender 110 become more fuel efficient over time?
Yes. The first EPA-rated Land Rover Defender 110, the 1993 Land Rover Defender 110, returned 10 combined MPG. The most recent 2026 Land Rover Defender 110 returns 20 MPG, an improvement of 10 MPG over the run. -
How much CO₂ does the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 emit?
Tailpipe CO₂ emissions are 492 g/mi. Multiplied across a typical year of driving (15,000 miles) that works out to about 7,380 kilograms of CO₂. -
What is the difference between the city and highway MPG of the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110?
City driving returns 17 MPG and highway driving returns 20 MPG, a gap of 3 MPG. The two figures are close enough that the car will hold its rated efficiency well across most driving patterns. -
What engine is in the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110?
The 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 has a 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine (EPA description: SIDI). Smaller turbocharged engines like this one tend to deliver bigger-engine power on demand while keeping fuel economy closer to a non-turbo version of the same displacement. -
What transmission and drivetrain does the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 have?
The 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 comes with a automatic (s8) transmission and 4-wheel drive. -
How does the 2021 Land Rover Defender 110 compare to the best car in its class?
The most efficient car in the Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD class for the 2021 model year is the Tesla Model X Long Range Plus at 105 combined MPG. The Land Rover Defender 110 returns 18 MPG, a gap of 87 MPG. If you are comparing on fuel economy alone, the class leader is worth a look.
Source: U.S. EPA fuel economy dataset. Annual fuel cost figures assume 15,000 miles of driving per year and a 55% city, 45% highway split. Real-world mileage varies with driving conditions, vehicle maintenance, fuel quality, and driver behaviour.