Value For Money It's a strange thing to say about a Land Rover model these days, but the Defender isn't too expensive when you put it in perspective. When we compare it to a Jeep Wrangler, the Defender starts almost $8,000 more than the most costly Wrangler model. At $49,900, a base model Defender isn't cheap. However, the Defender isn't competing with base model Wranglers. A top of the range Rubicon trim model would likely edge out a Defender in extreme off-road conditions like rock crawling where axle articulation is stretched, but the Defender is a consummate all-rounder. Long drives on- and off-road are comfortable, whereas only the most hardcore of posers would daily-drive a Rubicon. It's also a better off-roader than a Range Rover that starts at $90,000 but still has comparable ride quality.