Before leaving, adjust the seat, steering wheel and mirrors. Check visibility at intersections, how easy it is to judge the front corners and how the vehicle feels when maneuvering in a parking space. If your normal week includes local errands, school or work commutes and highway travel, make sure the test route includes those kinds of conditions. A route that is all straight roads will not tell you much about turning, parking or low-speed control.

Drive at normal legal speeds and pay attention to ride comfort, steering effort, braking feel, cabin noise and how easily you can use the controls. If possible, include a stretch of uneven but ordinary pavement. Note how the suspension responds and whether the vehicle feels manageable in the places you regularly drive.

While parked, pair your phone, enter a navigation destination and explore the display settings. Test the parking cameras and sensors in a controlled parking maneuver. Ask which driver-assistance systems are fitted to the exact vehicle and how to activate or adjust them. Equipment varies by trim and package, so confirm against the vehicle’s build specification rather than relying on a model brochure.

If the Defender has Terrain Response, ask the retailer to show the available programs and explain when each is intended to be used. Review the owner’s-manual instructions for the vehicle. A demonstration of the controls while stationary can answer many questions without taking the vehicle onto an unsuitable surface.

Bring the people who will regularly ride in the Defender. Check entry and exit, seat comfort, rear visibility, access to seat belts and child-seat anchors, where applicable. If you are considering a 90, 110 or 130, compare the actual seating and cargo configuration rather than assuming that body-style names alone answer your space requirements.

Bring a stroller, sports equipment, luggage or other item that needs to fit. Try loading it, closing the tailgate and arranging the cabin the way you would use it. Check whether the second or third row—where equipped—folds and operates in a way that suits your household.

A Defender’s terrain systems are designed for conditions beyond ordinary paved-road driving, but that does not make public streets a place to test the limits. Ask the retailer whether a suitable, permitted demonstration area is available. If not, a stationary explanation of Terrain Response, low-range gearing, camera views and the vehicle’s relevant equipment is preferable to an improvised route.

Do not enter private roads, trails, construction areas or water crossings without permission and a clear safety assessment. Tire choice, ground clearance, approach and departure angles, driver experience and surface conditions all affect what a vehicle can safely attempt.

If you are choosing between Defender body styles or trims, drive the versions that genuinely fit your needs. Compare seating, cargo access, parking ease, ride quality, engine response and included equipment. Write down what felt different immediately after each drive. A consistent checklist makes the comparison more useful than relying on memory several days later.

Land Rover Lakeside is a family-owned retailer serving Macomb. Ask the team to walk through the equipment on the specific Defender you are considering and explain which features are standard, optional or package-dependent.