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Motoring journalist Paul Guinness, a former editor of 4x4 Mart, has been reviewing off-roaders for more than 20 years for leading British newspapers and magazines. Here he steers you to the very best
Click to view Top 5 Off Road Vehicles.
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Best Off-Roader (Land Rover Defender) |
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 While other 4x4s have compromised for comfort, the rugged Defender - descendent of the original 1948 Land Rover – soldiers on regardless, the ultimate off-road vehicle to this day. |
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Okay, so today’s Defender might not actually share any components with that original version, but it’s the closest thing you’ll get to a no-compromise, no-frills, ultra-rugged off-road machine. It is, quite simply, a legend.
Land Rover’s biggest dilemma of the past few years has been how to finally replace the good old Defender. And the fact that a successor has yet to appear on the scene is proof of just how difficult a task the company faces. You see, while other sectors of the 4x4 market have "softened" and become diluted, mainly due to buyers’ demands for comfortable machines with car-like performance, the Defender has soldiered on regardless, stubbornly refusing to change its ways or follow the frivolities of fashion. And that’s exactly why the Defender (nowadays priced from £20,540 to £24,540) still rules when it comes to serious off-road capabilities. |
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 For starters, the Defender still uses a separate sturdy chassis, which ensures extra rigidity and little chance of body flex when encountering ultra-tough terrain. It also boasts high ground clearance, permanent four-wheel drive, dual-range gearing, diff locks and oodles of fantastically useful low-down torque. In fact, you’ll find no less than 221lb.ft. available to you at a mere 1950rpm – a very healthy figure, given the Defender’s engine size.
Sole powerplant these days is the good old 2.5-litre five-cylinder diesel, its rather agricultural output of just 122bhp meaning a distinct lack of on-road performance compared with newer rivals. Top speed is a claimed 87mph, although such are the Defender’s comfort and noise levels that you wouldn’t want to be driving flat-out for hours on end.
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Basically Brilliant |
 This is a crude, unrefined and – particularly when it comes to interior design, ventilation and overall comfort – seriously dated vehicle by today’s standards. And yet that’s something to be celebrated. This is a Land Rover with a serious job to do – and it doesn’t need any unnecessary excesses in order to be able to do it. Brilliantly.
Buy a Station Wagon version rather than one of the commercial variants available to the trade and you’ll choose between the 90 short-wheelbase or 110 long-wheelbase variants. And apart from the shortest version being available in "standard" or County trim, that’s about it. Well, who needs a big line-up when the Defender has just one basic job to do: to get you and your passengers wherever you want to go, no matter how remote?
Perhaps Autocar summed up the Defender’s appeal best when it said "… if integrity off-road takes precedence over refinement, the Defender remains the only choice". It’s true. |
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WHY TO BUY - If you spend more time off the tarmac than on it and need a real workhorse, this is for you
BEAR IN MIND - Don't expect luxury mod-cons |
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TYPICAL PRICES - £20,540 to £24,540
For currency converter click here |
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