|
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.
|
Best All-Rounder (Land Rover Discovery 3) |
|
 From towing the family caravan to getting down and dirty, the Disco 3 can do it all. Here’s a world-class 4x4 that finally lays to rest any concerns over Land Rover's build quality and long-term durability. |
| |
| The Discovery 3 is the best-built Land Rover to date, as well as the most accomplished. And that’s why, if you’re in the market for a brand new family-size 4x4, you won’t find better. Even up against such tough and luxurious opposition as the Volvo XC90 and BMW X5, the latest hi-tech "Disco" is where we’d end up spending our own money. |
| |
 And here’s why: not only is this a good looking and highly distinctive piece of kit in a world full of look-alike 4x4s, it’s also highly sophisticated, superbly developed and an absolute joy to drive – both on and off road. Compared with its relatively agricultural, poorly built predecessors, the 2007-model Discovery 3 may as well be in a different cosmos.
With a choice of 2.7-litre turbo-diesel V6 or 4.4-litre petrol V8 offering 188 and 300bhp respectively, there’s a Discovery 3 to suit most luxury 4x4 buyers’ needs. And with prices in the UK currently ranging from £27,215 to £48,720, value for money is high when you bear in mind the level of specification you’re getting.
With fantastically balanced air suspension providing a near-perfect compromise between comfort, handling and roadholding lacking from so many large 4x4s in the past, piloting a Discovery 3 in any conditions is no chore. This is one machine that’s as happy powering its way along a German autobahn at 110mph (the V8 hits 121mph before it runs out of steam) as it is tackling the deepest ruts and muddiest inclines in any off-road situation.
|
'Vastly Improved' |
 Whatever your needs when it comes to choosing a brand new 4x4, the Discovery 3 is well up to the job. High-speed cruising? Genuinely effortless. Towing the caravan or boat? The Disco will haul around up to 3.5 tonnes. Getting down and dirty? Permanent four-wheel drive, a mass of electronic aids and monstrous levels of torque (324lb.ft. at a mere 1900rpm in the case of the diesel) see to that.
Add into the equation the kind of build quality that even a Japanese manufacturer would be satisfied with and you’ve got a compelling argument for going the Disco route. No wonder Britain’s oft-critical Car magazine described the Discovery 3 as "… excellent on road and off", as well as "vastly improved". Such comments are well deserved. |
| |
WHY TO BUY - If you want a 4x4, this one will do everything you ask of it off or on the road
|
| |
TYPICAL PRICES - £27,215 to £48,720
For currency converter click here
|
|
Other great reviews in Driving:
|
|
RELATED PAGES
USEFUL LINKS
|
Could this