The best 4×4 wagons are just as good on-road as they are on the Birdsville Track, but there’s a long way between the best and the rest…
The world’s biggest car-makers have come a long way with their all-terrain wagons over the past 30 years in the areas of engine performance, economy, vehicle dynamics, ride quality and all-round refinement. But there’s no escaping physics and the preparedness of these vehicles to travel far off the beaten track. All the contenders for carsales Best Off-Road SUV 2022 are big, heavy and, to a degree, ponderous machines when compared to road-oriented passenger vehicles. That said, there are some standout performers gathered here, which prove to be the more relaxing, enjoyable and safer SUVs to drive. So let’s hit the road…
All of the 12 shortlisted models lined up for carsales Best Off-Road SUV 2022 are basically fit for purpose – that is, they’re able to cope with a broad range of driving conditions.
That includes the cut-and-thrust of city traffic, highway cruising and making relatively light work of chopped-up back roads.
Some, however, make a much easier job of it than others.
The majority of these entry-level off-road SUVs are powered by a four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, but there’s also a sparkling new V6 twin-turbo diesel on test, a long-serving five-cylinder diesel and four petrol-powered units – two four-cylinder turbos, two naturally-aspirated V6s and a V8.
On paper, fuel consumption figures vary widely – which comes as no surprise. The best official combined-cycle economy rests with the 2.8-litre diesel Toyota Fortuner GX at 7.6L/100km, and the highest, the V8-powered Nissan Patrol Ti, is almost double at 14.4L/100km.
But the other members of the field are closer, in a band between 7.9L/100km and 10.9L/100km.
There are big differences in platform and suspension design here that influence on-road dynamics – from the separate-chassis, live-axle, coil-sprung Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Night Eagle to the monocoque-frame, all-independent, air-sprung Land Rover Defender 110 P300.
And it’s the Land Rover Defender that’s the standout when it comes to all-round driving performance.
Despite being a large and heavy SUV, the Defender 110 has surprisingly civilised road manners and a controlled, almost-pillowy ride.
There is meaningful weighting and feedback to the controls too, along with surefooted grip from the standard-fit tyres. With 221kW and 400Nm from its 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, this entry-level Defender model has more than enough performance and is matched to a sweet eight-speed automatic transmission.
The all-new Toyota LandCruiser GX delivers a far more dynamic package than its V8-powered 200 Series predecessor that’s enough to give it a deserved second place.
Light low-speed steering and new-found levels of body control endow the 300 Series with a more pleasant on-road demeanour. There’s no unwieldy body movements and the LC300 feels tied down to the bitumen underneath.
The new 227kW/700Nm 3.3-litre twin-turbo diesel engine makes effortless torque low down in the rev range to provide the rich, almost-boundless wave of go-forward akin to a lazy V8. The diesel bruiser is also swiftly effective when called upon, too, thanks in part to the 10-speed automatic which slices through the ratios as required.
Not as far behind the LandCruiser 300 in the driving stakes as you might expect, the Nissan Patrol Ti remains a solid all-round performer.
While not as agile as the LC300, the Patrol delivers predictable, if rather slow, steering and stable open-road performance. Its huge wheelbase helps cushion occupants over broken bitumen and there’s faithful levels of grip through corners.
The coil-sprung double-wishbone suspension front and rear paired with a hydraulic body motion control (HBMC) system also helps smooth out corrugated surfaces for better ride comfort.
Despite its thirst, the strong 298kW/560Nm 5.6-litre V8 petrol engine is one of the highlights of the Patrol package. When driven unladen, the engine has got plenty of torque right from idle. It’s matched well to the seven-speed auto to boot.
Next up is the Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle, with its 213kW/347Nm 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine. Despite being in the twilight of its current lifecycle, the GC has a relatively nimble body and rewarding dynamics among this cohort.
It’s a capable beast for its size, but a few degrees more communication through the steering would really help. Get your head around the steering and the body responds honestly to corner input, feeling well supported on its dampers with little in the way of pitch and roll.
Delivering drive to all four wheels via a decisive eight-speed automatic, the free-revving V6 comes on strong and smooth.
Another model nearing the end of its current generation, but not by any means disgraced in this company of the best sub-$100K 4×4 off-roaders in the business, is the Ford Everest Ambiente with the 143kW/470Nm 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel.
The Australian-developed Everest delivers meaty steering feedback, better than many passenger cars. There’s an underlying firmness – and occasional choppiness – to the ride, but the damping is ideal for high-speed touring. At lower speeds, the Everest just soaks up smaller irregularities.
Overall, it’s a safe-handling SUV communicating via the chassis precisely how it’s faring. Its biggest drawback is the five-pot engine, which isn’t particularly refined and, around town, feels a bit laggy and slow to get off the line.
Close behind the Everest is the Isuzu MU-X LS-M 4×4 with its 140kWkW/450Nm 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel.
The MU-X feels secure and well sorted on the road, with the neutral, nicely weighted electric steering requiring only a light touch at the wheel. Body roll is nicely controlled and the MU-X goes exactly where you point it.
Indeed, the new chassis is a highlight, despite the lack of a local tuning program. Granted, there is some jiggling and judder over small road imperfections when unladen, but given its ladder-frame chassis and towing potential it’s an impressive compromise.
Engine roar still dominates under hard acceleration as the model before it, but it’s appreciably quieter with a more restrained right foot. The six-speed auto is smooth and generally unobtrusive, but despite the extra torque open-road overtaking often requires downshifting.
Next in line for driving performance is the Toyota Prado GX.
It drives reasonably well, being one of the more lush-riding SUVs here, and has quite direct, responsive steering. The Prado does tend to lean through corners and understeer comes quickly if you push it. This is more a comfortable cruiser than something to enjoy through a set of corners.
The Prado’s 150kW/500Nm 2.8-litre turbo-diesel is dated, and feels a bit shy of its claimed outputs on the road. It does feel strong in the mid-range, but it takes a while for the turbo to spool up. At least mechanical and road noise is very well isolated, and the transmission co-operates well.
A little further down the track is the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GLX 4WD, which strikes a good balance for everyday driving, but dynamically its key strengths lie off-road.
The steering is by no means crisp but it’s light enough to wrangle this large SUV around town and gives enough feel at freeway speeds.
The 133kW/430Nm 2.4-litre has turbo lag off idle, but once revs reach the high teens you’re away with a throttle response that is decisive and strong. The engine gets boomy from about 2500rpm but is keen enough to rev all the way to its 4000rpm redline.
Following the Pajero Sport is the Toyota Fortuner GX.
On the blacktop, the Fortuner is a relatively comfortable conveyance. It manages to soften the blows of corrugated and dented roads and handles and steers with an encouraging degree of certainty on the open road. Around town, its hydraulically-assisted steering is not too heavy either.
While it’s refined enough for a working diesel engine, even Ford’s old-school 3.2-litre five-cylinder feels stronger than the Fortuner’s 150kW/500Nm 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel. With a load onboard and hills to climb, the oil-burner does the job, but without any brio.
Next up is the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Night Eagle.
Despite using a heavy-duty ladder-frame chassis, the Wrangler is a decent tourer, although it’s not what we’d call lush over bumps and steering feel is perhaps best described as indeterminate.
The 209kW/347Nm 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine is particularly perky on the open road, the smooth eight-speed auto dutifully dropping a few cogs to make quick work of overtaking and speed limit changes. You wouldn’t expect this box 4WD to be so responsive when jumping on the throttle.
Closely following the Jeep is the SsangYong Rexton ELX.
Dynamically, the Rexton feels like a hard-core 4×4 on bitumen – which is what it is, of course. The suspension feels overdamped at times, religiously transmitting every little bump and dip in the road surface, yet the Rexton is actually quite softly sprung, diving under brakes and rolling in corners.
The Rexton’s 148kW/441Nm 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel is all torque, with power coming in a distant second. There is significant turbo lag from a standing start, while under load at around 3000rpm there’s some rattling present. Otherwise it’s a pretty quiet unit.
Lastly, we have the LDV D90 Executive.
The D90 corners much as you would expect of a SUV based on a light commercial vehicle. It’s slow to turn-in, but once committed to the bend it noses in towards the apex, but without any sign of lift-off oversteer. So it’s fundamentally safe.
Ride comfort is initially firm and busy, but soaks up heavier hits in the way we’ve come to expect of a vehicle like this one.
The 165kW/350Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine will rev up to 6000rpm and deliver performance all the way, but in character this powerplant is a slogger, not a screamer. It doesn’t feel lively, but a determined driver will stay ahead of the traffic.
The six-speed automatic is fairly responsive when the driver shifts manually, but is often reluctant to kick down in ‘D’.
Keyword: Best Off-Road SUV 2022: Driving performance