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Vehicle Tests > 2007 4WD of the Year
2007 4WD of the Year
WORST POINTS: Onroad power, towing capacity
6th (214 points)
Land Rover Defender 110
Background
We call the Defender the grandfather's axe of the 4WD world and in 2007 Land Rover decided to sharpen the old axe via a new engine and gearbox, a new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, and revised seating, among other detail changes.
The 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine is a Ford unit that produces claimed maximums of 90kW and 360Nm, with 315Nm or better available from 1500rpm to 2700rpm. Backing it is a new six-speed manual 'box with both a lower first gear and a taller top gear than the outgoing five-speeder.
Set-piece hill climb/test track
We expect the Defender to walk up the set-piece hill climb without raising a sweat but instead it struggles a little before the electronic traction control kicks in and helps it over the top. The standard sway bars obviously affect the wheel travel and we wonder if the 110, at least in this situation, wouldn't be better off without them. No clearance problems however with daylight-plus between the 110's underpinnings and the highest points of the track.
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Once up over the top, the generous vision from the Defender's high and handsome driving position helps you to navigate through the trees but a turning circle only a smidge tighter than the Queen Mary with a damaged rudder means a difficult three-point turn rather than a simple U-turn.
Going down the other side, the 110's gravity-defying engine braking is a real bonus as is the all-round vision. The same low gearing and panoramic vision is a bonus on the set-piece loop as is the 110's clearance, the best of the seven 4WDOTY finalists.
Trail Drive
The first thing we notice about the 110 on the many and varied trails covered in the five+ days that make up 4WDOTY, is its harsh ride. A quick adjustment of the tyre pressures (which were set for heavy loads) soon has the Landie riding more sweetly though. Still, the ride is still on the firm side, a shortcoming exacerbated by the thinly padded seats. Again we wonder how much better the Defender would be in this situation without sway bars.
The 110 is also a noisy vehicle, both in terms of engine clatter and general NVH issues, and is not relaxing to drive on rough trails. Things aren't all bad however. The engine is flexible and torquey, the gearbox far more slick than its predecessor while the vision, massive clearance and general offroad ability means that you don't have to particularly worry about driving the right 'lines' - just point the thing in the general direction you want to go and let the vehicle do the rest. We also like the robust 235/85R16 light-truck tyres that look far more puncture resistant than the tyres fitted to all the other finalists, bar the Toyota 76, which also comes with light-truck hoops.
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6th (214 points)
Land Rover Defender 110
Background
We call the Defender the grandfather's axe of the 4WD world and in 2007 Land Rover decided to sharpen the old axe via a new engine and gearbox, a new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, and revised seating, among other detail changes.
The 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine is a Ford unit that produces claimed maximums of 90kW and 360Nm, with 315Nm or better available from 1500rpm to 2700rpm. Backing it is a new six-speed manual 'box with both a lower first gear and a taller top gear than the outgoing five-speeder.
Set-piece hill climb/test track
We expect the Defender to walk up the set-piece hill climb without raising a sweat but instead it struggles a little before the electronic traction control kicks in and helps it over the top. The standard sway bars obviously affect the wheel travel and we wonder if the 110, at least in this situation, wouldn't be better off without them. No clearance problems however with daylight-plus between the 110's underpinnings and the highest points of the track.
read on below advertisement
Once up over the top, the generous vision from the Defender's high and handsome driving position helps you to navigate through the trees but a turning circle only a smidge tighter than the Queen Mary with a damaged rudder means a difficult three-point turn rather than a simple U-turn.
Going down the other side, the 110's gravity-defying engine braking is a real bonus as is the all-round vision. The same low gearing and panoramic vision is a bonus on the set-piece loop as is the 110's clearance, the best of the seven 4WDOTY finalists.
Trail Drive
The first thing we notice about the 110 on the many and varied trails covered in the five+ days that make up 4WDOTY, is its harsh ride. A quick adjustment of the tyre pressures (which were set for heavy loads) soon has the Landie riding more sweetly though. Still, the ride is still on the firm side, a shortcoming exacerbated by the thinly padded seats. Again we wonder how much better the Defender would be in this situation without sway bars.
The 110 is also a noisy vehicle, both in terms of engine clatter and general NVH issues, and is not relaxing to drive on rough trails. Things aren't all bad however. The engine is flexible and torquey, the gearbox far more slick than its predecessor while the vision, massive clearance and general offroad ability means that you don't have to particularly worry about driving the right 'lines' - just point the thing in the general direction you want to go and let the vehicle do the rest. We also like the robust 235/85R16 light-truck tyres that look far more puncture resistant than the tyres fitted to all the other finalists, bar the Toyota 76, which also comes with light-truck hoops.
next page »
