Vehicle Tests > Little Wonders

The verdict
All four 4WDs present a compelling 'buy me' argument, at least from one point of view. It all depends on your priorities. The Tucson offers near unbelievable equipment for the money you pay (see breakout) and surprising refinement and build quality. But its engine is thirsty and uninspiring and the chassis dynamics are the least impressive here.

The Outlander has a great chassis and a punchy engine, a great driver's car. But it lacks refinement, and the fit and finish and general build quality could be better. The X-Trail's strength lies in its torquey engine, strong performance and economy, and the fact that it does most other things reasonably well. The X-Trail has always been our pick in this class and even against these newer competitors it still holds up well.

But the pick of the bunch - the new class champ - has to be the Suzuki Grand Vitara. It has the best trade-off between on-road finesse and offroad toughness, is solidly built, has the best gearbox and interior, and is refined and polished. In terms of cost verses equipment it also betters its Japanese rivals here, even if it does fall short of the Tucson.

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All four of our testers picked the Grand Vitara as their choice of a 'drive away and own' car at the end of the test. And consensus like that is a rare thing with these comparisons.

 

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