Downloadable Destination Guides..
You asked for it, so here it is: access to the first 12 months of all our popular Australian getaway...
On location, hunting for dinosaurs! While waiting for a massive Sauropod to wander across the barren...
Vehicle Tests > Overlander 4WD of the Year
Overlander 4WD of the Year
Issue: February 2007
A broad spectrum of 4WDs made the final cut for Overlander's 2006 4WD of the Year test. It took a full week and 1800 kilometres to find a winner.
Report by Mathieu Raudonikis, Fraser Stronach, Vic Widman and Norm Needham.
Photography by Thomas Wielecki.
2006 4WDOTY
The Route, by Vic Widman
The seven Overlander 4WDOTY finalists were tested over five days over a route around New South Wales. Our test route was designed to not only determine how each of these vehicles perform in an offroad situation but also balance this to their touring ability. Let's face it, most of us spend quite a lot of time getting to our favourite 4WD destination, so it is important to know that a worthy winner will perform equally well on the highways and byways of Australia as well as offroad.
Day1
The testing starts at the Great Divide Tours 4WD Training facility near Braidwood. Overlander has been using this property for the past four 4WDOTY test programs. Here we were able to establish the offroad credentials of each vehicle side by side on set exercises. There are some steep smooth climbs which all of the vehicles accomplished in high range and then even steeper hill climbs where the Santa Fe impressed with its lack of low range but still managed to keep up with the tough trucks that were equipped with low range. The torture test hill climb shows up vehicles with the best wheel travel and puts those fitted with traction control to the test.
Whilst we don't use all of the great exercises and tracks available at the 4WD training facility we do have the opportunity to test the offroad capabilities of each vehicle. This provides a sound foundation for knowing what we can and cannot attempt over the next week.
From here we spent the afternoon touring the gnarly 4WD tracks of Mogo National Park just south of Braidwood. This is a spectacular area of steep-sided hills on the escarpment between the Monaro plains and the south coast. There are lush fern filled gullies and exposed craggy escarpments with their beautiful grass trees and steep rocky trails and this proved which vehicles had the clearance and power to safely negotiate this true four wheel drive terrain.
Day 2
Leaving Braidwood we had a long touring section ahead of us, with typical back road driving which varied between sealed and gravel sections. We travelled from Braidwood to Goulburn via Canberra, then through Taralga and Black Springs to Bathurst. The weather was hot as we pushed onto the Bridle Track towards Hill End. This part of NSW is in the grip of the worst drought in 100 years and the bull dust on the Bridle Track, the bone dry Macquarie River and the total absence of anything green certainly made us very aware that the country folk out here are doing it tough. As for us road testers, all we had to contend with was lots of dust and a dry camp beside the Macquarie River. This gave us the chance to roll out the swags, get the camp oven going and enjoy a great roast dinner under the bright full moon sky. Some of us were woken that night from our swags by the mournful howl of a fox as it wandered along the dry valley.
Day 3
With a belly full of camp oven roast pork and a hot cuppa off the dying embers of our campfire we hit the road on another hot dry day. Passing the historic town of Hill End we followed undulating country roads to the Mudgee road via Sofala and then passed through the oddly shaped sandstone mountains around Kandos, Rylstone and Bylong. A mix of secondary sealed roads and dusty back roads saw the vehicles touring ability, dust sealing, behaviour on corrugations, hill climbing and cornering all put to the test. We have a regime of changing vehicles every hour or so, so in one day each driver gets to drive each of the vehicles in a variety of terrain.
We crossed the New England Hwy just north of Muswellbrook and glided by the horse studs around Scone for a great lunch stop at the Moonan Flat Hotel. This prepared us for the long steep climb up the western side of the Barrington Tops and once through the dog fence at the top of that great climb we were back into the 4WD action with a nice run through rocky creek beds, a couple of steep pinches and some almost wet bogholes.
We descended the Tops to Gloucester and made a quick run up some very winding forest roads following the Knodingbul Forest road through some recently proclaimed national parks with odd names such as Tapin Tops and Cottan-Bimbang. This is a great drive through some huge trees and it seems to climb and climb forever. The road surface is unsealed but in good order and once again provided an insight into the handling, steering response and pulling power of the diesel engines.
We overnighted at the delightful Mt Seaview Resort in relative luxury compared to our bush camp the night before. It had been a long day, nearly 11 hours of driving but this gave us the opportunity to gauge the comfort of each vehicle over an extended period.
Day 4
The next morning we went exploring around the Cells River Conservation Reserve and found some great 4WD tracks. These really tested the ascending and descending ability of each vehicle as well as over bonnet vision. We took a different return route to the south stopping off at the beautiful Ellenborough Falls which were quite a sight as they plummeted over a sheer cliff into the deep canyon below our feet. We stopped by the Manning River at Wingham for lunch and then followed the Pacific Hwy to Norm Needham's home north of Raymond Terrace where we used his hoist to see how each of the vehicles had fared from all the battering they had received over the past few days. This also gave us a chance to check the underside of each vehicle for its suitability to 4WD use.
Day 5
The final day was spent on a very soft Stockton Beach, which is always a great test of a vehicle. After a little fiddling with tyre pressures to get the right flotation happening we made several runs up and down the beach and over the many sand dunes swapping between each vehicle so we could all determine how they performed in similar conditions.
From here it was another freeway run home back Sydney to total around 1800km for the week. After a very hectic week all we had to do now was determine which vehicle was going to be Overlander's 4WD of the Year for 2006.
4WDOTY Results
Prado D4D Total Score 273.5/350
Four of the seven 4WDOTY testers scored the Prado the highest in the group, two scored it second and one third to take it 10 points clear of second place. The judges liked the solid build and the simplicity of its function plus the fact that of all the finalist vehicles, it has more aftermarket kit available for it than any other, making it the vehicle best suited to Outback touring or offroading. At $58,290 the GXL Prado is one of the more affordable wagons here.
The only real criticism of the Prado was the lack of any electronic chassis controls such as ETC or ESP. If Toyota got serious about Prado and included these items as standard equipment across the range like Pajero, the Toyota would be unstoppable. Prado's refined ride and leading offroad ability are now mated to a modern engine and transmission to create an unrivalled vehicle in this class of 4WD wagon.
read on below advertisement
Pajero Exceed DiD Total Score 263.5/350
Pajero scored two top places from our judges to get it to second place. It's extensive list of standard features impressed the judging team as did the performance of the DID engine, five-speed auto driveline package. What they didn't like were the harsh ride and NVH and the fact that the Paj was the thirstiest on fuel.
In its defence, a lower spec model Pajero rather than the $70,590 Exceed would have fared better in this test as they still have all the good MATT bits you want, without some of the luxury items you may not want, but a better price and the ride and NVH doesn't befit a $70K vehicle.
Touareg V6tdi Total Score 253/350
A better, more fuel efficient engine in what is essentially the same vehicle that won 4WDOTY just a few of years ago at a more affordable $74,990 price should be a favourite. Sure the new V6tdi Touareg is a better tourer than the petrol V8 that won in 2003 and it's not short on performance but it was let down this time by its ride and the interior rattles and squeaks that annoyed our judges.
Santa Fe CRDi Total Score 252/350
The little Hyundai was the surprise package on 4WDOTY 2006, following the bigger 4WDs up hill and down dale. One of our judges scored it equal first and for a couple of others it was their second choice. We knew the Santa Fe would score well for its standard level of equipment and fuel economy but we didn't expect it to perform this good as well. The combo of a torquey turbodiesel engine backed by a torque converter and auto with ETC managing traction saw the Santa Fe head up tracks even we didn't expect it to tackle. We only hope that this vehicle sells as well as it should so that the aftermarket will see fit to develop more accessories for it.
GL320CDI Total Score 249.5/350
The Mercedes was the highest priced vehicle on the test at $103,900 plus options but for the amount of vehicle you get for that money it isn't expensive. It wasn't that long ago that you'd expect to pay $50K more for such a well-equipped and capable luxury 4WD. All of the testers enjoyed their time in the big Benz and one even scored it highest. If it wasn't for the noise of the suspension when raised and the complicated controls it would have scored even higher.
Triton CDI Total Score 245.5/350
The refinement of dual-cab utes has come a long way in recent years making the versatile trucks more applicable at recreational 4WDs. The Triton has come ahead in strides to catch up with its competitors and be a leader in design and dynamics. It's only the truck-like attributes that are retained in the Triton that hold it back as a 4WD of the Year contender.
Commander CRD Total Score 198.5/350
For the Jeep Commander, Overlander 4WDOTY was a case of what could have been. Such a capable engine and driveline packaged in a body that is impractical and uncomfortable, that is suspended on crook springs and dampeners. For Jeep's first attempt at building a seven-seater they did a poor job as the rear seat could and should have been a lot more versatile, but that's the problem you face when adapting a five-seat two-row platform to a three-row design. It's a Jeep thing, but they really ought to fix it.
The Judges
For the 2006 4WDOTY road test Overlander once again assembled a team of 4WD vehicle judges from a variety of backgrounds including professional vehicle road testers, 4WD accessories salesmen, workshop owners and tour operators, who were generally all experienced 4WDers and bushmen. It's a team that we think provides a balanced view of what makes the best 4WD on the market today.
The 2006 team of judges were -
John Denman - long time Overlander contributor.
Ian Glover - former Overlander editor and long time contributor.
Norm Needham - Overlander's longest running contributor, well travelled bushman and former owner of Traction 4 in Sydney.
Phil Nicholls - Long time Overlander contributor.
Matt Raudonikis - Current Overlander 4WD editor.
Glenn Torrens - Professional motoring journalist and not a bad catering officer.
Vic Widman - Proprietor of Great Divide Tours and Overlander columnist.
To help the judges with their assessment of the vehicles, Overlander has a long established list of five criteria to score the vehicles against. Each vehicle is scored out of 10 against the five criteria for a total out of a possible 50. The judges' scores are then tallied to determine the winner.
The five criteria are -
Value for Money
This is simply what you get for your money with consideration given to the fact that what may be expensive to some is affordable to others It really is how much vehicle you are getting for the money.
Soundness of Engineering
A measure of how well is the vehicle engineered. How well does the engine and transmission work; how much fuel does it use; how well does the vehicle ride and handle in all conditions; how good is the dust sealing; the air-con; the interior; does the vehicle appear to be 'bolted' together properly; even simple things like the quality of the tie-down hooks in the luggage area are taken into account.
Fulfilment of Intended Function
All vehicles, even different 4WDs, are designed to do different things. This is a measure of how well a particular vehicle fulfils its design brief. Obviously a 4WD ute is designed to do a very different job than a luxury soft-roader.
Progressiveness of Design
This is a measure of design/technical advancement and covers every aspect of the vehicle: engine, driveline, chassis, suspension, body, interior, etc. A particular design element doesn't have to be new that year to be significant. A particular manufacturer may have introduced a new feature several years back, but that feature may still be right up at the pointy end of design.
The Overlander Factor
This factor represent the 'bush practicality' of the vehicle: genuine 4WD ability; design robustness (underbody protection etc); touring range; load space/carrying capacity; tyre practicality/alternate tyre choices; and the potential to fit factory and after-market accessories to enhance bush practicality.
Overlander 4WD would like to thank all the judges for their time and input to the 4WD of the Year test. Particular thanks to Vic Widman for the use of his driver training facility and his assistance in planning the drive route, Norm Needham for the hospitality at his home and the use of his vehicle hoist, Glenn Torrens for catering the test, and John Denman and Ian Glover for the superb camp oven roast we enjoyed on the Bridle Track.
A broad spectrum of 4WDs made the final cut for Overlander's 2006 4WD of the Year test. It took a full week and 1800 kilometres to find a winner.
Report by Mathieu Raudonikis, Fraser Stronach, Vic Widman and Norm Needham.
Photography by Thomas Wielecki.
2006 4WDOTY
The Route, by Vic Widman
The seven Overlander 4WDOTY finalists were tested over five days over a route around New South Wales. Our test route was designed to not only determine how each of these vehicles perform in an offroad situation but also balance this to their touring ability. Let's face it, most of us spend quite a lot of time getting to our favourite 4WD destination, so it is important to know that a worthy winner will perform equally well on the highways and byways of Australia as well as offroad.
Day1
The testing starts at the Great Divide Tours 4WD Training facility near Braidwood. Overlander has been using this property for the past four 4WDOTY test programs. Here we were able to establish the offroad credentials of each vehicle side by side on set exercises. There are some steep smooth climbs which all of the vehicles accomplished in high range and then even steeper hill climbs where the Santa Fe impressed with its lack of low range but still managed to keep up with the tough trucks that were equipped with low range. The torture test hill climb shows up vehicles with the best wheel travel and puts those fitted with traction control to the test.
Whilst we don't use all of the great exercises and tracks available at the 4WD training facility we do have the opportunity to test the offroad capabilities of each vehicle. This provides a sound foundation for knowing what we can and cannot attempt over the next week.
From here we spent the afternoon touring the gnarly 4WD tracks of Mogo National Park just south of Braidwood. This is a spectacular area of steep-sided hills on the escarpment between the Monaro plains and the south coast. There are lush fern filled gullies and exposed craggy escarpments with their beautiful grass trees and steep rocky trails and this proved which vehicles had the clearance and power to safely negotiate this true four wheel drive terrain.
Day 2
Leaving Braidwood we had a long touring section ahead of us, with typical back road driving which varied between sealed and gravel sections. We travelled from Braidwood to Goulburn via Canberra, then through Taralga and Black Springs to Bathurst. The weather was hot as we pushed onto the Bridle Track towards Hill End. This part of NSW is in the grip of the worst drought in 100 years and the bull dust on the Bridle Track, the bone dry Macquarie River and the total absence of anything green certainly made us very aware that the country folk out here are doing it tough. As for us road testers, all we had to contend with was lots of dust and a dry camp beside the Macquarie River. This gave us the chance to roll out the swags, get the camp oven going and enjoy a great roast dinner under the bright full moon sky. Some of us were woken that night from our swags by the mournful howl of a fox as it wandered along the dry valley.
Day 3
With a belly full of camp oven roast pork and a hot cuppa off the dying embers of our campfire we hit the road on another hot dry day. Passing the historic town of Hill End we followed undulating country roads to the Mudgee road via Sofala and then passed through the oddly shaped sandstone mountains around Kandos, Rylstone and Bylong. A mix of secondary sealed roads and dusty back roads saw the vehicles touring ability, dust sealing, behaviour on corrugations, hill climbing and cornering all put to the test. We have a regime of changing vehicles every hour or so, so in one day each driver gets to drive each of the vehicles in a variety of terrain.
We crossed the New England Hwy just north of Muswellbrook and glided by the horse studs around Scone for a great lunch stop at the Moonan Flat Hotel. This prepared us for the long steep climb up the western side of the Barrington Tops and once through the dog fence at the top of that great climb we were back into the 4WD action with a nice run through rocky creek beds, a couple of steep pinches and some almost wet bogholes.
We descended the Tops to Gloucester and made a quick run up some very winding forest roads following the Knodingbul Forest road through some recently proclaimed national parks with odd names such as Tapin Tops and Cottan-Bimbang. This is a great drive through some huge trees and it seems to climb and climb forever. The road surface is unsealed but in good order and once again provided an insight into the handling, steering response and pulling power of the diesel engines.
We overnighted at the delightful Mt Seaview Resort in relative luxury compared to our bush camp the night before. It had been a long day, nearly 11 hours of driving but this gave us the opportunity to gauge the comfort of each vehicle over an extended period.
Day 4
The next morning we went exploring around the Cells River Conservation Reserve and found some great 4WD tracks. These really tested the ascending and descending ability of each vehicle as well as over bonnet vision. We took a different return route to the south stopping off at the beautiful Ellenborough Falls which were quite a sight as they plummeted over a sheer cliff into the deep canyon below our feet. We stopped by the Manning River at Wingham for lunch and then followed the Pacific Hwy to Norm Needham's home north of Raymond Terrace where we used his hoist to see how each of the vehicles had fared from all the battering they had received over the past few days. This also gave us a chance to check the underside of each vehicle for its suitability to 4WD use.
Day 5
The final day was spent on a very soft Stockton Beach, which is always a great test of a vehicle. After a little fiddling with tyre pressures to get the right flotation happening we made several runs up and down the beach and over the many sand dunes swapping between each vehicle so we could all determine how they performed in similar conditions.
From here it was another freeway run home back Sydney to total around 1800km for the week. After a very hectic week all we had to do now was determine which vehicle was going to be Overlander's 4WD of the Year for 2006.
4WDOTY Results
Prado D4D Total Score 273.5/350
Four of the seven 4WDOTY testers scored the Prado the highest in the group, two scored it second and one third to take it 10 points clear of second place. The judges liked the solid build and the simplicity of its function plus the fact that of all the finalist vehicles, it has more aftermarket kit available for it than any other, making it the vehicle best suited to Outback touring or offroading. At $58,290 the GXL Prado is one of the more affordable wagons here.
The only real criticism of the Prado was the lack of any electronic chassis controls such as ETC or ESP. If Toyota got serious about Prado and included these items as standard equipment across the range like Pajero, the Toyota would be unstoppable. Prado's refined ride and leading offroad ability are now mated to a modern engine and transmission to create an unrivalled vehicle in this class of 4WD wagon.
read on below advertisement
Pajero Exceed DiD Total Score 263.5/350
Pajero scored two top places from our judges to get it to second place. It's extensive list of standard features impressed the judging team as did the performance of the DID engine, five-speed auto driveline package. What they didn't like were the harsh ride and NVH and the fact that the Paj was the thirstiest on fuel.
In its defence, a lower spec model Pajero rather than the $70,590 Exceed would have fared better in this test as they still have all the good MATT bits you want, without some of the luxury items you may not want, but a better price and the ride and NVH doesn't befit a $70K vehicle.
Touareg V6tdi Total Score 253/350
A better, more fuel efficient engine in what is essentially the same vehicle that won 4WDOTY just a few of years ago at a more affordable $74,990 price should be a favourite. Sure the new V6tdi Touareg is a better tourer than the petrol V8 that won in 2003 and it's not short on performance but it was let down this time by its ride and the interior rattles and squeaks that annoyed our judges.
Santa Fe CRDi Total Score 252/350
The little Hyundai was the surprise package on 4WDOTY 2006, following the bigger 4WDs up hill and down dale. One of our judges scored it equal first and for a couple of others it was their second choice. We knew the Santa Fe would score well for its standard level of equipment and fuel economy but we didn't expect it to perform this good as well. The combo of a torquey turbodiesel engine backed by a torque converter and auto with ETC managing traction saw the Santa Fe head up tracks even we didn't expect it to tackle. We only hope that this vehicle sells as well as it should so that the aftermarket will see fit to develop more accessories for it.
GL320CDI Total Score 249.5/350
The Mercedes was the highest priced vehicle on the test at $103,900 plus options but for the amount of vehicle you get for that money it isn't expensive. It wasn't that long ago that you'd expect to pay $50K more for such a well-equipped and capable luxury 4WD. All of the testers enjoyed their time in the big Benz and one even scored it highest. If it wasn't for the noise of the suspension when raised and the complicated controls it would have scored even higher.
Triton CDI Total Score 245.5/350
The refinement of dual-cab utes has come a long way in recent years making the versatile trucks more applicable at recreational 4WDs. The Triton has come ahead in strides to catch up with its competitors and be a leader in design and dynamics. It's only the truck-like attributes that are retained in the Triton that hold it back as a 4WD of the Year contender.
Commander CRD Total Score 198.5/350
For the Jeep Commander, Overlander 4WDOTY was a case of what could have been. Such a capable engine and driveline packaged in a body that is impractical and uncomfortable, that is suspended on crook springs and dampeners. For Jeep's first attempt at building a seven-seater they did a poor job as the rear seat could and should have been a lot more versatile, but that's the problem you face when adapting a five-seat two-row platform to a three-row design. It's a Jeep thing, but they really ought to fix it.
The Judges
For the 2006 4WDOTY road test Overlander once again assembled a team of 4WD vehicle judges from a variety of backgrounds including professional vehicle road testers, 4WD accessories salesmen, workshop owners and tour operators, who were generally all experienced 4WDers and bushmen. It's a team that we think provides a balanced view of what makes the best 4WD on the market today.
The 2006 team of judges were -
John Denman - long time Overlander contributor.
Ian Glover - former Overlander editor and long time contributor.
Norm Needham - Overlander's longest running contributor, well travelled bushman and former owner of Traction 4 in Sydney.
Phil Nicholls - Long time Overlander contributor.
Matt Raudonikis - Current Overlander 4WD editor.
Glenn Torrens - Professional motoring journalist and not a bad catering officer.
Vic Widman - Proprietor of Great Divide Tours and Overlander columnist.
To help the judges with their assessment of the vehicles, Overlander has a long established list of five criteria to score the vehicles against. Each vehicle is scored out of 10 against the five criteria for a total out of a possible 50. The judges' scores are then tallied to determine the winner.
The five criteria are -
Value for Money
This is simply what you get for your money with consideration given to the fact that what may be expensive to some is affordable to others It really is how much vehicle you are getting for the money.
Soundness of Engineering
A measure of how well is the vehicle engineered. How well does the engine and transmission work; how much fuel does it use; how well does the vehicle ride and handle in all conditions; how good is the dust sealing; the air-con; the interior; does the vehicle appear to be 'bolted' together properly; even simple things like the quality of the tie-down hooks in the luggage area are taken into account.
Fulfilment of Intended Function
All vehicles, even different 4WDs, are designed to do different things. This is a measure of how well a particular vehicle fulfils its design brief. Obviously a 4WD ute is designed to do a very different job than a luxury soft-roader.
Progressiveness of Design
This is a measure of design/technical advancement and covers every aspect of the vehicle: engine, driveline, chassis, suspension, body, interior, etc. A particular design element doesn't have to be new that year to be significant. A particular manufacturer may have introduced a new feature several years back, but that feature may still be right up at the pointy end of design.
The Overlander Factor
This factor represent the 'bush practicality' of the vehicle: genuine 4WD ability; design robustness (underbody protection etc); touring range; load space/carrying capacity; tyre practicality/alternate tyre choices; and the potential to fit factory and after-market accessories to enhance bush practicality.
Overlander 4WD would like to thank all the judges for their time and input to the 4WD of the Year test. Particular thanks to Vic Widman for the use of his driver training facility and his assistance in planning the drive route, Norm Needham for the hospitality at his home and the use of his vehicle hoist, Glenn Torrens for catering the test, and John Denman and Ian Glover for the superb camp oven roast we enjoyed on the Bridle Track.
