Articles by Marcus Craft

Marcus Craft

Contributing Journalist

Raised by dingoes and, later, nuns, Marcus (aka ‘Crafty’) had his first taste of adventure as a cheeky toddler on family 4WD trips to secret fishing spots near Bundaberg, Queensland. He has since worked as a journalist for more than 20 years in Australia, London and Cape Town and has been an automotive journalist for 18 years.

This bloke has driven and camped throughout much of Australia – for work and play – and has written yarns for pretty much every mag you can think of.

The former editor of 4X4 Australia magazine, Marcus is one of the country’s most respected vehicle reviewers and off-road adventure travel writers.

Why your ultimate outback adventure vehicle is not an EV, yet | Opinion

By Marcus Craft · 22 May 2022

As interest in electric vehicles grows and sales continue to increase in the wake of rising fuel prices, so too does our curiosity about them. But will there ever be an EV as capable of long-distance, remote-area touring and 4x4ing as hard core as the best existing olde-worlde internal combustion engine 4WDs? And, if so, when will these off-roaders be available to buy in Australia?

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Honda CR-V 2022 review: VTi L7 - off-road test

By Marcus Craft · 18 May 2022

Not everyone wants their SUV to be able to tackle hard-core off-roading. In fact, not a lot of the SUV-buying public do, which is where something like the Honda's two-wheel drive CR-V VTi L7 variant comes into its own.This is a seven-seater SUV so it instantly has an advantage over its five-seater rivals. Right?

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Land Rover Defender 90 2022 review: S - off-road test

By Marcus Craft · 20 Apr 2022

The new-generation Land Rover Defender has impressed with its blend of the old (retro looks and off-road capability) with the new (impressive comfort and drivability) in a very appealing, albeit pricey, package. But, after scrutinising the myriad Defender options available, might the Defender 90 S P300, one of the line-up's cheaper, shorter wheelbase variants, actually be the pick of the bunch?

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Everything you need to know about caravan registration

By Marcus Craft · 07 Apr 2022

Do you need to register a caravan in Australia? Yes, bloody oath, of course you do. But the processes you have to undertake, the volume of paperwork you have to get through and the fees you have to pay to register a caravan, camper-trailer, or trailer depend on the state or territory in which you’re registering it.

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Toyota LandCruiser Prado 2022 review: Kakadu - off-road test

By Marcus Craft · 08 Mar 2022

The seven-seat Toyota Prado has a solid reputation as an off-road touring platform because it's comfortable and capable - but the next-gen version is not expected here until 2023 or later, so perhaps a top-spec Kakadu, with the optional flat tailgate (i.e. full-sized spare tyre moved from the rear to the underbody) will satisfy your adventure itch?

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Toyota LandCruiser 2022 review: GR Sport - off-road test

By Marcus Craft · 27 Feb 2022

The new Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series variant, the GR Sport, has a whopping price-tag.This near-top spec LC300 is being hyped as the most off-road capable of the new 300 Series line-up, which range-wide have new engines, more power and torque, better fuel efficiency and greater comfort than the 200.But is the GR Sport actually an all-out beast off-road?

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Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior vs Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain 2022 4x4 ute comparison review

By Marcus Craft · 12 Feb 2022

The D-Max X-Terrain and Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior are the top-shelf variants in their respective line-ups.The D-Max top dog has been updated and now has a tow bar receiver as standard, a 50kg increase to its Gross Combination Mass and styling tweaks.The Warrior is a purpose-built 4WD collaboration between Nissan Australia and Aussie vehicle engineering company, Premcar.

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Finding it hard to buy a motorhome or caravan? How about a DIY van conversion?

By Marcus Craft · 02 Feb 2022

If you’re having a tough time trying to find your dream motorhome or caravan because of the current overwhelming demand combined with supply-chain issues, then how about considering your own DIY van or bus conversion?

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Nissan Navara 2022 review: Pro-4X Warrior - off-road test

By Marcus Craft · 31 Jan 2022

The Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior is a hard-core 4WD collaboration between Nissan Australia and Melbourne-based vehicle engineering company, Premcar.It's undergone conversion work and added a stack of adventure-ready accessories - more than $9000 worth of engineering and gear.But with a near-$70,000 price-tag is this purpose-built and Aussie-tuned and -tested off-road machine any good?

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Land Rover Discovery 2022 review: D300 off-road test

By Marcus Craft · 19 Jan 2022

The Land Rover Discovery may not have the wildly passionate fanbase of its beloved hard-core stablemate, the Defender, but plenty of 4WDers still believe the Disco has plenty of cred as an off-road touring machine. Well, now that the latest Defender is so comfortable, so capable and so refined - geez, it's almost a Disco in disguise - is there any room left in the line-up for the new Discovery?

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