Off road

Australian diesel is more pollutive than petrol. So I am suffering an embarrassing sense of hypocrisy for my admiration of this car. There. It's out in the open.I can't even define just what it is about the Freelander that I came to love so much. Everything? Well, no. It's a bit sexist because the only vanity mirror is on the passenger sunshade – and the single broad strap on the driver's sunshade underside is not the best piece of design for either car-park cards or sunglasses. So there. I have criticisms. And in its diesel throb and its overall design, it is a fairly macho vehicle, I suppose. Certainly I gave it the male name of Fred, which alliterated nicely with Freelander.When first I drove out of the Land Rover lot, I felt I was in a large 4WD. It drove large. Solid. Heavy. Diesel chug. This turned out to be a happy illusion. The Freelander is compact.It slips easily into difficult and narrow parking spots. It manoeuvres happily around parking stations. It plays city car in the city.Out on the open road, it plays country car. On dirt, it plays worker car. And all the time, looking at the fuel gauge, it seems to play economy car. So off to Willunga Farmers Market I took Freelander Fred to load its compact rump with sheaves of fresh spinach, beetroot, leeks and gourmet potatoes, hmm, OK, and a couple of creme fraisch cakes ...And then the big test, up Willunga Hill. The Freelander was not impressed by the incline. "Chickenfeed," it chugged. "I can do near verticals if you want." I didn't want. I wanted an easy ride and I got it. It is automatic – and turbo. It found its gears and kept a steady, effortless pace. Muscular and not showy. That fairly well sums up the Freelander. It feels safe. It gives a good view of the road, although the rear vision is a bit cluttered, what with headrests and spare wheel with a brake light above it.It has European controls – windscreen wiper and lights reversed – which take but a few minutes of adjustment. Its cup holders are superbly placed – embedded in the centre of the dashboard. After some of the darned dumb places car designers have been sticking cup holders, this good old common sense comes like a breath of sane, safe air.And I suppose that sums up the Freelander. It is immensely practical. There is nothing flighty, faddish or gadgety about it.The boot has two ways of opening – the glass slides down, for just dropping in a few bags of shopping, or the whole door swings open to the side. It does not look like a massive area, but it seems to take a lot of luggage. Work that out.My week in the Freelander was a pleasure. It's a tasteful, restrained, classy workhorse – a bit like me, really.

Designers changed every body panel, except for the roof, and shaped the interior to give the off-roader a fresh look.While the mechanicals remain largely unchanged, the 3.0-litre engine has been slightly updated.Nissan marketing manager Philip Brook says style is important, even for a workhorse like the Patrol."Styling is the main reason people buy cars," he says.The Patrol's interior now features a dashboard with a more up-to-date centre console, seats with more support and new leather and alcantara (suede-feel) trims.Nissan is also aiming to please city slickers with a satellite navigation system in its Ti model.The locally-developed system has been configured more for main roads and cities, but it does include a "breadcrumb" function to help lost drivers find their way home.The centre screen is also linked to a rear bumper-mounted camera, which helps with reverse parking.A well equipped ST-S model has been added to the range, which starts with the DX and moves to the ST, ST-L and caps it off with the Ti.DX and ST models are available with either the 3.0-litre or 4.2-litre turbo-diesel engine.The new manual 3.0-litre DX costs $3000 more than the current model. But the price tag of $49,540 has airconditioning as standard.The ST-S and ST-L have the added option of a six-cylinder 4.8-litre petrol engine (185kW and 420Nm).The Ti model, which has seen its price increase by $3500 to $77,490 due to extra standard gear, is available only with a petrol engine.While prices have increased slightly for all 3.0-litre diesel-equipped vehicles, many of the 11 models cost the same or slightly less than the current models.But impending emission regulations could see the end of the 4.2-litre turbo-diesel engine, which is only exported to Australia, Nissan says.FIRST DRIVETHE pile of black feathers should have given it away.Something had eaten something else on the bank of a large pond on a cattle station 460km from Katherine in the Northern Territory.We park the car for photos and blithely assume a large yellow-spotted monitor (goanna) licking the air nearby is the culprit.Passing the spot 10 minutes later, we see a 2.5m crocodile sunning itself where I had been standing.Welcome to the tough country of the NT, the perfect place in which to give the updated Nissan Patrol a hard workout.We are based at Bullo River cattle station, more than 200,000ha of harsh, hot, dry country.This is the station Sara Henderson and her daughters worked and made profitable, a story studied closely by producers of TV show McLeod's Daughters.One daughter, Marlee, now runs the station with her husband, Franz Ranacher.Neighbours don't pop in for a chat here. The driveway alone is 76km.The station is big enough to give the Patrols a full day of tough off-road work.Making it across a creek isn't just a matter of pride out here. Get stuck and you are a long way from help. And you'd have trouble convincing your mates to jump into the water to push.Parks and Wildlife officers recently counted 19 crocs larger than 2m in just 2km of the Bullo River.Stockman Evan Houston says the team at Bullo is hunting a 7m saltwater croc. About 200 cattle are taken every year.Houston warns that even though a creek or billabong is shallow and inviting, it's not a good idea to go in: "If it's nice enough to swim in, it's unlikely you'd be alone in there."Four-wheel-drive legend Ron Moon tells us how to escape a crocodile."You don't have to run that fast, just faster than your mate."ON THE TRACKWE SET out early to travel to the point where the Bullo River joins the larger Victoria River on the edge of the property.For much of the journey there is no track and we run through long grass and over small trees that spring back up.One Patrol runs over the stump of a star picket, puncturing two tyres.Most of the brahman-cross cattle we pass are shy and wary of the big Nissans rumbling over their turf.Given they will all be rounded up and shipped off to woks in South East Asia and to the Middle East, I can understand they are touchy.The changes to the Patrol are mostly cosmetic apart from a tweaking of the 3.0-litre diesel engine, but Nissan didn't need to mess much with the truck.It is made for this type of work and will eat up creek crossings and treacherous hills.One reporter on the trip manages to ground a Patrol and damage the sump, but reversing it over large sharp rocks for a photo is not going to happen often in real life.We carefully negotiate a mass of red-dirt termite castles. I don't want to upset any by crushing their homes.The frugal two diesels (3.0-litre and 4.2-litre) are the best-suited engines and are willing enough for city work as well.The 4.8-litre petrol engine delivers smooth power, but the fuel consumption is more painful than a croc bite and can push past 20 litres per 100km/h when worked.Eventually we pass a boab tree and reach the large salt flat that borders the Victoria River. It is 37C and the sun roasts a gnarled tree that is holding out for the wet season and the water that will rush on to the plain.Nissan has introduced some new, lighter interior trims that are appreciated in places as hot as this. The new Patrol's interior is more stylish than the last model's, but is still as functional.We do several runs over the vast flat for the photographers in the chasing Bell helicopter, the chopper used to round up cattle.The Victoria River, which empties on the western coast of the Northern Territory 40km away, looks impressive from the air. Guide Greg Sherlock says it brims with barramundi in the wet season."You probably wouldn't want to swim in there?" I ask."No way," Sherlock says. "Sharks come in this far and if they don't get you, the salties (crocodiles) will." 

The Audi allroad quattro is a strange vehicle.It is part of this crossover bug that is infesting the industry and producing all manner of new and unusual luxury off-roaders including the BMW X5 and X3, Volvo CX70 and CX90 and the Porsche Cayenne.But the allroad just doesn't stack up on paper.It is only a mid-sized wagon weighing 1860kg but is driven by a 4.2-litre V8 with 220kW of power and a whopping 380Nm of torque from a lowly blip of 2700 revs.Sounds like overkill, doesn't it? That is, of course, unless you load her up to the gunwales and tow a boat. Then, maybe it's just what you want – if thundering down dirt roads in a $108,900 car with luxury appointments and leather upholstery is your bag.The other strange part of the equation is the drive system and the wheels and tyres putting the motion to the ground.It has a permanent four-wheel drive system with a Torsen centre differential and traction control that provides plenty of balance and poise in slippery conditions.However, it gets that drive to the ground via sporty and impractical (for off-road conditions) 45 per cent low-profile 245mm-wide tyres.A previous test out west in April scored two flat tyres and our test driver had to limp back to Brisbane from Birdsville on the supplied space-saver spare. A space saver? How impractical is that for an off-roader?Yet, the allroad V8 is an impressive vehicle to drive around town, the highways and even when the local council has run out of blacktop.Just don't stray too far down those unsealed roads, or you may become stranded.On your favourite stretch of blacktop, it will point and shoot like a much smaller sedan.And those impractical tyres will serve well, hanging on against G forces without a howl of protest, thanks to sophisticated air suspension.The powerplant is an absolute delight: heaps of grunt, passing pace and top-end power without being overly thirsty for a V8 – 12 litres for 100km on the highway and about 15 litres around town. Most importantly, it has an idle rumble that mimics a Monaro and a kickdown growl like a GT Falcon.If you don't need all that power, there is a 2.7-litre engine for $89,900. You would also not be disappointed with the 2.5-litre common rail, direct-injected turbo diesel at a comparative bargain price of $82,900.Earlier this year, at a Bosch diesel test at Sandown racetrack in Melbourne, the 370Nm allroad TDI was beaten off the line only by the big V10 VW Touareg boasting a knockout 750Nm of torque.The Audi blitzed other diesels from BMW, Peugeot and Mercedes.After a week of posing in this impractical off-roader that looks like a miniature version of the Holden Adventra with its flared guards, I had only two complaints – the warning system and the cruise control.The warning system comes in two stages – yellow and red.I only experienced the yellow warnings – for low washer fluid and low petrol – but the piercing screech of the audio alert is almost frightening and it repeats every five-odd minutes. I would hate to hear the red alert. It must come with sirens and howling dogs.The cruise control on the lights/indicator stalk is fiddly: setting the control can accidentally switch on the indicators; flicking reset requires you to take your hand off the steering wheel unless you have a double-jointed thumb; and flicking the off switch can accidentally flick the lights to high beam.And on one occasion, I flicked the switch right off the stalk on to the floor.There are too many audio controls on the steering wheel. Take some of them off and put the cruise controls there.By the way, the audio system is a ripper with its Bose macho speakers belting out tight and crisp bass.

The badge might say diesel, but what that means Down Under is "serious off-roader".The Freelander went oil-burner-only a couple of months ago for the Australian market, with a total switch to 2.0-litre turbo-diesel power.It's a shift in focus for the Land Rover which, though never a "soft-roader", had a slightly suburban emphasis for young families and people who couldn't afford to jump into a trendier Discovery or flagship Range Rover.The Freelander has been a huge hit at home in Britain, where the classic Land Rover is still the benchmark for four-wheel-drives. But it has not gone as well in Australia, where Toyota is king of the bush and Japanese four-wheel drives have made life more than tough for a vehicle not close to best in class.Still, it has a Land Rover badge and Land Rover DNA, and that is enough for some people.Sales this year have been modest -- 282 in the first seven months -- with the Freelander up against heavy hitters in the compact four-wheel-drive class, where the Nissan X-Trail is setting the pace with 8098 sales.The Freelander is a class above its size rivals on price, and that means it could also take a hit from the classy BMW X3. The Landie's prices now start at $39,950, which is well above a five-door Toyota RAV4 from $32,290 or a Honda CRV from $31,990, though even the flagship Freelander SE automatic at $46,450 is well below the X3 at $65,300.No surprise, then, that Land Rover in Australia is pushing the diesel angle and pitching the Freelander at people who really need an all-paw escape machine.The update hasn't changed the fundamentals, with tweaks typical for any mid-life facelift.The nose looks a little different with a new bumper-headlamps-grille combination, the tail lamps are new, there are new colours and the removable roof on the two-door can be either a hard cap or a folding soft top.Inside, Land Rover has tweaked the dash and added cupholders, the seats have more support and new fabrics, and sound and ventilation is upgraded.It's not much of a change, but Land Rover is concentrating on the all-new Discovery, which it needs to win back lost ground in the luxury 4WD class.The Freelander has never been a Cars Guide favourite. The British machine has always felt cramped and dozy on the road, but we were hoping the latest version would change our minds.THE Freelander diesel is great in the rough stuff. It has fantastic grip and climbing ability, as well as a sure-footed feel on steep descents that makes it a delight for four-wheel-drive work.It is easy on fuel, has reasonable overtaking power for country road work, and packs Land Rover suspension that crushes the roughest roads and irons out smaller bumps without upsetting anyone in the cabin. But, and it's a big but, you have to drive out of town to get to the rough stuff.The Freelander, even with the latest updates, is nothing special for everyday blacktop driving. For suburban commuter work, unless you are a Land Rover fanatic, it would be a real pain.The diesel engine doesn't get going for the first 30 metres, the touch-change system on the automatic gearbox doesn't provoke a real response, and even when it is going it struggles to provide zip.It is a snoozer. Fine for country use, but outpaced in town.The cabin changes make the Freelander a little nicer, but even the latest seats – with great support and comfort – put a mid-sized man far too close to the roof. It's easy to bump your head in rough country.The cabin still looks a mix-and-match job, unlike the integrated Japanese rivals and the classy X3 for people with big budgets, even with big cupholders and good CD sound in our SE automatic tester.The doors close with a real thunk and the Freelander feels as if it will go the distance, but not without some squeaks and rattles.The real enjoyment comes when you turn into the scrub and tackle tracks or hills, when the diesel engine just thumps along and the superb suspension keeps the wheels planted and the car moving forward. That's when you know it's a real Land Rover, capable of realising the dreams of any weekend warrior.It has a badge to compete with the Japanese hero cars, which won't go close to it in the bush – apart from the Nissan X-Trail – but cannot match their comfort and refinement when you're closer to home.So we cannot avoid the buts and we cannot really recommend the latest Freelander except to people who are sold on diesel and the traditional Land Rover off-road experience.The Freelander is great for off-road work with a diesel kick, but there are far better choices for all the other jobs.

The new Freelander is testament to that, inheriting the genes of its relatives and the distinctive family face pioneered by the new Range Rover range.The 2004 Freelander has received a much-needed makeover, changes that, combined with its tough drivetrain, make it an agile competitor on the rough stuff.While it may not be the most obvious change, the move by Land Rover to only offer a diesel in the Freelander range is an important one. The Freelander has Land Rover's 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo diesel, which, while it feels slow from a standstill under the 1555kg weight, cruises smoothly.A little on the noisy side but definitely not intrusive, the diesel produces 82kW of power and 260Nm of torque and is coupled with a five-speed electronically controlled automatic or a five-speed manual gearbox.Gear changes are smooth in the automatic but the initial lag means it would benefit from low range or a lower first gear when tackling off-road driving. A benefit of the diesel engine is the fuel economy, with the Freelander putting out impressive figures for an off-roader, with a combined figure of 8.6 litres per 100km for the auto.Steering kickback was felt but overall it is direct and the Freelander is well sorted on and off the black stuff.The Freelander has mountaineering benefits including hill descent control, traction control and all-time 4WD system but is hampered by the low ground clearance.Land Rover claims, however, that all suspension components are well shielded from off-road obstacles by a rugged alloy tray that protects the underneath of the car, including the sump.The steering is mounted high on the bulkhead – out of the way of stray rocks and branches that could cause damage.The Freelander enjoys a wading depth of 400mm, quite deep for a compact SUV.The front wings are made from thermoplastic that resists marking from minor scrapes.The most obvious change is the exterior. The front bumper, headlights and grille are all new and distinctively reflect the face of the Range Rover.The new twin-pocket, clear-lens headlamps are similar to those of its big brother while the partly coloured bumpers create a tough, firm stance for the Freelander that screams urban attitude.But despite its rugged good looks, the smooth lines give the Freelander a suave style of his own.Its rear is body coloured and the tail lights have been moved to a higher position on the bumper to improve visibility.Inside, the benefits are most noticeable. All models have been extensively restyled to improve comfort and greatly improve the overall feel and ergonomics.New seats, facia, instruments, switchgear, door trims and upholstery fabrics greet the driver from the moment the door is opened. The quality of the fabrics used has been improved and the new premium sports seat offers better support.The SE tested had the luxury pack, which includes leather seat trim, 17-inch alloys, rubbing strips and rear parking-distance control for $2500. The luxury pack is only available on the SE model. Parking-distance control is available for $750 on all models.The seating position is, however, less than ideal. The seat is high and cannot be adjusted. The steering wheel does not have a reach function and the seat itself has limited track movement.The Freelander has many stow-away compartments and the huge door map pockets keep the handy bottle strap, while larger cup holders are now mounted in the centre of the facia.The Freelander still comes in two body styles: the three-door, which features a removable hardback or fold-up softback, and the five-door.While the Freelander is a little more pricey than those in its class (from $39,950), the new-look interior and exterior make it a tough off-roader that now has plenty of style to match.

The popular mid-sized softroader is based on subsidiary Mazda's Tribute but until now Mazda has had four cylinder territory to itself (excuse the pun), because Ford decided initially that it didn't want the four – only the V6 thanks.That was then and back then it was a 2.0-litre four, but now the engine has grown to a larger, more powerful and much more appealing 2.3-litre unit.Ford has snapped up the engine which its says will give it "a vital weapon in the burgeoning compact 4WD market segment".It points out that 80 per cent of compact 4WDs sales last year were four cylinder powered vehicles.Ergo a four cylinder Escape means that it can go head to head with market leader Nissan X-Trail.There is not much difference mechanically between the four cylinder Escape and Tribute, but we reckon the Ford has a slight edge in the looks department.Brighter colours especially give the Escape a more sporty appearance.The Ford also seems to handle a little better, no doubt due to local suspension tuning.The 2.3-litre DOHC four-cylinder engine produces 108kW of power at 6000rpm and 201Nm of torque at 4500rpm.It uses a Variable Intertia-charging System (VIS) for better torque and fuel economy throughout the rev range.Both four cylinder and V6 engines are mated to a four-speed automatic transmission, although the tranny in the four employs slightly different ratios.Brakes are discs front and drums back and ABS with electronic brake force distribution is standard.On the road four cylinder Escape is surprisingly quick off the mark and the more you drive it the better it seems to get.The big plus is the price and of course lower fuel consumption which is rated at 10.3L/100km compared to 12.2L for the V6.Both vehicles share the same on "on-demand" all- wheel drive system.In normal driving, the system transfers up to 50 per cent of engine power to the rear ensuring maximum grip when wheel slip is detected.If the going gets really rough you can lock up the distribution of torque evenly between the front and back.A dash-mounted switch activates an electro- magnetic coupling.Even in wet conditions the vehicle remains very tidy and with generous ground clearance can handle rougher dirt tracks, but with no low range it is no rock hopper.Standard equipment is generous but we were a little disappointed to set no lap/sash seatbelt for the centre rear passenger.The Escape 2.3-litre XLS is priced from $31,990.

There is a clear-cut champion in the compact four-wheel-drive class.It is the Subaru Outback, which does easily the best job for the majority of shoppers who want the size, comfort and command driving position of a soft-roader but don't plan to do much of the rough-and-tough weekend work in the bush.The Outback is a high-riding and tougher-looking Subaru Liberty wagon, which means it is a new-age station wagon for people who are convinced that four-wheel-drives are the best bet for the 21st century.But it's not the only way to go in a class which is as varied as any in Australian motoring.The all-paw smalls are a split-personality line-up which ranges from serious bush buddies to suburban shopping trolleys, with everything in between.Some talk the talk, but don't go remotely close to walking the wilderness, and others are surprisingly capable despite their soft-form looks. And looks aren't always the best – or easiest – way to make a choice.The Daihatsu Terios has the high-rider style you expect to see in a serious four-wheel-drive, but it could have come just as easily from the world's best-selling carmaker – Matchbox.The Suzuki Jimny is much the same, though it can really romp in the rough and is priced from just $17,990.At the other end of the action, there are several contenders which push past $40,000, including the over-priced and under-done Land Rover Freelander.The compact class also opens the options between "all-wheel-drive" vehicles focused on blacktop work and "four-wheel-drive" vehicles with serious off-road grip and dual-range gears, in a battle which rages all the way to the $100,000-plus machines in the luxury four-wheel-drive world.The split between the soft-road and hard-rock vehicles means it's important to split the winners, with the Nissan X-Trail taking top honours for real off-road work and the Subaru Forester and best-selling Toyota RAV4 – now with a punchier 2.4-litre engine – scoring on the soft side. The Outback was completely updated last year and picks up the five-star safety and top quality from the latest Subaru Liberty.But it also gets a tougher look, extra ground clearance, rough-road tyres and all the other gear you need for weekend expeditions.The price is pretty rich in a class where most of the action is below $30,000 – the H6 engine can lift it from $31,180 to more than $50,000 – but it's the one to recommend to friends and family if they can afford it. The Nissan Patrol is a heavyweight four-wheel drive star and you can see and feel the family connection to the X-Trail.It has the stumpy looks of a serious off-roader and backs it with a 2.5-litre engine hooked to a grippy drivetrain and a tough body.Nissan has also created a funky cabin for the X-Trail, with all the right stuff for twentysomething owners.It's not cheap, with pricing from $31,990, but the price is right for the class and the competition. The Forester, like the Outback, was developed for rougher roads than the regular all-paw Subaru family wagons.So the Forester sprang from the Impreza, as the Outback did from the Liberty, but with a much bigger change to the body.The Forester looks like it will work off the bitumen and it does, provided you recognise its limits.It also comes with a punchier turbo engine, though it's not WRX, and Subaru Australia has just rejected a Forester STi which would have really rocked the compact four-wheel-drive scene.            

The prawn burger started climbing back up the gullet as the Prado nosed into the big red hole.Dashboard lights flash, there's more urgency from the V6 and, tyres slipping and grabbing, the wagon slides right on through to the other side.A Toyota Prado can be trusted when the track turns to muck.The prawn burger, a fine lunch from Archies at Rainbow Beach, settles back down.So here comes the Kluger, one Toyota down in size and a world away in off-road ability. The Kluger has all-wheel drive in a suburban family wagon, less ground clearance and less confidence.This one slips off to the side, gets stuck in, nose first.So the count is now Prado this side, Kluger in the muddle, LandCruiser wagon and the brave little RAV4 on the other side of this clay mine.And well before the 30 minutes of slipping and sliding and some laughs is over, there is one lesson learnt here – when the entry to the Cooloola Way (south of Fraser Island, north of Noosa) suggests four-wheel drive is advisable, particularly in wet weather, it means four-wheel drives, not all-wheel drive.For where the Kluger has run up the beach in fine style, matching it with its bigger and smaller brothers for ride comfort on hard-packed sand, it loses out with suspension travel and traction when the going gets tougher.Words of caution: the sand was damped by recent rain and there'd been little traffic to dig holes and trenches. Besides, the Kluger was running with just one up; a loadful of family may hinder beach progress.It has its place.The Kluger is a safe machine for the school bus runs, trips to the snow, maybe down and along the beach for a picnic.If tackling tougher tracks, take a bigger Toyota four-wheel drive along for the security.No doubt the Kluger would run this Cooloola track in dry weather; indeed it handled much of the slip and slide of a wet dirt road without drama although that softish front suspension can be caught out over ruts, bringing the nose down.In these conditions, the Kluger is favoured with constant four-wheel drive and a viscous coupling centre differential; these work well with the five-speed automatic on slippery surfaces.And there is, according to the factory, 187mm of ground clearance on the Kluger Grande with its 17-inch wheels, 184mm on Klugers with 16-inch wheels.In contrast, the RAV4 Cruiser has 180mm, the Edge version has 190mm. The smaller Toyota, smallest of the crowd's recreational vehicles, gains off-road credentials with a shorter wheelbase and more compact dimensions and a weight advantage.Some of this crosses the mind while looking back across the Cooloola chasm at the rest of the fleet.Here the LandCruiser, trying to tow the Kluger out, has slipped sideways into a gutter of much deeper goo.So, now it's Prado safe, Kluger and LandCruiser stuck, brave little RAV4 waiting.The five-door RAV4 gets the Kluger out, with a little strain and a yank back. (The excuse on this side is that the Kluger's nose is buried too deep to hook up). Now the Prado goes back through the hole, and with a decent snatch, frees up the big Cruiser.From here, with some local knowledge and fresh approaches developed over the last half hour, the four Toyotas slip and slide through the hole, running on to the next adventure.Damage is limited to a wounded plastic shroud underneath the Kluger's bumper. And a tonne of mud over the machines.There is nothing more untoward on the track, some slips and slides, a couple of minor washouts. The Kluger does drag its belly a touch through some of the (soft) ruts on the forest roads.And then there's a turn right somewhere where it should have been a turn left and the four Toyotas end up in Gympie, not the bucolic Kin Kin.Still, it is an easy run from here to home.And the day's discoveries?Toyota's fleet of recreational vehicles – prices ranging from $30,000 to $92,000 – are all fine and handy machines in each of their respective niches.The RAV4 is forever a trier.Despite a lack of low range and minimal ground clearance for off-roading, the five-speed manual here was never found wanting. The 120kW, 2.4 litre engine was always willing and there is a certain amount of charm to the RAV4, whether on town or country duties.This is the one for getting out on the weekends, maybe down to the beach, maybe to the hardware store for those renovation specials or plants from the nursery.But the RAV4 cannot match the Kluger for on-road smoothness and quietness or interior space.The Kluger is a bland family wagon with all-wheel drive and a heap of room.It breezes down the highway but will not go as far, as easily, as its little brother off the road. It averaged 10.5 litres per 100km on the day.Soft-roaders have a place. But not on hard tracks.Yet the base Kluger costs more than a base Prado. And a five-speed manual, 4 litre Prado GX at a recommended $43,650 has to be a better value buy than an automatic 3.3 litre CV Kluger at $43,990 (with air).The Prado is a machine for the family adventurer, strong enough for a cross-country trip, handy enough for a run to the shops.It is impressive in the rough, looks smart around the town. There is that extra body weight, say 400kg, over the Kluger and that extra body height (the Prado's ground clearance is a useful 220mm) which makes the Kluger a better, more car-like driving business on the highway.The Prado averaged just over 15 litres per 100km for the mix of highway, sand and mud workThe LandCruiser 100 Series is a big and strong machine with constant four-wheel drive and a two-speed transfer case.It is quite a handy wagon under ordinary conditions, despite its size. But when the going gets serious or there's a full load, plus boat and trailer to tow on a regular basis, it is a superb wagon.And while this one ran the V8, it averaged close on 16.5 litres per 100km for the day's work, proving a big engine is not always that much thirstier when there's work to be done.So it's horses for courses and Toyota just about have the field covered. There is a recreational vehicle to suit most styles and budgets, a fair spread of engines and a tonne of appointments to pick through.And yes, Toyota had to cover this new-found soft-roader niche. Just don't expect the Kluger to measure up to some of its more established, more credentialled brothers if the weather closes in and the track gets sloppy.

But the original baby 4WD, which had many fans because of its great off-road ability, was both a curse and a blessing for Suzuki.The upside was that its loyal band of followers managed to return from the bush each weekend without getting bogged and without having to pay exorbitant fuel bills or high maintenance fees.Though tiny, the two-stroke Jimny – called the LJ50 in Australia – was dirt-cheap fun.In 1981, a WA LJ50 enthusiast and owner Les Allen, and I, were the first to retrace the Holland Track from Broomehill to Coolgardie since it was first opened in the 1890s in one of these weeny 4WDs.Following a rising wave of concern for the environment, the smelly, smoky, noisy and highway-unfriendly Jimny engine became a pariah.Further models appeared, including the biggest Suzuki to date, the XL-7.The bugbears of the past have gone but despite the near invisibility of Suzuki's 4WD models on the Australian market the product adheres to its primary role of getting people through some pretty nasty off-road terrain.It will seat seven, has the comfort level of a passenger car and all the creature comforts, and is as easy to drive as the LJ50.Which brings me to Lancelin.There probably isn't a better place so close to Perth to legally have a day of fun on pure, white sand. The sand, weighed down by recent rains, was firm and the undulations rated in angles from modest to cliff-face proportions.As expected, the sandpit was a doddle for the XL-7. At 4.7m long and with a 2.8m wheelbase, the XL-7 is no baby 4WD and shares little in dimensions with its ancestors.It's also porky at 1625kg – a meat pie or five away from its svelte predecessors.The long wheelbase XL-7 wagon, has a low-range gearbox and full chassis.It's physically stronger than its softroader competitors – primarily the Mazda Tribute, Toyota Kluger and Subaru Outback – but this translates into extra weight.The low-range gearbox adds a new dimension, making the XL-7 streets ahead when it comes to traversing demanding off-road situations.On the Lancelin dunes the automatic version of the XL-7 powered up and slid down the sandy inclines with ease. Low range was engaged on a few occasions to cross patches of soft, dry sand, but the strength of the V6 kept it moving.The only grizzle was climbing over sandy peaks that caught the underbelly of the XL-7.A bit closer to Perth, the Ledge Point off-road area has completely different soil characteristics.Isn't it great a shire or town gives its off-road community a great weekend fun park?At Ledge the ground is firmer so the tracks are moulded into hard ruts that really test the suspension. The XL-7's suspension, which is pretty basic though remarkably durable, has limited travel.What really endeared me to it was its ability to get its wheels back on the ground as quickly as possible to maintain traction.I didn't get bogged so I came away from the trip with a smile.The sophisticated V6 engine is similar to the Suzuki Grand Vitara's 2.5-litre version, with more low-end torque adding to its off-road ability.It will also rev freely to the 6000rpm red line without complaint or vibration.On the bitumen the Suzuki has a ride comfort equal to its rivals and loses little in road handling.The XL-7's seats are made for small bodies. The cabin room is fine but the seats could be wider for our fast-food fed frames.The standard third seat row is comfortable and spacious for children.But because it has reasonable legroom, the boot is small and won't house the family luggage.The third row splits and folds down to increase boot space; the second seat row can also be split and slides fore/aft on runners. The swing-out rear door is light, despite carrying the spare wheel.The XL-7, tested in basic form, has dual-zone climatic airconditioning, electric windows and mirrors, dual airbags, velour trim, six-disc in-dash CD, alloy wheels and ABS.There is a Luxury version available with more fruit at extra cost.This is a very impressive machine. It loses a couple of points because it looks ordinary but will really reward the family who actually want to go off-road and get home again.

The chiselled Kia off roader has a sharp purchase price, strong engine and medium off road ability. Oh, and did I mention it's also well equipped.Earlier this year, the range was augmented with a five speed manual version supplementing the four speed auto.It's a good thing, retailing for $35,950.The manual is pretty well exactly the same as the auto except for the gearbox.It's powered by a 3.5-litre, V6 engine with 145 kW/295Nm.Sorento is built on a separate ladder chassis unlike the majority of so called "soft road" vehicles that use car-style monocoque chassis. A ladder chassis is favoured for heavy duty 4WDs.A shift on the fly 4WD system is standard with a full low ratio gearbox as well as high range 4WD and 2WD. Drive mode is selected by turning a knob on the dash. Underbody protection is provided for off road excursions.The extensive standard equipment includes alloy wheels, airconditioning and cruise control, power windows, locks and mirrors, CD player, cupholders front and rear, power points front and rear, twin airbags, digital temperature, compass and altimeter, 60/40 split fold rear seats, opening rear window and underfloor security storage area.Happily, Sorento's designers were mindful of the need for proper ventilation in a vehicle bound for Australia. A host of vents ensures comfort at all times.Suspension is by double wishbones up front and a five link system down the back. It is biased towards comfort and could do with a little firming up for sealed road work – at the expense of off road comfort. The four wheel disc brakes deliver strong stopping power thanks in part to twin piston calipers up front.Vents are also positioned under the front seats to cool rear seat passengers.The safety package includes ABS and dual front air bags that work in league with pre-tensioning front seat belts.The manual is handy to use and performance is brisk for such a weighty (1966kg) vehicle. It's competent off road too but likes a drink if you drive it hard.