Let's offroad! | Six of the Best
Genuinely looking for a car that's good in the muddy stuff? We've all sorts...
Mercedes G400d, 2022, 29k, £104,995
The advent of the all-conquering modern SUV has been a curious phenomenon. Big and heavy and thirsty and traditionally slow, it is not the segment you would’ve picked 25 years ago to rise to the top of the pile, yet here we are. But at least its origins, in the rugged 4x4s that emerged after WW2, are easy to appreciate - as are the legacy models that continue to treat industrial-grade off-roading as a core pursuit. Case in point: the G-wagen, mightier now than it’s ever been. Have a V8-powered G63 if you really must, but the current secondhand hero for anyone actually thinking of getting their six-figure car dirty is the G400d. With 516lb ft of torque from its steroidal oil burner, you can forget about getting stuck in anything short of an avalanche. And the lack of exterior tinsel means you won’t look like you own a nightclub in Miami. Win, win.
Ford Ranger Raptor, 2023, 15k, £44,500
If the idea of pumped-up SUVs brings you out in a rash, you’re unlikely to be swayed by the prospect of fast pickups - so best duck behind the sofa for the next decade, because what’s been good for the colonies is finally coming here, en masse. We’re not complaining though, or we won’t if they’re all as good as the Ranger Raptor. True, we only get the softcore version of the 3.0-litre V6, but that doesn’t prevent the trick chassis from doing its thing off-road - nor on it, in fact. Believe it or not, Mustang aside, this is easily the Blue Oval’s most exciting car now that the Focus ST has gone off sale. Which is probably a good thing because the nearly new examples of the Raptor are not cheap. We’d recommend a subtle colour, like this lightly used one in Conquer Grey.
Toyota Land Cruiser 70, 2025, 290 miles, £78,999
Full marks to CTC for importing the PH classifieds only example of a new Land Cruiser 70, effectively Toyota’s answer to the original Defender (certainly in terms of legacy). Zero marks for replacing the standard wheels with absurdly large 20s, but let’s brush over that because the car itself is off-roading royalty and comes with a kind of rugged credibility that would make a Dakar entrant blush. The tuner has added leather inside, doubtless in anticipation of a well-heeled townie meeting the £80k asking price - but really this ladder-frame breeze block is what you want for surveying a desert or collecting lumberjacks from an Alaskan archipelago. Let’s hope whomever buys it puts it to something like good use.
Suzuki Jimny, 2015, 85k, £9,999
Time for something a little more modest, if no less capable. Most would expect a Land Cruiser or a G-Wagen to be great off-road, with their monster tyres and big engines; the Jimny’s ability always come as more of a surprise to the uninitiated because it's so small and cute that it appears to have been liberated from a posh lady's handbag. But the Jimny doesn’t have its unstoppable reputation for no reason; like a plucky mountain goat, it’s perfectly built for its natural environment and no more hefty than a mountain goat. Indeed this third-generation Jimny, complete with a separate chassis, solid axles and axles and approach angles to make a Range Rover weep, was made for 20 years from 1998 to 2018. If it’s not broke and all that. The Jimny’s off-road ability is reflected in its residuals; this one was a £12,999 car 10 years and 85,000 miles ago…
Land Rover Defender Bowler Challenge, 2012, 39k, PH Auction
What’s the one thing cooler than motorsport? Off-road motorsport, of course. Whether it’s rally raid or special stage, there’s something extra special about racing off the beaten track. There are no flags to warn you about what’s around the corner, no laps to learn the layout, no margin for error; it’s you, a co-driver and a competition car, as fast as is possible against the elements. It’s little wonder that rally continues to captivate so many, then, and it was no surprise at all to find that Bowler converted Defenders for competition back in 2013. The former had decades of experience in off-road racing, the latter was one of the world’s most famous off-roaders - the Defender Challenge was a dream collaboration. It made for some great racing, plus some brilliant road-legal Land Rover race cars. This is one of them, converted at a couple of years old and still with plenty of Bowler goodies. The seller reckons it’s a “revelation” compared to standard Defenders. No doubt.
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, 2025, 90 miles, £124,995
You might have noticed something missing from this list so far - a stonking great V8. So that’s exactly what we have to finish off in this very special Wrangler. What’s under the bonnet is so fundamental to the Jeep’s appeal that it’s included in the name: this is the Wrangler Rubicon 392, as in 392 cubic inches. Or 6.4-litres. Or more than twice the capacity of anything else here. It’ll mean enough torque to pull a train (probably), a sound to die for and an insatiable super unleaded appetite. Back when PH drove a very similar 392 in 2021, we suggested the engine was even more sonically pleasing than an equivalent 5.0-litre Defender. And it did 11mpg. Some powerplant, for sure. This XR Edition is brand new, believed to be the only such Jeep in the country, and ready for any off-road adventure imaginable. Just bear in mind that it’s worth £125k when heading for the quarry…
Far more interesting than yet another Defender or murdered out G Wagon, I don’t have a beard, building company, inflatable wife and gym membership for the Ford, the Suzuki is silly money, and I would go classic if I fancied another Landcruiser.
I also still know a good few farmers who swear by a Fourtrak. If I really needed to go off road and I could find one that hadn't rotted away through continuous exposure to cattle slurry, that would be my first choice.
The only off-roading these lot will realistically do is mounting kerbs inconsiderately outside primary schools.
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