Land Rover & Range Rover in rank of off-road ability?

[paddyhasneeds]

Just curious and something I don't think I've seen before so, given the current Land Rover and Range Rover line up, how would you order their range in terms of off-road capability?

Let's focus on ability and ignore what you might not do because you'd snap expensive bits off it.

[MDT]

I would say the NEW 4.4tdi would take some beating off road. A mate and I were off playing in one the other week and was quite shocked what it would do.

[Garlick]

Last year I took a brand new Supercharged Autobiography off-road with 20'' wheels and road biased tyres.

It was, in a word, superb. It went places I wouldn't believe bearing in mind the tyres and was supremely capable.

[PaulB81]

In answer to the OP's question I would guess at:

Defender
Disco
FF Range Rover
Freelander
RR Sport

??

(ive only personally offroaded Defenders and Disco's but read up a lot on the FF RR offroad as was thinking of getting one)

[GKP]

PaulB81 said:

In answer to the OP's question I would guess at:

Defender
Disco
FF Range Rover
Freelander
RR Sport

??

I'd probably swap the Defender and FFR around.

[thinfourth2]

Depends on conditions and tyres

I think in quite a few situations a rangerover sport/disco 4 would leave a defender scrabbling

Where the defender comes into its own is a lack overhangs and plastic smashy stuff.

A discovery will go anywhere a defender can go just not all it

[davepoth]

The defender's big plus is that it doesn't have low hanging plastic bits to break, so you can keep more momentum.

[Alicatt1]

thinfourth2 said:

Depends on conditions and tyres

I think in quite a few situations a rangerover sport/disco 4 would leave a defender scrabbling

Where the defender comes into its own is a lack overhangs and plastic smashy stuff.

A discovery will go anywhere a defender can go just not all it

The Sport and the Discovery 3/4 are baisicly the same vehicle under the fancy dress but the RRS has a bit more overhang at the back therefore making it a bit less able. When out at a LR event in Holland I could tackle just about everything that the Defenders were doing, it was just the size of the RRS that would not let me between the trees that the Defenders could go through, on the hills and the sand the RRS was much more capable than the Defender and done those with ease, even the mud hole, it took me until the forth try at it to get the RRS stuck. Everybody was videoing me going over the obstacles waiting for me to get stuck, I was very happy to disapoint them
The TDV8 RRS with e-diff and MT/R tyres are a great combination

[Jem0911]

I had a day in a 4.4TDV8 Fullfat on the off road course at The LR experience at Rockingham Castle.
An amazing car and I had the older model with off road rubber fitted.
The newer model went everywhere the defenders on the course went.
Lovely place to be in contrast to the defender.

(there was a FR2 there too. Grounding out alot but still capable.)

[PaulHogan]

When I did a Land Rover experience a year or so ago (in a Defender) the instructor said the best off roader they did was the Discovery. He didn't rank the rest of them though.

[Shaw Tarse]

Jem0911 said:

I(there was a FR2 there too. Grounding out alot but still capable.)

That may be relevant to the OP
Having watched videos of what Land/Range Rovers can do, I think I'd give up before they did.

[TVR Sagaris]

With a good driver, a Defender is probably best. Discos and Rangies are probably easier to drive off road, though, so in ordinary hands would seem more capable.

[waterwonder]

Out of the box.

Defender,
Disco,
FF Range
RR sport
Freelander

Defender first on the basis of overhangs and assuming a an experienced off-road driver.

For your average Joe (me included) defender would probably move from 1st to 4th due to lack of technology to do the driving for you.

Admittedly i've never been on one but my understanding was that the LSE days don't even get near the abilities of any of the cars (the reason i've not been on one). Nothing i've read on 4x4 forums etc or seen on u tube leads me to believe otherwise.

My humble opinion of course.

[RicksAlfas]

I went on a Land Rover experience day in November. Ground was thick with snow and ice. We just drove up and down slopes/stairs/ditches which you would have struggled to walk over. All the cars were showroom fresh on the standard mixed use tyres they are delivered with. There was precious little to choose between the Range Rover, Discovery and Range Rover Sport. All could do things a car that size has no right to be able to. We didn't drive the Freelander (which the instructor rated as enormously capable in thick snow) or the Defender (which doesn't have the electronic magic of the others).

[paddyhasneeds]

Thanks all. As Shaw says, I'll give up before any of them would be useful to know nonetheless.

Thanks.

[Ecurie Ecosse]

GKP said:

PaulB81 said:

In answer to the OP's question I would guess at:

Defender
Disco
FF Range Rover
Freelander
RR Sport

??

I'd probably swap the Defender and FFR around.

Agreed - the Land Rover Experience instructors rate the FFRR as the best current LR product off road.

[HowMuchLonger]

waterwonder said:

Out of the box.

Defender,
Disco,
FF Range
RR sport
Freelander
My humble opinion of course.

Sorry but the FF has to be swapped with the defender.
Much more ground clearance (especially in super extended mode)
Air suspension
Much more powerful engine (Esp in 4.4 tdv8 guise)
E-diffs
HDC
Plus lots of cameras to see where you are going.
An example of super extended mode.....and yes they are 20" rims.

Edited by HowMuchLonger on Wednesday 6th April 17:22