Autocar Tests the Discovery Off-Road
Let’s see how the Discovery fares against its rivals.
If we’re being totally honest with ourselves, hardly anyone uses their SUVs for their original, intended purpose of off-roading. That said, being able to say that your SUV is at the top of the heap when it comes to off-road prowess? Those are bragging rights a Land Rover enthusiast would gladly have.
This video, from British magazine Autocar, compares several off-road vehicles, a few of which aren’t available in the states. Their mettle — and metal — was tested on a grueling off-road course, designed to give even the most propose-built truck pause.
The participants in this contest of gravel and mud consist of the Dacia Duster, the Toyota Land Cruiser, a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, a Mercedes G-Wagen, an Isuzu D-Max pickup with a host of Arctic Truck accessories, and, of course, the reason we’re here: the Land Rover Discovery. Let’s see how the Disco stacks up against its competitors.
SEE ALSO: First Drive – 2017 Land Rover Discovery
The first test is a hillclimb, which was easily handled by all six trucks. Next up is a rock crawl, and a particularly challenging course at that. With the aide of a guide, almost all the trucks made it through the entire course, save for the Dacia.
The final test would be a timed course around the off-road park, consisting of various terrain and tests, from mud to rocks and dirt, with varied elevation changes that would demand everything the trucks were capable of.
While the Jeep completed the course in just over a minute and thirty seconds, the rest of the pack took around two minutes to complete the course. Still, we know where we’d rather spend time, and the host agrees. Even when driven flat-out offroad, the Land Rover has a complaint ride with confidence-inspiring control and capability.
Nothing against Jeep – they make a truly tremendous off-roader – but we prefer a bit more refinement. In that regard, the Discovery has us covered.
