A 4×4 car means it has power going to all four wheels, which is really important if you plan to drive off-road, and it’s also preferred by many people who want some extra confidence when driving on slightly tougher ground.
It’s clear that people today really like SUVs – cars that look like they can handle any road. But the truth is, most modern SUVs can’t really handle rough conditions.
A lot of them only have front-wheel drive, and even the ones that do have four-wheel drive often can’t manage real off-roading because they sit too low to the ground, have delicate plastic parts on the outside, and come with tyres made for roads, not dirt tracks.
We’ve tested the top 4×4 cars on the market right now, including in off-road situations, and we can clearly say which ones are worth considering.
The best 4x4s don’t give up much when it comes to everyday driving, even though they’re built for tough conditions. Some really extreme off-road vehicles can be uncomfortable on normal roads, but those are built to climb steep hills and go through the muddiest trails.
If all you need is something for getting around the countryside in the UK, then a slightly less extreme option will still be able to get you across a muddy field, down a bumpy path, or through deep water – and it won’t leave you with sore ears or a sore backside if you just want to use it for a trip to the shops.
Do you need a 4×4? That’s the big question. A lot of people think four-wheel drive will solve all problems with grip, especially when roads get icy in the winter. But the truth is, when roads are slippery, the kind of tyres you have matters a lot more than whether all four wheels are powered.
You should only spend more money on a four-wheel drive car if you’re really going to use it off-road. If you just want a car that feels safer to drive on normal roads, think about getting all-season tyres first.
This doesn’t apply to sports cars and high-performance cars, though – they use four-wheel drive to help with speed and control, but you’re probably not going to take a BMW M5 into the woods.
With a proper 4×4, you’ll likely get worse fuel economy because of the extra weight and the extra parts needed to power all four wheels. These versions of cars usually cost more than the ones with just two-wheel drive, and most of the cars on this list are big, powerful off-roaders that already come with high starting prices.
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Land Rover Defender
The Land Rover Defender is a car that can handle just about anything. It’s one of the most well-known names in off-roading, so of course it’s very capable in rough conditions. But it’s also great as a family car and works really well for long drives, giving a very comfortable ride.
The Defender name has always been linked to off-road driving. While the newest version may not be as basic and tough as the older ones, it makes up for that with high-tech systems that help it keep moving no matter what kind of surface it’s on.
The Land Rover Terrain Response system makes sure the Defender adjusts properly whether you’re on soft sand, deep ruts, or rocky ground. It takes away the guesswork from driving off-road and makes the Defender easy to use even for those who’ve never driven off the main roads before.
A lot of Defenders won’t ever go anywhere more difficult than a city street in Kensington, so it’s good to know this car is really good at lots of different things. Whether you choose the very fast V8 engine, the plug-in hybrid that’s better for tax, or one of the sensible diesel versions, you’ll get a car that drives nicely.
It’s especially great for long trips, where the soft suspension and quiet ride make it feel very high-end. Even in the city, it works well – the high driving position, easy controls, and useful driver assistance features make parking and narrow streets less stressful.
It’s a practical choice too. The 110 model is the best all-round option, with space for up to seven people while still being a reasonable size. The eight-seat 130 version is too much for most, and the smaller 90 version looks amazing but has tight rear seats and a tiny boot.
Other 4x4s cost less, have more space, and are less flashy – but the Land Rover Defender is very impressive, and if you need to go off-road, there’s hardly anything better.
Toyota Land Cruiser
There’s a reason why everyone from explorers to the United Nations chooses Toyota vehicles – they have a long-standing reputation for lasting a long time and being incredibly reliable. The newest Land Cruiser seems ready to keep that strong reputation going.
It’s extremely tough and can match or even beat top Land Rovers when it comes to going off-road. Plus, Toyota offers a warranty in the UK that lasts ten years, while most other brands only give you three.
Driving the Land Cruiser off-road is simple. It doesn’t have as many fancy features as the Land Rover Defender, but it has everything you need to handle nearly any kind of terrain. It’s built with strong materials, has excellent grip, and comes with one of the strongest four-wheel drive systems out there, so you should be able to go pretty much anywhere.
There’s only one engine choice for the Land Cruiser – a 2.7-litre diesel. So don’t expect a fast V8 engine. It’s more about getting the job done than being exciting, but it has enough power to handle off-road driving without effort and still feels fine on regular roads.
When you drive the Land Cruiser on roads, it’s not quite as smooth as the Land Rover Defender, but it’s not uncomfortable. It’s quiet enough for long trips, and the automatic gearbox makes driving in the city less stressful.
Inside, the Land Cruiser is just as solid as it is on the outside. It’s made to be very durable, so it’s great for family use or outdoor adventures. There are plenty of surfaces that are easy to wipe clean, so you don’t need to worry about getting things dirty.
One of the most attractive things about the Land Cruiser is how cool it looks. The Land Rover Defender has some design touches that remind you of older models, but the Land Cruiser goes all the way with a full throwback look – from the round headlights to the paint colors that feel like they’re from the past. It’s a great example of retro styling done properly.
Mercedes G-Class
The Mercedes G-Class is not a vehicle you usually choose with practical thinking. First, it’s extremely expensive – the cheapest model costs nearly £140,000, and the top version, the AMG model, can cost over £200,000. Spending as much as a house on a car doesn’t exactly make financial sense.
You can choose from different versions, including a fairly reasonable diesel model or the wild G63 AMG, which has over 600 horsepower.
The G-Class does have some reasons for its high price, mainly because of the way it looks and how it makes people feel. Few cars grab attention like a G-Class – whether you’re stopping outside a fancy hotel or grabbing fast food, people are going to look.
It’s also a great example of a classic design that has been carefully updated. The current G-Class still looks a lot like the first one from the late 1970s, but it has modern engines and a new interior inside a body that keeps its old-school style.
As soon as you open the heavy door and climb into the driver’s seat, you get a feeling of power that you don’t really get from many other cars. When you’re in traffic, the only drivers who sit higher than you are in buses or trucks, so it’s easy to feel like you’re above it all – especially compared to people driving less expensive cars.
If you take it off-road, the G-Class is just as capable as it looks. It can easily handle sand dunes and rocky paths.
However, there are some trade-offs compared to newer rivals. Even though it’s a big car, the space for passengers inside isn’t great. And if you go around a corner too fast, you’ll quickly feel how old the basic structure of the car is.
Land Rover Discovery
The Land Rover Discovery is the less flashy and slightly less tough version of the Land Rover Defender mentioned earlier. It’s not quite as strong off-road as its more rugged sibling, but it still has the same four-wheel drive system and Terrain Response settings. That means it can still go to places most other seven-seat SUVs can’t manage.
Inside the Discovery’s big and slightly awkward-looking body, you’ll find one of the most spacious interiors you can get in this type of car. Seven adults who are six feet tall can actually sit comfortably. Each row is set a bit higher than the one in front, kind of like stadium seating, so everyone gets a good view out the windows.
The cabin feels really nice too – not quite as fancy as a Range Rover and not as outdoorsy as the Defender, but a great balance between the two styles.
If you’re more interested in using a Discovery for work instead of family trips, there’s a Commercial version. It takes out the back seats and gives you a load space like a van, but it still looks and drives like a stylish SUV.
There are several diesel and petrol engines to pick from that are practical and efficient, making the Discovery a great choice for big families who want a large daily car that doesn’t use too much fuel.
Dacia Duster
The Dacia Duster is such a good deal that it’s almost hard to believe. It’s priced so well that it earned the Smart Spender title in the 2025 Carwow Car of the Year awards. For most buyers, the basic Duster model or the very fuel-efficient hybrid version will be the best fit. But if you want to go off-road without spending too much, Dacia still offers a version of this SUV with real four-wheel drive.
It comes with a small 1.3-litre engine and a manual gearbox. The four-wheel drive Duster doesn’t try to be a fancy car – and it even looks a bit basic – but it includes more features than you might expect for the money. The inside isn’t fancy, but it’s strong and practical, and there’s a touchscreen that handles all the key functions well.
The Duster is really fun to drive too – the controls are light, it’s easy to see out of, and it handles corners better than you might expect. Some SUVs are more sporty on the road – but those same SUVs would struggle on a muddy path. The Duster, on the other hand, has shown on our YouTube channel that it’s actually really good off-road and can go head-to-head with cars that cost two or three times more.
Subaru Outback
Subaru is known for a few things, but the biggest one is that almost all of its cars come with four-wheel drive. Subaru calls this system “symmetrical all-wheel drive,” and it works really well on slippery or uneven surfaces.
The Outback isn’t a true off-roader like some of the other vehicles listed here. It’s more like an estate car that’s been raised higher off the ground. Because of that, it doesn’t have the ground clearance or suspension movement that top off-roaders do. Still, it’s much better off-road than most SUVs that only look tough, which is why it’s popular with people who live in the countryside or work on farms.
If you compare the Outback to fancy estate cars from brands like BMW and Audi, it can seem a bit old-fashioned. It has traditional dials instead of digital ones, and there are a lot of physical buttons and switches inside. It’s built more for comfort than for sporty driving, so it leans a lot in corners and uses a CVT gearbox.
But in many ways, that makes it better. If you don’t mind getting lower fuel economy and you’re not looking for a flashy car, the Outback will be a very trustworthy choice.
Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler is another car that’s strongly tied to off-road history. It comes from the original WWII Willys Jeep. When you drive it on a rough road, you might even wonder if the suspension has changed much since then – because on normal roads, the Wrangler doesn’t do very well. It feels bouncy, loud, and uses a lot of fuel.
But it makes up for that by being amazing off-road – especially if you choose the tougher Rubicon version. It also looks great, with its classic design and bright paint colors.
You can even take off the roof and front doors to really enjoy open-air driving, though you’ll have to figure out where to put them. For some people, it might be easier to pick the full-length fabric sunroof instead.
INEOS Grenadier
The Ineos Grenadier is what happened when one of the richest people in the UK decided that Land Rover should have kept making the old Defender. The Grenadier brings back the feeling of classic off-roaders but adds a bit of modern engineering by using six-cylinder engines from BMW.
The inside of the Grenadier is filled with buttons and switches – maybe even too many. The materials are made to be easy to clean with water. It’s excellent off-road because it uses old-style parts, like a strong ladder frame and even steering that’s designed to reduce shaking on rough ground.
But these same parts make it not very pleasant to drive on normal roads. The Grenadier is loud, uses a lot of fuel, and feels uncomfortable. The steering can also feel strange. It’s a very specific type of car for people who want something different.
Range Rover
Some cars on this list are tough off-roaders with added comfort. The Range Rover is the opposite – it’s a very comfortable and high-end car that also happens to be great off-road. No matter where you sit, you get a super comfortable ride in a fancy interior. The air suspension smooths out bumpy roads, and it stays quiet while driving.
But if you ever want to take your fancy car through rough ground, the Range Rover is just as capable as its cheaper relatives. The off-road systems work very well without needing much effort from the driver. The only thing you need to think about is that fixing scratches or dents will cost more than on a simpler car.
Because it’s such a large car, it’s not great for narrow paths, and it can feel a bit too big when driving in towns.
Ford Ranger
The Ford Ranger has two sides to it. For most people, the regular Ford Ranger is a great choice – it’s the best pickup truck available. It’s strong and can carry a lot, but still feels comfortable and much like driving a normal car. It can also handle off-road conditions quite well.
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But if you want the best off-road version, check out the Ranger Raptor. Instead of a sensible diesel, it has a loud and powerful V6 petrol engine. It comes with big tyres like those on a monster truck, special suspension that can handle big jumps, and a unique ‘Baja’ mode for fast off-road driving. It can’t carry as much as the normal Ranger, but when it comes to going off-road, it’s one of the best.
