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Four-wheel-drive vehicles have certainly had a bad press in the last 10 years. Their poor fuel
economy combined with high running costs, the amount of space they take up and their heavy
weight has seen them lambasted by the green movement. However, south east England has an
awful lot of countryside and, in snow or rain, much of it turns to mud. There is, and will always
be, a market for four-wheel-drive cars both as farm tools for ploughing through fields, and
status symbols. Some do both, and below is our pick of our favourite four.
Range Rover
�56,000
The choice of Royals and the well-heeled
for nearly 40 years, the Range Rover
combines off-road capability with sheer
luxury and a sense that no matter what the
terrain in front of you, you'll be able to
charge over or across it in extreme comfort.
Subaru Legacy Outback
�28,150
This estate has enough room for the
whole family and a massive boot to store
your kit. With the new boxer diesel
engine, it's fairly economical and its
sophisticated four-wheel-drive system
means it'll handle muddy fields.
Volvo XC90
�32,845
Comfortable, classy and competent, the
diesel versions are a bit noisy but the
petrols are really quite quick. This
Volvo isn't a particularly sharp handler,
but it's got a well thought-out interior
and a smooth ride on the motorway.
Our choice
Land Rover Freelander 2
�21,205
Clearly our choice was always going to
have a Land Rover badge on the front.
With the Defender, Freelander, Discovery
or Range Rover to choose from, the
Freelander stands out as the middle sibling
punching well above its weight. Extremely
capable off road, it shames its rivals in the
muddy stuff and on road the Freelander
behaves itself too, with minimal body roll
and almost car-like handling.
The interior is robust and solid,
although the dashboard in a little
cluttered, and an extensive options list
means you can have as many luxury
appointments as you want. For its on and
off-road competence, the Land Rover
Freelander 2 is our top choice.
Four-wheel drives
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