Guest blog by car enthusiast Aurora Johnson on behalf of www.centralcontracts.com – a specialist car leasing company.

Nissan has been on a roll recently. The Nissan Juke, Leaf, GT-R and 370Z have all been extremely popular, but there’s one other car that’s been particularly amazing – the Nissan Qashqai

It may have a slightly strange name, but the Qashqai is without a doubt one of the best cars to be produced by Nissan in recent years.

Whether you want an affordable car for off-roading fun, a comfortable cruiser to accommodate the family on a long drive, or perhaps just something different with rarity value, there’s something for everyone…

TARGET PRICE: £2500

OFF-ROAD FUN
Jeep Wrangler
A combination of perceived iconic value and relative rarity have contrived to keep the value of old Jeeps at a surprisingly high level – we’ve seen a 1990 Wrangler being offered for sale at £7000 which, even allowing for the half-tonne of chrome trim that had been bolted on to it, was patently ridiculous; similarly we were horrified to see bidders at a recent auction paying £1500 for a shabby 1992 example, dented by hard off-road use, on smooth tyres and lacking tax or MOT. However, we have also seen a few well-maintained examples – though some with over 100,000 miles on them – from 1993 and 1994 going for under £2500. Bear in mind that this is the first-generation YJ Wrangler, easily identified by its rectangular headlamps, which in standard form rides low on rather small wheels and is therefore not quite as competent off-road as the later TJ; however it’s not difficult or particularly expensive to give the leaf-sprung YJ Wrangler a lift to enhance its ground clearance, after which it becomes one of the best fun-factor off-roaders to drive and to be seen in. The car should have its GRP hardtop attached, this can be unbolted and removed for that brief period of sunny summer. The 4.0-litre straight-six is the one to buy, for its power and reliability, most will have the automatic transmission, though a rare few had a five-speed manual. The 2.5-litre four-cylinder alternative is underpowered, the engine overworked and prone to excessive wear, listen for unexpected rattles and knocks, look out for oil leaks and grey exhaust smoke.

The Land Rovers at the West Midland Safari Park are more than just transport. At times, they need to intervene between a charging rhino and its intended target! In charge of both machines and the wild animals is a man once told he might never walk again…

Words and photography: Nigel Fryatt

For such a big off-roader, it was surprisingly nimble, and moved effortlessly across the wet grass. Grip and directional ability were precise and the target destination would be achieved without any need to select low range. It was then that the Land Rover intervened, gently encouraging the massive two tonne rhino to slow down and alter course, the big off-roader slamming on its inbuilt brakes while giving out something of a disgruntled ‘huff’…

We were sitting watching this from the safety of Bob Lawrence’s battered and bruised Land Rover Discovery. The rhino in question had been ambling, with surprising agility, towards a young giraffe that had lolloped away rather quickly. The ranger in the Land Rover Defender 90 had seen the potential problem and ‘encouraged’ the massive horned beast to change its mind, and direction. Just in case, the Land Rover had a substantial bull bar (‘rhino bar?’) at the front, but somehow, if it ever came to it, you knew who would come off best. Indeed, one camel-coloured Discovery also had a mismatched black door: ‘Rhino damage’, explained Bob. The 4x4s at the West Midland Safari and Leisure Park have a tough life, and are worked hard; much like every one of the rangers driving them. Experienced campaigners, all of them, none more so than Director of Wildlife, Bob Lawrence.

Veteran tow car tester, Clive White, gives an expert insight into The Caravan Club’s Tow car of the Year competition and offers advice on choosing the right 4×4 for towing

Photography courtesy of the Caravan Club, www.caravanclub.co.uk 

I’ve been putting tow cars through their paces for The Caravan Club Magazine (and its predecessor, En Route magazine) since 1991, and during that time four-wheel drive towing vehicles have really come into their own.

In the early 90s, few 4x4s would be found on the entry lists of the annual Tow car of the Year competition, and those that were, often tended towards the utilitarian variety. Apart from the heavyweights like the Range Rover and Land Rover Discovery, Far Eastern models were usually derived from light commercial vehicles, with handling, refinement and performance levels to match – unsuitable for our needs.

Chosen more by off-roading enthusiasts and farmers, they were originally not the ideal family-friendly vehicles that would appeal to the majority of caravanners. Those who ventured into off-roader leisure towing at the time had to choose between gas-guzzling petrol engines or noisy, performance-starved diesels.

Once you’ve bought your 4×4, the time will come when you need to decide about replacement tyres. And how do you make the correct decision? Our advice is to ask the experts, that’s exactly what we did…

Words: Nigel Fryatt

You could argue, strongly, that they are the single most important component on your 4×4. Regardless of whether you drive a ‘soft’ SUV fitted with an ‘intelligent’ torque-sensing four-wheel drive system over which you have no control, or one with the very latest multi-sensor sophistication of a terrain specific transmission, complete with lockable diffs and mind-bogglingly responsive traction control systems, you won’t get far without them. Back in the tarmac world, 4x4s have higher centres of gravity than ‘ordinary’ vehicles, roll more significantly in corners and generally weigh more and so take longer to stop, even in the most benign of conditions. The failure to run appropriate tyres for your needs isn’t just an inconvenience, or a minor disadvantage, it can verge on the disastrous. If you own a 4×4, you do so because you have made a specific decision; it’s important that such a process is also made on what tyres you run. The correct tyre choice is vital, and not just to ensure you get out of that muddy bomb hole during a pay and play day, thus saving face and displaying your own personal driving prowess. It’s not too dramatic to point out that your tyre decisions, in certain circumstances, could be life saving.

It is officially summer, so that means it must be time for a camping feature. Good accommodation for your individual needs is very important. With the help of Nene Overland we look at some varied tent options, which include some new options

Words and photography: Hils Everitt

If you are a 4×4 owner and enjoy the outdoors, then camping is a great way to breathe some fresh air and discover those delights that the UK, and the rest of the world for that matter, are offering. Good camping is reliant on good accommodation that suits your specific need, and that is where the tent comes in. There is a variety out there to suit 4×4 owners and their requirements.

Over the last couple of years another form of outdoor accommodation has sprung onto the UK market. Well, we say sprung but this form of tent has been around for centuries, we just have adapted it to the modern world. The Tentipi company is Swedish, but you can get hold of one via UK agents, one of which is Nene Overland.

This particular form of high comfort camping is de rigeur these days, but there are still other options if the larger living/bedroom-in-one isn’t quite what you need. We asked Chris Hill, Nene’s expedition specialist, his views on the various options, which include the ‘new’ Tentipi.

Iceland’s interior is off-road adventure not to be missed, and if you can experience its magnificent and mind-blowing scenery under the expert guiding and driving of our good friends at Arctic Trucks you are in for the treat of a lifetime

Words and Photography: Hils Everitt

It wasn’t quite what our guide Gisli expected. “We knew there was some snow but not quite this much,” he laughed as he started to rock the Toyota Land Cruiser 150 Series 60th Anniversary model, attempting to get over the huge wall of snow.

Gisli Jonsson of Arctic Trucks, based in Reykjavik, had bulldozed through the deep snow and slush earlier in the deserted region of Iceland’s Blaskogaheioi valley with little resistance. But as the snow became more compacted, even the mighty Arctic Trucks modded Toyota with its 38in AT405 Radial studded tyres couldn’t just rumble through the seemingly impenetrable wall.

A few run-ups were needed, plus some gentle (increasing to rhythmic) rocking, to get us through and we were back on our way again. It was a grey and wet day, but horrible weather in Iceland doesn’t make too much difference. It is an island of such sheer beauty and diverse landscapes that even when the skies are grey and overcast, and it’s intermittently drizzling with rain, the sheer scale and majesty of its features more than make up for the lack of blue sky and sunshine.

American character and excellent luxury specification in a practical and stylish SUV with good road manners and excellent off-road agility make for what has to be one of the best second-hand buys on the market today

Price range: £1000 – £7000

The second-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee was a significant improvement over its predecessor. The styling was similar but smoother and more aerodynamic; the leather-upholstered interior was just as opulently equipped but mechanical refinement and road behaviour were markedly better, a consequence of much attention to suspension bushings and settings. The most notable improvement, however, was the introduction of an all-new, powerful and efficient engine that at a stroke made the big Jeep a more effective rival to the all-conquering Range Rover. The engine was the  4.7-litre V8, matching the power of the Range Rover’s 4.6-litre V8 but delivering quicker acceleration and higher top speed, not to mention better fuel consumption, because of being some 250kg lighter than its British rival. It was also significantly cheaper – at under £35,000 the 4.7-litre Grand Cherokee seriously undercut even the cheapest Range Rover, the 2.5 DT at nearly £40,000, let alone the £51,000 4.6HSE.

Who’s who in the world of ATVs? We take a detailed look at the market for quad bikes, putting them through their paces on a full working farm. Highly entertaining, they would make fantastic leisure 4x4s, but can they work for a living? And just how good is this new electric model?

Words: Howard Sherren   Photography and test riding: Wayne Mitchelson

For many, these are the ideal 4×4. Small, nimble, great fun to drive and highly capable of doing serious work when needed. But how do you choose the quad for you? We took six quads to a 250-acre livestock farm in Cheshire to see how they handled on a number of operations. Models came from the five key players in the market, with the exception of Yamaha, unable to supply us a machine at this time. More significant, perhaps, is the fact that we were able to try the latest electric ATV, the Eco Charger, which gave us a chance to see how a small manufacturing firm could compete with the existing leaders.

With an all-new Range Rover Sport on the way, second-hand prices of the current model, with its renowned blend of luxury and performance, look set to drop to more affordable levels

Price range: £12,000 – £70,000

When is a Range Rover not a Range Rover? That was a question asked by many when the Range Rover Sport first broke cover in 2005, because it quickly became known that the Sport was based on a trimmed-down Discovery 3 chassis. The answer is that it really doesn’t matter, and you only have to consider the popularity of the Freelander-based Range Rover Evoque to accept that the underpinnings are inconsequential, what does matter is the stunning appearance, blistering performance and exquisite interior opulence of the car, whatever badge it’s wearing. As for the Range Rover Sport, it had our seal of approval right from the start, winning the 2006 edition of our 4×4 Of The Year competition (which was actually published in the September 2005 issue). What we said at the time still stands: There could be only one winner, because there was only one car that filled our enthusiast senses with its unbelievable blend of charismatic off-road ability and breathtaking on-road performance. These qualities could to a large extent be applied to the Range Rover and the Discovery 3, but what if you combined the best values from each of these stunning originals?