In this week's Top Ten Auto's we hit the dirt tracks with the top ten Off Roaders. Our panel of judges from various newspapers get together to rate the off roader's.
Todays ten include the Landrover Defender, Mercedes M Class and Subaru Forester. But which will be top?
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Todays ten include the Landrover Defender, Mercedes M Class and Subaru Forester. But which will be top?
Don't forget to subscribe to our channel and hit the notification bell so you never miss a video!
------------------
Enjoyed this video? Don't forget to LIKE and SHARE the video and get involved with our community by leaving a COMMENT below the video!
Check out what else our channel has to offer and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to Men & Motors for more classic car and motorbike content! Why not? It is free after all!
Our website: http://menandmotors.com/
---- Social Media ----
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/menandmotors/
Instagram: @menandmotorstv
Twitter: @menandmotorstv
If you have any questions, e-mail us at talk@menandmotors.com
© Men and Motors - One Media iP 2023
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MotorTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:03 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:30 This is Dave Lee Travis saying welcome to the Top 10 Auto Show
00:34 for 2001.
00:36 Each week, we'll be counting down
00:37 the top 10 of the main categories of the motor world
00:40 as voted by our panel of editors from the UK's Top Car
00:43 magazines.
00:44 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:48 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:05 This week, we're going to take to the hills
01:07 and hit the dirt with the top 10 off-roaders.
01:10 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:17 In at number 10 is the farmer's choice, the Land Rover Defender.
01:21 Now, there's one you probably won't see on the school run.
01:25 This, the original 4x4, has recently
01:27 been given some fine tuning and creature comforts,
01:30 but still remains an off-road off-roader.
01:34 Now, there is nothing but nothing this side of an American-built
01:39 Hummer, maybe, that gives you the feeling of sheer
01:41 unstoppability you get when you climb behind the wheel of one
01:44 of these things, an original Defender.
01:47 I say original because, really, it
01:49 is one of the proper motoring icons.
01:50 The thing has not changed in decades,
01:53 and it's probably the best example of, if it ain't broke,
01:56 don't fix it.
01:57 While it's been a familiar sight on country fields
02:00 for over 50 years, this workhorse
02:02 has not only been used in agriculture.
02:04 Both the Army and the United Nations
02:06 rely heavily on the Defender in some of the toughest terrain
02:08 in the world.
02:10 Over the years, of course, it has appeared
02:12 in about a million different guises.
02:14 There's your standard blue and white farmer's one,
02:16 which you'll see all over the world.
02:18 But then there's special editions of also.
02:20 It's been used as fire engines by the police,
02:22 even, like this one, by a certain Lara Croft in Tomb
02:26 Raider.
02:26 This is a special edition to mark the fact
02:28 that it was used in the film.
02:29 I think it's fantastic.
02:31 What a toy.
02:32 When I was a kid, Jim will fix it was on the telly.
02:35 I wrote to him asking him if I could drive a Land Rover.
02:38 That's true.
02:39 Don't tell anyone.
02:41 It's embarrassing.
02:42 [MUSIC PLAYING]
02:45 Its dependability is best demonstrated by the fact
02:47 that 3/4 of all Land Rovers ever sold are still working.
02:52 Can you believe that?
02:54 This means that demand for used Defenders is good,
02:57 making it a reasonable investment.
02:58 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:02 Number nine in our top 10 off-roaders is the world's top
03:17 selling 4x4.
03:18 Any guesses?
03:20 Well, it's the Ford Explorer.
03:23 Surprised?
03:24 Well, you'd be forgiven for getting it wrong,
03:26 as while the Explorer is the world's top selling 4x4,
03:29 it's far from the top of Britain's best seller list.
03:33 But now that they've reshaped the Explorer
03:35 to make it more Euro-friendly, the boys and girls at Ford
03:38 are hoping to build on their global sales here.
03:41 But why do they need to make it Euro-friendly?
03:43 Well, they think differently to us,
03:45 to our cousins across the pond.
03:47 In the States, the Explorer is described
03:49 as a compact four-wheel drive.
03:51 And it is, compared to the legendary oversized American
03:54 Tubbs.
03:55 But it is actually a foot longer.
03:57 The Land Rover Discovery.
03:58 Inside the Explorer, the cabin feels spacious and comfortable.
04:01 And that is still it never feels as big from behind the wheel
04:04 as you would imagine.
04:05 The driving position is comfortable.
04:07 And there's extremely good visibility.
04:10 As you'd expect from a vehicle that's
04:11 been in the top of the American charts for some years now,
04:14 equipment levels are extremely generous.
04:16 It includes all the usual powered windows, powered
04:18 mirrors, sunroof, remote central locking.
04:21 So there's some nice little luxuries.
04:23 Air conditioning, air conditioning, air conditioning,
04:26 air conditioning, cruise control,
04:28 and even a built-in compass.
04:30 And as we've been given this vehicle
04:32 to test in the middle of the Scottish Highlands,
04:34 the compass could come in extremely useful.
04:38 The 4x4 options are automated and hidden
04:40 behind a single switch.
04:42 Out of the way, so the Explorer can concentrate on pretending
04:45 to be a luxury car, but easy to activate
04:47 when you hit the trail.
04:49 The Ford Explorer, number nine in our top 10 off-roaders
04:52 of 2001.
04:53 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:57 Number eight, as chosen by our panel of UK motoring experts,
05:10 is the Mercedes M-Class.
05:13 Built in Alabama, USA, the M-Class
05:16 tries to bring together the traditional refinement
05:18 of Mercedes with the requirements of a sports
05:21 utility vehicle.
05:22 But how well does it do it?
05:24 With the elevated driving position,
05:26 or the PR likes to call it the commanding view position,
05:29 you do feel safe in the M-Class.
05:30 Visibility is very good, although the front pillars are
05:33 slightly irritating.
05:34 And the rear angular pillars seem unnecessarily large,
05:37 creating possible blind spots.
05:39 But safe you are.
05:41 With front, passenger, and side airbags,
05:43 it means that if you do get involved in the wacky races,
05:46 you're going to be in the equivalent of the executive
05:48 bouncy castle.
05:50 I always knew there was a big kid inside you, Brendan.
05:53 Mercedes are keen to show that their 4x4
05:56 is a capable off-roader.
05:57 So they've opened an off-road driving school
06:00 for new M-Class owners.
06:02 Lessons on how to tackle the speed
06:04 bumps in the supermarket car park are not included.
06:07 [MUSIC PLAYING]
06:10 [MUSIC PLAYING]
06:14 Sliding in at 7 is the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
06:24 And hopefully, that's all the sliding
06:26 you're going to find it doing.
06:28 This off-roader is a direct descendant
06:30 of the original 4x4, the Willys Jeep.
06:32 However, over the past 60 years, the Jeep
06:35 has evolved into something a bit more luxurious.
06:37 But is it still king of the off-road?
06:40 We all know the figures.
06:42 They're quoted often enough.
06:43 98% of 4x4 owners will never take their car off-road.
06:48 But in the case of Jeep, it is slightly different
06:50 because you're buying into a brand.
06:53 If you buy a Ferrari, you're probably
06:54 not going to drive everywhere at 180 miles an hour.
06:57 But you want to be damn sure that you could.
07:00 Very true, Richard.
07:02 But have Jeep managed to find the best of both worlds?
07:05 On the road, it certainly doesn't feel like a soft road.
07:08 It doesn't have that light and delicate touch to it.
07:10 You feel like you're in something pretty substantial.
07:13 But it's maybe not as cumbersome and clumpy
07:15 as the old Cherokee could be.
07:18 And there's extra boot space for your shopping,
07:20 too, now that the spare wheel has now been
07:23 moved outside to the tailgate.
07:25 So that's the high street taken care of.
07:27 But what about the high hills?
07:29 They may be readjusting slightly to meet the new soft road
07:32 of bias in the market.
07:34 But this is still very much a proper off-roader.
07:37 This will cope with things that you can't.
07:39 This will cope with things that your body can't.
07:45 [MUSIC PLAYING]
07:48 [LAUGHTER]
07:51 [MUSIC PLAYING]
07:55 [LAUGHTER]
08:04 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:09 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:12 Oh, Richard, don't be such a coward.
08:24 Number seven, ladies and gentlemen,
08:26 the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
08:27 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:31 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:34 Our number six, as decided by our panel,
08:43 is the big daddy of the 4x4 market, the Nissan Patrol.
08:48 Why is it the big daddy?
08:49 Because it's big, very big.
08:52 It's like they designed it in feet and built it in meters.
08:57 It doesn't make any attempt to hide the fact
08:59 that it is massive.
09:01 Seriously, you might as well get up in the morning,
09:03 wander downstairs to the kitchen, put the kettle on,
09:05 and start the house and pull away on the school run
09:08 with the kids still in bed.
09:09 It is that big.
09:11 Richard, I told you a million times before,
09:14 stop exaggerating.
09:16 The main criticism, however, is that the standard 2.8 turbo
09:19 diesel engine doesn't match the size with power.
09:22 But Nissan have used gadgetry to squeeze out
09:24 every last bit of power.
09:26 And boy, do they need it.
09:28 Engine power aside, how does such a big car feel to drive?
09:33 It's got adjustable stabilizer at the back
09:35 on the anti-roll bar, which means
09:37 when you're driving on the road, you can switch it on.
09:39 And it'll stabilize out some of that wobble and roll.
09:42 As soon as you go off road, you don't want that,
09:44 so you can switch it off.
09:45 And that gives you a hint.
09:47 It might look big and brutal, but it is.
09:49 But it does have on board a huge amount of technology.
09:53 Technology?
09:54 What technology?
09:56 We've got electrically adjustable seats
09:58 in pretty much every direction, air conditioner, of course,
10:00 electric windows, heated mirrors.
10:03 We've also got a rather nifty electric compass.
10:05 None of those nasty stick-on round ones.
10:08 This one up here, digitally, gives me an indication
10:11 as to where I'm going.
10:13 I'd rather know what road I'm on,
10:14 but it's nice to know I'm going west-ish.
10:17 (upbeat music)
10:19 Weighing in at number five is another massive beast,
10:34 the Toyota Land Cruiser Amazon.
10:36 Named after the race of female warriors,
10:39 this machine is like those scary ladies
10:42 not one to mess with.
10:43 Huge power, but rather lumbering and better suited
10:47 for the long straight roads of the US of A
10:49 than the narrow windy ones in the UK.
10:51 With a name like Amazon, you know it's gonna be big.
10:55 But it's getting to groups with just how big
10:57 that really boggles the mind.
10:59 It's big and tough, but it still has a softer side.
11:04 It can carry up to seven adults in the lap of luxury
11:07 with high specifications of safety, comfort, and security.
11:11 Not surprisingly, there's a V8 petrol.
11:13 In this case, it's a 4.6 liter, 230 brake
11:16 with about 430-odd newton meters of torque available.
11:20 And then there's this.
11:21 It's a 4.2 liter, straight six, 24 valve,
11:27 intercooled turbo diesel.
11:29 Yummy.
11:31 The trouble with this mammoth of a four by four
11:39 is that once it gets momentum behind simple maneuvers
11:42 such as taking a corner or even stopping,
11:45 require forward thinking.
11:47 It's all about Newton's laws of motion.
11:49 But once you get used to driving this,
11:51 you'll find it a rewarding drive
11:53 and you're in a safe environment.
11:55 Once you've overcome the thing's initial hesitation
11:57 to move at all, and it's not surprising it does
12:00 because it's a bit like falling away in a bungalow, really.
12:02 It actually lopes along quite nicely.
12:04 Sure, it's very big and very heavy,
12:06 but it's also very powerful, loaded with technology
12:09 to make it all a bit easier,
12:10 and undeniably, very comfortable.
12:12 (upbeat music)
12:15 - This is Dave Lee Travis saying welcome
12:29 to the Top 10 Auto Show for 2001.
12:32 This week, the top 10 off-roaders.
12:41 - In at number four, named after the Japanese warrior,
12:44 the Mitsubishi Shogun.
12:46 Mitsubishi seemed to have achieved the impossible
12:48 by lowering the center of gravity
12:50 while raising the ground clearance,
12:52 simultaneously improving both on and off-road handling.
12:56 However, the new independent suspension
12:58 can make you feel slightly seasick on tarmac.
13:01 So if a four by four is what you're after,
13:04 well, the Mitsubishi Shogun is one of the best to drive,
13:07 barring something like the latest BMW X5.
13:10 You of course sit very high,
13:11 you get a very commanding view of the road ahead.
13:14 The ride is comfortable and smooth,
13:16 and the steering is surprisingly sharp and responsive.
13:20 You do need to work these diesel engines hard though
13:22 to make any sort of rapid progress.
13:24 In a way, the Shogun drives as well as a car, like a golf.
13:33 All cars are a compromise,
13:34 but Mitsubishi have got the balance right
13:36 as it has excellent off-road agility,
13:39 yet it drives so well on tarmac with pin-sharp steering.
13:42 This has a tonkotori look to it.
13:58 It's beefy, it's rugged.
13:59 It's not a car that you want to get into an argument with.
14:02 And if you choose the five-door long wheelbase like this,
14:05 along with the diesel engine,
14:06 don't expect 30 or 40 for a gallon,
14:08 more like early 20s if you're lucky.
14:11 This is one heavy car.
14:12 Overall, the Shogun is a great, reliable package,
14:21 and our panel have voted it to number four.
14:23 Now let's enter this week's top three.
14:27 (MUSIC)
14:30 At number three is an off-roader
14:41 that's a national institution equal to the monarchy,
14:44 and some say just as expensive to maintain.
14:47 It's the Range Rover.
14:49 (MUSIC)
14:52 Just like the aristocracy, it might appear bland on the outside,
15:07 but this car is not so much a 4x4 as a status symbol.
15:11 This is the Rolls-Royce of the 4x4 world.
15:15 So there are hybrid off-roaders, there are soft-roaders,
15:18 there are proper 4x4s,
15:19 there's big 4x4s, really big 4x4s,
15:23 and then there's the Range Rover,
15:24 which is, let's face it, the daddy of them all.
15:27 (MUSIC)
15:30 This car is so luxurious,
15:39 it almost seems a shame to take it off-road to get it dirty.
15:43 But that was what it was built for, wasn't it?
15:45 Of course, when it comes to off-road credibility,
15:47 well, the Range Rover has oodles of it.
15:49 It goes back, it's in its blood, its lineage.
15:52 But in many ways, you could look at it as a kind of hybrid.
15:55 I mean, it is an off-road across with a luxury car,
15:58 and I do mean luxury.
16:00 It's rather like silver buckles and a mint lining on your wellies,
16:03 if you see what I mean.
16:04 A fine vehicle if you can afford to buy and run one,
16:07 but don't buy one just yet.
16:09 To stop your status symbol slipping in price,
16:12 you're better off waiting for the new 2002 model,
16:15 although there are quite a few good used bargains around.
16:18 (MUSIC)
16:21 The Range Rover, number three in our top ten off-roaders of 2001.
16:28 (MUSIC)
16:31 So, two more to go.
16:43 Can you guess what number one is yet?
16:45 At number two are the subdued lines of the Subaru Forester.
16:49 The Forester may be an estate and 4x4 hybrid,
16:52 but this results in a vehicle that is less of a compromise to drive
16:56 than the competition.
16:57 The Forester is already a bit of a hybrid,
16:59 being part off-roader and part estate car.
17:02 But in turbo S cars, well, you've got to add a third title into that mix,
17:06 performance car,
17:08 because the engine and the suspension are lifted almost directly
17:11 from the mighty Subaru Impreza Turbo,
17:14 which means it's big, it's chunky, it's got loads of space in the back,
17:18 and it'll shame many a hot hatch.
17:20 Now, that is what I call a hybrid.
17:23 It has been said that the Forester looks like the Popemobile,
17:27 but it has also been described as a big Impreza Turbo with off-road ability.
17:31 Now, there's a combination.
17:33 Perhaps His Holiness could use it,
17:35 should he need to spend time in the wilderness.
17:37 You don't buy a Subaru, any Subaru,
17:40 because you only ever feel happy in the rarefied atmosphere
17:43 of a gentleman's club.
17:44 So if rather rough-ty, tough-ty plastics leave you craving warmer and leather,
17:48 you'll be looking elsewhere.
17:50 But what you do buy a Subaru for is a kind of rugged performance,
17:54 which in the case of the Forester means,
17:56 well, I don't think I'd want to climb a mountain in it,
17:59 it's not that kind of off-roader,
18:00 but I wouldn't be frightened to cross any muddy field quickly.
18:05 With the new model benefiting from increased power and equipment
18:08 at a reduced price on the previous make,
18:10 the Forester is excellent value in comparison to the competition.
18:14 So, before we announce the number one off-roader for 2001,
18:26 let's run down the top ten so far from ten to two.
18:29 At number ten, the farmer's favourite, the Land Rover Defender.
18:38 At number nine, the world's best-selling 4x4, the Ford Explorer.
18:42 At number eight, the stateside-built Mercedes M-Class.
18:49 At number seven, another all-American beast, the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
18:57 At number six, the first of the Japanese contenders, the Nissan Patrol.
19:05 At number five, another huge Japanese off-roader,
19:08 the Toyota Land Cruiser Amazon.
19:11 At number four, the legendary Shogun from Mitsubishi.
19:17 At number three, to the man abhorrent, the Range Rover.
19:24 And at number two, Subaru's all-weather Forester.
19:34 And so, on to the number one off-roader of 2001,
19:38 voted by our exclusive panel of the editors
19:40 from the UK's top motoring magazines.
19:43 At number one is an old favourite that has recently gone further upmarket.
19:53 It is the Land Rover Discovery.
19:56 The Discovery, or the Disco as it's affectionately known,
19:59 has gone up in the world.
20:01 Moving upmarket towards the dizzy heights of its big brother, the Range Rover,
20:05 and with a price tag to match.
20:07 So, what's new about the Disco?
20:09 Well, increased interior space, a cutting-edge suspension,
20:13 new engine and a revamped interior with a marked improvement in quality.
20:17 You're not going to be worried about getting the thing mucky.
20:19 And there are definite advantages to that high-up driving position
20:22 in this lofty, airy cabin.
20:24 And then there's a proper off-road four-wheel drive system
20:27 with a high and low-range transmission.
20:29 And a clever descent gizmo to help you get down really steep hills.
20:33 And there's no need to sacrifice any of life's little comforts either.
20:36 Mr Jones is quite accustomed to his electric seats,
20:39 to his electric mirrors and his electric sunroof.
20:41 The new Discovery also has in its possession
20:43 Land Rover's Active Cornering Enhancement, or ACE,
20:46 which helps it bridge the gulf between on- and off-road driving.
20:50 Now, there's accommodation back here for another two people,
20:53 and it's extremely clever.
20:54 When you don't need it, it's stowage.
20:56 With the headrest folding up into the roof
20:59 and the rear seats folding sideways into the boot space itself.
21:03 When they are in sight, then the rear seat passengers
21:05 have luxurious little touches like their own individual cup holders
21:09 and tray down by the side,
21:10 and even control for each person over the CD player.
21:14 And I call that rather clever thinking.
21:16 And yes, the Disco can drive itself,
21:19 but only downhill at 5.6 miles per hour
21:21 using its HDC or HDD technology.
21:24 And whether you're crossing the untamed wilderness
21:27 or cruising down the M6, you don't have to go it alone.
21:30 There's plenty of room for all the family.
21:33 So, congratulations to Land Rover.
21:45 Not only voted into our top ten three times,
21:48 but voted to the top spot with the Land Rover.
21:51 This is Dave Lee Travis saying thanks for watching.
21:54 Join us next week when we run down the top ten executive cars.
21:58 Join us next week when we run down the top ten executive cars.
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