Best 4x4 cars 2026

High quality 4x4 cars from rated and reviewed dealers

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Mercedes-AMG G63, 2025, RHD - front static
Mario Christou
Mario Christou
Senior Reviews Writer
Last updated on: 17/02/2026

Best 4x4s of 2026 in the UK

The best 4x4s on sale differentiate themselves from the best SUVs by having a degree of proper off-roading ability and four wheel drive - not just a boxy silhouette. There are some mud-plugging staples on sale today, such as the Land Rover Defender and Toyota Land Cruiser, which have been around for over half a century.

Not all 4x4 cars are big, squared-off things, like the Mercedes G-Class and Jeep Wrangler. The Dacia Duster is just as happy in town as it is on a green lane, for example, while the Range Rover and Volvo XC90 are seriously posh things, perfect for the school run.

Our expert reviews team have comprehensively tested every 4x4 car on sale in the UK, subjecting them to real-world scenarios to see what’s what. Here are our ten favourites:

Land Rover Defender 110

1. Land Rover Defender

9/10
Land Rover Defender 110 review
Best for: daily driving

The Land Rover Defender is a car that can do it all. It’s one of the most legendary names in off-roading, so of course it’s accomplished on the rough stuff, but it also makes a fantastic family car and a superbly comfortable long-distance cruiser.

The Defender name is synonymous with off-roading and while the current Defender might not be quite as simple and rugged as its predecessor it makes up for it with a suite of sophisticated electronics designed to keep you going in whatever direction the nose is pointed, over any terrain.

Land Rover’s Terrain Response system makes sure the Defender is set up correctly whether you’re driving on slippery sand, through deep ruts or trying to rock crawl. It takes the guesswork out of off-road driving and means that the Defender is extremely friendly to those who haven’t really ventured off the tarmac before.

Many Defenders never even make it to any terrain more taxing than Kensington, though, so it’s good to know that this is a seriously multi-talented car. Whether you go for the ballistic V8 engine, the tax-friendly plug-in hybrid or one of the eminently sensible diesel options, you can be sure that you’ll get a pleasant driving experience.

It’s especially good on a long journey where squashy suspension and excellent refinement make it feel really luxurious. Even round town, it’s not too bad - you get a high driving position, light and accurate controls and plenty of driver assistance kit to take the sting out of parking or tight roads.

It’s practical, too. The 110 model here is the sweet spot of the bunch, having up to seven seats but being manageable in dimensions. The eight-seater 130 is overkill, while the smaller 90 looks insanely cool but has cramped back seats and a minuscule boot.

Other 4x4s are cheaper, more spacious and a bit less ‘look at me!’ in style - but the Land Rover Defender is a hugely impressive package and if you need to go off road, there’s almost nothing better.

What's good

  • Practical interior with seven seats
  • Wide range of excellent engines
  • Comfortable on-road and capable off it

What’s not so good

  • High running costs
  • Tight third row
  • Question marks over reliability
Toyota Land Cruiser

2. Toyota Land Cruiser

8/10
Toyota Land Cruiser review
Best for: ultimate dependability

There’s a reason that everyone from explorers to the UN uses Toyota products - they’re legendarily long-lasting and reliable. The latest Land Cruiser looks set to continue that enviable legacy.

Not only is it super-rugged, capable of matching or even beating the best Land Rovers with its off-road accomplishments, but Toyota in the UK gives you an unbeatable ten years of warranty cover, compared to just three years for most alternatives.

Off-roading in the Land Cruiser is easy - it doesn’t have so many flashy aids as the Land Rover Defender, but what it does have is enough to keep you going over just about any terrain. Combined with seriously tough bodywork, loads of traction and the toughest of the tough four-wheel drive systems, there shouldn’t be anywhere you can’t go.

The Land Cruiser comes with just one engine - a 2.7-litre diesel - so don’t expect a rip-roaring V8 under the hood. It’s very much a dutiful rather than spectacular unit, but it has enough performance for effortless off-roading and doesn’t feel underpowered on the road either.

Speaking of on-road driving, the Land Cruiser isn’t quite as comfortable as a Land Rover Defender - but you certainly don’t suffer too much for having this 4x4. It’s quiet and refined enough on a long drive, and the standard automatic gearbox means it’s not too much of a pain to drive in town either.

And the Land Cruiser’s interior is just as hardwearing as the outside. Built like a true tank, it’s well up to the rigours of family life and outdoor pursuits alike, with plenty of wipe-clean surfaces just waiting to be muddied up again.

Perhaps the best thing about the Land Cruiser is its achingly cool retro-classic looks, though. The Land Rover Defender may have a few design details that hark back to previous models - the Land Cruiser is a full-on homage, from the cool circular headlights to the choice of vintage-inspired paint schemes. It’s definitely retro done right.

What's good

  • Incredibly cool
  • Genuine space for seven
  • Fantastic off-road

What’s not so good

  • Noisy diesel engine
  • Interior feels a bit dark
  • Pricey

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Mercedes-Benz G-Class

3. Mercedes G-Class

8/10
Mercedes-Benz G-Class review
Best for: looking the part

The Mercedes G-Class is a 4x4 that’s very hard to buy with the head. For starters, it’s colossally expensive - even the most basic model starts at nearly £140,000, and if you want the very top AMG model you’ll be looking at a bill in excess of £200,000. Spending the price of a three-bed semi on a car is never a logical choice.

Available versions range from a semi-sensible diesel option to the absolutely bonkers G63 AMG with more than 600hp.

The G-Class does go some way to warranting that with the sheer force of presence it conveys. Very few cars make an entrance as well as a G-Class - no matter whether you’re pulling up outside the Ritz or heading through the McDonald’s drive-thru, people notice you.

It’s also an example of a design institution that’s been sympathetically updated over the years. The current G-Class looks very similar to the original model that debuted back in the late 70s, but it has up-to-date engines and a modern interior shoehorned into a body that feels very retro.

From the moment you open the bank vault-like door and clamber up into the driver’s seat, you feel a sense of imperiousness that you don’t even get from a Range Rover. In traffic, the only people sitting higher than you are those driving buses or lorries, so you can sneer down at those people who ‘only’ spent five figures on their cars.

Head into the rough stuff and you’ll find the G-Class’ rugged looks reflect reality. This is a car that can seriously go anywhere, as comfortable blasting across sand dunes as it is rock crawling.

You do compromise a little more than you do in more modern alternatives, though. Despite its size, passenger space in the G-Class is pretty poor, and if you carry a bit too much speed into the corner you’ll feel the effects of its old-fashioned chassis pretty quickly.

What's good

  • Fabulous interior
  • Almost unstoppable off-road
  • G 63 models are supercar-quick

What’s not so good

  • Very expensive
  • Alternatives are better to drive
  • Thirsty V8 petrol engine
Volvo XC90
2026
Adventurer's Choice Award
Winner

4. Volvo XC90

8/10
Volvo XC90 review
Battery range up to 23 miles
Best for: sleek styling

It’s hard to believe that this generation of the Volvo XC90 has been around for over a decade, because a 2024 update took an already handsome car and brought its styling bang up to date.

The sleek headlights with a new take on the ‘Thor’s Hammer’ LEDs, a wide grille which resembles the lapels on a pin-stripe suit, crisp wheel arches and tall, slender taillights look fantastic. It looks far less shouty than a Mercedes G-Class and far more refined than a Jeep Wrangler.

Step inside and you’re presented with an equally stylish cabin - which looks distinct from its German, American and Korean counterparts. The portrait-oriented infotainment display is powered by Google, making it slick to look at and use. Material quality is superb and the seats are not only comfortable, but spacious too.

You’ll find a pair of extra seats in the boot, and while there are more spacious seven-seaters on sale, adults can fit in the back with little fuss. With the last row stowed away, boot space is generous, too.

There are two engine options for the XC90. The entry-level choice is a 2.0-litre petrol engine with mild hybrid assistance, but there’s also a far more powerful plug-in hybrid version, which makes for much swifter progress.

The PHEV is also the better choice if you spend a lot of time in town, where you can potter about silently on electric power alone. Neither version is particularly gentle over bumps, but the Volvo settles down into a comfortable motorway cruise, and it feels stable and composed on a country lane.

What's good

  • Lots of space for up to seven
  • Good boot space even with every seat occupied
  • Plenty of high-tech safety features

What’s not so good

  • Doesn’t drive as well as the best big SUVs
  • There’s more room in the third row of a Defender 130
  • Only two engine options
Land Rover Discovery

5. Land Rover Discovery

9/10
Land Rover Discovery review
Best for: seven passengers

The Land Rover Discovery is the less glamorous and marginally less capable sibling to the Land Rover Defender (above). It doesn’t quite have the off-road supremacy of its more roughty-toughty sibling, but it retains the same four-wheel drive system and Terrain Response features, which means it can go further off the beaten track than almost any other seven-seat ‘SUV’.

Inside the Discovery’s slightly bulbous body - it’s not exactly a looker - you’ll find one of the roomiest interiors on any SUV. Seven six-foot adults can genuinely get comfortable, with each row set slightly higher than the one ahead of it to give a stadium-style seating arrangement ensuring everybody gets a good view out.

The interior feels seriously luxurious as well - not as plush as a Range Rover or as overtly outdoorsy as the Defender, but a nice happy medium between the two.

If you want a Discovery for work rather than play, then you could always opt for the Commercial variant. This eschews the rear seats for a load area like a van, but one that still looks and drives just like a posh SUV.

And with some nice sensible diesel and petrol engines to choose from, the Discovery makes an excellent daily driver for large families, capable of surprisingly good fuel economy.

What's good

  • Comfortable and quiet
  • Room for seven adults
  • Brilliant off-road

What’s not so good

  • Styling isn't to all tastes
  • Some rivals are better on-road
  • Small boot with seven seats in place
Dacia Duster

6. Dacia Duster

9/10
Dacia Duster review
Best for: great value

The Dacia Duster range is almost unbelievably good value. It’s so well-priced that we gave it the Smart Spender title in the 2025 Carwow Car of the Year awards. For most people, the entry-level Duster, or even the super-efficient Duster hybrid will be the best options - but Dacia does still offer this SUV with proper four-wheel drive for those who want to go off the beaten track on a budget.

Paired to a modest 1.3-litre engine and a manual gearbox the four-wheel drive Duster makes no attempt to be a luxury car - it even looks pretty cheap, but it hides an impressive level of specification for something so affordable. The interior may not be plush but it’s robust and very usable, with a surprisingly good touchscreen infotainment system that covers all the basics.

The Duster is also great to drive - it has nice light controls, good visibility and feels agile in the corners. Some SUVs are sportier to drive - but those are the SUVs that’d be defeated by a slightly muddy driveway, whereas the Duster has already proven over on our YouTube channel that it’s something of a giant-slayer at off-roading, capable of holding its own against cars two or three times the price.

What's good

  • Great value
  • Four-wheel drive available
  • Keeps the Duster's character intact

What’s not so good

  • Cheap plastics inside
  • Seats don't fold totally flat
  • No more diesel option
Subaru Forester

7. Subaru Outback

8/10
Subaru Forester review
Best for: old-school charm

The Subaru Forester, with its tough features, durable cabin and low-powered engine may as well be an SUV from about twenty years ago. As an off-roader, that’s a very good thing. It’s very rugged compared to other medium-sized SUVs, if a bit slow and inefficient.

It isn’t what you’d call stylish, though, more…ultilitarian. Angular wheel arches and a wide front grille with aggressive headlights are the design highlights, but the real treat to the Forester is its low shoulder line and massive windows - meaning lots of visibility all round.

The cabin is fairly basic in design and it’s full of tough, solidly-built - if not plush - materials. The Forester soldiers on with analogue instrument dials, which are charming, but combined with the slow infotainment display feel dated.

The seats are hugely comfortable all round, and there’s plenty of room both front and back, even for tall adults. The boot isn’t huge, but on par with alternative SUVs.

Die-hard Subaru enthusiasts rejoice, because the Forester still has a ‘Boxer’ four-cylinder engine under the bonnet, paired with a CVT automatic gearbox. It’s smooth and relaxed around the city, but it’s inefficient compared to other SUVs and it feels a bit underpowered, too.

Still, it’s massively comfortable both in town and on the motorway. However, the gearbox is a let down when accelerating up to the national speed limit, as putting your foot down generates an awful racket as the revs spike. Don’t even try to tackle a country lane with any verve, as the Forester has a lot of body lean around bends.

What's good

  • Superbly comfortable
  • Feels built to last
  • Great off-road

What’s not so good

  • Very slow
  • Old-fashioned touchscreen
  • Quite thirsty
Jeep Wrangler

8. Jeep Wrangler

5/10
Jeep Wrangler review
Best for: fun in the sun

The Jeep Wrangler is another true off-road institution, being descended from the original WWII Willys Jeep. In fact, find a bumpy road and you may wonder if the suspension has received any sort of an upgrade since the 1940s - when it comes to on-road dynamics, the Wrangler is near the bottom of the pack, being bouncy, noisy, and thirsty.

But it makes up for it by being tremendous off-road - especially if you go for the chunky Rubicon model - and looking fantastic with its retro styling and bright colour palette.

You can even remove the roof and the front doors for the full California beach effect, though you’ll need to find somewhere to put them, of course - you might find it’s better to specify the full-length fabric sunroof instead.

What's good

  • Unstoppable off-road
  • Lots of standard equipment
  • Plenty of personalisation options

What’s not so good

  • Expensive to buy
  • Uncomfy on the road
  • Terrible safety rating
INEOS Grenadier

9. INEOS Grenadier

5/10
INEOS Grenadier review
Best for: old-school appeal

The Ineos Grenadier is what you get when one of the richest men in the UK believes that Land Rover should never have stopped building the old Defender. The Ineos Grenadier captures the spirit of off-roaders of old, but adds a modern twist with six-cylinder engines poached from BMW.

The Grenadier has a wild interior festooned with switchgear - almost too many switches, if we’re honest - and hose-down surfaces. It’s superlative offroad thanks to old-school tech - a proper ladder chassis and even old-fashioned recirculating ball steering, which reduces kickback from poor surfaces.

However, those factors do make it rather unappealing to drive on the road - the Grenadier is noisy, thirsty, uncomfortable, and the steering feels downright weird. It’s a real niche offering.

What's good

  • Brilliant off-road
  • Comfortable over bumps
  • Chunky buttons for everything

What’s not so good

  • Unnervingly vague steering
  • Noisy at high speeds
  • Clunky infotainment
Range Rover

10. Range Rover

9/10
Range Rover review
Best for: off-road luxury

Other cars on this list are off-roaders with luxury features - the Range Rover is a luxury car that just happens to also be a spectacularly good off-roader. Whichever seat you’re sat in you’ll enjoy truly sumptuous comfort in the plushest of surroundings, with air suspension taking the sting out of the worst road surfaces and wonderful refinement making for a hushed journey.

But if you ever feel like taking Blenheim Palace into the rough stuff, you’ll find the Range Rover as astonishingly capable as its less expensive siblings. The off-road tech works seamlessly, and the only consideration you have to make is that your paint, wheels and bodywork are rather more expensive to repair than they might be on lesser cars.

The Range Rover’s sheer size also means you won’t be taking it down any particularly tight passages, and it can feel a bit unwieldy through town too.

What's good

  • Extremely manouvrable with four-wheel steering
  • Superbly refined and comfortable
  • Looks fantastic

What’s not so good

  • Some cheap plastics inside
  • Feels wide through town and tighter roads
  • A big step to get into the cabin

Factors to consider when choosing a 4x4 car

Off-road v. on-road

You may be tempted by the most rugged, highly-capable off-roader on sale which prioritises all-terrain performance over on-road manners, a-la Jeep Wrangler. It’s worth considering what percentage of your driving really is in the wilderness, though, because something like the Volvo XC90 or even the Dacia Duster will be far more comfortable to live with in town.

Budget

The price difference between the cheapest and most expensive cars on this list is staggering, as you can easily buy ten Dacia Dusters for the price of a top-spec Mercedes G-Class, with enough change for a five-star holiday to boot. The Land Rover Defender offers the best mix of poshness, refinement and go-anywhere ability at a reasonable-ish price.

Petrol, diesel or electric?

If you’re on the hunt for a company car then an electric 4x4 is a no-brainer, as you’ll pay a far more reasonable amount of Benefit-in-Kind than you would in a combustion-engined alternative. The Mercedes G-Class Electric is arguably better off-road than the petrol or diesel versions, too.

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Advice about 4x4s

4x4 car FAQs

The most common layout for modern road cars is to have an engine fixed in the front of the car powering just the front wheels. In a four-wheel drive car (sometimes called all-wheel drive), power is delivered to both the front and the rear wheels, hence ‘four-wheel drive’.

The major use for four-wheel drive is to provide grip – especially off road. Vehicles like the original Jeep and Land Rover were ideal in rugged terrain. If one wheel became stuck in snow, mud or sand, rather than just the other wheel moving things along, all three could help out.

Some sports cars come with four-wheel drive too, where all four wheels providing grip and traction, helping power the car off the line from standing starts, and being able to drive faster around corners.

In a permanent four-wheel drive car, power is sent through the gearbox to a centre differential. This splits the power to the front and rear axles where it meets differentials for these axles. These distribute power between the rear wheels as well as the fronts, hence ‘four-wheel drive’. You do get other types of four-wheel drive, however, for example some cars are front-wheel drive most of the time, but can send some power to the rear wheels if the on-board computer senses more grip is required.

4wd is shorthand for four-wheel drive. This means the engine drives all four wheels. In most cars, the engine drives just two wheels (usually the front two). A 4wd drive car is also known as a 4x4 car.

The Suzuki Jimny is generally regarded as the smallest 4x4. This is a small 4×4 that has been around since 1998. It is one of the more basic 4x4 cars on sale today. Alongside this is the Fiat Panda 4x4, another of the smallest 4x4 cars. It's a bit less capable off-road than the Jimny but it is more comfortable on road, better equipped and more spacious.

No. Many smaller SUVs and crossovers are based on regular saloons and hatchbacks and can be front- or rear-wheel drive. The most common layout you will find in popular vehicles like the Volkswagen T-Roc, Mazda CX-5, Skoda Karoq and Kia Xceed is front-wheel drive.

Generally, if you are planning to venture off road regularly then a 4x4 is a sensible option. Remember though that the added complexity and weight of a 4x4 system tends to reduce performance and increase fuel consumption.

The humble Dacia Duster has proven itself to be a very reliable 4x4, thanks no doubt to its rugged underpinnings and uncomplicated design. The Toyota Land Cruiser is another 4x4 which has earned itself a reputation as a superbly reliable and hardy off-roader. Both of these models make for great new and used purchases.

Small 4x4s with small capacity engines tend to deliver the best fuel economy. This is hardly surprising, however, while you might expect a diesel to be the economy champ, some petrol models come very close when comparing in-town fuel consumption figures. 

From the list above, you should see the best economy from the Suzuki Jimny or Dacia Duster. However, some models, such as the Range Rover, are available with plug-in hybrid engines, and these will offer very low running costs if you can keep the batteries charged up to maximise time running on the electric motor.

The Land Rover Discovery offers a massive 1,137 litres of space behind its second row of seats. The next best is the Range Rover at 909 litres. Most other large 4x4 rivals manage between 550 to 800 litres of boot space. At a much lower price point, the spacious Skoda Kodiaq offers a generous 835 litres of space for your luggage.

The Range Rover and Mercedes-GLE Plug-in Hybrids both offer a claimed 353mpg in combined driving conditions. Achieving this figure will require that you make the most of their all-electric ranges, (approximately 30 miles for the Range Rover and 66 miles for the Mercedes) and short drives around town are where you will get the best results. Just don’t forget to keep the batteries fully charged.

Yes. A decent tow vehicle should have strong torque characteristics, decent traction and not be overly light. That is because a heavier vehicle can tow a heavier load while still remaining stable.

This tends to make larger 4x4s more accomplished tow vehicles than their small counterparts.

Check out our guide on the best cars for towing for more information.

There are numerous companies specialising in offering 4x4 off-roading experiences around the UK. 

You can choose from a simple muddy path to seriously gruelling tracks where you and your vehicle will have to overcome steep inclines, bodies of water and very harsh terrain.

So, before you sign up make sure that your vehicle is properly equipped to take on the challenge. Most modern 4x4s are more capable in these situations than you might expect, however road-biased tyres and a low-ride height will limit how far you can venture off road.

You can also drive on 'green lanes' without paying experience companies. These are off-road routes that are free for anyone to use. You can often find maps for these routes online, but it's recommended to join a local off-roading group first, because they will have the most up-to-date information about where you can go and where you can't, and the rules aren't necessarily the same in different areas of the UK, so it's important to do your research first.

First, ask yourself if you definitely need a 4x4; it's fair to say most people don't, and there's no point spending extra money on a car with a 4x4 system if you're not going to make use of it. If you do need a 4x4 car, though, things to consider include how much ground clearance you need, plus comparing approach and departure angles (these determine how steep a hill a car can climb and descend) is a good idea, ditto the breakover angle (this determines how pronounced a peak any incline can have before the car's bodywork touches ground).

A 4x4 car will be able to apply power from the engine to all four wheels, making it more effective off road. A 4x4 car will also be able to put its power down more effectively on slippery roads, though note that 4x4 systems convey no advantages where braking is concerned. As far as downsides go, 4x4 systems add expense to the build (and therefore purchase price) of a car, while also generally bringing worse fuel economy than a two-wheel drive car, due to the extra work the engine is having to do by turning all four wheels. You may also have higher running costs with a 4x4, as there are more moving parts, and additional differentials that can need their lubricating fluids replacing.