Skip advert
Advertisement

Soft-roader battle

Commonly referred to as ‘soft-roaders’, Langdale forest promised to be a tough test for our current compact 4x4 favourites.

Given that these vehicles are commonly referred to as ‘soft-roaders’, the challenges of Langdale forest promised to be a tough test for our current compact 4x4 favourites – the Nissan X-Trail and Land Rover Freelander.

Take a look at the spec sheets, however, and there is a surprisingly rugged range of off-road goodies in each car’s armoury. Both get hill descent and traction control – the Nissan has three settings for its transmission and the Freelander features a simplified version of Land Rover’s excellent Terrain Response System.

So, on paper, they talk the talk. But can they walk the walk off the beaten track? Well, on the hard grit and gravel, the cars’ very different tarmac personalities are on show. The X-Trail is lighter and more agile, while the Freelander feels substantial and refined.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The Nissan is better on compacted surfaces – it’s less remote than the Land Rover, there’s plenty of feedback from the steering and it changes direction quicker. In fact, it has the feel of an oversized rally car – you simply use the brakes to loosen the rear end on the entry to a corner, then pick up the throttle to give you enough traction to straighten things up on the way out. And with its car-like body control, the lack of movement gives you the confidence to attack corners.

By contrast, the Freelander feels like a mini Discovery. The British-built machine is not as agile as the Nissan, but its ride over gravel is extremely impressive. The Terrain Response System allows you to tune the four-wheel drive to different surfaces, and it continues to excel once you head on to rocky and rutted sections.

The Land Rover has impressive cross-axle ability, and all its ground clearance angles are better than its rival’s. And it doesn’t have special off-road-oriented tyres, either! The well engineered traction
control ensures that it drives well on mud and inclines.

In comparison, the X-Trail lagged behind. But given that it’s an SUV that performs much like a car on the tarmac, there was more body clearance than we expected. As with the Freelander, it has traction control, and while it doesn’t have a Terrain Response-style system with specific drivetrain choices for different surfaces, the i-Mode transmission has three settings: 2WD, auto and 4WD lock. The Nissan copes quite well in mud, and although it isn’t as accomplished as the Freelander in ruts and severe cross-angles, it coped impressively well.

The X-Trail is 65kg lighter than the Land Rover, but it felt rugged, strong and light on its feet in the mud. A tighter turning circle also helped when traversing small areas, and the reversing camera proved very useful when trying to see how much clearance you had at the back.

On a practical note, the Nissan’s wipe-clean boot surfaces and robust cabin materials are well suited to life in the mud. And the door seals didn’t leak when wading. On the other hand, one of the Freelander’s doors did let in some water when it went paddling.

Both cars are easy to drive, and are well suited to off-road novices.
And while they certainly can’t cope with hardcore mud-plugging, this
surprisingly capable pair can deal with conditions way beyond what most family buyers would ever subject them to.

Details

Price: £32,330 / £26,195
Model tested: L-R Freelander TD4 HSE auto / X-Trail 2.0 dci Adventura

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage

RRP £28,065Avg. savings £2,321 off RRP*Used from £12,220
Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai

RRP £27,415Avg. savings £5,924 off RRP*Used from £12,295
Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £16,160Avg. savings £2,721 off RRP*Used from £7,495
Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £15,255Avg. savings £2,598 off RRP*Used from £7,649
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Not bothered by MoT advisories? That may be about to change
Protyre area manager Simon Hall inspecting a Vauxhall Corsa's tyre

Not bothered by MoT advisories? That may be about to change

The number of MoT failures caused by worn tyres is on the rise, and experts are calling for mandatory follow-ups on advisories
News
12 May 2025
Confirmed: New VW Golf GTI will be electric – and it’s a “monster”
VW Golf GTI badge

Confirmed: New VW Golf GTI will be electric – and it’s a “monster”

VW is taking the iconic hot hatchback brand into the electric era with the new Golf GTI EV already in development…
News
13 May 2025
Mazda MX-5 goes electric: the iconic roadster's radical future
Mazda MX-5 EV exclusive image - front

Mazda MX-5 goes electric: the iconic roadster's radical future

The next Mazda MX-5 roadster is set to be offered as a pure EV, and our exclusive images preview how it could look
News
10 May 2025