Menu

Know How / 4x4s

Personal farm vehicles now take many forms, including 4x4s, SUVs and pick-up trucks from Toyota, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Volkswagen, and once ubiquitous Land Rover Defender. New vehicle reports, first-drives and comparative group tests help you evaluate the best for road and off-road use.

Latest 4x4 articles

4X4S

Double-cab pickups to get pricier – here are alternatives

Pull into the car park of any agricultural event and there’ll be a sea of double-cab pickup trucks as far as the eye can see. But a shake-up of the…

4X4S

Wilderness Lighting unveils roof-mounted warning board

Wilderness Lighting has launched a new roof-mounted warning board for farmers moving oversized machinery on the road. The eye-catchingly flashy array includes twin front and rear amber LED strobes and…

4X4S

On test: Subaru Forester e-Boxer still a countryside favourite

There’s much to hate about hare coursers, but they do know a good 4x4 when they see one – and the Subaru Forester’s tolerance for abuse is almost unmatched. While…

4X4S

First impressions: More tech for big-selling D-Max pickup

Isuzu has given its D-Max pickup its second facelift in as many years, as it looks to build on a record-breaking 12 months. The Japanese manufacturer saw its sales rise…

4X4S

First impressions: Ineos Grenadier Commercial 4x4

The issue of inheritance might be the most talked about nasty in Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget, but another gremlin lurking in the small print promises to clump double-cab pickup buyers…

4X4S

Contractor transforms Hilux trucks into lightweight sprayers

The 1980s can keep its big hair and shoulder pads, but the 4x4-based, low-ground-pressure sprayer could be a trend worth reviving. One Lincolnshire contractor certainly thinks so. Only this time…

4X4S

On test: Low-cost Dacia Duster 4x4 finally gets its polish

We’re partial to a cheap off-roader on the Farmers Weekly Machinery desk. While top-end vehicles can hide behind their plush trim and expensive add-ons, the budget end of the spectrum…

4x4 reviews and tests

See all

4X4S

Toyota's rough and tough Land Cruiser, ugly but unrivalled

Strangling emissions regulations, a slump in demand and a surge in competition has left farm-friendly 4x4s on the cusp of extinction. The iconic Land Rover Defender 90 copped it nigh…

Bargain basement Lada Niva 4x4 is back

As the last new Land Rover Defenders leave the factory, where will you find a new tough, go-anywhere off-roader? Maybe it’s time to go Russian, says David Cousins. Here are…

4X4S

On test: Korean 4x4s - Hyundai Santa Fe

Farmers Weekly are putting three £40,000 4x4s all hailing from South Korea to the test.  Our trio of top-speccers includes the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and Ssangyong Rexton. Here is…

4X4S

Pickup test: Ssangyong Musso Saracen

The past year saw a clutch of new models enter the ever-growing 4x4 pickup market. We put three of the newest arrivals through their paces – the Mercedes-Benz X250d, Fiat Fullback Cross…

4X4S

On test: V6-powered VW Amarok

At last, farmers finally have the option of a V6-powered pickup in the shape of the latest Volkswagen Amarok. The new, heavy-hitting six-bore burner is a big step up from…

4X4S

On test: BMW iX3 M Sport 4x4

BMW first dipped its toes in the electric vehicle (EV) market nearly a decade ago, with the launch of the i3. It was a new model with a new chassis,…

4X4S

On test: Fiat Fullback Auto pickup

Fiat might not be a name you immediately associate with off-roaders, but here at Farmers Weekly we have always had a bit of a soft spot for the Italian firm’s…

4X4S

On test: Skoda Karoq Edition

Just when you thought you may have been running out of options for compact SUVs (said no-one), up pops another one. Hang on, don’t I recognise you? Well, you’re correct.…

4X4S

On test: Ford Ranger Limited pickup

After it stopped pedalling rebadged Mazdas and designed a vehicle of its own, Ford soon became the biggest seller of pickups in the UK. The Ranger consistently tops the sales…

4X4S

On test: Mercedes X-Class pickup

It’s official. The farm pickup has gone posh. Posh badge, posh spec and eye-wateringly posh money. Yup, we’re talking serious cash here. When the flagship V6 version of the Mercedes…

4X4S

On test: New no-frills MWM Spartan 4x4

Mainstream vehicle manufacturers have all but abandoned the dedicated off-road sector in favour of luxury, mass-market soft-roaders that reel in the big bucks. That might seem like a smack in…

On test: Jeep Renegade 4x4

The lucrative SUV market has sucked in its latest victim, with American giant Jeep the most recent to find the money-spinning, soft-roader segment all too difficult to resist. However, unlike…

4x4s guides

See all

4X4S

Pickup buyer's guide 2018-19

New models and additional variants have extended the choice of pickup trucks for farm and leisure use, as you can see in our full Pickup buyers guide (PDF). The Mercedes-Benz…

4X4S

Commercial-spec SUV buyer's guide 2021-22

This year’s Ultimate Guide to 4x4s features commercial SUVs for the first time – that relatively rare breed of four-wheel-drive vehicle equipped specifically for carrying tools, equipment, bales or whatever…

4X4S

On test: Dacia Logan MCV – a new estate car for just £8,500

Romania’s remedy to the spiralling cost of family cars is the Dacia Logan – a vehicle that, in its most basic guise, provides spartan four-wheeled transport and shedloads of boot…

4X4S

Pickup buyers guide 2017

Ask your granddad about the farm vehicle he had as a youngster and you can almost guarantee it was a Land Rover Defender of some form. They were the staple,…

4X4S

Pickup test: Ford Ranger Limited

Big, brash, but somehow a little underwhelming. The Ranger finished comfortably in second place thanks to its enviable spec list, but the combination of five-cylinder engine and six-speed auto lacked…

4X4S

On test: Land Rover's plug-in hybrid Defender

The Land Rover Defender’s transformation from rough, tough and gruff to clean, green and surprisingly serene has been completed with the addition of a plug-in hybrid model. Gone are the…

4X4S

Pickup and commercial 4x4 buyer's guide 2023-24

With a full-range of Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok models available once more, the pickup market has perked up in terms of choice, with the Quartermaster version of the Ineos…

4X4S

On test: Korean 4x4s - Hyundai Santa Fe

Farmers Weekly are putting three £40,000 4x4s all hailing from South Korea to the test.  Our trio of top-speccers includes the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and Ssangyong Rexton. Here is…

4X4S

Pickup buyer's guide 2021-22

Development of the once humble pickup has created a huge market for a vehicle that can meet the needs of businesses and the adventuresome aspirations of private buyers alike. Buyer's…

4X4S

Pickup buyer's guide 2022-23

Order books will open for the eagerly anticipated new-generation Ford Ranger later this year, in readiness for early 2023 deliveries – although pickup fans who like the extra-tough, in-yer-face Raptor…

4X4S

On test: Base-spec and bestselling Ford Rangers face off

Almost £20,000 separates the two Ranger pickups featured in this week’s Country Car, in what looks a rank mismatch. It’s the meat-and-potatoes XL, yours for a smidge over £28k, versus…

4X4S

£690 conversion kit turns Land Rover Discoverys into pickups

Used Land Rover Discoverys don’t enjoy the same cult status as the iconic Defender, so when the rot sets in, values hit the floor. That means MOT failures can change…

4x4 insights and practical tips

See all

4X4S

Pickup buyer's guide 2018-19

New models and additional variants have extended the choice of pickup trucks for farm and leisure use, as you can see in our full Pickup buyers guide (PDF). The Mercedes-Benz…

A nostalgic drive in the retiring Land Rover Defender

Rival 4x4s have come and gone, but until now the Land Rover has been the only choice for thousands of farmers up and down the country. As the sun sets…

4X4S

Commercial-spec SUV buyer's guide 2021-22

This year’s Ultimate Guide to 4x4s features commercial SUVs for the first time – that relatively rare breed of four-wheel-drive vehicle equipped specifically for carrying tools, equipment, bales or whatever…

ROAD LEGAL

Video: All you need to know to pass your B+E trailer test

So you’ve been driving since you could reach the pedals, passed your tractor test at 16, car test at 17 and can reverse 40ft trailers around the yard for fun.…

4X4S

Tips for buying a second-hand pickup: Nissan Navara

Nissan Navara D40 (2005 to 2014) Nissan’s D40 Navara was built from 2005 to 2014 and superseded the D22, which had been around since the late 90s. At its UK…

4X4S

Tips for buying a second-hand pickup: Ford Ranger

For more than 20 years, Ford’s pickups were essentially rebadged Mazdas, and they were pretty simple, solid vehicles. However, in 2011 the firm decided to take the job in-house and…

4X4S

Pickup buyers guide 2017

Ask your granddad about the farm vehicle he had as a youngster and you can almost guarantee it was a Land Rover Defender of some form. They were the staple,…

4X4S

Pickup and commercial 4x4 buyer's guide 2023-24

With a full-range of Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok models available once more, the pickup market has perked up in terms of choice, with the Quartermaster version of the Ineos…

How to pick up an Aussie pickup for your farm

Sometimes it can seem like we get a pretty mundane selection of pickups in the UK. While our North Americans cousins are hooning around in dual-wheeled Ford F350s and the…

4X4S

Pickup buyer's guide 2021-22

Development of the once humble pickup has created a huge market for a vehicle that can meet the needs of businesses and the adventuresome aspirations of private buyers alike. Buyer's…

4X4S

Pickup buyer's guide 2022-23

Order books will open for the eagerly anticipated new-generation Ford Ranger later this year, in readiness for early 2023 deliveries – although pickup fans who like the extra-tough, in-yer-face Raptor…

4X4S

£690 conversion kit turns Land Rover Discoverys into pickups

Used Land Rover Discoverys don’t enjoy the same cult status as the iconic Defender, so when the rot sets in, values hit the floor. That means MOT failures can change…

Video

See all

ROAD LEGAL

Video: All you need to know to pass your B+E trailer test

So you’ve been driving since you could reach the pedals, passed your tractor test at 16, car test at 17 and can reverse 40ft trailers around the yard for fun.…

MACHINERY

Video: MINI Countryman review

MINI has forged a reputation for nippy city cars over the years, but how would its first stab at a 4wd version fare? Oliver Mark took it for a spin. …

4X4S

Video: Three-way farm pickup showdown

The past year saw a clutch of new models enter the ever-growing 4×4 pickup market. However, not all is as it seems, as due to the popularity of these trucks,…

MACHINERY

Video: Land Rover Discovery v Ford Ranger

Farm pickups are more comfortable, powerful and spacious than ever before, so could they be about to knock the king – the Land Rover Discovery – off its throne? Watch…