Individually we rated these four 4WDs as the best in their particular category in 2018. Collectively though? We spent a day driving them on and off the road to see if one stood out from the others.

It’s the most difficult decision of the year. Asking which of the four category winners is also the best of the best for 2018.

Miles of smiles: Suzuki Vitara Turbo

Price is always dear to the heart of any car buyer, especially allied to value for money. Our group begins with the Small SUV category winner, the Suzuki Vitara Turbo, at $37,990.

A quick summary: in sheer smiles for miles, the quick and cheeky four-wheel-drive is an amazing point-to-point drive, effortless and car-like in its responsiveness and handling. We loved the drivetrain, from the smallish engine with its almost immediate response to the excellent conventional (i.e. Not CVT) auto and its ‘hard-wired’ response to manual gear shifting using the steering wheel paired ‘flappy paddle’ shifters.

We dare anyone to drive the Suzuki on an open, winding road – gravel or seal – and not to feel addiction growing. Off highway, too, this was an endearing drive. Muriwai’s wet sand, Woodhill’s under-canopy tracks, sudden muddy sections on rocky transit roads – nothing gave the sense the Suzuki was out of its depth.

RM: “Good – hugely entertaining chassis which is as dynamic and communicative as they come with amazing levels of tenacious grip on wet or dry tarmac and gravel. The engine (in Sport mode) is a perfect match for chassis. Also fantastic steering and nice roomy interior. The seats are very supportive. This car puts a smile on your face every time you drive it.”

Technology leadership – Subaru Forester

None of our vehicles offered as much electronic support to the driver as the new Forester does. Front wheel and reversing cameras, lane assist warnings on each mirror and also in a class-leading heads-up display. A fantastic ‘Big Brother’ interactive monitor that watches over you and reminds you when your eyes drift away from the road (and uses facial recognition to register each driver).

Information overkill? One of our testers found there was far too much data to absorb while driving. Styling-wise, the same tester yearned for more individual styling.

The Forester is a much more urban – and urbane – offering than the other three, well suited to the 80-90 per cent use pattern of home, business and sporting lifestyles we Kiwis love so well. That said, it is immensely capably off-road, though the tyres are very road-oriented compared to those on the Ranger or Prado.

Tested in its $47,940 Premium spec, the Forester is the no-fuss middle of the price range choice of champions.

SW: “Very athletic engine, well sorted transmission, very capable on and off road. The engine is muscular when it needs to be, unobtrusive when cruising. The seats were probably the best of the four vehicles.”

Improving the market’s favourite – Ford Ranger

So much has been written about the Ford Ranger. What a journey! Our most popular 4X4 by far. It’s hard to know where to start. The $63,990 Ranger is a revelation on or off road, and Ford can be genuinely proud of the slight suspension tweaks made for the coming model year.

Ranger has always had the edge off road, and it continues its leadership here. Clay tracks, massive potholes, potato-sized rocks embedded in the road surface are nothing to this black beastie. Trotting off down to the beach at the Rimmer’s Road car park is unfussed and unspectacular.

The truck is even a pleasing drive in RWD. In the cabin, visibility is as good as ever, and the driver’s confidence is boosted by the new front end

SC: “Solid truck with great power, great handling. Put it into 4WD on the wet roads and it felt great; huge fun in RWD on the beach.”

Stately, refined, an off-road landship: Toyota Land Cruiser Prado VX

Unstoppable – the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado VX belies its undeniable size with utter ease off the road, and gives the sense it’s going to enjoy the school run as much as a shiny tour on farm or in the forest.

On road there is some body roll – the most of our disparate group – and the seats could offer slightly more sideway support than they do. A minor niggle.

This would be the equal best choice with the Subaru for a long trip on tarmac or gravel, and she holds her own up against the Ranger for gnarly tracks under Woodhill’s trees.

MB: “Immensely capable, super-strong in every situation. I’d run a big Toyota any day of the week, though I might look for one with slightly snappier throttle response if it was being used mostly on urban tarmac – Auckland’s traffic is utterly unforgiving.”

The test out west

The Waitakere Traverse is real. To gauge the best of the best from our diverse group of vehicles, we started at the southern end of the Waitakere Ranges west of Auckland and straddled them on a mix of slick wet tarmac, damp sticky gravel, clay-based forestry tracks all the way up to the dune access track at Rimmer’s Road and and back down to Muriwai via the famous black sand beach.

The Big Decision

Each of our finalists have their plus-points. That’s to be expected. We are also bearing in mind the 60:20 scenario that sees most such vehicles used on tarseal for most of their lives. That said, our winner has to promote confidence off the highway. So which tops the score cards after a day like this?

The pocket rocket Suzuki won many a smile from the testers and if we were talking urban 4WD with the occasional gravel road tour, it would win hands down. But is it big enough to be our COTY? Put a family of four in there and the dog has to stay home for sure.

Updated, the Ranger retains its class-leading capability on and off road, though one tester thought the new suspension allowed a bit of body roll on the road. That engine is still a honey, and a lockable tonneau means gear is easy to secure and easy to access. The transmission is very, very good on or off road, and we did enjoy leaving it in rear wheel drive and letting the LSD do its oversteer thing.

Tech king: there is no denying the Subaru came to the test with the most impressive array of tech to support the work of the driver, including its clever set of alarms to remind us when we were looking in other directions than the road. Some of these work magnificently off-road too – the multi-camera setup linked to the reversing camera screen will prevent many a buckled fender or scratched alloy. The Forester was very much right-sized for our expedition, gave great chassis and wheel feedback.

The regal feel of the big Prado won it plenty of friends on the test day. Unruffled by anything we tackled, HMS Prado only left a couple of our group wishing for the power and torque upgrade that would make her come alive on rural tarseal. Off road, the truck’s great visibility and a commanding driving position ensure you’re not working too hard to avoid banging into the scenery.

So is it a ‘game of two halves’, or ‘there can be only one’? Sorry Fitzy, there is a clear winner and it is Subaru’s tech masterpiece, the Forester.

The testers

“Like herding cats,’ is how Editor MacKay describes organising and running a multi-vehicle test.

So to help him sort out his tabbies from his tortoiseshells this time around he enlisted the help of three regular 4WD and SUV wheelmen, NZ Company Vehicle magazine Editor Sean Willmot, one of his many old MX and now MTB buddies, Steve Cardno, and my good self (Mark Baker).

To read the full story in the NZ4WD Annual go to Zinio.com (December 11) or purchase your own hard copy at the Adrenalin store.