Having lived on a farm for nearly 40 years I have spent a fair amount of time off-road in dozens of 4x4s but I thought I’d just say how impressed I am with the L494 when the going gets tough.

I spent a day on a VERY muddy, wet farm in Hampshire last week with all sorts of other 4x4s and my MY2014 Autobiography (2 locking diffs) on normal road tyres (Scorpions) was the best of the bunch. I was absolutely blown away by it to be honest and it seemed to make less of a fuss about the sticky conditions than the brand new Defender on semi off-road tyres and a new Landcruiser and Disco 5, both on road tyres.

Anyone else REALLY put these cars though their paces off-road? Thoughts?

Hehe, yes, it is one of the most underrated modern off-roaders

The look on the Jeep brigade's faces when I rock up to a trail and then when I complete the trail is priceless!

I have been thrashing off-roading mine since I bought it in June 2018, have a look at some of my videos:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCA79F9C8F913F646 --
2010 Defender Puma 90 + BAS remap + Alive IC + Slickshift + Ashcroft ATB rear
2015 Range Rover Sport Supercharged V8 HSE Dynamic



Defender Puma Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zZ1en9
Discovery 4 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zXrtKO
Range Rover/Sport L320/L322/L494 Workshop Manual: https://bit.ly/2zc58JQ

Hi Punkawallah

Im down the road from you in Southampton, where do go off road? Id like t test mine for a bit of fun too, Im not on about smashing the thing to bits but some time out in the mud could be fun.

Ive taken one of road outside Nevada on a trip to area 51 and it was a mixture of snow, sand/dust and gravely ruts.

and was impressed with it in auto mode didnt need to doing anything apart from using HDC which is amazing I have to say/

I used my RRS1 in the beast from the east around the city and i gave a few or my staff a lift home as their cars were city cars.

The funniest thing was i said at the start of our journey of 3 miles that alng the way all you will see it BMW's and Mercs ditched on the sides of the roads and they laughed when it was like a car park, we also saw lots of X3, X5, ML's a Cayennes (earlier ones) and all the other faux 4x4's like Quasqui's and all the other SUV's that are only 2 wheel drive but look rufty tufty, and they all struggled and looked quite frustrated.

All the LR drivers had no issues even with normal road tires, i could use all the side roads that other cars couldnt get down.

I made it across the city and back and still had time to dig out the drone and get some aerial footage of the queues out of the city.
It was the one time you could see the x5 drivers fuming at their decision to go for the sport look with low profiles!

Throw in a clarkson smug face! Its the one time people understood why the are the best. Normally they just sneer and dont let you out much (although i dont seem to get that much in town most people are ok, but then i do let alot of people out too so its karma maybe!) If a jobs worth doing, get a someone who knows what they are doing to do it!

RRS Autobiography Indus
RR P38 HSE V8
RRS Supercharged Santorini
AMG CLK Rear Tyre Shredder

Ive had a play in the snow and can honestly say i didnt even slide when i tried to make it to as it was in auto dynamic mode and it just stopped in a straight line when braking hard and it handled the roads really well anybody else had the experience of the auto dynamic mode what did you think.

I had a older range rover sport before this one 55 plate which would get most places but when you came to stop it would slide like anything ive even spun all the way around once that was a frightening experience with parked cars on the side of the road stuck didn't hit any but did bounce of kerb a few times lol

Still waiting for some snow so I can go and play If a jobs worth doing, get a someone who knows what they are doing to do it!

RRS Autobiography Indus
RR P38 HSE V8
RRS Supercharged Santorini
AMG CLK Rear Tyre Shredder

I live approximately 150m above sea level and had snow or heavy frosts most days in December and I'm always amazed how competent my rangie is going over these conditions, I often go up Ben Lawers or schehalion to walk the dog and always notice 4x4s parked lower down the mountain as they wouldn't dare to get stuck further up!

It definitely is an impressive bit of kit and wouldn't be without a range rover in these parts. MY18 SCV8 Satin flux silver
Gone:
MY19 SV VELAR AUTOBIOGRAPHY firenze red
MY18 SCV8 Yulong white- perfect 👍
MY16 SDV8 SANTORINI BLACK - perfect 👌
MY64 SCV8 DARK BLUE - nightmare car
MY64 SCV8 FIRENZE RED - loads of annoying issues
MY15 SDV6 FIRENZE RED - perfect 👌
MY12 SDV6 DISCO4 IPANEMA SAND - perfect 👌
MY09 TDV6 SPORT BLUE - lots of issues

Im pretty much as far south as you can get without being on the isle of wight! so snow isnt somethign we get alot of but we do get our fair share of floods which is handy having the rangie as I know I can get through (its often much easier to know the depth too when an idiot in a vauxhall corsa has already tried and left the car there floating about!)

The highlands is on the list for a getway when we are finally allowed to! Most wont attempt going out in the snow but I did got some great drone footage and photo op for the car for sale time as it shows its not just a chelsea tractor!



 If a jobs worth doing, get a someone who knows what they are doing to do it!

RRS Autobiography Indus
RR P38 HSE V8
RRS Supercharged Santorini
AMG CLK Rear Tyre Shredder

Great pics

Cheers mate heres a few more for the hell of it, I still think its a cracking looking car!







Same place no snow!



Check out some of Naks vids his L494 looks same as mine and seems pretty capable of road too! If a jobs worth doing, get a someone who knows what they are doing to do it!

RRS Autobiography Indus
RR P38 HSE V8
RRS Supercharged Santorini
AMG CLK Rear Tyre Shredder

Great pictures in the snow and your right a great looking car, have Great memories of my black edition. MY18 SCV8 Satin flux silver
Gone:
MY19 SV VELAR AUTOBIOGRAPHY firenze red
MY18 SCV8 Yulong white- perfect 👍
MY16 SDV8 SANTORINI BLACK - perfect 👌
MY64 SCV8 DARK BLUE - nightmare car
MY64 SCV8 FIRENZE RED - loads of annoying issues
MY15 SDV6 FIRENZE RED - perfect 👌
MY12 SDV6 DISCO4 IPANEMA SAND - perfect 👌
MY09 TDV6 SPORT BLUE - lots of issues

Drove a 2018 RRS for 3 weeks in California. Base spec without low range gearbox. Nevertheless, absolutely positively amazed by its off-road capability. We have driven 3 days in the back country around Bishop where we only came across more serious off-roaders (Jeep Wrangler etc) on the off-road trails. Only downside, compared to a Tesla model S there is clearly less room for luggage for 5 persons. Happy memories

Great pic, Ive used the L405 off road for similar out in Nevada and the only others around were the big offroader with the chunky tires and bouncy areials and some other old fashioned Wranglers (was surpised there wear that many people out in the middle of nowhere but we kinda maybe accidentally found one of their trails I suspect

Anyway it was pretty hills but not rutted just poor sufraces and we did it and in air conditioned luxuryand when we ended up in a road side diner at the end of the road on the way back some of the guys were there and they were all surprised at how well ti did, I think they thought is was an escalade at first as it was pretty dusty, but after they realised that it wasnt they all wanted to have a look around.

I think they were little shocked to acutally see a luxury off roader being used and getting dirty too!

All in all they stand up to the name very well. If a jobs worth doing, get a someone who knows what they are doing to do it!

RRS Autobiography Indus
RR P38 HSE V8
RRS Supercharged Santorini
AMG CLK Rear Tyre Shredder

Hi,
there not bad at carrying stuff off road either

wheels on the ground always helps traction, o/s/r is still in contact in second pic,
our new car picks the o/s/r wheel up doing the same thing, as both have centre and rear lockers its still no problem

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Awesome, looking good If a jobs worth doing, get a someone who knows what they are doing to do it!

RRS Autobiography Indus
RR P38 HSE V8
RRS Supercharged Santorini
AMG CLK Rear Tyre Shredder