On the road, and trail, with 30 years of diesel-powered Land Rovers
"Dude, you're rolling coal," my copilot hollered at me from the lefthand passenger seat of my 1986 Land Rover Defender.
"Huh?" I replied, leaning over for a better look at the sideview mirror. To my chagrin, I saw plumes of black smoke pouring out of the tailpipe of the old truck. "Oh, son of a...!" I shouted. "I wonder what that's about?"
Pushing full throttle up the mountains outside Big Bear, California, my four-cylinder diesel-powered British 4x4 was doing about 37 mph -- 7 mph shy of the 45 mph speed limit. Meanwhile, it was churning out a smokescreen that would make James Bond's gadget guru, Q, green with envy (and perhaps also with nausea from the fumes).
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But this was no spy drama flick. This was real life. And the also-diesel-powered 2016 Range Rover Sport Td6 following us was being blanketed in my Defender's sooty diesel exhaust.
You might think this would be the most striking comparison between the two trucks. Surprisingly, it wasn't. That would come later. Before we get there, though, let's get a bit of background info out of the way.
Difficult road
Diesel has suffered a long, difficult road in the US. This stands in stark contrast to its fate around the rest of the globe, which long ago embraced the fuel for its efficiency and relative affordability.
America's distrust with diesel peaked in the 1970s when General Motors nearly tarnished the reputation of fuel forever with its terribly noisy, smokey and unreliable diesel-burning V8s. Following that ordeal, diesel was all but relegated to full-size pickups, save an occasional European import.
Then, most recently, right as diesel was enjoying a resurgence in popularity stateside, the Volkswagen dieselgate scandal slapped it back down.
Despite buyers' current misgivings with diesel, automakers are still introducing new diesel-powered models into the American market, the most recent of which are the full-size Range Rover Td6 and its smaller brother, the Range Rover Sport Td6.
Both the big- and medium-size Td6 Rangies are powered by the same 3.0-liter turbocharged diesel V6 engine that produces 254 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque.
Though both luxury SUVs are cosmically heavy due to their 4x4 systems luxurious and leather-laden interiors, thanks to the diesel engine they remain shockingly quick. What's more, they also return an EPA-estimated 29 mpg highway fuel economy rating.
Clearly, the addition of a diesel power plant solves one of the biggest issues that has traditionally faced Land Rovers in America: fuel economy. But did Range Rover sacrifice drivability for improved efficiency? I was keen to find out.
Defender
In stark contrast with the diesel Rangies, my Defender is about as utilitarian as they come. For those unfamiliar with the nameplate, it's Land Rover's most extreme 4x4.
Specifically, mine had spent the first part of its life in Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) as a radio truck. Accordingly, it was made not for frills but rather to get the job done, no matter the road (or lack there of).
My Defender is powered by a naturally aspirated (no turbocharger) 2.5-liter four-cylinder diesel engine that on its best day produces around 86 horsepower. That power is split between all four wheels through a 5-speed manual gearbox. So, really, I figure it's pushing around 12 horsepower to each wheel. To say it's not a speed demon is an understatement.
Think about the power output for a second. With only 0.5 liters more displacement, the new Land Rover engine is capable of producing three times the horsepower and more then four times as much torque.
Also, while the Range Rover Sport has touchscreen navigation, adaptive cruise control, air suspension and cooled seats, my Defender's accessories list includes headlights and a canvas roof. End of list.
Now, I know it's not fair to compare two vehicles built 30 years apart. However, I wanted to underscore just how different these vehicles are.
Dust-covered, sun-beat
On the two-hour drive, the Range Rover Sport easily out shined my Defender on the highway and on the smokey climb up Big Bear. You know, as it summited the hill without doing its best impression of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption.
I figured my truck would be more capable on the trail. In fact, I essentially drove it out onto the dusty trail that day not to put it to the test but rather to use it as a support vehicle for the Range Rover Sport in case the Rangie got stuck.
While we were equal on the rutted and dusty road, ignoring passenger comfort, the trucks were similary skilled at off-roading. Turns out, though, Rangie Sport was cleverer in the more technical bits.
With the tons of electronics onboard, it was able to scramble up near-45-degree inclines awash with loose rock and dirt. The old-school Defender, on the other hand, with its solid axles and thin tires struggled for grip.
Ten miles into the 24-mile trail, I was dusty, sunburned and worn out. Meanwhile, the gentlemen in the Range Rover Sport were calm, cool and, frankly, nearly bored. Given my weariness, I pulled over to have some lunch and dissect the machines.
Too good
After a lightly dusted turkey sandwich and a bottle of water, my off-road compatriots and I came to a conclusion. It was a conclusion that pleased none of us. However, it was realistic: The Range Rover Sport Td6 is almost too good.
Conversely, my Defender was pretty bad -- at least in modern car terms. But we won't dig into that here (I have to have some dignity, after all).
The aforementioned modern features of the Rangie, including leather seats, air suspension and the foolproof 4x4 system make the luxury truck livable and wholly enjoyable as a daily driver. They also make it unstoppable on the trail.
And it's that latter fact that steals some of the fun of it. Let me explain.
When I took the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon off road, it was both wildly impressive in its capability but also a touch frightening. That's because it was essentially the midpoint between the electronic and modern 4x4 of the Rangie and the old-school military truck of the Defender. It was terrific on the trail and scary on the street.
The Range Rover Sport was always one step ahead of me, with all angles already covered -- quite literally.
The Range Rover Sport is never scary. It's always one step ahead of me, with all angles already covered -- quite literally. It has passing power for days, efficiency that would make some hybrid drivers envious and the ability to climb over everything.
But by the end of the day, the guys in the Range Rover Sport didn't feel like they'd done much more than lounged in the lap of luxury for an afternoon.
Conversely, my co-pilot and I felt like we'd tumbled down the side of a mountain, dusty, achy and parched. Still, we felt alive, if a bit worse for wear. That said, we felt like we'd really accomplished something that day. We tested ourselves and a manly machine whilst mastering the elements.
The driver and passenger of the Range Rover Sport, though, freely admitted they had not really challenged themselves that afternoon. Rather, they felt like they'd just driven around all day. They didn't feel quite as accomplished as my passenger and me.
And, to me, that was the most striking revelation from our long, dusty and sun-drenched day trip.
To sum it all up, diesel propelled both 4x4s. The diesel engine in my Defender, though, was as unforgiving and utilitarian as the rest of the truck around it. Still, what a rush. On the other hand, the Range Rover Sport's diesel V6, while in every way better, had a refinement that siphoned a bit of the sense of adventure out of the, well, adventure.
As the sun set, we rejoined the freeway and began the long drive back in to Los Angeles. I watched as the Range Rover Sport tore off at 70+ mph down the road home. Meanwhile I chugged along, hugging the rightmost lane.
That's when I realized that Land Rover has done something remarkable. Instead of giving up on diesel, like so many automakers have done, it's worked to enhance what makes diesel so good while smoothing out its drawbacks.
Thanks to the hard work of Land Rover engineers, diesel doesn't have to be relegated to the history books or old-timey trucks like my Defender. Instead, it has another, more luxurious and efficient life ahead of it -- albeit a slightly less adventuresome one, at least, as far as off-roading masochists are concerned.
2016 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Td6
The Good
Thanks to heaps of torque, it's quick
Incredibly fuel efficient
As smooth on the freeway as it is on the trail
The Bad
Its refinement sucks some of the adventure out of your adventures
The Bottom Line
Land Rover has come a long way with its diesel engines in the last 30 years. And Land Rover's 2016 Td6 peppy and efficient models reinforce why diesel keeps making a comeback.
