The Tug of War test seems to be gaining traction of late, especially since the Cybertruck vs. F-150 video sparked a debate on how equally matched the two were. And while the jury may be out on whether these displays of power are actually relevant in anyone’s decision process, they make for good entertainment.
This time around, CarWow pits three heavy-hitters of the off-road world against each other, with somewhat surprising results. First up in the elimination-style format is the latest and greatest from Land Rover, the Defender, which goes up against the Jeep Wrangler.
The Defender featured has a 2.0-liter Ingenium diesel engine with 240 hp and 430Nm of torque. The Wrangler has a turbocharged petrol engine, which raises the power stakes to 270 hp, but less torque, at 400Nm. Compared to the Defender, though, the Wrangler has two lockable differentials (front and rear), as opposed to the Land Rover’s electronically-controlled center-diff.
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While viewers may expect to see a strong showing from the tech-laden British SUV, the Wrangler trounces it at the first attempt. The Defender puts up a slightly stronger fight in round two thanks to Matt Watson selecting the Mud & Ruts terrain response mode instead of leaving it in Auto. But even that’s not enough to stop the impressive display of might by the Jeep.
Next up is the Mercedes-Benz G350. With a significantly larger engine that has six cylinders and displaces 2.9 liters, the G-Wagen has 286 hp and 600 Nm of torque at its disposal. Predictably, the Mercedes wins this round, even managing to pull the Wrangler clean off the grass. What also worked in the G350’s favor was that it sports three individual differentials — front, center, and rear.