HAVING the right set of wheels is essential for any forestry professional. But choosing which car is for you is never easy. Thankfully, Forestry Journal is here to help.
Throughout the year, we have test driven a number of vehicles, with the sector's day-to-day challenges in mind.
From SUVs to pick-ups, here's the full list of all of our vehicles reviews from 2022, with a short description and a link to the article.
Eamonn Wall put the Japanese car manufacturer’s mild hybrid 4x4 through its paces.
Our reviewer wrote: "The Ignis is a great-looking vehicle and its interior is well thought out and nicely cool, in design terms.
"It is good fun to drive, but the boot is small (though the rear seats can be folded down, which improves practicality) and it is not very fast.
"However, on the whole, it is a good wee car for the country and city."
Slick and smart, the latest Land Rover Defender 90 looked the part, but was it any good for foresters?
Our man wrote: "The new Defender is a brilliant driving machine both on and off road. On road, it is up there with its Discovery brother for refinement, but probably suffers a little bit more wind noise due to its larger mirrors.
"It handles really well and is a joy to drive briskly on a twisting road."
Having already put the manual D-Max Utility to the test, how did the automatic version compare?
Our man wrote: "A good deal of effort whas gone into keeping the vehicle tough and durable while improving its on-road manners.
"I certainly found it to be a likeable vehicle to drive and it cruises well at high motorway speeds.
"The auto box smooths out the power delivery, but it is still a slow vehicle off the line.
"Once you get moving, it speeds away happily."
Getting behind the wheel of the diesel B5 version of Volvo’s largest SUV and one of its bestsellers.
Eamonn wrote: "In some ways it feels like a minibus when driving as it is so big. The boot is huge and gets bigger when all the seats are folded.
"When the third row of seats are erected the boot obviously reduces in volume and would not be large enough to accommodate the luggage of seven people."
Having tackled the XC90 in the previous month’s issue, how did its little brother stack up?
Our reviewer noted: "The XC60 is a very nice car to drive, handling well and braking without fuss.
"The auto gearbox works well and the car feels nippy without being overly fast. The engine noise is not as well insulated as in the XC90, but it is fairly quiet, just a little whiny if you are doing a lot of back-road driving, going through the gears.
"Power goes to the front wheels and, once slippage is encountered, power is diverted to the rear wheels."
Getting behind the wheel of what was to be the last of the A4 as we knew it to see what it could offer the forestry professional.
Eamonn wrote: "So this ICE ( internal combustion engine ) A4 will be the last designed as an ICE car.
"The next A4 will no doubt also be designed with an electric version, if not electric only. I was pleased to try it out, but disappointed in its looks and drivability.
"I would certainly be more likely to opt for a Q3 or Q5 if I wanted a small Audi."
Sampling Audi’s smaller SUV, the Q3.
Our man wrote: "I don’t know if the Q3 Coupe drives more sportily than the standard Q3, but I certainly I enjoyed driving it and gaining my first experience of adaptive cruise control.
"It has a slightly raised ground clearance but it is obviously no off-roader. It does seem expensive compared to other small SUVs but nice all the same. Enjoy."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here