You may be thinking that the Mazda2 has no right to be flaunting itself on The Mud Life, it isn’t a 4×4, it has appalling ground clearance and there’s no option for mud terrains.  However, it’s a very practical and fun car to drive and therefore deserves its place here…

I had the joy of testing a 5ltr supercharged V8, Full fat Range Rover, and I was concerned that the Disco would feel, well, like a bit of a barge. I needn’t have worried, yes it’s slower, but…..

There are very few vehicles on the road today that are as recognisable as the true Land Rover.  Since 1947 the basic shape hasn’t changed much.  As my neighbour, Steve said, "You can walk past Toyota and Hyundia garage and if they didn’t have badges, wouldn’t be able to tell them all apart.  There’s no mistaking a Defender."….

Today was a good day, the sun was shining and in front of us sat a gleaming white V8-R, 550ps AWD Supercharged convertible sex machine. (Too much? I don’t think so)……

Launched last year (summer 2015), Mazda’s all new CX-3 is aimed at the small crossover / SUV market which includes the likes of the Vauxhall Mokka, Nissan Juke, Renault Capture, Fiat 500x, Peugeot 2008s, and the Ford Eco-Sport…

It’s been said that the Kia Sportage has taken the SUV world by storm since its introduction back in 2010, and it isn’t difficult to see why as the Sportage still looks good with its sleek body, elegant lines and of course Kia’s 7 year, 100,000-mile warranty…

Before I start, the Volvo V40 Cross Country is definitely not, despite its raised ground clearance and chunky looks and add-ons, an off-roader of any description. Sorry to burst your bubble.  It is however a chunked up version of the equally smart V40, only with a bit more attitude.…..

The last time I drove a CX-5 was March 2014 when I meandered casually around the B roads of Harrogate.  I remember thinking that it was quiet, comfortable and fun to drive. I also recall being a little unkind to its looks, ‘not a pretty car’, I think I wrote. But that was then, and fast forward to April 2015 and low and behold, Mazda have parked one outside Muddy Towers for me to play with for a week……

Mention the Discovery Sport whilst talking to die-hard Land Rover enthusiasts and you’ll get the same response as when the Evoque was first introduced: ‘It’s not a proper Land Rover.'  Of course it isn’t a proper Land Rover, the Discovery Sport is more fuel efficient, safer, handles the road better, and is arguably better off road!….

Every so often, manufacturers arrange driving days so that journo’s can mess around… ahem, I mean drive, and properly assess their range of vehicles, and this particular Driving Day was arranged by Mazda up in t’hills of Halifax, Yorkshire.  Being a Lancashire lad I grabbed my passport and made sure that all my jabs were up to date and set off towards the Pennines……

It's only the best 4x4 ever, that's what it is. Ok, I might be a little biased here.

If it was up to me there wouldn’t be any words here, this 'review' would be completely devoid, bereft and totally lacking of text in any form whatsoever, just photos.  Photos of what I firmly believe to be the best and certainly one of the most beautiful vehicles in the world.  However, Muddy Madam suggested that ….

Originally launched back in 2009, it’s fair to say that it wasn’t the prettiest SUV in the playground.  Now however, it appears that BMW have got their act together, and this new version is far more equipped to take on the premium SUV elite.

Although on a longer wheelbase, the new X1 is shorter in length, but ….

With a raft of awards under its belt, the C4 Cactus still appears to be a Marmite car, you either love it or hate it.  When it was delivered to The Mud Life Towers, the first thing the man from Citroën said when I opened the door wasn’t, ‘Hello Mr Turner, I have a car for you.’  No, the first thing he said was, ‘Sorry about the colour!’  Make no mistake, it's…..

Jumping into the Sport my first thought was, it’s a bit cramped.  No, let me rephrase that, I don’t mean cramped as what a 6’ 2”, 19 stone bloke feels like driving a Defender, perhaps snug is a better word.  Perspective I think is required before I dig myself any deeper……

For those of us who don’t need a full expedition roof rack on our 4x4's, yet still need to carry a variety of gubbins on the roof, the obvious solution is a set of roof bars, and in my experience, nothing is quite as sturdy as Thule. (Pronounced Toolay btw).

Decades ago I bought a pair of lockable Thule roof bars for my old ’74 Range Rover, they were brilliant and I still …….