‘Top Gear’ Recap: ‘Season 30, Episode 3’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 3003 of ‘Top Gear’.

For the most part, the road trip has become a fairly routine affair. After all, GPS and the solid highway system has made this time-tested and beloved journey, a breeze for anyone to indulge in. Since now you can simply kick back and let your phone or on-board system tell you where to go and the internet helps you to easily find any landmarks on the way. But while that definitely takes some of the stress out of planning the trip… it does make it clinical in nature. To the point where sometimes, one ponders upon how nice it would be nice to find a way to add a little spice to the road trip and explore parts of the world that are out of the way and off the beaten path… safely of course.

Because no one likes the idea of getting stuck in a sedan in the heart of the mountains. But thankfully, the off-road vehicle is there to indeed spice up the road trip and allow for the driver to go where they have never gone before, in the safest manner possible. But as is often the case with cars anymore, there are a bevy to choose from. So, may in fact, that it can be quite overwhelming to decide which one is the right one to get. But that is precisely why shows like Top Gear exist, so they can help us with such decisions, and it just so happens that last night’s episode of the show… took the time to explore what the best off-road vehicle is on the market right now and of course… that led to some fascinating and wild selections from our intrepid trio of hosts. 

For Paddy, believed that comfort and style should matter above all else when choosing an off-roader and that’s why he opted to showcase the Mercedes-AMG G63. A practical and beautiful off-road ride, one that stood in stark contrast to Freddie’s choice. For he believed that if you’re going to drive off the beaten path, it should be in the most rugged and natural way imaginable, and that’s why he chose the supremely uncomfortable Ariel Nomad R (pictured above). As for Chris, well he decided that he should showcase a car that blends together style and comfort and practical use and that’s precisely why he chose the Land Rover Defender. But while the lads had solid points as to why their car was likely the best choice for off-road adventures, the only real way to settle which was the best, was to put them to the test, or tests in this instance.

The kind that saw a rugged relay race take plate to get an idea of how these cars handle themselves under pressure, and a wild and quirky trial, designed to the test the mettle of the driver. Wherein the lads were dragged at high speed behind their chosen ride, and the daredevil who motivated the Stig to go the fastest speed, won. And oddly enough, Freddie’s choice dominated these two trials, leaving one to wonder if the car companies got it wrong. Which meant, a final real-world test was in order. One where the lads would actually have to go off-road and deep into rough territory to claim a key that would help them unlock and re-lamp a lighthouse and well, it turns out the G63 failed this test miserably, by getting stuck and requiring a tow, and while Freddie’s ride performed admirably, it was the Land Rover that handled every challenge with minimal fuss and helped Chris to the finish line, making him and the Defender the winner of this week’s competition.
 
If anything, this really was quite the informative episode when all is said and done. Because it really did offer up a solid examination of these particular off-road vehicles, since now we know that Land Rover and Ariel genuinely designed a pair of vehicles that can handle anything you throw at them in the wild. The only question is whether you want to truly be in touch with nature or not, since the Ariel exposes you to the elements and well, hopefully we get to see more comparisons like this in weeks and years to come since this was handy as can be and fun to boot. Because let’s be honest, it was incredible to see the lads hanging onto the back of their rides as they (mostly) barreled toward ninety and well, now that this adventure is in the books, we can turn our attention to the season 30 finale, an episode that looks to solve an age-old problem in our modern world… the mid-life crisis. Until next time.

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