Many SUV's and trucks are designed to be driven on the street but to have some off road abilities. However, there are some that are designed to be beat up on the sand trails of the desert and the rocks of the Rubicon trail. Here are six of the best off road cars.
1. Jeep Wrangler
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Jeep Wrangler
Found on Four Wheeler Network |
The Jeep Wrangler is a classic off road SUV. It has the traditional formula of a body on frame design, solid axles, and four wheel drive. If you opt for the Rubicon trim, you can get locking front and rear differentials and a disconnecting front sway bar. The disconnecting sway bar allows for more suspension articulation. The approach and departure angle on the Wrangler is excellent, thanks to the high bumpers and small overhangs. Turning radius and break over angle are better on the three door Wrangler than the five door Wrangler thanks to a shorter wheel base. The best part about this car is that you can take off the doors and the roof. Though this may not help with off roading, it creates a more airy feel in the car.
2. Mercedes Benz G Class
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Mercedes Benz G Wagon
By Julian Herzog |
The Mercedes Benz G Class is a military vehicle on the outside. It has a boxy design with round headlamps and bolt on turn signals. The door handles are like the ones found on a Jeep, military style. However, on the inside, it is all luxury. The seats are comfortable. There is a lovely infotainment system sitting in the middle. The G Class, like the Jeep, has the traditional off roader formula. It has a body on frame design and tall ride height. This means driving on the roads, where most of these vehicles spend their lives, is not very pleasurable. However, on the rare occasion that someone takes this beast off road, it actually performs quiet well.
3. Land Rover Range Rover
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Land Rover Range Rover
By Edmunds |
The Land Rover Range Rover is different from the G Class and the Wrangler. It doesn't follow the traditional formula. Instead, it implements a lot more technology in off roading. It comes with an air suspension system that can lift the car to clear more rocks. It also comes with one of the smartest Terrain Response systems I've ever seen. There is an auto mode, which means that the vehicle can detect what surface you are on and adjust throttle input, differential locks, and suspension for the conditions. However, most of these clever features go unused. Instead, they are road cars. The Range Rover behaves more like a road car than a truck because of the Unibody design.
4. Chevrolet Colorado ZR2
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Chevrolet Color ZR2
By Chevrolet |
The Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 is a desert beast created by Chevy. The regular Colorado is a hardworking compact pickup truck that can be great for daily use. The ZR2 is a mean go anywhere machine that is a toy. Chevy has taken the guys from Multimatic, who created the revolutionary Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 suspension and told them to create a truck suspension. This means that there is much more precise control of the fluid, which allows the truck to behave well both on road and off road. The Colorado also comes with a more aggressive bumper that allows for more travel and locking front and rear differentials. The having the locking diffs means that you can get out of a slippery situation off road.
5. Ford F-150 Raptor
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Ford F-150
By Motor Trend |
The Ford F-150 is my personal favorite on this list. Ford has taken the F-150 and made it into one of the most dope trucks on the road today. It has flared fenders that make the stance more aggressive. Because of the fenders, they had to add orange lights to the vehicle, so they did it on top of the grill. Ford knows that enthusiasts will buy this truck, which is why they added aux switches that could be wired to turn on aftermarket parts. The Ford F-150 comes stock with Fox Shocks and a locking rear differential. A Torsen differential is optional.
6. Ram 2500 Power Wagon
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Ram 2500 Power Wagon
By Motor Trend |
The Ram 2500 Power Wagon is the biggest vehicle on this list. Unfortunately, because of the size, this vehicle is hard to maneuver, which is why it isn't suitable for the challenging Rubicon trail. Ram has added a Warren Winch on the front as standard. They actually expect you to come across rough conditions where you get stuck. However, Ram has also added locking front and rear differentials so that you are less likely to get stuck. This truck has also got a HEMI V8 that makes 410 horsepower, which means that you can get up that tough mountain climb.
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