Three Great Off-Road Vehicles For Work and Fun

Image: Consumer ReportsYour SUV of pickup does its duty by hauling cargo, kids, and crates day in and day out. But some of these vehicles have a fun side to them too—in the capacity of an off-road vehicle.

Off-roading can be a way to let off steam and to get away from the daily rigors of the work routine. While driving down a stretch of long freeway, you may see side roads that are rocky or downright rugged with steep terrain and rolling hills.

These are the types of locations that are meant for off-road vehicles. Find out what some of the best ones are.

The Basics

For an off-road SUV or truck to meet the minimum requirements, the vehicle needs to have great low-end torque to pull out of steep and rocky terrain. The last thing you want to do is to go halfway up a rocky hill and get stuck on the middle of it because your ride lacks enough torque.

The second thing a good off-road vehicle needs is power. This goes hand-in-in-hand with torque. If you have torque but not enough power, you get stuck. If you have lots of power but no torque, you get stuck. So finding a good balance between torque and power is the magic formula to get up those hills.

You’ll also need a great transmission that can deliver all this power, efficiently, to the wheels.

Lastly, your vehicle needs enough ground clearance to go over rocks and other assorted obstacles such as logs, shallow streams, and pot holes.

The following vehicles are some of the best off-road autos that you can buy.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

This vehicle has been around for more than 20 years and has left an impression on the auto world as one of the best all-around SUVs for regular driving and errands to some cushy off-road adventures.

The off-road package for this SUV includes special gearing, a multi-mode feature that helps the Jeep transverse different terrain such as snow, sand, mud, auto, and rocks. You get a 4-wheel drive, plenty of torque, adjustable air suspension, over 10-inches of ground clearance, and skid plates underneath the belly to protect it.

But the biggest drawback for the Grand Cherokee is its horrendous repair record, which consistently shows up at the bottom of reviews. But if you happen to get a good one, it may be worth it.

Lexus GX 460

If you want to off-road in style and luxury, you need not go any further than the Lexus GX 460. In addition to the many creature comforts this SUV offers, it doesn’t skimp on the essential off-road necessities. It has great low-range gears, hydraulically powered anti-roll bars in the suspension, 4-wheel drive, and a nifty off-road Crawl Control that lets the driver set the cruise control speed, which concentrating on the fun of driving.

Dodge Ram 1500

This workhorse of a truck not only gets the job done at construction sites, it also can tackle the roughest off-road terrain with ease. It’s powered by a V6 Ecodiesel engine, which is perfect for reduced speed off-roading; has automatic 4WD which selects the right torque and power for the road, and an optional off-road package that will take you anywhere you want to go.

Source: Consumer Reports
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