Sales of light trucks, SUVs and crossover cars are booming right now. While huge inefficient off-road vehicles represent terrible transportation for the vast majority of drivers, adventurers benefit from the high level of innovation in this area. On the whole, new 4x4s are more suitable than old off-road vehicles, which are quickly dying out due to the new trend. While crossovers are more comfortable and generally more efficient than traditional SUVs, the most challenging terrain they want to conquer is a dirt road. Here is a list of the best models for 2018 that can take you, your gear, and your dog off the beaten path while hunting.
Off-road cars for the best outdoor experience
If you're buying off-road vehicles and plan on hitting the backcountry with them, there are a fewgreat off-roaders on the market. Among them you will find a handful that are specifically designed to thrive in difficult situations. If you're not sure where to start, check out the next off-road vehicles. These have also been selected by car experts as the best in this category.
There Toyota Land Cruiser
This Japanese model has commanded the respect of off-road fans for decades. It's the car you'll inevitably find when traveling to rural Australia or a remote part of Africa. It has become larger, more elegant and more expensive than ever before. However, the off-roader is equipped with some of the high-tech features you'll find on the trail. Toyota has developed a system that allows individual wheels to be braked as needed to reduce the truck's turning circle.
The Land Cruiser is no different from the average off-roader, offering leather upholstery, soft-touch dashboard surfaces and real wood trim. It's not always the most practical vehicle due to its gargantuan size, but this plucky SUV can carry 2.3 cubic feet of gear or seven adults with the second and third rows folded flat.
Off-road vehicles – Toyota 4Runner
The Toyota 4Runner is one of the last vestiges of the era when midsize SUVs were built on body-on-frame architecture. It's therefore not as efficient as many of its family-focused rivals, but few can match this in terms of robustness and off-road capacity.
To turn the 4Runner into a tough beast, the manufacturer added a lifted suspension that provided extra travel, Blistein shocks, and stronger springs. It's more expensive than a regular 4Runner, but gives you the opportunity to explore the desert in an upscale SUV without voiding the factory warranty, which is priceless. Just watch the short video about the TRD model to get a better idea.
Jeep Cherokee
This SUV is the most capable compact crossover on the market. Although its primary purpose is to haul a family and their gear from Point A to Point B, the Trail Hawk model can tackle serious off-road trails with the standard 4x4 drivetrain, a beefed-up suspension, and a locking rear differential.
The off-road car is also technically very developed. Jeep's Selec-Terrain technology allows the driver to choose between different driving modes, including automatic, snow, mud, sand and rock. A catalog of performance parts allows owners to customize the car without voiding the factory warranty.
The automaker recently updated the off-roader with a revised, conventional front end. While the new Cherokee is far from a new model, it also gains compatibility and new features. When it comes to the spec sheet, the 2019 model year brings an all-new turbocharged 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine with 270 horsepower.
Subaru Ascent
The Ascent will be the largest Subaru ever made. It has three rows of seats for up to eight people and looks like a cross between the Outback and the Forester. The car is based on an extended version of the global Impreza / Crosstrek chassis. To move the big Ascent, Subaru developed a brand new 2.4 liter boxer engine. This offers 260 horsepower and 277 nanometers of torque. The new chassis and engine offer impressive towing performance.
This new, larger SUV retains the adventurous spirit the brand is known for. It also offers standard symmetrical all-wheel drive, a ground clearance of 22 centimeters and a range of over 500 kilometers. All of this contributes to performance in all weathers and on a wide variety of terrains.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek
With its lower price, Subaru's Crosstrek is one of the most affordable new cars on sale today. Plus, it's also one of the best. Despite its low price, this Subaru comfortably seats five adults, is fun to drive, saves a lot of fuel, and is surprisingly capable on rough dirt roads. If you live in a city and need parallel parking on weekdays but want to escape for camping trips on the weekend, this off-road sedan is for you.
The car has also been designed to be one of the safest off-road vehicles still available with manual transmissions. In its standard form, the Crosstrek is near perfect, although some crazy modifications can greatly improve your options. Replacing the stock tires with a set of lightweight off-road tires will help you get the most out of the fantastic all-wheel drive system. A roof box also creates space for your equipment.
Mercedes-Benz Gruma Hunter – Perhaps the best hunting car
If you drive a regular off-road vehicle with your hunting party, you can check out our next suggestion. The Mercedes-Benz Gruma Hunter is a far more powerful alternative designed specifically for hunters. The clever features include a dog box, a compartment for hunting weapons in the tailgate, a mobile Aqua2Go cleaning unit and laser lights.
To get you to your desired location, the matt green animal offers robust off-road tires, a winch and additional protection for the undercarriage. Its paint job helps the Gruma Hunter blend in with the surroundings as well as race on the highway.
The G-Class
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class (short for off-road vehicle) is unlike any other off-roader on the market today. It was Mercedes' answer to the Land Rover when it was introduced in 1979. Dozens of nations have had this car in recent decadesused as a military vehicle. Amazingly, it is still built by hand in Graz.
Don't be fooled by its chrome decor and frequent appearances in rap videos. The G is one of the most robust vehicles ever built. It features full body-on-frame construction, three differential locks, full-length axles on both sides and skid plates. The downside is that it has become exponentially more expensive.
So driving off the road is not for the faint of heart. Those who want to risk it will go anywhere they want. Act quickly if it's the latest version you're looking for.Mercedes-Benzhas just unveiled a brand new model that will arrive in showrooms at the end of 2018.
Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler is undoubtedly the most famous off-roader in the United States. The off-road vehicle is also one of the most powerful, the cheapest and the most adventurous. Off-road vehicles like this are designed to drive without doors in the great outdoors, a mission that makes them unique on the market.
Even a standard oneBase model Wranglercan prove itself in the field. It's a blank canvas for owners looking to make modifications, but Jeep offers several variants of the Wrangler that can muddy right out of the factory. The Rubicon trim benefits from heavy-duty axles, skid plates that protect key mechanical components, and a system that allows the driver to remove the front anti-roll bar.
The Wrangler has never been good-natured around town until now. However, the new fourth-generation model offers a relatively comfortable ride and better visibility in cities. It is also withuseful technical functionslike a large touchscreen with Jeep's Uconnect infotainment system and even a cross-traffic blind spot monitoring system.
Land Rover 2018
Since its introduction in England in 1970, the name Range Rover has represented obvious enthusiasm for off-road vehicles. This, like most of its competitors, has become much more sophisticated in recent years, but remains at its core a true off-road vehicle.
Although fuel economy has never been one of the Range Rover's strengths, the latest model is significantly more efficient thanks to smaller engines and the widespread use of weight-saving aluminum in its construction. An available turbodiesel engine offers solid torque, which is a real boon when climbing over boulders. And if you're more into hybrids, Land Rover offers a gasoline-electric model called the P400e.
Off-road vehicles – Range Rover Velar
This is the first vehicle from Land Rover to share a platform with the Jaguar XE. Surprisingly, this doesn't really limit his off-road capabilities. In fact, the all-wheel drive can lock the differential and evenly distribute the torque between the front and rear axles. Add the optional rear spoiler, and this thing is capable of finding more traction than most traditional body-on-frame SUVs. It also has hill descent control that can keep you safe on steep slopes.
Why choose the Velar over other Land Rovers? Because of the looks of course, but also because the platform of the car creates a very spacious interior and a very smooth ride. On a shaky road where the rear differential is locked, the air suspension soaks up bumps and the low center of gravity helps keep the car planted on the ground, the Velar is the closest thing to a rally car.
Volvo XC60
The XC60 offers similar driving ability in a much nicer package. Volvo is now owned by Geely and the Chinese company is pumping money into its Swedish luxury brand while giving it the freedom to build cars the way it wants. The result is unique, stylish sedans and crossovers like these that feel much more special than their German rivals.
The cabin is a truly delightful place to spend time. This is large enough to take five adults, a dog or two, and your outdoor gear for a weekend getaway. Once you get back home, you will think that you spent a lot more money on this thing than you actually did. The best part? There is a hybrid version. The vehicle is almost as fast as a rocket ship.
2018 Nissan Armada
Like the Toyota Land Cruiser, the Nissan Armada is a behemoth that is virtually unstoppable once the road is over. It harkens back to the Patrol model, one of the most common off-road vehicles appearing in places like the Middle East and Australia. In short, the Armada is new for the final model year, but its performance is recognized worldwide.
Bucking the industry's downsizing trend, the big Armada relies on a 5.6-liter V8 engine that produces 390 hp and 401 Nm of torque. An advanced all-wheel drive system sends the engine to the rear wheels only under normal driving conditions. This saves fuel and transfers power to the front axle when it detects that additional starting aids are required.
