Unfortunately, if you attempt to drive across mud, rocks, or sand in summer tires (or worse, balding or cracked ones), you’re asking for trouble. Just like some people believe all-wheel drive will magically cure wheel slip in the snow, others imagine a transfer case or locking differential will overcome any tire inefficiencies off-road. Whether your vehicle is old, new, or two- or four-wheel drive, here are some essentials to equip yourself with before you hit the trails: Tires What You’ll Need to Go Off-Roading William Attard McCarthy - McCarthy's PhotoWorks/Getty Images
In this article, we’ll cover the basics of off-roading, because whether you have a crossover or a Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, you can explore far more than a fire road with the right equipment and fundamentals. And if you still prefer to do your own modifications, the aftermarket community is packed with options at all price levels. No longer do you need to sink years of effort into modifying your rig several automakers will happily sell you a brand-new vehicle with more off-road goodies than you’ll likely ever need.
Thankfully, doing so is easier than ever. But to access more original vistas and tell more compelling stories, you’ll need to go off-road. campsites, landmarks, and panoramas can be accessed via roadway. And really, they don’t have to most popular U.S.
Just bear in mind that while the Duster and Jimny aren’t as well equipped as either, they’re a darned sight cheaper and even more capable off road.When the urge to explore arises, few drivers ever find their way off pavement. The Renegade? Well, only the top-spec Trailhawk gets all of the rough-road goodies, forcing the price up to nearly £32,000. Our fully loaded 2.0-litre XV is just over £27,000, while a lower-spec model with the same engine and all of the off-road gear is £2000 cheaper. With both cars having their flaws, price becomes crucial. In terms of comfort, the Renegade is a little softer but throws you around more than the XV, both on and off road. That’s fine if you’re driving about normally, but low-end poke is very welcome when you’re climbing up a steep slope with little run-up. The XV’s petrol engine is smoother but needs to be revved hard before it feels as strong as you might expect. Looking past outright off-road ability, it’s worth pointing out that the Renegade’s diesel engine is particularly coarse. Considering that the Duster and Jimny got all the way through, we were somewhat disappointed. Neither had the frontal clearance for the offset humps and ditches, which are designed to test how well the suspension works to keep all four wheels on the ground over really challenging terrain. These issues actually prevented us from completing the entire course. And while its hill descent control works well enough, there’s an unnerving moment where the car seems to freefall before the system kicks in. As for the Renegade, it has a habit of scraping both ends over obstacles. The XV is better in this regard, because although it’ll scuff its nose readily if you’re not careful, it didn’t once snag its rear bumper on the ground.
However, it’s the approach and departure angles that are the real limiting factors. In both cases, the traction control systems heavily cut engine power, killing forward momentum and leaving no way of reaching the peak. It was therefore no surprise that the churned-up Horseshoe was too much for both the XV and Renegade. But although both cars made it to the top, we had to pick our lines carefully to avoid scraping their undersides. Not that this proved a problem, with the XV scampering up both the relatively flat dirt incline and heavily rutted sand slopes. Like the Renegade, it has hill descent control, although there’s only one off-road setting, called X-Mode. Unlike many other four-wheel-drive SUVs that send power to the rear wheels only when the fronts lose purchase, the XV is always driving all four. The Subaru XV, meanwhile, may look like a regular hatchback tottering around on welly-shaped wedges, but there’s more to it than meets the eye.