https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0XWj4sxEIM
In recent years, it's become increasingly popular for folks to go off-roading in comfortable family vehicles. Automakers are taking note and releasing some pretty cool new models to satisfy those needs. In this video, the guys from The Fast Lane Car YouTube channel took some of top-of-the-line rides and put them up against each other.
The three off-roaders they chose were the Land Rover Defender, the Toyota Land Cruiser, and probably the newest one of the bunch, the Nissan Armada. Each of them have had a history in off-roading before with their older models, but how do they stack up today? It was a snowy day up in the Colorado mountains, so it doesn't get more challenging than that. The biggest issue was not doing any damage to the cars, because they aren't exactly the cheapest things on the road.
The TFL guys take a few moments to dive into each SUV's equipment before setting off to the trail. The Armada, although it looks nice, is made for some pretty light off-roading. It provides a smooth ride, and it comes with the most powerful engine, but its lack of ground clearance and big 20-inch wheels will get you stuck if you ever hit anything technical. When it came time for the Land Cruiser, the hosts were not all that surprised with how well it performed. The lineup has been producing capable rigs for a while now, and you should expect nothing less, so it aces the test.
The Land Rover did run into a few snags along the way. Within five miles of going off-road, it sends a suspension failure warning, as well as a low coolant warning on the dash. That being said, if you can overlook the electrical component issues that are prone to go bad on the Defender, it can actually be a very capable off-roader. Take a look, and decide for yourself which one you think won the challenge.