Introduction
If you are planning to travel on demanding roads such as mountainous areas, you need to have the right vehicle that you need for the awkward road.
This article will help to lead you to choose which vehicle will be the best that you can purchase for mountain driving.
Jeep Grand Cherokee
The 2023 Grand Cherokee has six trims: Laredo, Altitude, Limited, Overland, Summit, and Summit Reserve.
4WD / AWD
4WD is standard across the Grand Cherokee lineup coming in the form of four capable 4×4 systems: Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II, Quadra-Drive II, and Quadra-Trac SRT that offer simple, low-range, tremendous off-roading, and ultimate in street and track capabilities respectively. Technologies such as climbing and descending hill control, an electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential, an active transfer case, and a sway bar disconnect system are also included.
Ground Clearance
The Grand Cherokee comes with an 8.4-inch ground clearance as standard, while for models with air suspension, it’s 11.3 inches.
Engine Power and Torque
A 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 petrol engine paired with an eTorque Mild Hybrid system with a combined output of 290 hp and 257 lb-ft is standard. A 5.7-liter Hemi V8 petrol engine with 357 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque is available.
A turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol engine paired with electric motors (4xe plug-in hybrid) system with 380 hp and 470 lb-ft. The 17-kWh battery has an estimated range of 40 km running on power only with the capability of towing 2.7 tonnes.
These engines are attached to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
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Equipment and Safety Features
Equipment
Equipment comes in the form of a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment, navigation, wireless charging, USB ports, UConnect Guardian, and Apple CarPlay.
Safety Features
Standard features include collision detection with active braking and pedestrian detection, advanced brake assist, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, rear cross-path detection, parking sensors, and blind-spot monitoring.
Price
From US$ 2200 to US$ 86,700 (these are BE FORWARD prices as of July 2023).
Writer’s Perspective
Pros
True 4×4 luxury
Cons
Expensive to buy and own
Subaru Outback
Subaru Outback The Subaru Outback is a 5-door crossover SUV that was introduced in 2009.
4WD / AWD
Asymmetrical AWD is standard on the Outback. This plus good ground clearance, tough suspensions, and skid plates, enables it to go places no matter the weather or road conditions.
Ground Clearance
The Outback has a standard ground clearance of 8.7 inches, while the Wilderness model has 9.5 inches.
Engine Power and Torque
The Outback comes fitted with a 2.5-liter (FB25) H4 petrol engine with 182 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque. A turbocharged 2.4-liter (FA2AF) H4 petrol engine with 260 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque is available. These engines are paired with a CVT transmission that mimics an 8-speed (sequential-shift) Lineartronic transmission.
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Equipment and Safety Features
Equipment
The Outback comes with dual 7-inch screens as standard, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, navigation, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto.
Safety Features
The Outback comes with Subaru’s EyeSight safety package with active safety features that include a pre-collision braking system, adaptive cruise control, traction control, lane departure warning, a sway warning system, electronic stability control, anti-lock braking system, airbags, and hill descent control.
Price
From US$ 1960 to US$ 36,800 (these are BE FORWARD prices as of July 2023)
Writer’s Perspective
Pros
Spacious, smooth, and comfortable
Cons
The standard naturally aspirated 2.5-liter (FB25) engine delivers lethargic performance and the CVT transmission is sluggish
Land Rover Range Rover
The Range Rover Sport is a performance-focused version of the Range Rover. It’s smaller and nimbler with great emphasis invested on handling and performance without compromising its offroad and on-road capabilities.
4WD / AWD
The Range Rover Sport comes with an advanced AWD system capable of decoupling the front axle in certain situations.
Ground Clearance
With an adjustable air suspension as standard, this SUV can be raised to a maximum of 11.1 inches of ground clearance.
Engine Power and Torque
The 2023 Range Rover Sport comes fitted with a turbocharged 3.0-liter I6 with a 48-volt hybrid system with a combined output of 355 hp or 395 hp as standard. Also available is a plug-in hybrid system that pairs the inline-six with an electric motor for a combined output of 434 hp or a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 powerplant with 523 hp. These engines are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The average fuel consumption of these engines is between 7.6 km/L and 9.4 km/L with the hybrid model having a 77 km electric-only range.
Equipment and Safety Features
Equipment
Standard tech features include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, USB-C and USB-A ports, and a wireless charging pad. Storage options include front and rear cup holders, a center box, a glovebox, front and rear door pockets, and front-seat jacket pockets.
Safety Features
Safety features and driver aids include adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning, emergency braking systems, and surround-view cameras.
Price
From US$ 6410 to US$ 219,900 (these are BE FORWARD prices as of July 2023)
Writer’s Perspective
Pros
A good combination of state-of-the-art features with off-roading capabilities
Cons
High base price
Toyota 4Runner
The Toyota 4Runner is a 4-door luxury SUV with 5 seats.
4WD / AWD
RWD is standard with a multimode 4WD available.
Ground Clearance
9.0 inches for 2WD and 9.6 inches for 4WD models.
Engine Power and Torque
The Toyota 4Runner is fitted with a 4.0-liter (1GR-FE) V6 petrol with 270 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque. A 2.7-liter (2TR-FE) I4 petrol engine with 164 hp and 178 lb-ft is available. The engines are paired with either four- or five-speed automatic transmission.
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Equipment and Safety Features
Equipment
The 4Runner is not short of storage options which include a center bin, cup holders, a glove box, and door pockets, plus an enormous cargo area of 1311 liters with all seats in place and 2514 liters with the rear seats folded. Toyota’s Entune infotainment system with an 8.0-inch touchscreen and physical controls is standard. It also includes Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, voice commands, Amazon Alexa, satellite radio, multiple USB ports, and a Wi-Fi hotspot (subscription-based). A 15-speaker JBL audio system and a built-in navigation system are available as upgrades.
Safety Features
The 2023 4Runner comes with Toyota Safety Sense-P (TSS-P) as standard. Safety features included are blind-spot monitoring, a rear cross-traffic warning system, forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control.
Price
From US$ 6800 to US$ 34,200 (these are BE FORWARD prices as of July 2023)
Writer’s Perspective
Pros
A versatile and true off-roader
Cons
A fuel-thirsty V6 and a high egress and egress height
Toyota Land Cruiser
The Land Cruiser J300 is a full-size SUV.
4WD / AWD
4WD is standard
Ground Clearance
The J300 has an adaptive variable suspension (AVS) with a maximum ground clearance of 9.3 inches.
Engine Power and Torque
The J300 comes fitted with either a twin-turbo 3.4-liter (V35A-FTS) V6 petrol engine with 410 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque or a twin-turbo 3.3-liter (F33A-FTV) V6 diesel engine 304 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. These engines are paired with a ten-speed automatic transmission.
Equipment and Safety Features
Equipment
Standard features include cloth upholstery, rubber mats, steel rims, and a snorkel. Available features include a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, 10-speaker stereo, 260-degree cameras, heated and ventilated front seats, four-zone climate control, synthetic leather trim, a sunroof, DRLs, alloy wheels, automatic wipers, and reverse autonomous braking. It’s also equipped with Toyota’s ‘Multi-Terrain Monitor’ and ‘Multi-Terrain Select’ systems.
Safety Features
The J300 comes with the Toyota Safety Sense package as standard, it includes automatic high-beam, 10 airbags, a reversing camera, autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian recognition, pre-collision warning, daytime cyclist recognition, lane-keeping assistance with steering-wheel vibration, steering assist, intersection-turn assist, and car a tracking device.
Price
From US$ 7400 to US$ 155,100 (these are BE FORWARD prices as of July 2023)
Writer’s Perspective
Pros
Rugged, powerful, and comfortable.
Cons
Not affordable
Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V is a five-door crossover SUV.
4WD / AWD
Front-Wheel drive (FWD) is standard with All-Wheel drive (AWD) available.
Ground Clearance
9.0 inches for 2WD and 9.6 inches for 4WD models.
Engine Power and Torque
A turbocharged 1.5-liter (L15BL) four-cylinder petrol with 190 hp and 179 lb-ft of torque is standard. A hybrid system that pairs a 2.0-liter (LFA1) petrol engine with a motor has a combined output of 212 hp and 232 lb-ft. These engines have an average fuel consumption of 13 and 16 km/L respectively. These engines are paired with either a nine-speed automatic, CVT, or e-CVT (Hybrid) transmission.
Equipment and Safety Features
Equipment
Standard features include cloth upholstery, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, and physical climate control buttons. Available features include chromed plastics and faux wood accents. Cubby storage includes a glove box, door pockets, jacket pockets, a center bin, and cup holders. Standard tech features include a 5.0-inch infotainment display, Bluetooth, a four-speaker stereo, a USB port, a rearview camera, automatic climate control, and alloy wheels.
Safety Features
The 2020 CR-V comes with the Honda Sensing suite, which includes a forward collision warning, a collision mitigation braking system, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and road departure mitigation as standard.
Price
From US$ 1540 to US$ 8000 (these are BE FORWARD prices as of July 2023)
Writer’s Perspective
Pros
Spacious interior and cargo area
Cons
Inferior towing capacity
Dodge Ram
The Dodge Ram is a full-size pickup truck.
4WD / AWD
Available in Rear-Wheel Drive and Four-Wheel Drive.
Ground Clearance
Standard ground clearance is 8.3 inches which can grow up to 11.8 inches depending on the wheels and tires.
Engine Power and Torque
The Ram comes fitted with a 3.6-liter V6 petrol engine with an output that ranges between 260 and 395 hp as standard. Also available is a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 petrol engine with 395 hp and 410 lb-ft and a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 with 240 hp and 420 lb-f of torque. These engines send power to the wheels via a five-speed manual, or a six- or eight-speed automatic transmission.
Equipment and Safety Features
Equipment
Standard features on the Ram 1500 Tradesman include keyless entry, push-button start, air conditioning, a new air filtration system, a backup camera, power door locks and windows, a 6-speaker radio, a USB port, a rearview camera, and 18-inch steel wheels. Available features include an 8.4-inch touchscreen, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, cloth upholstery, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, front and rear parking sensors, and satellite radio.
Safety Features
Standard and optional safety features include front-seat side airbags, cruise control, a switch-activated electronic parking brake, hill-start assist, full-length side curtain airbags, four-wheel antilock disc brakes, stability control, and trailer-sway control.
Price
From US$ 12,000 to US$ 51,000 (these are BE FORWARD prices as of July 2023)
Writer’s Perspective
Pros
Highly reliable
Cons
Inferior hauling and towing capability
Are you concerned about gas mileage? Check out this blog to find out about fuel-efficient and powerful SUVs!
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Ford Expedition
The Ford Expedition is a five-door full-size SUV.
4WD / AWD
The Expedition is available in RWD as standard with 4WD available.
Ground Clearance
Ranges between 9.7 inches and 10.6 inches
Engine Power and Torque
The Ford Expedition is powered by a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 petrol with two outputs. In a standard setup, it generates 380 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque while on higher trims it produces 400 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque. This engine transfers power to the wheels via a ten-speed automatic transmission. Its fuel consumption rate ranges between 7.22 km/L and 9.77 km/L.
Equipment and Safety Features
Equipment
Standard features include an 8.0-inch touchscreen, a six-speaker audio, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, four USB ports, satellite radio, a Wi-Fi hotspot, a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, Ford’s MyKey, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, and alloy wheels.
Safety Features
The Ford Co-Pilot360 safety suite is standard, it bundles safety features such as a pre-collision warning and braking system, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, and blind spot monitoring.
Price
From US$ 11,900 to US$ 58,700 (these are BE FORWARD prices as of July 2023)
Writer’s Perspective
Pros
Carvenous cabin and a superior towing capacity
Cons
Tricky to maneuver
Final Verdict
SUVs, crossovers, and pickup trucks have been the best-selling categories in the automotive industry. But why is this so? SUVs, crossovers, and pickup trucks typically have better ground clearance than other cars, they do also offer drivers better visibility of the road ahead, but mostly they tend to be heavier, comfortable, more durable, and rugged, with a go-anywhere and do-anything ability which appeals to most buyers. The cars that we have covered fall within this category, they are all great cars with varying features. Whichever one you choose will be a great choice.
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I am a car enthusiast and experienced freelance car writer with over 5 years in automotive journalism. Recognized for delivering engaging and informative content across diverse websites and blogs, prominently featured on platforms like BE FORWARD. A passion for cars, coupled with a proven track record of insightful articles, showcasing a deep understanding of the industry.
With over 5 years of writing expertise in the automotive domain, I specialize in comprehensive coverage of car-related topics. My portfolio spans engaging reviews, up-to-date news, and in-depth features, showcasing a versatile understanding of the automotive landscape. This experience reflects my commitment to delivering insightful content that captivates readers across a broad spectrum of car enthusiasts and general audiences.
My favorite car is the Range Rover Sport for its luxurious design, powerful performance, and unparalleled comfort on and off-road.
