There are many riders who like SUVs, and they often look forward to where to go on a road trip or go off-road after buying a car, hoping to buy a model with strong off-road performance. I believe that the vast majority of them will mainly measure the off-road ability of a car in terms of four-wheel drive performance, and what I want to say is that four-wheel drive performance is important, but it is only a part of the off-road ability indicator.
As for the rest, we depend on the needs.
Mild off-road
In fact, off-road is not necessarily the off-road we see in the field, to challenge the limits. What more consumers are looking for is its ability to cope with bad roads, allowing them to reach more places when they travel by bicycle. Therefore, its real purpose is only to pass some bad road. Here are a few important points:
Vehicle comfort: When we drive long distances, we may have to go through a long period of non-paved road, at this time, the vehicle not only needs a high ground clearance, comfort is also very important. If you drive a chassis tuning stiff off-road vehicle, then the whole journey down the waist and hips will be very tired, and do not dare to drive fast, before a luxury brand off-road vehicle, really because of the bumpy road to the hood card buckle to turn upside down, it can be seen the importance of vehicle comfort.
Suspension travel: For mild off-road, long suspension travel may be more useful than a powerful four-wheel drive system. Vehicles with long suspension strokes, when passing through some deep pits, the wheels basically do not leave the ground, and there will be no "cross axle" situation, allowing the driver to pass through the bad road more safely. However, generally only some hardcore off-road vehicles will have a longer suspension stroke, and urban SUVs still try to travel steadily and slowly, avoid various potholes, or assemble a four-wheel drive system with good anti-slip performance.
Tires: Personally, it is very important to have a good pair of tires when driving on sections with mild off-roading, AND tires have better grip on non-paved roads, allowing vehicles to drive more stable on sandy or watery roads.
Reliability: Many people will say that reliability is not a kind of off-road performance, but I personally believe that reliability is indispensable when traveling by car, especially when going out alone. If you're driving a car with great off-road performance and you're stuck with electronic system problems, it's a delay and a ruin.
Recommended models: Toyota Prado, Mitsubishi Pajero, Toyota Land Cruiser, Nissan Tourer and other models with good comfort and reliability.
Heavy off-roading
Mentioned earlier are some of the important points for light off-roading, but some riders like to open up the car, experience the so-called extreme performance, play with sand, etc., then we can look at these important points:
Off-road equipment: When heavy off-road, there are high requirements for the extreme performance of the vehicle. For example, when extreme off-road, we often encounter a trapped car situation, at this time we have to know how to save ourselves, and the winch is the strongest tool to get out of trouble, as long as there is a fixed point, better than any four-wheel drive system.
Companion vehicles: The more difficult the place, the higher the importance of companionship. Whether it is crossing no man's land, opening up sand or climbing rocks, we will inevitably encounter accidents such as vehicle failure and stuck cars. In these places, no trailer will come in, and at this time the companion is particularly precious, even if it is really impossible to save, it is okay to abandon the car and take the companion car to leave, it is better than a person waiting for death next to the car.
Body structure: When heavy off-road, body structure is quite important. Generally, hard-core off-road vehicles will use non-load-bearing bodies, which bring very strong body rigidity and strong resistance to deformation when passing through shell craters or sand. If you use a vehicle with a load-bearing body for heavy off-roading, most of them will soon have a body, interior noise, etc., and it will be very scattered.
Recommended models: Jeep Wrangler, Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Toyota FJ Cooluzer, Land Rover Defender and other models with good innate quality and great modification potential.
Write at the end
The SUV is a very interesting model that can take you to places that ordinary cars can't reach, with a different kind of driving pleasure. Here, I also hope that all riders can choose an SUV that meets their needs and complete a wonderful journey.