offroad

2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Drive Review: Blending Efficiency with Adventure

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6th Generation CR-V The 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid is the first model year of the 6th generation CR-V. As such it has been redesigned outside and in and has additional powertrain improvements.  Driving the 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid Terrain Management While the CR-V Hybrid lacks a dedicated off-road mode like some of its competitors, it does offer multiple driving modes to adapt to various conditions. The ECON mode prioritizes fuel efficiency, while the Sport mode enhances throttle response and steering feel. In slippery or uneven terrain, you can engage the Snow mode, which optimizes power distribution for improved traction. These …

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2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 Limited

2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 Limited Review

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Not updated For 2022! While GMC will have a mid-life refresh for the Sierra 1500 coming soon, this is not that truck. Until things start to settle down from the pandemic we get this “AT4 Limited” trim stop gap model, which is basically from 2021. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not an excellent truck! The Overview GMC sent us a 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 Limited with the 3.0 turbo diesel for our review. This engine has 277 horsepower and 460 foot-pounds of torque. Power is sent through a 10-speed auto, 2-speed transfer case with an auto 4wd setting, and …

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2020 Toyota Land Cruiser – Off-Road Test Review – By Matt Barnes

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What can be said about the 200 series Land Cruiser that hasn’t already been said? It’s been around since 2008 and has only had a few meaningful changes since then. For 2020, there is an all new Heritage Edition that removes the rear seats and center armrest cooler and adds a roof rack, BBS forged wheels, and special badges. Other than that, little has changed from the 2019 model year. For our review, Toyota sent us a base model Land Cruiser for a week. Keep in mind the base model Land Cruiser starts at over $85,000 and there is only …

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2020 Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro – Off-Road Review – By Matt Barnes

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Like nearly all other body-on-frame vehicles Toyota makes, the Sequoia is getting old. The current generation came out for the 2008 model year. Of course, there have been updates here and there over time, but there hasn’t been a major redesign in 12 years. For 2020, Toyota has introduced the TRD Pro trim level to the Sequoia. Like all other TRD Pro vehicles, the Sequoia has upgraded suspension components and a few unique color and trim items. Exterior No matter how you look at it, the Sequoia is a beast. Nearly everything about it is big. The front greets you …

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Auto Industry Insider: What Makes An Off-Road Vehicle Great?

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Are you a gearhead who’s sick and tired of pounding the beaten path? Do you want to go out into the wilderness and explore? Good – all you need is an off-roader that can keep up with the demands of going off-piste. A quality off-road vehicle should easily skim over water barriers and bounce up and down steep inclines. With the right one by your side, there aren’t many mountains you can’t climb. Unfortunately, the market is full of faux off-roaders. These are trucks that look and sound like they have everything you need, but they are unsuitable after a …

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2020 BMW X6 40i – Off-Road Test Review – By Matt Barnes

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Sports Car in a Crossover’s Clothes: the New BMX X6 German vehicle manufacturers have recently been flooding the US market with a variety of crossovers; Audi offers six, Mercedes offers eight, and BMW offers seven. For BMW, they offer their SUVs as wagons and coupes. The X1 is the wagon and X2 the coupe riding on the same platforms. This goes for the X3 and X4, and the X5 and X6. The only wagon without a coupe is the new X7 as there is no X8 available yet. BMW was kind enough to give us a week with an X6 …

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2020 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison Duramax Diesel Review

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The ZR2 Bison is unstoppable!! Never thought I’d find a factory off-road pickup that can hang with the Raptor, but the Colorado’s slimmer width is a big plus on narrow trails. The diesel engine is packing a wallop at 365 pound-feet of torque and so you can tow an extra 700 pounds (up to 7700). However, the 0-60-mph time drops 3 seconds from 6.5 to 9.5. It feels pretty glacial on the road until you adjust to its power delivery style. But then you start to love how it just surges forward without a gear change, or pops off the …

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2019 Honda Passport AWD Elite – Review by Ben Lewis

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What’s in a name? We’ll skip the Shakespearean reference, and go for the automotive one. Do they make sense? Sometimes. A 911, well that’s a model number. A Maxima – uh, is there a Minima? Now we have the all-new Honda Passport. Wait, we’ve heard that name before. Yep, there was a Honda Passport in the ‘90s. Well sorta. That Passport was a rebadged Isuzu Rodeo, which wasn’t a bad vehicle, and it was a smart idea – Honda needed a compact SUV to fight it out in that red-hot segment. This was three years before the 1997 CR-V would …

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2019 Unimog U128 – Extreme Terrain Driving Experience Gallery

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The annual press conference for Daimler Trucks occurred recently and they let the execs and shareholders loose to test the impossibly cool 2019 Unimog.  In a wild simulation of the roughest terrain it might find it is wild life. This off-road course is no joke, with wild inclinations and turf rougher than double-black-diamond ski moguls! The Zetros is thumping through all the obstacles too – but looks slightly more like a locomotive that’s jumped its tracks.  The Unimog in this crew-cab pickup trim is best able to use its inherent suspension skills and power — without the weight of a …

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2018 Lexus GX460 – On & Off-Road Test Review – By Matt Barnes

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Badged as the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado worldwide, the Lexus GX460 is a luxuriously adorned version for the United States and other upscale markets. The underpinnings are as durable as one would expect from a Toyota product with all the luxury of a Lexus. Interior The GX460 is a very luxurious vehicle with all the features you would expect in a Lexus. The leather is soft and supple, with heated and ventilated seats. The second row has heated seats, but not ventilated. The steering wheel is also heated. The middle row captain’s chairs are comfortable and allow easy access to …

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The 7 Coolest Vehicles You Can Rent

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Getting tired of driving the same car every day? Always wanted to try your hand at piloting a tank? You aren’t alone: Lots of people dream of getting behind the wheel of some awesome ride. There are a ton of services out there that let you rent the freshest and most bizarre vehicles available. Whether it’s something fast and sleek for you to drive or a large party platform for you and your friends, the following are some of the strangest and coolest rentable vehicles. NASCAR Racer If you’re a fan of the speediest sport, now’s your chance to take …

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VIDEO – 2017 Jeep Compass Limited 4×4 Finds Bomb-Crater Lake

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    How awful are those posts on sites that just open to a video.  No words really, just a giant play button.  And you never really want to watch the video that second, right? We try to spare you those posts here.  But there are exceptions. When a video production approaches true The Grand Tour production values.  When a drone-cam tracks your Jeep romping in tall grass and from over water.  When dual GoPro’s with different cabin angles was ridiculous but still tolerated by the talent. When you’ve found a peachy dirt road to mimic rally speeds around corners — tail …

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2017 Ford F-150 RAPTOR 4×4 Supercab – First Drive Review

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When Ford gives you Raptor keys, there is an instant rush of blood to the brain.  Me!? Yes! The truck is absolutely gigantic even in shortie Supercab setup here.  A half-foot wider and big step taller than any stock F-150 around.  The cabin is the tiniest part of the huge widebody fenders, wide-track racing suspension and jumbo offroad tires. It is quite an event — even just parked calmly in subtle magnetic grey. What’s the first thing you do with a Raptor?   For me, it is Go find mud!  A rock quarry with greenlight from the dudes working?  YES! …

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2018 Land Rover DISCOVERY – Off-Road First Drive

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When the truck that gets stuck — metal to rock — in front of you on an offroad course is a 2017 Raptor, you start to wonder if your truck will make it through the same obstacle. Except when it is a Land Rover? We found out just how incredible the 2018 Disco was offroad the other week.  And documented the experience thoroughly! Not totally fair to call this a review of any sort.  Seat time was less than an hour, while we never touched pavement.  So these observations are nearly static impressions. But here goes. WOW! The most ultramodern …

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Mercedes-Benz X-Class Concepts Preview 2017 Production Pickups!

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An ultra-strong ladder frame, big straight-six engines and Mercedes drive manners? Mercedes today previews its future ‘crossover’ and first-ever pickup with the Concept X-Class.  This will be less of a crossover but a smart combination of MB’s truck and car resources.  Those Unimog genes and grip… now in a $70k luxury size! Two models are shown: a posh AMG-style look in shimmery white.  Low suspension and performance stance are hot.  The nose is actually pretty sexy, but has nothing on its gorgeous LED tail.  A swirlly ribbon of red LED is the brake light in back. THe other truck is …

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Concept Flashback – 1995 BMW Z18 is Fascinating Rally Roadster

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BMW Technik was really up to some clever stuff in the mid-1990s. This concept is chock full of interesting and production-bound ideas — even set far apart from the kooky nature of a rally roadster. A convertible crossover… as we might call it today. But still unlike anything this side of the Ariel Nomad in terms of purity of purpose. And the Z18 would actually be a pretty fun off-roader. Check out the nonexistent front bumper, fantastic ride height and river-ready wading depth. There is interesting ‘flame’ surfacing on the Z18, as a matter of fact, far before Bangle made …

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2017 Zarooq Sand Racer – a 500HP DAKAR LYKAN?

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A fresh supercar to report today! The 2017 Zarooq Motors Sand Racer — the launch model for an all-new Emirati sportscar venture. Proudly designed and made in the UAE, the Sand Racer hopes to take the bespoke supercar crazy into the dunes. A bespoke racing chassis mounts its 500HP engine in the rear for optimal offroad balance, while the bodywork is exciting and feels like an authentic rally raid prototype from the Dakar series. That bodywork was penned by the lead designer of the W Motors Lykan Hypersport — bringing plenty of local flavor to the military-style bodywork. The project …

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shleby raptor

575HP SHELBY RAPTOR – Animated Colors and Options Guide

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The Ford  RAPTOR off-road special is the biggest hit among shoppers since the F-150 Lightning of the 1990s. Performance street trucks like the Ram SRT10, Silverado SS and GMC Cyclone appear to be taking a backseat to baja-ready machines like the Tundra TRD Pro and the stock Raptor. But with the huge popularity of the Ford dune-blaster comes a bit less excitement and exclusivity for owners. Enter, Shelby American. You can equip and buy a custom Shelby Raptor as new or retro-fit these cool parts to an existing truck. Highlights in the full $17,000 Shelby upgrade are the Whipple supercharger …

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2013 Giugiaro PARCOUR ROADSTER in 50 High-Res Photos gif

Part Two: 2013 Giugiaro PARCOUR ROADSTER in 50 High-Res Photos

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  PART TWO: The Roadster When off-roading, why not have the wind in your hair and a bit of breeze above your head? All the better to see the amazing terrain this XGT could sail through… This Roadster evolved from one of the best-received concepts of all time from ItalDesign Giugiaro: an off-road Gallardo called the Parcour. Very rarely is the crossover and SUV trend so elegantly bottled into a super-high-performance package like this. With a completely fresh design, the Parcour looks truly ready to bounce off rocks down any rally track tomorrow. In fact, the machine was so thoroughly …

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2013 Giugiaro PARCOUR in 100 Photos: V10 SUV Set Tone For Upcoming Lambo 4×4 and Audi Nanuk

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This beast was one of the best-received concepts of all time from ItalDesign Giugiaro: an off-road Gallardo called the Parcour. Very rarely is the crossover and SUV trend so elegantly bottled into a super-high-performance package like this. With a completely fresh design, the Parcour looks truly ready to bounce off rocks down any rally track tomorrow. In fact, the machine was so thoroughly engineered that the hardtop Parcour was sold at Pebble Beach last year by Giugiaro for about $600,000. Its mechanical package is rock-solid, primarily because it shares the mid-engine chassis, transmission and AWD system of the well-proven Gallardo …

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