Being well off the beaten path has it’s rewards. It’s easy to say that you’ll escape out into the woods for a weekend to yourself, but I know maybe five people who I could guarantee have actually made for the woodline and stayed away from the life of cell phones and fast food and Facebook. Their vehicles of choice? Chevrolet Suburban, Nissan Frontier, Jeep Wrangler, older Ford F250, and Toyota 4Runner. All of which make sense in their own ways, any of which would be a competent off-roader in their own right. I’ve ditched out on society before, but I’ve never owned an off-road style vehicle when I took those trips. I’ve owned a couple of trucks, a couple of SUVs and even one lifted 4×4, but the last time I made a beeline for the great outdoors, it was a Dodge Mirada. And no amount of Dukes of Hazzard fun in a cheap beater is going to make up for the embarrassment of watching a Suzuki Samurai keep going on the trail you were on because your headers were lower than a church mouse’s…um…tail.
It’s a wide world of off-road machines, from the old trucks we love and enjoy to Subaru wagons to the current crop of crossovers. Don’t laugh at that, some of them actually are pretty competent off-road…they’re just never going to see any ounce of it. Today’s question is a simple one, but one I’m certain to get good answers for: what is the most underrated off-roader out there? I say International anything…Scout, Travelall, trucks, they all are rare sights and are all anvils. Keep good parts on them and they’ll get you home. What say you?
I’d say the Geo Tracker. Marketed to teenage girls, painted Skittles colors, little four banger under the hood… and a very competent off roader.
ANY straight axle on both ends 50’s-80’s
3/4 or 1 ton 4×4. dang near indestructable for
“normal” drivers in normal settings. bangshifters
however are another story…….
Had a 64 Chevy K20 with factory Detroit NoSpin in the back. 17″ tall skinny mud grips. Truck was a beast.