Sketchy Forest Roads

Jaguar F-Pace

The Test: After throttling across frozen lakes in Scan­dinavia and over 11,000-foot passes in the Colorado Rockies, our opinion of the 340-­horsepower V-6 F-Pace boiled down to this: it’s a riot. The 18-inch wheels rolled over uneven terrain with verve. Our con­fidence was further boosted by an on-demand all-wheel-drive system that sends power to the rear by default, engaging AWD only when needed. Interior space is enough for two mountain bikes with the seats folded down. All that, and this cat can still ferry four adults.

What’s Missing: Despite the F-Pace’s ample thrust, it’s a heavy, thirsty beast.

The Verdict: If you’re a skier, biker, or dog lover looking for a rig with sex appeal, this is your new ride. $41,985; 18 mpg city/23 mpg highway.

Porsche Cayenne

The Test: is that it’s the most capable SUV that ­almost none of its owners take beyond the pavement. Back in 2003, when it debuted in North America, we drove one through nearly hood-deep standing water, what felt like bottomless mudholes, and even up steep, root-strewn rocky slopes. The Cayenne only got better in 2011, when Porsche added center differential locks, which make all the wheels turn at once—useful for getting unstuck. Although the Cayenne defaults to rear-wheel drive on tarmac, it can send nearly all its power to either axle depending on which tire has the most grip. Switching to off-road mode lifts the chassis to 10.7 inches, besting the ground clearance of some otherwise hardier pickup trucks. What truly continues to distinguish a Cayenne from, say, a Jeep Grand Cher­okee is that it handles like a sports sedan during regular driving, with some of the best braking of any car on the road and corner­ing grip even at super­car speeds.

What’s Missing: Not much. But this summer, Porsche will retool the Cayenne, which could cost the SUV some of its notorious capability.

The Verdict: A tank that handles like a sports car. $60,650; 19 mpg city/24 mpg highway.

Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro

The Test: This —thrive in the rough. As we learned over 120 miles of tooling around town, the truck’s ride is unapologetically stiff, and the 3.5-liter V-6, while plenty powerful, is geared for dirty duty rather than interstate cruising. But once we ventured into the rough, the Tacoma’s burly Fox shocks, wide stance, and 9.4-inch ground clearance gave us every excuse to ­explore. For ­novices, the Pro model’s six-­speed ­automatic transmission affords superpowers in the form of its . Basically cruise control for off-roading, Crawl Control propels the truck up and over the gnarliest terrain, automatically modulating braking and power between all four wheels. The driver only has to steer.

What’s Missing: The Tacoma can take you almost anywhere, but good luck seeing the vistas out of the squat windshield.

The Verdict: An unabashed, user-­friendly 4×4 hero. $43,700; 18 mpg city/23 mpg highway.

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Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk

The Test: With the Trailhawk, from its traditional center of burly SUV-cum-­comfort stud and invests heavily in the rough-and-tumble game. Its signature feature is Jeep’s , which jacks up the ground clearance from 8.2 to 10.8 inches with the push of a button. Rumbling on 20 miles of washboard Forest Service roads along Colorado’s Front Range, it turned an otherwise teeth-­chattering 40 minutes of miserable driving into something tolerable. In addition to four-wheel drive and its terrain-select system, the Trailhawk comes with an armored underside, as well as red hooks up front for pulling lesser vehicles out of a jam. Jeep also includes massive Goodyear All-Terrain ���ϳԹ��� tires, and they conquer almost everything. Even with plenty of trail moxie, the interior is plush—almost too nice for the dusty, muddy, sloppy conditions the Trailhawk is made for.

What’s Missing: A bare-bones version with all the confidence, fewer tech flourishes, and none of the luxury.

The Verdict: That same sweet Grand Cherokee ride but with hardcore cred. $44,090; 18 mpg city/25 mpg highway.

Honda Ridgeline

The Test: It may look and act like a truck, but at its heart, the . On a 920-mile road trip between Colorado and New Mexico, the 3.5-liter V6 engine in the AWD version clocked a respectable 24.5 miles per gallon even while hauling a family of four, plus all their gear and a cooler, which stowed neatly in the truck’s clever locking waterproof trunk located under the bed behind the rear axle.

Getting into the trunk was made easier by the Ridgeline’s rear gate, which can swing either open or down, like a traditional pickup truck, making a bigger platform for hauling boats or bikes.

The fun continues with six speakers in the lighted truck bed, which can double as a sleeping platform with the rear gate down. Honda even sells a tent that fits inside the bed. As a ski truck, it’s a dream machine: plenty of room in the bed for boards and sticks or for ferrying backcountry bros back up to the top of the pass, while still being a cushy interstate cruiser for everyday needs.

What’s Missing: While Honda doesn’t claim that the Ridgeline is an off-roading champ, and its AWD system will get it through more muck and mud than you’d think, we’d have liked a little more giddyup.

The Verdict: Call it the anti-truck for those who want utility without a harsh ride and dismal fuel economy. $32,175 (with AWD); 18 mpg city/25 mpg highway.

Smooth City Pavement

Cadillac XT5 AWD Luxury

The Test: Whether meandering through San Francisco’s tight, traffic-clogged streets or coasting along open stretches of Highway 1 south to Santa Cruz, is, in a word, easy. Easy to maneuver, easy to spend all day in, easy to get in and out of, and easy to throw stuff into and retrieve. It’s like the Goldilocks of midsize crossovers. While that doesn’t necessarily mean exciting, it’s a key selling point for a premium rig. On a cross-continent blitz, the XT5 would be a welcome cruise liner compared with the stiffer, more aggressive ride of the Jaguar F-Pace. Cadillac also gave rear ­passengers 39.5 inches of leg­room and seats that recline for snoozing. The 310-horsepower V-6 with all-wheel drive spends most of its time judiciously powering the front axle, shutting off half its cylinders when turning all four wheels is fuel-sucking overkill.

What’s Missing: The eight-speed automatic transmission helps with fuel economy but can make passing ­maneuvers frustrating since it can take a while to find the optimal gear.

The Verdict: The luxury crossover for those who want a happy medium between a Euro sports car and an American truck. $48,790 (with AWD); 18 mpg city/ 26 mpg highway.

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BMW 330e

The Test: The 330e is the latest step toward to power the bulk of its cars electrically by 2026. While it’s not a full-on EV, the 330e can range 14 miles in pure electric mode. Unlike past BMW hybrids, it’ll truly hustle (up to 75 miles per hour) without burning a drop of gas. Then there’s Auto eDrive, where the transmission passes seam­lessly between electric and gas, staying in EV mode if you’re light on the throttle. The surprising part is that the 330e has better acceleration than the gas-only 3 Series, because it combines propulsion from a 180-­horsepower, two-liter, four-­cylinder ­engine and an 87-horsepower electric motor. Handling is ultra-crisp and tactile, inspiring confidence no matter how hard you push. And yep, BMW kept trunk-to-cockpit fold-down rear seats from pre­vious versions, so there’s room aboard for everything from backpacks to bikes.

What’s Missing: Greater range in electric-only mode.

The Verdict: A (nearly) no-­sacrifices sports sedan that happens to be a hybrid. $44,695; 72 MPGe, 30 mpg ­combined.

Nissan Pathfinder

The Test: It may look like the same old Pathfinder, but a peek under the hood proves otherwise. to pump out 284 horsepower and tow up to 6,000 pounds (e.g., a 27-foot Airstream). The suspension is better, too—stiffer and more capable. On a hilly drive near Big Sur, California, the smooth continuously variable transmission (CVT) was well mated to the engine, with little of the whining drone found in other CVT setups. While it’s primarily built for the asphalt, the Pathfinder has adventure chops. We locked the transmission into four-wheel drive to power up a sandy lane in the mountains, and descent control stopped us from sliding on the way down. Nissan’s provides a 360-degree image of the terrain, so we could skirt around boulders and $100,000 Benzes in the Trader Joe’s parking lot. Think of the Pathfinder as a bigger Subaru Outback with a more refined on-road ride and twice as much towing capacity.

What’s Missing: While three rows of seats make the Pathfinder seem capacious, there’s not enough headroom in back for an adult to sit up straight.

The Verdict: A suburban cruiser with an active-lifestyle soul hidden under sheet metal and leather. $32,920 (with 4WD); 19 mpg city/26 mpg highway.

Toyota Prius Prime

The Test: An edgy hybrid? With this , yes. Just stare at the Tron-esque rear lights and aggressive front end. A sports car it isn’t, but the Prime is a spry daily driver that lives up to the Prius enviro heritage. Toyota tweaked the handling, affording more predictable cornering, and the Prime can run entirely without gasoline for 25 miles (farther than the average office commute). Even if you floor it, the car stays in EV mode until its cells are depleted and can cruise up to 640 miles when using both the gas engine and electric motor. Getting to a distant trailhead and back is no sweat.

What’s Missing: The rear hatch gives the impression of storage space, but only that.

The Verdict: The archetypal hybrid bares its teeth. $27,965; 133 MPGe, 55 mpg city/53 mpg highway.

Volvo V90 Cross Country

The Test: Driving near dusk on ice-coated roads near Are, Sweden, we couldn’t help but marvel at the amenities on offer. Sure, it was bitterly cold outside, but inside, ten-way-adjustable leather heated seats and a heated steering wheel kept everything as cozy as a Swedish sauna. Every piece of glass in the car is laminated, cutting ambient noise to a murmur, even though we were driving on studded tires that would ordinarily create an unholy din.

Volvo gifted the V90 with AWD and more than eight inches of ground clearance—besting the off-road chops of many tall-riding SUVs in this realm. And yet it handles like its S90 sedan cousin, with the poise of a fast performance car, not a bloated box. Plus, this is Volvo, meaning de facto safety, from active-cornering head- and fog lamps (which make it easier to see around sharp bends) to crash protection that overrides the steering and braking to yank the V90 CC back onto the road in case the driver doesn’t realize the car has drifted onto the shoulder.

What’s Missing: The great ground clearance doesn’t include armored undercarriage protection.

The Verdict: A ridiculously gorgeous alternative to the default luxury SUV. $55,300; estimated 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway.

Winding Mountain Passes

Volkswagen Golf Alltrack

The Test: As soon as we hit snaking blacktop in the shadow of Washington’s Olympic Mountains, it was clear that . It’s lighter, it steers more sharply, and it feels sportier than any SUV-like creature in its class. A 1.8-liter engine paired with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission keeps torque right in the sweet spot when climbing steep grades in sport mode. The Alltrack has 4WD as well and comes standard with an off-road setting that allows more wheel churn before the traction control kicks in—a huge help if you’re trying to power out of mud or snow. Shift back to D on the interstate, and the Alltrack defaults to luxe-sedan quiet, with superb sound deadening. The seats are plenty supportive for long hauls, and stock amenities include fog lamps and smartphone integration via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

What’s Missing: The maximum 66.5 cubic feet of stowage doesn’t quite match a Honda CR-V.

The Verdict: A European SUV ­alter­native without the sticker shock. $27,770; 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway.

Mercedes-Benz GLC300 4Matic Coupe

The Test: It’s better to think of as a taller, roomier sedan than as an SUV. With 6.3 inches of ground clearance, the GLC300 Coupe rides a few inches higher than a normal about-town car, but that’s not quite enough lift for barreling over rutted forest two-track. Still, it’s plenty capable of shuttling you and your crew to where pavement ends and trail begins. Its max 56.5 cubic feet of storage bests the ­Volvo V60, its nine-speed transmission is smooth, and its center of gravity is low, so you never get that high-riding car sickness on mountain hairpins. Plus, the two-­liter turbo­charged four-cylinder engine delivers a gutsy 273 pound-feet of torque. Inside, every surface, from vent knobs to window levers, feels tailor-made.

What’s Missing: The price of fashion is function, and the GLC300 Coupe’s sexy roofline chops six cubic feet from the standard GLC’s total cargo capacity.

The Verdict: A sedan-crossover mashup that’s fun and fairly pragmatic. $45,950; 21 mpg city/28 mpg highway.

Volvo V60 T5 AWD Cross Country

The Test: Credit the Swedish carmaker for knowing how to handle winter. This V60 has heated every­thing: seats, windshield-washer nozzles, and side mirrors. Plus, there’s a transparent electrical defroster embedded in the windshield. Skiers will dig the second-row pass-through, which is wide enough for powder sticks. While the (44 cubic feet with the rear seats folded), this wagon is superior to any ­sedan when it comes to hauling gear, and with standard AWD and ground clearance at an impressive 7.9 inches, you’re getting reasonable wherewithal that actually bests some crossovers. Handling is nimble, if not quite as firm as the Volks­wagen Alltrack, but the Volvo is quick, with 240 horsepower on tap from a turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

What’s Missing: The rear seats aren’t roomy enough for anyone bigger than a teenager.

The Verdict: The ideal chariot to chase first tracks. $42,695; 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway.

Subaru Impreza

The Test: Once we hit 100 mph on an empty stretch of mountain highway close to the Mexican border in Southern California, we were . Subaru made the hatchback roughly 1.5 inches longer and wider, not to mention stiffer. The decidedly higher fuel economy belies its sports-car handling. Credit the brand-new chassis, sport-tuned steering, all-wheel drive, and more than half an inch less ground clearance, which affords it glue-like grip on the road. Beyond the frame, the ­Impreza impresses with a spacious inter­ior. Subaru also dropped the roofline for improved aerodynamics and easier roof-rack access.

What’s Missing: Guts. The Impreza’s 152-horsepower engine and CVT transmission are geared for fuel economy, not oomph.

The Verdict: The value-pick AWD star just became a joy to drive as well. $19,215; 28 mpg city/38 mpg highway.

Kia Sportage SX Turbo AWD

The Test: With each mile we ascended up the snow-packed road to St. Mary’s Glacier, outside Denver at 10,400-feet of elevation, . Ten miles later, at the trail, with four inches of snow covering the iced-over tarmac, we locked the center differential to turn the spritely 240-horsepower, two-liter turbo crossover into a full-time 4WD tank. Foot-high snowdrifts were no match.

Inside, we were coddled with a heated steering wheel, heated seats, tunes via Android Auto, and enough leg- and headroom for four six foot adults to sit comfortably. Behind all that was a cargo area big enough for backcountry snowshoes and winter gear for four. On our 120-mile winter mountain adventure, our fuel economy far exceeded the EPA’s numbers—we notched 26.8 miles per gallon on highways and slow mountain roads. Overall, it was hard to find anything the angular Sportage SX didn’t have in terms of features and options.

What’s Missing: A bare-bones version of the turbo AWD vehicle for a lot less money. And true snow tires for icy roads; AWD and traction control don’t do anything to help this Kia’s stock rubber stop on ice.

The Verdict: The top-shelf, feature- and option-packed SX Turbo version looks and drives all city, but will handle more country than you’d expect. $34,895; 20 mpg city/23 mpg highway.

Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL 4

The Test: Charging around muddy two-tracks in England in in the brand’s history, it occurred to us that the brand has addressed some of the size complaints while staying true to what makes the car, well, mini. It sits higher than any other hatchback on the market, with 6.5 inches of ground clearance, offers more cargo space than almost any other hatchback, and is finally the first Mini that’s genuinely comfortable for full six-footers in the second row. And as the name implies, the ALL 4 edition has AWD. Would we take one rock-crawling? Nope. But for snow-caked or gravel-strewn fire roads, it’s perfect, and even though it matches or bests many compact SUVs for roominess, precise steering and quick acceleration from a 189-horsepower inline, turbocharged four-cylinder engine make it far more of a joy to dart through traffic.

What’s Missing: More off-road prowess, since the Mini lacks features like hill-descent control or an off-road transmission mode you can find in rivals like the VW Alltrack.

The Verdict: The biggest, most pragmatic Mini for adventure. $31,950; estimated 28 mpg city/35 mpg highway.

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For decades, hydrogen has been considered the next big fuel source for vehicles. It is, after all, the most abundant element in the universe, and when used in a combustion engine, hydrogen emits purified water, not a noxious smoggy stew. It’s taking time to gain traction, but hydrogen might very well be the future.��

Is hydrogen efficient? Extremely. The U.S. Department of Energy points out that a gas engine converts less than 20 per­cent of fuel into actual energy to power a car, whereas with hydrogen, that number is as high as 60 percent.

OK, but how expensive is it? There’s the rub. After driving a 100-mile loop in Lake Tahoe aboard Toyota’s hydrogen-powered Mirai, we spent more than $31 to replenish the tank. Comparatively, a 28 mpg Camry would have cost merely $12 to top off after motoring the same distance.

Is anyone selling hydrogen cars? You can lease a or buy a Mirai. The latter went on sale in 2015. It’s pricey, at $58,365, for what’s osten­si­bly a slow Camry, but with tax credits and $15,000 worth of hydrogen fuel included, it becomes a more reasonable proposition.

Great, where can I get one? California. Right now, the for hydro­gen is mostly limited to the Golden State, where drivers can fill up their tanks using a modified gas coupling.

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If you pulled into a Whole Foods parking lot anywhere in Colorado last year you would have thought��the Subaru Outback was the state’s most popular car. And you would have been��wrong. truck was king.��To find out why, I called Jack Nerad, an executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book.

“Most of what makes a particular vehicle number one in a state has to do with distribution and the number of dealers in a state,” Nerad says. Or put another way, if there are more Ford dealers in a state than Subaru dealers, Ford has a better chance of winning. The Outback was Colorado’s best-selling car in 2014 (according to , the research firm that��conducts the nationwide study each year), but��Ford appears to have done a better job of blanketing the state last year.

Nerad says the back-and-forth leaderboard is also influenced by the lifecycle of particular models. In 2014, Subaru came out with an all-new Outback mid-way through the year, which helps explain its rise to the top spot. In 2015, Ford’s all-new F-150 rolled out, plus the company slashed prices on older models, driving it to the top.

This isn’t to say Subaru fell off the map. Mike Campbell, Subaru of America’s vice president of field and distributor operations, says that, in 2015, Subaru Outback sales actually increased in Colorado.

It’s no surprise that Subaru and Ford are at the top in Colorado. Both have the kind of off-road prowess drivers want in mountainous and snowy state. It’s also no surprise that Ford and Chevy trucks dominate farm country and the Midwest, and that a fuel-efficient car like Honda Civic was the most popular car in California.

One anomaly that I wanted to check was Connecticut. Back in 2014 the Forester was the most popular car there. It was the only state where this Subaru model beat out the Outback. Even right next door in Vermont, drivers preferred the Outback. Michael McHale, Subaru of America’s corporate communications director, says it likely has to do with how each vehicle is marketed.

“The Forester is marketed as more of a suburban family vehicle—something perfect for Connecticut. Whereas the Outback is sold more as a tough, adventure vehicle, and it’s a story that plays��well in more mountainous states like Vermont and Colorado,” he says.��The data would seem to bear this out. The following year, Connecticut drivers flocked to the all-new, family-oriented Honda CR-V, while Vermonters decided to buy a ton of new GMC Sierra pickups.

New data for 2016 sales will land from IHS��early next spring, and we'll watch to��see which companies continue to do the best jobs in dealer distribution, car development, and marketing.

The post Why the F-150 Beat the Outback as Colorado’s Most Popular Car appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

A very small percentage of people will actually want this version of the Land Cruiser. Here’s why.

The Takeaway

The Good:��After clocking 950 miles and traveling over nine��high-altitude mountain passes (on��and off-road) during a car-camping road trip from Denver to Mesa Verde National Park, we aren’t surprised the Land Cruiser is the go-to choice for NGOs, governments, and global companies doing business in Africa, the Middle East, South America, and regions where smooth roads are few and far between. The Land Cruiser is a reliable, rock-solid, go-anywhere, pull-most-anything beast.

​The Bad:��At almost two tons, it’s not nimble. And its gas-guzzling V8 engine puts up atrocious numbers in city and suburban traffic (12 to��13 mpg). Our model was packed with a lot of superfluous gadgets (like a DVD player and��LCD screen in the second row) that only drove up the price.

The Verdict:��If you can afford $90,000,��tax and license included, plan on driving it for 20��years both on��and off-road, and if you like all the creature comforts you can buy, this eight-passenger Land Cruiser is a solid bet. It��will take you anywhere and should run for hundreds of thousands of trouble-free miles. If you don’t meet all that criteria (and few of us do),��look elsewhere.

Specs

�ʰ�������:��$84,820 (base, as tested)

​E�Բ����Ա�:��5.7-liter V8

‸���������ٰ�������:��8-speed automatic;��4WD with��4WD-Low

​Fuel Economy:��13 mpg combined; 18 mpg city/15 mpg highway; 18.6 mpg observed

The Engine

A 381-horsepower��gas engine with full-time 4WD powers this giant rig. That’s plenty to pull the Land Cruiser out of deep sand and��mud and up mountains—tire traction permitting—or pull a trailer weighing up to 8,100 pounds. On the highway, all that power translates into a smooth cruise at 80 miles per hour. On our trip, we saw fuel economy top 19 mpg while rolling along two-lane highways between Durango and Crested Butte at 65 mph.��

During an off-road jaunt over the 11,250-foot Paradise Divide above Crested Butte, we put the Toyota into 4WD-low, using the low gears for torque on the climb and to slow our speed when rolling downhill. We also took advantage of the Multi-Terrain Select dial, choosing the mud/sand setting to reset the traction control and automatic transmission to best suit the terrain. It was here that we finally felt like the Land Cruiser was in its natural habitat: fording creeks��and crawling over rocks, deep gravel, and mud. It was also here where our gripes about the sticker price melted away.

The Ride

With a rigid, body-on-frame construction (think pickup truck), the Land Cruiser is built for abuse and longevity, not comfort. Still, thanks to its heft and supportive front seats, it drives relatively smooth. Off-road, those features lessen the jolts and jarring one would experience in a stiffer and lighter vehicle like a Tacoma pickup. Nine inches of ground��clearance and a relatively clean underbody mean you can take the Land Cruiser into rocky and uneven terrain.��(For��comparison, a Jeep Wrangler’s ground clearance is 8.3 inches.) The commanding view from the front seats is also a welcome throwback to the days before auto designers started squashing front window height��for the sake of a sleeker design.��

Cargo

With the seats folded down, there isn’t nearly��as much floor space as we’d like. Latches, sloping floors, and hinges also muck up the surface area, so it’s hard to stack your gear neatly. There is, however, a lot of vertical space. I was able to stand a bike in the rear with the front wheel removed. Another inexplicable problem in today’s world of gadget-packed vehicles: the Land Cruiser has only one USB��port for charging.

The Big Picture

We get a raw deal in the United States when it comes to the Land Cruiser,��because Toyota offers only��the ultrapremium version packed with expensive gadgets we don’t need. The company already sells a Lexus version of the Land Cruiser here in the States; we think that should be the go-to for anyone who wants 4WD and DVD players in the same car.

What we’d really like to see is Toyota offer a bare-bones and middle-tier version of the Land Cruiser that offers dependability and toughness��and a more digestible price tag.

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Nissan moved in the right direction with this redesign, but there’s still room to improve.

The Takeaway

The Good:��For 13 years, Nissan pumped out an Armada based on the original Titan pickup truck platform. As a vehicle, it registered a “meh.”��, a worthy competitor to the legendary Toyota Land Cruiser sold outside North America. This new Armada features the same frame, transmission, engine,��and chassis as the Patrol,��which has long been used as a workhorse in Africa, Asia, Australia,��and the Middle East. Read: It’s tough. It’s also priced almost $40,000��less than the��Land Cruiser offered here in the United��States.��

The Bad:��Despite the Patrol’s adventure��DNA, Nissan prepped the Armada more for family-hauling duty. Despite the availability of��4WD-low��gearing for serious hill climbing and terrain-crawling duty, the Armada lacks the Patrol’s��descent control, a locking rear differential, and a surface selector that optimizes the suspension and gearing for sand, snow, or rock. For serious��off-roaders��in need of a V8 for towing (or those who want to turn the Armada into an overland/round-the-world vehicle), Nissan would rather have you cast your eyes at its new Titan, a��full-size pickup spec’d out in its��Pro��off-road package.

The Verdict:��On the hills and highways around Carmel, California, the Nissan Armada proved itself a smooth driver. On a closed, mini-golf-sized off-road course, the��stiff frame performed admirably despite its three-ton heft. For the money and the list of standard features (three rows of seats for eight adults, 9.1��inches of ground clearance, 8,500-pound towing capability), the Armada is a good buy. Still, this Armada is positioned to go up against the Ford Expeditions and Chevy��Tahoes��of the world, not the Land Cruisers or Land Rovers. And that’s a shame.

The Specs

• �ʰ�������:��$45,395 (base)
• ���Բ����Ա�:��5.6-liter V8
• �ٰ�������ٰ�������:��7-speed automatic;��4WD with��4WD-low
• Fuel Economy:��12��mpg city*; 18 mpg��hwy (4×4); 17.1 mpg observed

The Engine

Nissan’s 5.6-liter V8 is new for the company. It pumps��out 390 horsepower��and 394 pound-feet of torque—enough power to tow 8,500 pounds. To put that in Airstream terms, that’s enough for a 28-footer. The price of all that grunt and power is fuel economy in the meager 16 to��17 mpg��range. Fortunately, the seven-speed transmission works smoothly with the engine��to provide��low-end torque and easy high-speed cruising.

The Ride

Hop��into the driver’s seat of the Armada��and you realize this thing is huge. From up there, you have a commanding view of the road ahead, thanks to the old-school body-on-frame construction, which the Armada shares with Nissan’s pickup trucks. This helps make the Armada stiff��but not pickup truck stiff. Its heft and suspension make for a pleasant interstate hauler.

Cargo

Third-row seats eat into cargo capacity in the rear and reaffirm the Armada’s prime role as a people hauler. To wit: Its second-row seats are some of the most spacious in the vehicle’s class, a nod to the Armada’s potential as a go-to livery vehicle (think of all the black Chevy Tahoes ferrying��pols in Washington, DC).

The Big Picture

Since 2010, the only way U.S. buyers could tap into the Patrol legend was to buy an Infiniti QX80, which is built on the same frame and comes with the same engine��but is more soft leather and bling than overland legend. Now Americans can get their Patrol fix (sorta) for $20,000��less than the Infiniti version—and not worry so much about getting it filthy.

Those who want a competitive option in the full-size SUV market will like the Armada. Its fit��and��finish, plus its generously well-equipped standard options,��shouldn’t be overlooked. Yes, this Armada comes across as a castrated Patrol, but it still shares the toughness of a Patrol underneath its Americanized sheen—something its competitors can’t touch.

*These numbers have been corrected

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The is an important addition to the mid-size truck market. Here's why.

The Takeaways

The Good:��The diesel version of Chevy’s best-selling Colorado mid-size pickup truck, outfitted with Chevy’s Z71 off-road package, gets you the best of nearly all worlds: stellar fuel economy for a relatively big truck, gobs of recreational RV/trailer-towing power (max. towing capacity: 7,000 pounds) and low-end torque that will plow through, up, and over almost anything. Plus, the��truck fits inside most garages.

The Bad:��The Z71 is already a pricey truck at more than $35,000. The diesel engine adds another $3,905.��And while it’s technically not a full-size pickup, it’s still a long, large truck, which can make it a pain to maneuver around the city and parking lots. Chevy put a plastic air deflector on the bottom of the front bumper to boost fuel-economy, but there’s no easy way to remove it for off-roading—and no instructions in the owner’s manual on how to do so. It��needs to be removable because it’ll get ripped off by the first big drainage ditch you have to cross (like it did during our test).

The Verdict:��After putting 366 miles on the Chevy on Denver city streets, crossing the Continental Divide twice, and going off road in the high-alpine terrain of the Arapahoe National Forest outside Winter Park, Colorado, we were blown away by the diesel engine’s fuel economy and near-unstoppable torque at low speeds. Driving it made us realize that,��when it comes to��off-roading, diesel is the way to go.

The Specs

• �ʰ�������:��$39,440 (base)/$41,905 (as tested)
• ���Բ����Ա�:��2.8-liter��turbocharged��4-cyl. diesel
• �ٰ�������ٰ�������:��6-speed auto. 4WD w/��4WD-Low
• EPA Fuel Economy:��23 mpg combined; 20 mpg city/29 mpg hwy; 25.5 mpg observed

The Engine

The 2.8-liter turbocharged engine pumps out an unimpressive 181��horsepower, but it more than makes up for that lack of power��with 369 pound-feet��of torque. (For comparison, the 5.0-liter V8 in a Ford F150 has 387 pound feet��of torque.) On a gnarly Forest Service double-track in Colorado that featured rock, sand, deep ruts, and mud, and��where traveling any faster than 5 miles per hour felt like reckless speeding, I left the truck in 4-wheel low and crawled along, barely needing to touch the gas pedal. Even at that pedestrian pace, the diesel had all the grunt it needed to pull me through obstacles. And when going up and over the Continental Divide with the truck full of people and gear for a long weekend, we average 27 miles per gallon on the highway. With a 21-gallon fuel tank, that works out to a 567-mile range.��

The Ride

The Colorado is��three-quarters��the size of a full��pickup, but it rides like a big truck. On chassis-torqueing terrain, the truck felt solid,��there were no squeaks or groans from the chassis flexing,��and even on washboard��dirt roads, the cabin remained��remarkably rattle-free. It’s still a truck though, so it rides stiffer than a car, but in this case, that’s��reassuring.��

Cargo

The cabin’s interior was comfortably sized with plenty of room to seat four adults for an extended trip (it fits five in a squeeze). We drove the short box version, which made for a much better off-roader, but we missed the extra length for our bikes and gear. One place the Colorado makes up for the lack of length is in the height of the truckbed’s walls. They’re noticeably higher than those of the new Tacoma.

The Big Picture

If your idea of a casual Saturday morning is to drive 150 miles to a favorite fishing hole or ski area, or you’re pulling an Airstream or drift boat, the Colorado with the Duramax diesel is a worth a look. You’ll pay a premium for the engine, but over the 10-plus years you drive it, the diesel’s fuel economy—both in mile per gallon��and at the pump—should make up for the cost. Plus, this Colorado will likely be the only truck you’ll ever need,��as it ticks more boxes than most trucks in its class and many full-size trucks as well.

The post Tested: Chevrolet Colorado 4WD Z71 Diesel Truck appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

If you like to play outside,��you should probably drive a car with either 4WD or AWD.��But here’s the question: How to choose between the two? To help you understand the advantages of each, we’ve broken down the technologies and explained where they excel.

4WD

Pros: This is the simplest system��and it’s been around more for than 125 years. In most vehicles, drivers can turn 4WD on and off, locking the front axle to the drivetrain to spin all four wheels simultaneously. Historically, 4WD comes with a lower set of gears (4-Wheel Low) that allow the vehicle to muscle up and over most anything. This feature has made 4WD the go-to choice for serious off-roaders for decades.

Cons: When 4WD is engaged, a vehicle will behave differently since there’s now power going to the front wheels—and it slurps��down more fuel. 4WD is usually limited to trucks and big SUVs.

Best for: True off-roading, mud, deep snow, sand, rock-crawling (like those Jeeps you see in Moab).

What is part-time 4WD?

Most trucks employ part-time 4WD so the vehicle can stay in fuel-saving 2WD mode. This also makes the truck easier to steer since there’s no torque going to the front wheels. You'll see this in pretty��much any 4×4 pickup truck,��such as the Toyota Tacoma and Ford F-150, the truck-based Chevy Tahoe, and the Jeep Wrangler.

What is full-time 4WD?

There are many similarities between full-time 4WD and AWD:��both power the front and rear axles all the time. However, many full-time 4WD vehicles still give drivers the option of a 4-Wheel Low range of gears to enable the driver to have more control. And if you need to haul a trailer all the time, it provides more pulling power since torque is driving the grip on all four tires, not just two.��You'll see it in Land Rovers and Range Rovers

What is a locking rear��differential?

In a 4WD car, power travels from the engine to the transmission to the driveshaft through the rear differential to the��rear��axle. Locking it, either manually or automatically, depending on the vehicle, turns both wheels on the rear axle simultaneously at the same speed. This technique is used to overcome diverse terrain challenges—think one wheel stuck in mud or sand or deep snow while the other is on firmer dirt, rock, etc.��However, not all 4WD systems feature this capability. Most have a limited slip differential system which senses which wheel is turning the slowest and sends power to it.��The system assumes that the slower moving wheel is the one with traction (as opposed to the spinning one which doesn't).��

What is a center locking differential? ��

Instead of just locking the rear axle, a center diff locks all four wheels together in unison.

AWD

Pros: AWD allows normal cars (instead of just trucks and SUVs) to travel more confidently through and over snow, ice, gravel, and packed dirt, and it doesn’t force the driver to do any thinking. Many AWD systems automatically route power between axles and modulate the power to individual wheels to ensure the best traction possible. As these systems have become more sophisticated, they’ve lessened the fuel-economy penalty that was often present in 4WD vehicles. Some will even let you manually lock the differential so that power flows to both axles, no matter what—a sort of soft 4WD feature.

Cons: Few cars and SUVs that say they have AWD are actually in AWD when on the road. Instead they stay in front-wheel-drive the vast majority of the time to save fuel and only switch to AWD when the car’s computers sense the vehicle losing traction. And most AWD cars lack four-wheel-low gearing—the secret sauce behind a vehicle’s rock-crawling ability.

Best for: Daily drivers who want a vehicle that drives well on the freeway but also does just fine in the snow and on normal dirt roads.

What is full-time AWD?

Unlike the AWD vehicles that only kick the system in when you need it, full-time AWD vehicles are always sending power to all the wheels and monitoring which ones might need a little boost for better traction over variable terrain.��As seen in��AWD Subarus.��

The post Which Is Better: 4WD or AWD? appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

The Toyota Tacoma has a reputation for lasting approximately forever. But what other adventuremobiles are also regularly going the distance?

To find out, we mined the data looking for models that can handle dirt roads and that regularly make it past the 200,000-mile mark—a pretty clear indication of reliability. Our first batch of information came from the ' annual vehicle satisfaction survey. That survey reaches hundreds of thousands of members, and one question asks whether their vehicles have clocked more than 200,000 miles. We also went through annual data scrape of every vehicle sold in the U.S. last year. From there, we were able to determine which cars and trucks were most often purchased with more than 200,000 miles.

Three notes: we know that longevity depends on the owner. Those who take better care of their cars by sticking to maintenance schedules and replacing worn out parts get better results. Also, there are several newer cars on the market designed to go 200,000 miles that haven’t had the time to make it that far, so this list will change in five years. Finally, we know some vehicles that you might expect to see on this list, such as the Subaru Outback, are missing from the data. ;We also want to know what vehicles you’d add. Leave us your suggestions in the comments.

Honda CR-V (From $23,745, pictured above)

Consumer Reports listed the CR-V as one of the only two SUVs to make its list (the 4Runner was the other). From a daily-driver’s point of view, it’s the smoothest-riding, most car-like option on our list, with AWD, ground-clearance, and lots of room for gear.

Ford F-150 (From $26,540)

This truck comes in six different models, three different size configurations, and offers four different engines. Its new aluminum body (no rust!), introduced last year, will likely outlast the engine.

Ford Expedition (From $45,450)

It’s big and it hasn’t changed much in years, which means Ford has had time to perfect its construction.

Chevrolet Suburban/Tahoe and GMC Yukon/Yukon XL (From $47,000)

These SUVs use the same engines and underpinnings that go into Chevy/GMC’s best-selling pickups—the ones that are built to survive years of hard, no-nonsense commercial duty.

Toyota Tacoma (From $23,660)

Surprise! Light and nimble for a small pick-up, the Tacoma shares some DNA with its Toyota Hilux brother, the rough-around-the-edges and nearly indestructible version of the Tacoma sold everywhere but North America.

Toyota 4Runner (From $34,000)

The truck-frame based SUV has long sacrificed ride-quality and power for near-bombproof reliability.

Toyota Sequoia (From $45,325)

This is basically the SUV version of Toyota’s full-size pick-up, the Tundra, which was designed to compete against Ford and Chevy’s long-lasting full-size trucks.

��

The post The 7 Most Reliable ���ϳԹ��� Vehicles appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

Over two days in Moab, Utah, we put a couple hundred miles on the . Day one was a mix of mountain and canyon roads and high-speed interstate on bikes wearing their factory-spec’d street tires. Day two was spent traversing BLM land in the high desert on the same bikes outfitted with knobby tires.

The Takeaway

The Good:��If you haven’t ridden a big adventure bike in years—or never—the Africa Twin, with its revolutionary automatic transmission (Honda��calls it the��DCT, or dual-clutch transmission), is what you want, because it does away with the need to feather the clutch and throttle on technical terrain.

The Bad:��The various modes available on the transmission (four��different torque settings, a gravel setting) are overkill and finicky to access via push buttons.

The Verdict:��This bike will make any rider look better and feel more confident in almost any condition. Bonus: It costs thousands less than the competition, and Honda service is usually less expensive as well.

The Specs

�ʰ�������:��$13,699 as tested

���Բ����Ա�:��998cc��liquid-cooled four-stroke parallel twin

Transmission:��Six-speed dual-clutch automatic (DCT) with on- and off-road modes

The Ride

Honda has a legendary heritage in the motocross world for its reliable machines, and it brought that know-how to the Africa Twin. As a result, the bike is engineered to appeal to dirt riders: It’s well balanced, and the engine was designed to be as narrow as possible to make it more nimble to maneuver. That translates into a bike that rides smaller than it looks.

The six-speed DCT transmission makes the ride even better. It has three different sport settings that modulate the automatic transmission’s shifts. There’s even an optional gravel setting for experienced��riders who are used to spinning the rear wheel to help the bike complete a turn—a feature that solidifies this machine’s dirt-bike connection.

On-Road

Winding up into the aspens on the La Sal Mountain Loop Road, the Africa Twin made short work of the relentless corkscrew turns and crumbling, potholed tarmac. I found that leaving the transmission in Sport-3, the bike’s most aggressive setting, provided a sweet mix of on-demand power that I could tap when rolling out of a turn or passing a slower vehicle. By the end of the day, I kept the bike in Sport-3 anytime I was on pavement, even when I was doing 85 mph on the interstate or 10 mph in town. It best matched the way I ride a bike with manual shift.

Off-Road��

When we left the highway and jumped onto the Kokopelli Trail, the Africa Twin blew my mind. I switched the DCT from Sport-3 to Drive—the setting with the least amount of tire-spitting torque—and enjoyed the ride. There was no need to exhaust myself doing mental calculations of whether I was in the right gear for a particular grade or road surface (sand, gravel, rock, slickrock, dirt). I just turned the throttle and went, trusting the DCT to leave me with enough power and torque to scramble out of a sandy wash, but not enough to send me flying off the trail.

The antilock brakes ensured that I didn’t lock up the rear tire and start sliding sideways down an off-camber stretch, while the eight inches of travel on the front shock and 8.7 inches in the rear had no problem soaking up the bumps.

Gas Mileage

After two days of riding on- and off-road, crawling along dirt tracks, and topping 90 mph on the interstate (I was passing a semi where the posted speed limit was 80), I averaged roughly 41 mpg, which translates into a range of roughly 200 miles for this Honda’s 4.97-gallon tank. That’s plenty far enough to take someone deep into the backcountry or the “scenic route” across deserted BLM land.

Buying Advice

The Africa Twin comes with a manual six-speed transmission that’s $700 less expensive and results in a 20-pound lighter bike. But trust me, you want the one with the DCT, which should result in a more reliable bike as it removes the human element—that is,��the chance that you’ll be in the wrong gear at the wrong time and damage the engine. It also means you can’t burn the clutch in stop-and-go traffic.

Other tips: Any rider pushing six feet tall should opt for the higher windshield. Also, invest in an aftermarket skid��plate that wraps around the sides of the engine case (the stock skid��plate protects the front and bottom of the engine). The magnesium engine case is lighter but more fragile than you’d expect on a bike that can be expected to end up on its side repeatedly when you’re out adventuring.

The post Tested: Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin ���ϳԹ��� Bike appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

There’s been a lot of news about fuel-efficient cars lately. Last month,��Tesla announced the Model 3,��then promptly took more than 325,000 pre-orders. Meanwhile��Volkswagen continues to mop up after its “clean diesel” ruse. All this commotion got us thinking about green cars and we started to wonder what the greenest option really is. To find out, we called Wayne Gerdes, the guy behind . He’s been testing fuel efficiency claims for more than a decade��and easily ranked our options.����

#1:��Hybrids (pictured above)

Pros: “In general, hybrids have the lowest overall carbon footprint, and the Toyota hybrids, in particular, are some of the most reliable vehicles on the road today. They’re built to go 200,000 miles.”

Cons: “There’s a hybrid premium buyers have to pay for upfront. But over time they’ll make up for it in fuel costs and resale.”

Top Pick:��Toyota Plug-in Prius

Buyer's Tip: “With gas prices as low as they are right now, there’s never been a better time to buy a hybrid. You should be able to get more than $2,000—$7,000 off the sticker price.”

#2:��Diesel

Pros: “As a fuel, diesel has a lower carbon footprint than gasoline,diesel engines��are 50-percent more efficient than a gasoline one, and they’re also better in heavy traffic. West of the Rockies,��diesel is often��cheaper by the gallon than gasoline. The newer engines are cleaning up the NOx (nitrogen oxides) emissions, and they’re getting better at trapping the particulates, too (VW's TDI diesels notwithstanding). And if you need to tow anything, it’s no contest—diesels win.”

Cons: “There can be a $2,500—$7,500 premium for a��diesel engine��over a gasoline one, and they can be expensive to fix—replacing a fuel injector in some of the newer diesel truck engines can run up to $1,000 each. However, diesels hold their value better than gas vehicles, so the total cost of ownership��should be lower.”

Top Pick: Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Pick-up

Buyer's Tip: “Diesels become more economical to own��the more you drive them. A good rule of thumb: consider a diesel if you drive more than 30 miles per day. Drive less than 30? Consider a hybrid.”

#3:��Electric

Pros: “Low CO2 emissions…and that’s pretty much it.”

Cons: “In my book, here’s where electrics fall short: a��gallon of unleaded in a Prius takes 20 second to put into the tank and will take me 50 miles. To go 50 miles in an electric car means adding a 250-pound battery pack to the vehicle,��which then requires 3.5 hours of charging time, even with a more efficient Level II charger. In short, adding range adds hundreds of pounds to an electric vehicle, which means it uses more juice, significantly increasing its carbon footprint. In fact, the carbon footprint of a Tesla Model S��is greater than that of a Toyota Prius.”

Top Pick: None yet.

Buyer's Tip: “Before you buy an electric vehicle, check with your utility company. You may be shocked at how much more your electric bill goes up when charging a car every night. Some utilities even require you to pay for and install a separate meter for the vehicle and will charge you the equivalent of $5 to��$6/gallon to charge it.”

Caveat: If you charge your electric exclusively off a solar panel, then it's the greenest vehicle to drive.

The post What’s the Most Eco-Friendly Car I Can Buy? appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.