One of the most important parts of a sports utility vehicle is to be tough. Sport utility vehicles need to be able to go anywhere and do anything. SUVs allow you to explore the African Savannah to examine animals. The toughest SUVs allow you to transport equipment up to the cottage for a great weekend. SUVs let you take your kids to school and manage the day to day activities. They really are the most versatile vehicles in the world at this point!
Toyota FJ Cruiser
Let’s start off this list with a controversial choice. The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a small SUV that has big guts! While a lot of modern SUV options are based on car chassis and cater to comfort and drivability, the FJ Cruiser is a truck and proud of it.
The FJ Cruiser isn’t based on a Corolla or Camry. The FJ Cruiser is a truck and it’s based on a truck model. The FJ Cruiser is based on a Toyota Tacoma chassis and as such has a lot of the same power and toughness. The FJ Cruiser shows off a short wheelbase. That allows it to be nimble as it climbs hills and off-road driving situations.
The FJ Cruiser was given an odd retro styling. The style was meant to elicit a remembrance of the original Land Cruiser that proved so adept on the savannahs of Africa and through the Amazon. While trying to recreate that vehicle is impossible, the FJ Cruiser has carved out its own place in off-road history. The FJ Cruiser featured some great throwback features. The vertical windshield was a nice touch. The triple windshield wipers gave maximum coverage in an unconventional way. One of the best touches was spelling out the name of the brand across the front of the grill. While the norm now is the logo, the FJ Cruiser gives that old school style.
The FJ Cruiser didn’t skimp when it came to off-road features. The proper four-wheel drive edition showed off a 6-speed manual to let purists drive off-road with ease. Like the old school Land Cruiser, the FJ Cruiser comes with only a rear wheel drive/four wheel drive setup. Power comes from a big 4.0L V6 that provides more than amply oomph for a vehicle of this size.
