The hardware upgrades don’t stop there though, and the Braptor boasts upgrades similar to those of the F-150 Raptor. Instead of the Bronco’s optional 330-horsepower twin-turbo V6, the “Braptor” (as fans call it) uses a 418 horsepower mill, mated only to a ten-speed automatic transmission. Introduced at the tail end of 2022, the Ford Bronco Raptor takes the well-liked regular Bronco four-door and turns the dial up to 11. Here we’re rating them based on a mixture of their overall merit and their off-road bona fides. The number in green represents ranking based on our standardized 100-point review criteria (see below) that evaluates all vehicles as a whole. For this reason, the ordering may not reflect a given vehicle’s overall score. To determine the best off-roading SUVs, we looked at ground clearance (must be above 8 inches), available factory 4×4 and suspension systems, tire and wheel packages and overall design for optimal approach and departure angles. Thankfully, genuine SUVs still exist off-roaders with goods and grit to get you through some genuinely precarious situations-even though some of them are packed with refined amenities rivaling $100,000-plus luxury sedans.īasically, modern SUVs fall into one of two categories: Purpose built like the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler, which have the added benefit of removable doors and roofs, or large, truck-based wagons like the Toyota 4Runner and Jeep Wagoneer that pack hardcore hardware with spacious, versatile and family-friendly interiors.

In later years, starting in the 1970s and accelerating through the 1990s, the term has been adapted to denote any big wagon-shaped vehicle with aggressive tires and fender flares, including on-road friendly and high-performance crossovers that will never see any dirt trails. Back then, the name implied a versatile and rugged platform designed for use and abuse in any terrain, and early SUVs like the Toyota Land Cruiser, Land Rover Series I and International Scout really were go-anywhere machines.

The “Sports” part came after people discovered how much fun such vehicles could be for recreational purposes. Way back in the 1960s, when SUVs were brand new, the term really mean “Sport Utility Vehicle.” Early SUVs were outgrowths of home-built or specialized four-wheel drive machines meant for agricultural or military work, which is where “Utility Vehicle” came from.

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