A Ford Fiesta is perfect for bustling city traffic, while a BMW 5 Series is ideal for motorway mile-munching. But whack either of them into a challenging situation and they soon become unstuck – they simply aren’t rugged.
These cars are, though. We’ve rounded up nine of the most hard-wearing and brawny cars you can buy today, ideal for surviving a nuclear war – or the muddy car boot sale in Sandford, Gloucestershire.
Jeep Wrangler
The latest Jeep Wrangler is set to come to the UK after debuting in America. It’s more refined, luxurious and car-like than ever, but still retains the DNA of the original Willys Jeep – one of the most iconic off-roaders of all time.
Solid axles ensure simplicity and this enables Wranglers to be modified for just about any purpose. Whether you want to traverse sand dunes, go mud-plugging in a deep forest or simply park on the kerb without scraping your alloys, the Wrangler is about as tough as they come.
Mercedes-Benz G-Class
Originally known as the G-Wagen, this military-spec beast has morphed into the ideal transport for those who want to be seen. With glitzy chrome atop the blocky body, and the option of insane AMG-tuned engines, it’s often seen in London’s most glamorous districts.
But the G-Class isn’t just all show and no go. It’s one of the most serious off-roaders you can buy today, thanks to a super-sophisticated 4WD system plus three locking differentials. Opt for chunky tyres rather than shiny alloys and the G-Class is near unstoppable.
Toyota Land Cruiser
The Land Cruiser is a true legend – it’s the vehicle that pushed Land Rover out of Australia, and showed the world that not only could the Japanese build off-roaders, they could build off-roaders that never broke down.
Though the Land Cruiser isn’t as luxurious as a Range Rover, treat it properly and it’ll probably outlast you. There’s no compromise to be made off-road either.
Isuzu D-Max AT35 Arctic Trucks
Isuzu’s D-Max pickup is already a pretty rugged vehicle, with a beefy diesel engine and four-wheel drive. The specialists at Arctic Trucks, however, have turned it into something rather spectacular.
With enormous tyres and widened arches, the car’s stance is far more purposeful, and custom Fox suspension offers it enough travel to deal with terrain that would trouble a mountain goat.
Toyota Prius
This may be an odd inclusion, as the Toyota Prius isn’t exactly known for its go-anywhere ability. In fact, it’s far more likely to be seen as a taxi on the streets of London rather than blasting through sand dunes. But it’s there where the ruggedness lies.
Nobody expected the Prius to be as reliable as it is – but even daily abuse as Uber cabs can’t break them. Many of these Prii have over 500,000 miles on the clock and are still going strong on their original battery packs.
Ariel Nomad
Most off-roaders are designed to traverse rough terrain at about 5mph. The Ariel Nomad is designed to do it at 50.
With an engine and body pinched from the Atom road car, the rear-wheel-drive Nomad bounces across the terrain rather than plowing through it. It’s hardcore, totally open to the elements and buckets of fun.
Subaru Forester
Subaru has a reputation for producing reliable, rugged cars, and the Forester is no exception. The darling of farmers everywhere, Subaru owners tend to keep their cars for longer than any other – because they can’t bear to part with them.
The brand’s symmetrical all-wheel-drive system is legendary for its simplicity and reliability, while boxer engines lower the centre of gravity and make for a reassuring drive.
Toyota Hilux
Our third Toyota on this list is perhaps the most legendary – the Hilux, famously the ‘unkillable car’. Made famous by BBC’s Top Gear, a Hilux survived being left at sea, falling off a building, being crashed into a tree and crushed with a wrecking ball – and still started up at the end.
Today’s Hilux is rather plusher than the 1994 model that Top Gear used, but it still retains a well-earned reputation for serious reliability.