The most rugged cars you can buy
We round up the brawniest and most hardwearing cars you can get your hands on today, ideal for the jungle – and the urban jungle too
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.
Jeep Wrangler
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
