No wonder then that a road trip serves as a great example of an iconic American adventure. A country so vast just makes you want to explore it from end to end. Some people take it a step farther and start living the vanlife, roaming the States.

Today we are hopping on an adventure of our own. Join me as I explore some epic rides to take you on a trip across the US. With them, the thrill is certain!

What is the best vehicle for a road trip?

Before I share my favorite picks with you, we should discuss some criteria. That being said, they will differ from person to person. Here is my list of requirements:

• Comfort – The longer the trip the more important it becomes. Sure, you can roam around in a small city car, but I doubt you would enjoy the experience. That makes comfort my number one criterion.
• Reliability – You do not want your car to break down in the middle of nowhere. And in the case that it does, you want it to be easy to repair.
• Utility – The ride you pick has to cover all of your needs. If you have a big family, a coupe will hardly make sense. However, if you are just with your significant other, a grand tourer offers plenty of utility. Yet a race car would likely offer you close to zero in that regard. This is why I have a variety of picks for people in different situations.

Of course, we can add tons of other necessities. Still, I think I have mentioned the most common for all people, while others would be on a case-by-case basis. Now that you know what I am looking for, let’s see our choice of epic cars for an epic road trip.

Volkswagen Minibus – The staple pick

Okay, this may be a bit cliché, but no road trip list would be complete without the VW Minibus. So, I decided to be open and put it straight at the top.

Nevertheless, I have a twist for you. While finding an old Minibus is a tough job, the gem will be revived sometime soon. But you have other options as well. Some VW Transporter vans are available on the used market, so maybe try those out. They would make for an awesome road trip experience.

Audi RS6 Avant – For the luxury enthusiast

All luxury brands advertise high comfort. What do they lack? They often do not have a lot of utility, and reliability also tends to be on the bad side. Not with the RS6!

This wagon offers a lot of space, tons of comfort, luxury extras, and… speed! Yes, this is the Swiss Army Knife of sports cars. Even its reliability is above average in the luxury segment. You can have a truly epic road trip, especially if you plan to stick mainly to the interstate. If you want to veer off track, I have a different option for you!

Jeep Cherokee XJ – Have an off-road trip

One of the greatest things about the US is that one moment you can be on the road and then cruise along off-road routes the next. To do that effectively though, you would need a proper vehicle. For a couple, Jeep Wrangler YJ would be great. However, there is a more versatile choice – Cherokee XJ!

Used Jeeps make for the perfect road trip vehicles because you can do whatever you want with them. You can mod them to suit your needs, and mechanics all across the US can work on them. Plus, the XJ has plenty of space for you to load it up and take your kids if you wish!

Ford Mustang – The truly epic road trip experience

Muscle cars and road trips go together so well because they both feel a very US thing. And what better car to experience that than the Mustang? Of course, you can also go with a Camaro or a Challenger, but I prefer Ford for this kind of thing.

Is it comfortable though? Quite a lot actually! Even older versions offer a superb driving experience. Of course, it is not meant for a family trip, but a couple can have an amazing experience in this beast. Almost as if you have taken the idea out of a movie.

Toyota Tundra – The all-in-one solution

Most folks do not associate pickups with road trips. However, the Tundra is an epic vehicle that can actually make your trip as exciting as it gets. For starters, it can handle some rough terrain. Then you can also fill it up with stuff for different activities. And if you do not mind modding it, you could have a camper on your hands.

Honestly, if I had to pick one car, I would likely go with the Tundra. Comfort? Check. Reliability? You bet! Utility? Hey, it’s an off-roadworthy pickup! Summer, winter, the interstate, or rough terrain – you name it, the Tundra handles it!

What car should you pick for a road trip?

One thing lacking in my list is any kind of recreational vehicle. Why have I omitted them? Because while you can have an awesome vacation in one of those, they are simply not as versatile.

That being said, you can still have a great road trip with them. If you do not care about off-roading at all, and having a sportsy feel does nothing for you, by all means, buy or rent an RV for your trip. Still, I just do not feel they are “epic” enough to include them here.

Anyway, let’s put my picks to the side. Yes, I have given you some options, but maybe you have something different in mind. Do you have a specific car that you dream of taking on a road trip? Be sure to mention it. While you are at it, tell me about what makes a road trip “epic” for you!

The post Epic wheels for an epic road trip appeared first on Altered Steel.

People already know that the rise of the crossover has begun. But before crossovers, there were SUVs. Some of those monsters have survived through the years to give us a lesson in hardcore car design. I invite you to take a seat with me. Together we will explore the off-roaders of the ages past!

What constitutes a vintage SUV?

Of course, I have to mention a few things about which cars fit the bill with the term “vintage”. Some heavy purists would not count anything younger than the Cold War. Others would consider their 15-year-old Land Cruiser to be pretty “vintage” already. How do we solve that?

As with many other things in life, I figured that we should take the middle ground here. The law has determined what a classic car is and I think it will serve us fine. So what is it? Anything older than 25 years.

Here is a thread that you will notice in this article – the SUVs that we know today have little to do with their predecessors. They differ in both aesthetics and purpose. I suspect that somewhere along the way the whole SUV term changed its meaning. To be fair, modern “sport utility vehicles” are not much about sport or utility. This makes it even more interesting to see where this category of vehicles came from. Let’s start with the first entry on our list!

Case in point – Toyota J40

I was not joking when I told you that people had a very different idea for these vehicles back in the day. So what can better illustrate that than a car, which has its own modern equivalent? If the J40 model name does not ring a bell, I bet its more famous alternative will. I am talking about Toyota Land Cruiser 40!

Obviously, most people will never guess that the J40 has anything to do with modern-day LCs. When you hear Land Cruiser you imagine a big monstrosity that can take your whole family for a ride. Thankfully, even the modern LC retains some of its off-road capabilities, though nothing close to the J40.

Interestingly enough, the Jeep-like Toyota garners a lot of attention even today. People are still using it in their off-road pursuits. Plus it was such a success that it had a 24-year manufacturing run. I always find it interesting when vintage vehicles are still performing well (sometimes even better than modern cars). It goes to show that back in the day vehicle development had a much different focus.

If you are wondering how this small off-roader became the huge Land Cruiser of today, you would not be alone. Technically there is no true continuation. The current line of LCs started with the J50, which was produced alongside J40. The true successor of the latter is the J70 model, but it is also fairly big and bulky. So I guess the desire for big cars can be traced quite far back!

The American workhorse – Ford Bronco

As far as iconic vehicles go, Ford Bronco is definitely up there. However, not all Bronco generations are that noteworthy. While all of them are considered classics, the fifth-gen is perhaps the most popular. However, today I want to focus our attention elsewhere.

The first-generation Ford Bronco is what piques my interest the most. It carries a lot of history with it. For example, its design elements are reminiscent of certain competitor models. That said, when it comes to vintage SUVs it seems like all of them had a similar look. So I cannot really fault Bronco for that.

Here we can also trace the trend of progressive vehicle growth. The first-gen was fairly compact, and the second one had already grown to a full-size SUV. That sounds very funny to me, but you can notice it with virtually all off-road vehicles. Even the RAV4 (which is fairly new, as far as models go) started out small and is now getting bigger with each gen.

Naturally, there is a reason for all that. Even though smaller vehicles can be arguably better off the road, people want to purchase more versatile cars. Ford failed to see that though. Other companies were quick to respond and the sales of the first-gen Bronco started to diminish.

This is how the second and third generations came to be. They were both bigger to accommodate the demand at the time. On top of that, they started leaning more towards on-road than off-road. Looking at Ford Bronco’s history you could tell why the current crossovers are a far cry from their predecessors. People do not really want off-road vehicles, they just like the look. This is even more evident in modern SUVs that are going electric.

Back to the off-road – Geo Tracker

We saw how the divide between off-road and on-road SUVs emerged. To this day both lines of vehicles exist in their own niches, with their own fan bases. Obviously, the on-road crowd is much bigger, but that does not mean that manufacturers have given up on off-road completely.

One car that has only recently become a classic is the Geo Tracker. It is highly likely that you are not familiar with it. You may have heard about the Chevrolet Tracker though. The Geo is basically Chevrolet before being rebranded.

What makes the Geo Tracker so interesting though? Plenty of things, actually! Firstly, it is Chevrolet in name only. In fact, it is Suzuki through and through. Secondly, the company developed it for Canada with the idea to provide a versatile compact vehicle. The crowd embraced it as it proved to be one of the best light trucks on the market.

Currently, the Tracker lives on with a Chevrolet name, but its actual successor is the Suzuki Vitara. It has a fairly loyal customer base, who loves the fact that it is sturdy, easy to maintain, and cheap at that. Though, as it is with most of the recent trends, many things around the vehicle are getting way too modernized for the worse.

The true SUV staple – Jeep CJ

Are you looking for the most iconic off-road vehicle ever? Then you should not look any further than the Jeep CJ. Sadly, the earlier generations are pretty hard to find and even the later ones are really sought after. Of course, that is not without reason!

The CJ model has proven itself to be one of the most reliable vehicles in history. A quick search will show you that it has been used for a wide variety of purposes. The military has adopted it, it has been through countless safaris, and some have even used it as an emergency vehicle. You would be hard-pressed to find a more versatile car that has spanned 30 years of improvement but has yet kept its spirit.

On top of that, you can see different CJ models in use even to this day. Provided that you take care of it, it can probably last through a couple more generations. Jeep CJ has become so popular that people around the world associate the off-road term with it. In many parts of Europe, the word “jeep” means SUV precisely because of the CJ!

The everyday British SUV – the original Range Rover

What do you think about when you hear “Range Rover”? If you are like me, you immediately make the connection to Land Rover, Jaguar, and most recently – Tata India. Furthermore, you probably think about their luxury modern SUVs. Truth be told they are my favorite crossovers in terms of design. But the Range Rover I have in mind today is a totally different beast!

The first-generation Range Rover stakes its claim as one of the best workhorses in SUV history. Among the reasons for that was its affordability. See, Jeep had already come up with the Wagoneer by that time. The problem with it? It was marketed as a luxury vehicle. Competitor models also targeted the upper segment of the market. So Land Rover saw the opening and decided to step up their game with an interesting offer.

As far as cars go, the Range Rover would have probably been considered mid-range in terms of price. But when it came to the SUV market, it was a steal! More people could afford a reliable car that can not only drive a family around town but would serve working folk just as well.

Sadly, with each subsequent generation, the car became more and more luxurious. This trend began by the end of the first-gen cycle with higher trims. Once Range Rover became popular and gained its own customer base, the people behind the company decided that they could just pump the price up. For better or worse the move proved a success and now we all know Range Rover to be one of the premium SUV marques.

Which vintage SUV catches your eye?

To say that this list is exhaustive would be a serious lie. I have left out dozens of notable vehicles, which are no less deserving. The VW Vanagon Synchro, for example, is an interesting one to check out. The International Harvester Scout also makes for a great honorable mention.

But I can only cover so much with an article. This is why I turn to you! What do you think are some great SUVs from the past? Do you have your own favorite, or do you think that vintage SUVs may even be overrated? I would be happy to hear your opinion!

The post Our favorite vintage SUVs appeared first on Altered Steel.

The truth is that not all bigger cars are created equal. There are the mentioned SUVs and crossovers, but also 4x4s or off-roaders. You can even hear about all-wheel drives. It is easy to get lost in this terminology.

Today we are going to look at one of the vehicle types above – the crossover. We will see if it is truly different, or if it is all just a marketing trick. We will look into its history and also consider some of the staple models in the crossover niche. But first…

Why are there so many SUV terms?

If you do not know yet, SUV means “sport utility vehicle”. No, you are not alone in thinking that this essentially tells you nothing. Actually, there is no universal definition that will tell you what an SUV is. Is it primarily designed for off-road? Is this what makes it a “sport utility” auto? Maybe.

In the beginning, SUVs were indeed all about off-roading. This is where 4x4s get into the picture. To put it shortly this is your modern rough terrain vehicle. It is not efficient on the road, does not have a lot of speed, and can be quite heavy. But it eats through mountains and hills like it is nobody’s business. You can also see it mentioned as a 4-wheeler, 4-wheel drive, or just an off-roader.

Then comes the AWD, or “all-wheel drive”. While the 4×4 is technically an AWD, modern use is a bit more problematic. The only thing that you need to know is that AWD is generally found on vehicles designed with only minor off-road capabilities. In other words – your regular SUV or crossover. As a rule of thumb, a vehicle marketed as a 4-wheeler does generally better on rough terrain and is built a bit sturdier. But that is not always the case.

To answer the initial question – there are so many SUV terms because marketing teams want you to buy their products. This is a part of how the “crossover” term was born. Although there is a bit more substance here. Let’s see!

What is a crossover?

SUVs have a special place in the hearts of Americans. We love big vehicles. Give me a nice pickup and I will drool all over it, even if I have no practical use for such a beast. The same applies to a proper sport utility vehicle.

However, people have grown more practical. They have started to see that maybe (just maybe) they do not need off-road capabilities. Sure, the SUV is big and it can take your 3 children in, but so can a minivan. Plus, it is so much harder to park, especially if you live in a big city. The price is steeper too.

Naturally, car manufacturers saw where things are going. People want an impressive vehicle, but they also want it to be a bit more compact. Plus it would be great if its mileage is better. Oh, and you know, the handling can stand an upgrade as well. Maybe I do not want to drive a truck, after all, I just want to look the part.

There you have the crossover – a lighter, more efficient and more compact SUV. Does it make sense to you now? Good, that makes two of us. Because even car manufacturers do not get it. That is why we see them marketing the same vehicle as both an SUV and crossover, depending on where it is sold. But for all intents and purposes, my definition will suffice.

The first crossover

We may have a bit of a problem determining which crossover came first. That is understandable though, given the terminology confusion from a second ago. Still, I made it my goal to figure out who started this crossover craze.

My research has led me to a single culprit – Toyota RAV4 in 1994. This company has a great history of SUVs. I have mentioned that in my article about Japanese classic cars. Throughout the years Toyota has offered quite a few robust vehicles with superb off-road capabilities. The only issue was these vehicles were not exactly European-friendly.

Unlike Americans, people in Europe enjoy more compact cars. Japanese are like that as well. And since Toyota likes to cater to these markets, they embarked on a mission to create… well, something. Because while RAV4 was technically the first crossover, it was not marketed as such in the beginning.

The RAV4 name stands for “Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel drive”. Flies off your tongue, right? Yet the crossover term was nowhere to be found in 1996 when RAV4 launched in the States. Actually, the term history in regards to the automotive niche is pretty vague. No one knows how it came to be, but by the end of the 2000’s it had already been adopted.

Still, with or without a specific word, this automobile concept was extremely successful. Soon after the RAV4 a lot of other companies followed suit. They released their own versions to have a piece of the sweet emerging niche. Want to know which of those made the cut?

The most iconic crossovers

The early compact SUV market was largely dominated by Japanese manufacturers. That was because they were already prepared to build bulkier vehicles on a smaller platform. An excellent example is the Subaru Forester of 1997, which was built on the Impreza platform.

While Subaru has had some issues to deal with throughout the years, the Forester has never been one of those. It has always performed and sold well. People have deemed it a reliable vehicle, which can handle itself even on rough terrain. Considering its sports car’s platform, that is quite the feat indeed.

The next Japanese manufacturer to jump on the bandwagon was Honda. Just like Subaru, it also launched its first crossover in 1997 with the CR-V. It gained quite a reputation for itself and many even saw it as a fairly good family car. Because of its success, Honda launched the HR-V two years later. It competed with the short-base RAV4 and gave rise to the subcompact crossover – an even smaller SUV-like vehicle.

As far as American crossovers go, the first one has to be Ford Escape. It was launched in 2001 though and by that time Japanese competition was going strong. Funny enough, even the Escape was built on a Japanese platform – namely the Mazda GF one.

Of course, we cannot go one without mentioning Jeep. The Cherokee XJ is considered by many to be the first mainstream SUV or even a crossover. However, Jeep is not exactly known for embracing the crossover term. They prefer “compact SUV”, which is how they have been marketing the Cherokee ever since.

Do you love the crossover?

I honestly like this auto type. That is because I can freely admit that off-roading is not a priority for me. If I ever get in a situation when I would need the capability, I have probably done something very wrong. And we cannot all base our decisions along very unlikely circumstances, right?

Considering how many options you have, it is no wonder that Americans are embracing crossovers. You have bulkier solutions or more compact ones. Even “subcompact” for those of us who are city dwellers. So what do you think, is the crossover a cool piece of engineering, or should we just stick to SUVs?

The post The rise of the crossover appeared first on Altered Steel.