photo by Anikin4 via iStock
It is a well-known fact that if you don’t plan on using your vehicle for more than a trip to the grocery store, you won’t have much use for a 4×4.
But for those that love to traverse rugged terrain and venture into the backlands and unpaved roads, or those that just prefer themselves covered in mud from rim to rooftop, these mud eaters are simply a blessing that will make any off-road lover’s heart skip a beat.
Best Mud Eaters: Jeep Cherokee
As a brand, the Jeep will always have a place in the hearts of people who don’t use their 4×4 vehicles just on a supermarket run. It is so essential that there is no word for SUV in some languages, and they use the brand name “Jeep” to explain what kind of a vehicle they are talking about.
The Cherokee was built by Jeep in 1984 and produced by Chrysler since 1987. The design of the Jeep Cherokee was considered “probably the greatest SUV model of all time.” It was available in both two- and four-door versions. The two-door model had longer doors and forward folding seats.
Toyota Hilux AT44 6×6
In Iceland, of course, they have harsher winters than we do here. So they built so-called “super-offroaders” to combat this, and those machines turned out as monstrous things that made the cars pale on boringly paved roads. The most impressive is the Toyota Hilux AT44 6×6, a project by Arctic Trucks.
This monster has a 3.0-liter diesel engine with 171 hp, a tank capacity of about 132 gallons, and a carrying capacity of 2 tons. Oh, and six wheels, of course. If an ice age is coming, this car is already fully equipped.
Best Mud Eaters: Land Rover Defender
The Defender was pretty much the Stonehenge of cars, but unfortunately, it no longer met European standards, and therefore, Land Rover announced the end of production in 2015.
It was a simple design with coil springs and a four-wheel drive. The Defender does not have a monocoque but a body-on-chassis construction so that anyone can replace all parts of the car quickly and often by hand.
Jeep CJ
The Jeep CJ was built between 1944 and 1986 and was also known as the “Willys CJ.” The CJ was the public version of the famous Willys Military Jeep from World War II.
Willys was an American car company known for its design and production of military Jeeps. However, they didn’t build a car for people until 1944. Then, when the Allies were convinced that they would win the war, Willys decided to design a model for the post-war market.
Best Mud Eaters: Range Rover Evoque
The Range Rover Evoque is the most successful Land Rover ever. This vehicle was first shown as a concept car at the 2008 North American International Auto Show under the name Land Rover LRX. Land Rover took a gamble with the Evoque, but it turned out well. They never had a model that quickly flew out of the showroom.
The Evoque gives an unusual grip on difficult obstacles and terrains using complicated electronic and technical systems. It got a face-lift in 2015 with a fresh grille, LED headlights, new bumpers (with fake air intakes), and plenty of fresh rims, colors, and options packages.
Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser
The Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser is one of the best off-road vehicles ever. This mud eater was produced from 1974 to 1983 and almost single-handedly made the whole world accessible.
The Land Cruiser could seat two adults in the front and two small children or luggage in the rear. Toyota only started to install air conditioning and servo steering in 1979. However, the front disc brakes became standard in 1975. You can still find examples of this model in good condition today with several hundred thousand miles on the clock, but beware before you dream because the prices are running high.
Best Mud Eaters: Ford Expedition
Ford Expedition is a full-size SUV model manufactured by Ford since 1996. It sits right between Ford Explorer and Ford Excursion in its product range.
It is virtually unbreakable, and it is also known as one of the longest-lasting cars on the road. A study by iSeeCars.com found that 5% of vehicles on the road in 2016 had more than 200,000 miles on them.
Hummer H2
photo by eugenesergeev via iStock
The H2 was the first Hummer designed for everyday consumer use — the Hummer H1 was a modified military vehicle. The H2 got off the ground when General Motors bought the right to sell civilian versions of AM General under the Hummer brand name.
The H2 made its debut at the 2001 North American International Auto Show. The car became available for sale in Belgium in mid-2002 and had a retail price of approximately EUR 100,000 at the time. Although the Hummer brand was discontinued in 2010, the noisy mastodons are made for the military today. General Motors has also revived the Hummer as an EV.
Best Mud Eaters: Volkswagen Schwimmwagen
photo by ArjanL via iStock
The Volkswagen Schwimmwagen — literally a swimming car — was an amphibious vehicle used by the German Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during World War II.
The Schwimmwagen was based on the VW Kübelwagen, which was based on the civilian KdF-Wagen, later known as the Beetle. The body was designed by Erwin Komenda, the chief body designer at Porsche. Komenda was the man who came up with the brilliant idea of amphibian cars and immediately patented it with the German patent office.
Range Rover SV Autobiography Dynamic
It’s not there yet, but it’s coming: the most powerful Range Rover ever, namely the new version of the Range Rover: the SVAutobiography Dynamic.
That “dynamic” is no exaggeration: this is the most powerful Range Rover ever. The well-known 5.0-liter supercharged V8 from the Jaguar F-type, with 550 hp, provides the drive. As a result, acceleration from 0 to 60 mph becomes a breeze: the more than two-ton SUV gets the job done in 5.1 seconds. Its top speed: 140 mph!