How To Choose The Best Off Roading Vehicle For You'
Off roading is a great hobby for a car lover. It allows you to test the best vehicle handling currently on the market, there’s a great community to get involved with, and you can routinely upgrade until you find the best vehicle for your purposes.
However, it can be tricky to find such a vehicle. Different models work better for different needs, and if you’re totally new to off roading, you need to be careful about the trails you try. Finding a truck or car that works well for you is going to take time, and could even bankrupt you if you don’t keep an eye on the budget.
That's why you should make good use of the tips below. If you want to take up off roading, these are the questions to ask before you buy.
What’s Your Budget?
Your budget is the first thing to think about. You can’t buy a car you can’t afford, even if you qualify for a pretty hefty auto loan. No matter how much you want to go off roading, you shouldn’t fork out a loan like this for a vehicle you’re only going to use in certain circumstances!
So keep the potential of an immense vehicle cost in mind before you search for a high end model. You should also think about the ongoing maintenance costs of running a car like this, as well as the long term fuel consumption and how that’s going to affect your household budget. A bad fuel economy can be killer in 2024.
Do You Have Off Roading Experience?
If you do, you already know the ins and outs of handling a vehicle on all terrains. It won’t be too hard for you to find an appropriate vehicle for your plans, even if you need a quick refresher course on the basics.
However, if you don’t have any off roading experience, you’re going to want to invest in a beginner friendly vehicle that’s going to ‘grow’ with you. This might take some time to settle on, but the more careful you are about this decision, the less money you’re going to waste. Off roading is risky by its very nature, but it shouldn’t be something you walk into carelessly.
Where Will You Be Using Your Vehicle?
The terrain around you isn’t the only kind of terrain your off roading vehicle needs to get across. If you want to check out some trails nearby, you need to understand the level of off roading capability and how that aligns with the vehicle you’ve got in mind.
For example, if you’re only going to be trekking down light trails, which are usually no more intense than some dry grass or muddy gravel, a standard pick-up with a four wheel drive could be the most affordable option for you.
Vehicles like these include the RAM 1500 Pickup, which are great for both on and off roading, as long as your time driving the latter stays at a casual level. You can build up using a pickup truck like this, but you may need to switch out for something more serious once you’ve got the tolerance for harder trails.
Do You Need to Use the Vehicle for Anything Else?
This should be the final factor in your decision about choosing the right off roading vehicle for you. Aside from off roading, how else are you going to use your new car or truck? It’s uncommon for the hobby to take precedence over any other travel needs in your life.
Indeed, if you can’t get the vehicle on the road without guzzling loads of petrol, or if it’s going to sit unused in a parking spot or garage for months on end, it won’t make a positive difference to your life or your bank account!
If you need to pick the kids up from school or commute on a regular basis, invest in a vehicle that’s going to cover both elements of your life.
Choosing the best off roading vehicle for you should be based on four factors: your budget, your experience, nearby terrain, and your day to day life. Don’t discount that last one - if you’re going to own an off road capable car, it should work just as well for you on the road too!
Keep this list in mind before you go car shopping. Not all off roading vehicles are made equally, and you need to be very choosy about the one that's best for you.