Mud 'N' Ruts

WHICH COMPACT MALL CRAWLER WITH OFF-PAVEMENT ASPIRATIONS DOES BETTER WHEN THINGS GET A BIT ROUGH?

- Frank Markus

In January, we Big Tested eight compact SUVs and ranked the rugged but aging Jeep Cherokee seventh, adding this caveat: “If you’re planning to take your compact CUV off-roading, bump the Cherokee to the top of your list.”

But then we wondered, with so many new entrants, is the Cherokee still the king of the hill among soft-roaders? The Toyota RAV4 Adventure trim level now gets a Jeep-ish Multi-Terrain Select dial, Mud & Sand and Rock & Dirt settings, hill descent control (HDC), a new torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system, and increased ground clearance (8.6 inches versus other RAV4s’ 8.4).

Despite their car-based platforms, the upgrades to these two crossovers could make them capable of handling some tough conditions.

But is this enough for Toyota to dethrone Jeep? We ordered up one of each and headed to our local off-road park to find out.

Pre-Trip Inspection

Before setting out, we carefully examined each cute-ute from top to bottom (using our lift) to assess their off-road bona fides. Our going-in assumptions about the Jeep were reinforced by its two front and one rear recovery hooks, all of which are open so they can accept a fabric loop or a metal hook on the end of a recovery strap. It carries a full-size spare tire of the same specification as the tires on the ground, mounted on a steel wheel (note that this eliminates the bi-level cargo floor, which adds 1.8 cubic feet on Cherokees with mini spares).

The Jeep’s off-road buttons actuate a genuine 2.92:1 low range, a rear differential lock, HDC, and Selec-Speed control (off-road cruise control to maintain a steady pace), and the Selec-Terrain knob offers Auto, Snow, Sport, Sand/Mud, and Rock modes. The transfer case even includes a neutral mode to allow flat-towing.