The Toughest Cars?

"Vicente Esteve" (vicente-esteve)
04/23/2014 at 11:08 • Filed to: None

"A tough, authentic legend born to rule the trails and the open road" - A quote from Jeeps Wrangler website

"In a world where SUVs have begun to look like their owners, complete with love handles and mushy seats, the H2 SUV proved during its production run that one could still drop and give you 20." - Quote from the current Hummer website

The Jeep Wrangler and the Hummer H2 are considered by thousands to be the Toughest, roughest, Bear Grylles approved, bare handed coyote fighting SUV's money can buy. I don't doubt they can get further up the trails than, say a Journey. The slight rant I have with these SUV's when they are called biblically unstoppable is with their engines.

Jeep has sold the wrangler with the great Pentastar V6 since 2012. I don't doubt for a moment that it is a good engine, I mean it gave the Charger 30MPG, it gave the Avenger hope, and it even made the Grand Caravan American Value Package one of the highest Horsepower/Dollar cars. In the Wrangler it has also made wonders, better MPG, Higher HP etc. but I don't know if it is the Toughest engine yet. It is robust, but slight modifications by Mopar or an independent company would make it stronger and more dependable. I feel that for an engine to deserve its place in a Jeep, it has to be as brawny. Not the same engine they put in a Town and Country.

The Hummer suffers from exactly the same problem. The 6.2 V8 may be dead reliable, but it is still the same engine they put in the Yukon, Sierra, and Escalades. It is even funnier for hummer since their phrase: "In a world where SUVs have begun to look like their owners, complete with love handles and mushy seats, the H2 SUV proved during its production run that one could still drop and give you 20." doesn't really apply. The Yukon and Escalade DO have love handles, mushy seats and the Hummer shares its engines with them.

Id like to clarify, I am not making this article to say the Wrangler and the Hummer are NOT capable off road. They are, all of the press pics are on places without a Wifi hotspot. The point Im trying to make is that it would be a better if the engines from the toughest vehicles where made with special materials or unique adaptations so they are also as tough as them.

DISCUSSION (30)

Party-vi > Vicente Esteve
04/23/2014 at 11:11

Kinja'd!!!

You know, Jeep used to have such an engine...

505Turbeaux > Vicente Esteve
04/23/2014 at 11:12

Kinja'd!!!

Agreed, Jeep, Hummer, I dont doubt for a second a Mercedes GD230 is tougher, especially in the engine dept.

505Turbeaux > Party-vi
04/23/2014 at 11:15

Kinja'd!!!

hell this wasn't a bad one either

Party-vi > 505Turbeaux
04/23/2014 at 11:15

L-head or GTFO.

JR1 > Vicente Esteve
04/23/2014 at 11:16

I am ok with sharing engines with other cars in the lineup for multiple reasons. Chiefly among those reasons is the cost savings. Cheaper to build and cheaper to repair. If they are good engines fine by me let them share it.

Vicente Esteve > JR1
04/23/2014 at 11:20

Yeah, I just thought it is more serious how Nissan and Toyota do it with their 4.0L V6. Only the trucks and off-roadey SUVs use it.

Vicente Esteve > 505Turbeaux
04/23/2014 at 11:21

Also my thought when I wrote the article. I was going to include the new G-550's, but they are so unreliable it would be pointless.

thebigbossyboss > Vicente Esteve
04/23/2014 at 11:32

Honestly if you're talking about tough engines, (no matter the car, because these cars aren't capable off road lol) Toyota had the 1.6L 4A engine. Those things went in Corollas from the early 90's and Late 80's. Talk about a indestructible block. We had one that was run to 190,000 miles, then crashed into a stopped truck at 55 mph. Still ran.

Vicente Esteve > thebigbossyboss
04/23/2014 at 11:35

Wow, that is a tough bastard. My fathers Tacoma also seems to be absolutely indestructible, in the 5 years he's owned it only the volume knob gave problems.

505Turbeaux > Vicente Esteve
04/23/2014 at 11:35

well, I will be out in the dunes in one this summer, so I will let you know how she performs!

Vicente Esteve > 505Turbeaux
04/23/2014 at 11:40

Awesome! We also have dunes where I live, it is very funny to see at the beach brand new 50K trucks getting stuck and being pulled out by a lifted Bronco that smells like piss.

yamahog > Party-vi
04/23/2014 at 11:52

Mine's still kickin at 239k!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Vicente Esteve
04/23/2014 at 11:55

Kinja'd!!!

H3 pictured (cool truck, so much better than the H2)

Party-vi > yamahog
04/23/2014 at 11:56

Mine refused to die at over 290k.

Vicente Esteve > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/23/2014 at 11:57

haha the mother of a friend of mine has a black one. 5 cil. though, I really doubt that is enough engine for the pork.

yamahog > Party-vi
04/23/2014 at 12:02

That's good to know, I need mine to last at least one more winter and I've put 10k miles on it in the past 6 months.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Vicente Esteve
04/23/2014 at 12:14

Well, I'm pretty sure you have a couple H3's in the pictures. Which run on pretty solid I5 Isuzu motors or a small V8 from GM which is also pretty solid. They are pretty capable despite their heaviness off road (I mean it's no XJ or anything!).

The H2 would be horrendous off road, way too bulky/big/heavy.

An often forgotten offroad option imo would be any ZR2 Blazer/Jimmy/S10 Pickup. Solid 4.3L V6 and a shorter wheel base.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Vicente Esteve
04/23/2014 at 12:15

I've driven the I5, we considered one for my wife.

I loved it. Visibility was SOOOO bad out of it that it would be terrible as a DD.

Party-vi > yamahog
04/23/2014 at 12:18

Just change the oil regularly and make sure the water pump doesn't go bad. You should be good.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Vicente Esteve
04/23/2014 at 12:22

Did you mean the H3? I can't say I've ever heard anyone brag about the H2's offroad capability, the H3 on the other hand was a really great truck, it just came out at the wrong time

Vicente Esteve > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/23/2014 at 14:56

Yeah, it pretty ,much was as if you were looking outside the small window of a basement

Vicente Esteve > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/23/2014 at 14:57

I know I included them, my point was more in relation to the H2.

Vicente Esteve > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
04/23/2014 at 14:58

I referred to the H2 mostly, and the quote was taken out of their website. Also, I believe it is thought that it would be unstoppable off road since it came from the humvee blah-blaah.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Vicente Esteve
04/23/2014 at 14:59

just seemed a bit unfair to throw the H3 in (even if it was just in pics), it's a cool little truck.

Vicente Esteve > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/23/2014 at 15:00

Yeah, wrong on my part.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Vicente Esteve
04/23/2014 at 15:03

it's cool, you're FAR from the first person to put in the wrong H#.

I actually made it on AOTD once for cars/trucks that get a bad wrap even though their good cars with the H3 a waaays back!

Vicente Esteve > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/23/2014 at 15:11

haha I secretly really like the H3T, though when I sat on it on an auto-show it was like seeing through a mailbox. It didn't help that the rear view mirror was made to look like a Brick.

Kinja'd!!!

And yes, the rear camera did appear and disappear like a tab. It was awesome!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Vicente Esteve
04/23/2014 at 15:17

OK that Rear View Camera is the most badass thing ever.

And the H3T Alpha was BADASS. V8 too!

Kinja'd!!!

Vicente Esteve > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/23/2014 at 15:49

Kinja'd!!!

HATCH!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Vicente Esteve
04/23/2014 at 15:52

OOOOOOOOOOO

I DIDNT EVEN KNOW THAT WAS AN OPTION!

(yes I know its a bedcap, just that excited)