Which off-roader is the best?
A vehicle’s weight plays a significant role in determining who wins in a tug-of-war match. The vehicle’s weight is often a key factor in determining which vehicle will win. This notion is flipped upside down with the new Carwow, which pits the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon up against two other off-roaders – both the Land Rover Defender as well as the Mercedes-Benz G350.
The Wrangler faces off against Land Rover first, with the Land Rover holding a slight edge, at least on paper. The Defender weighs in at 2.4 Tonnes (5.291 lbs), while the Wrangler weighs in at 2.0 Tonnes (4.409 lbs). Both vehicles are powered by 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinders. However, they’re not equals. The Wrangler produces 270 horsepower (201 Kilowatts) as well as 295 pound-feet (405 Newton-meters), while Defender produces 240 hp (178.5 kW) and 317lb-ft (430Nm).
Two attempts by the Defender to defeat Wrangler failed. The Defender was set to Auto mode in the first match. This allowed the computers to determine the best traction settings. However, the Defender did not win the second match. The Defender was in Mud-Ruts mode for the second race, which allowed it better to compete against the Jeep but still didn’t win. Although the Defender is heavier than the Wrangler, other factors contributed to its two victories.
However, the G-Class was an entirely different story. The G-Class is heavier at 2.5 Tonnes (5.51lbs), and has a larger, more powerful engine, a straight-six turbo-diesel of 286 horsepower (213 kW) with 442 pound-feet (602. Newton-meters). The G350 is able to pull the Wrangler along, winning the battle. Although the Wrangler was equipped with knobby tires, they were not enough to overcome the G350. The G-Class had both the weight and power to win.