10 of the Most Tough SUV’s for 2014

The reign of SUVs in the marketplace has been over for some time. Flocks of consumers have turned to crossovers as the hot new item, citing the more car-like ride quality and improved fuel economy as main draws. This is good and well if all you use your vehicle for is to traverse to the grocery store, movie theater, and the local bake sale, but some people actually need a tough SUV to handle rough terrain and treacherous weather on a regular basis. If you need such a vehicle, consider these ten current models.

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee via © Jeep

1. Jeep Grand Cherokee

If you need a tough SUV you can also drive to the office or on the weekend for a date at the theatre, the Grand Cherokee is an excellent choice. It is by far the best of the current Jeep lineup, delivering not only smooth on-road performance, but also amazing crawling abilities across a variety of terrain. Even better, you can choose from a few engines, picking the one that best suits your needs. The standard gasoline-powered V6 engine is sufficient for most people, but if it’s toughness you need the 5.7-liter V8 with its output of 360 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque is a much better choice. Perhaps most exciting is the new 3.0-liter diesel V6 engine that provides plenty of grunt with 420 lb.-ft. of torque, which is exactly what you need for towing, off-roading, or pulling small boulders (to be clear, I’m not endorsing that last activity).