Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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We discuss our recent evaluation of popular rugged SUV trims, sometimes called “soft roader” SUVs, including the Subaru Forester Wilderness, Honda Passport TrailSport, Toyota RAV4 Woodland, Ford Explorer Tremor, and others, to see whether they add real capability or mostly rugged styling. Plus, we answer a viewer's question about whether roof crossbars hurt fuel economy on small SUVs like the Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid.

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SHOW NOTES
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00:00 Intro00:16 Soft Roaders Explained
00:47 What Makes an SUV a “Soft Roader”
01:44 Why CR Doesn’t Do Formal Off-Road Ratings
03:56 Building and Driving the Off-Road Evaluation Course
04:56 Vehicles Evaluated
06:13 On-Road Compromises
10:26 Off-Road Impressions
12:44 The Big Role Tires Play
16:28 Should You Buy an Off-Road Trim?
20:06 Can You Add All-Terrain Tires Yourself?
21:14 Should CR Fully Test These Off-Road Trims?
21:58 Audience Question: Do Roof Crossbars Hurt Fuel Economy?
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