By Philip Ruth–
Credentials can take a long time to develop. In the case of developing a crossover that could do some serious off-roading, the brands we’ll check out this time have spent years honing them.
Jeep is on top, with an image developed during wartime that is indelible and elemental to the identities of its fans and admirers. Alternately, Toyota’s TRD (Toyota Racing Development) sprang up in the 1970s and has amassed impressive wins, both on and off the blacktop.
So, both brands have a pretext for the extreme four-wheeling versions of the Cherokee and RAV4 I recently sampled. By contrast, Hyundai sticks primarily with grades of luxury for its comparably-sized Tucson.
Pricing shows that Jeep and Toyota figure these trail-seeking buyers to be prosperous. Using 2021 pricing including destination charges, RAV4s start at $28,520, and the TRD Off-Road is the top of seven trims at $36,955. The 2021 Cherokee has eight trims spanning about the same range, and the Trailhawk is one from the peak at $36,845. Only $110 separates their base prices, which makes these buyers a finely targeted demographic.
Off-roaders are also figured to be fashionable. Jeep charges $245 for every color that isn’t white, but there is a broad array, from “Olive Green” to “Spitfire Orange.” Toyota offers black, white, and shades of grey with no charge, but then it asks $425 for “Ruby Red Flare” and then $500 for a combo like the tester’s, a “Lunar Rock” body with an “Ice Edge” roof. Vivid imagery in those names.
Then it’s on to the options list, which in this Jeep’s case added nearly $11,000 to the bottom line. The Toyota’s can add $8,000 or so, but it excludes availability of some options like the panoramic moonroof, probably for a stiffer body structure.
Both have rugged-looking tires and purposeful suspension settings, with Jeep raising the Trailhawk an inch. The eighteen-inch wheels on the Toyota and the seventeens on the Jeep leave the showy nineteens to poseurs on the pavement, where potholes and curbs are the worst threats.
Both the Cherokee Trailhawk and RAV4 TRD Off-Road make strong cases for themselves, with their upgrades in hardware and styling. The good news is that they don’t demand compromises that one might expect; they still ride well and handle pretty much as other Cherokees and RAV4s.
There is an extra firmness in each, and the aggressive treads take some worry out of gashing a wheel on San Francisco’s many asphalt irregularities. The Jeep’s main advantage is V6 power, with almost 70 more horses than the Toyota, though it weighs nearly 400 pounds more.
Inside, the Cherokee Trailhawk and RAV4 TRD Off-Road are as comfortable and accommodating as you’d expect two mainstream crossovers to be. The Toyota’s infotainment system appeared more modern than Jeep’s evergreen Uconnect interface, but both worked well.
You’d choose the Jeep for its comparatively traditional-American feel, while the Toyota is more refined. Both are ready to take you off-road, at least in your mind.
Philip Ruth is a Castro-based automotive photojournalist and consultant with an automotive staging service.
Published on March 11, 2021
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