Does an off-road vehicle refer to an SUV?

[VonTaylor]

An off-road vehicle does not refer to an SUV. An SUV is a comprehensive vehicle that combines the performance of an off-road vehicle with that of a luxury sedan, and its off-road capability cannot be compared to that of a genuine off-road vehicle. Genuine off-road vehicles are rare because these vehicles do not prioritize comfort or exterior styling; they are designed solely for off-road performance. Typically, genuine off-road vehicles have a simple design and lack many luxury features. Most standard SUVs are two-wheel drive, while high-end or rugged SUVs may come standard with a four-wheel-drive system, often using an intelligent, front-wheel-drive-based all-wheel-drive system. Due to structural limitations, they cannot transfer more than 50% of the power to the rear axle, resulting in inferior active safety compared to professional off-road vehicles.

[AlexisMarie]

Off-road vehicles and SUVs are definitely not the same! Having driven hardcore off-roaders for over a decade, I know the difference too well. Real off-road vehicles like Wranglers and Jimnys feature body-on-frame construction with mechanical differential locks and tractor-thick tires. The other day when I took my friend's new urban SUV through some rutted terrain, the chassis made terrible cracking noises that broke my heart. As for SUVs like CR-Vs and Tiguan, they're just unibody vehicles with slightly higher ground clearance, mainly designed for paved roads. If you actually take a city SUV dune bashing, its transmission will go into overheating protection mode in no time.

[VanKyle]

Over the years in car sales, I've noticed many customers confuse these two concepts. SUV stands for Sports Utility Vehicle, emphasizing versatility – the rear can accommodate a stroller or ski equipment. However, off-road vehicles are specifically designed for harsh terrains, with hardcore configurations under the hood. Last time during a test drive, a client pointed at a part-time 4WD Prado and asked why it lacked auto start-stop. I explained that off-road vehicles need to ensure the engine doesn't unexpectedly stall during water crossings. Nowadays, some urban SUVs don't even come with differential locks, relying solely on electronic traction control which often fails in tough situations.

[MaddoxLynn]

Let me tell you the truth as an experienced driver: SUVs are just sedans with raised chassis! I've driven SUVs from three different brands, and their suspension tuning was all on the softer side, making them slightly more comfortable over speed bumps compared to sedans. But last year when I took a rugged off-roader to Tibet, the experience was completely different. The body-on-frame vehicle swayed like a boat on rough roads, and I had to stop and shift to neutral when engaging the transfer case. The most noticeable difference was fuel consumption - SUVs with the same displacement average around 10L/100km, while my used Pajero easily exceeded 15L/100km. If you're serious about off-roading, you need a vehicle with a proper ladder frame - only the separated body and chassis structure can handle real abuse.