What does the departure angle of a car mean?
2 Answers
Car departure angle refers to the angle between the tangent line drawn from the rear protruding point of the car to the rear wheels and the road surface when the car is fully loaded and stationary. It is the maximum angle between the horizontal plane and the plane tangent to the outer edge of the vehicle's rearmost wheel tire. Any rigid component fixed behind the rearmost wheel must not be below this plane. The departure angle of a car is an evaluation index of its off-road capability. The larger the departure angle, the greater the possibility that the car will not collide when leaving obstacles such as small hills or ditches, indicating better off-road performance. Different cars have varying angles, which significantly affect driving performance. When a car is going downhill, if this angle is smaller than the slope, it may cause the lower rear protruding parts of the car to hit the slope surface, resulting in damage to the car.
I pay special attention to the concept of departure angle when driving off-road. It refers to the minimum angle between the lowest point at the rear of the car and the ground when descending a slope or obstacle. Imagine coming down a steep slope—if the rear of the car can't lift high enough, it may scrape the exhaust pipe, bumper, or undercarriage components, and the sound alone is painful to hear. I've had a few small off-road adventures myself on mountain trails, where vehicles with too small a departure angle easily get stuck or damage parts, disrupting the trip. Now, when choosing an SUV, I prioritize models with a larger departure angle, like some off-road vehicles designed with higher angles for smoother navigation over rough terrain. While not common in daily driving, understanding this parameter can help protect your car from unnecessary damage—for example, when ascending or descending steep parking ramps or encountering uneven roads. Safety comes first when driving, so I recommend checking the manual or online specs before buying a car to ensure stable passage in extreme scenarios.
