What Car Should I Buy? Comparing Over A Dozen Off-Road Pretenders? 

Mazda has the best interior and exterior styling of all the Asian brands and I actually prefer their infotainment system. I do wish they had more dealerships though.

I've already stated this in another live show but I'll do it again... if that roof rack platform says it's rated 200lbs that's the DYNAMIC LOAD RATING aka driving down a highway at 70mph. The STATIC LOAD RATING is likely 3-4x higher than the dynamic rating AKA when the vehicle is parked. It could easily handle a roof tent & 2 adults and then some if it's rated 200lb dynamically. Please make sure you're stating that in the future otherwise it will definitely confuse people who don't know how those ratings work or what they mean

Dear TFL I left a mean spirited comment a couple days ago and I want to say I’m sorry. I’ve watched you forever and I know you guys work hard and your job isn’t the easiest one around. The world needs more kindness and I didn’t help. Keep on keeping on fellas

Seems off-road has become a loaded term. CX-50 and similar AWD seem to be good for literally... off road. Unpaved paths, camping trails, soft/beach sand, mountain roads, some snow, etc. It's not meant for over landing or crawling through steep canyons in Utah lol.

Would love to see TFL compare their fancy Land Cruiser to my Subaru ascent, which has the same ground clearance, better payload (lolz), center differential, more interior space for camping, an actual third row, similar towing capacity, better road ride and acceleration, and the same displacement turbo engine. All for ~$25k less. All you need for forestry roads and cross country trips and nothing you don’t (like dealer markups lolz)

I’ve recently bought a cx-50 premium N/A and I love the way it drives on the road. I’m going to keep it for a long time, really only driving on the street with it. I have my FJ for the dirt.

99% of the people who buy these type vehicle never leave the paved roadways. Driving through a bad parking lot is about as rugged as they ever get.

Static Load Capacity: The static load capacity refers to the maximum weight a roof rack can hold when the vehicle is stationary. This is the weight limit when you’re parked, not moving, and not subject to wind, rain, or other external factors. Static load capacity is usually higher than the dynamic load capacity. Dynamic Load Capacity: The dynamic load capacity, on the other hand, refers to the maximum weight a roof rack can hold when the vehicle is in motion. This is the weight limit when you’re driving, and the roof rack is subject to wind, road conditions, and other external factors. Dynamic load capacity is usually lower than the static load capacity.

Owned a 1992 Mazda 929 (Amati) 4 door sedan, V-6 rear wheel drive. Handled as on rails, and after 8 hrs of driving, back felt great. Very relaxing to drive. 😀

Hahahahha! Roman: Hope you aren't talking about my chest implants...😅. I just died! For the infotament system, as a mazda cx-30 owner I love it. It's annoying to have a billion finger prints on the screen, and it's far less distracting when driving. The placement is also perfect keeping my eyes off the road far less. The rotorary dial is very simple and not as complex or annoying as it seems. The android auto is touch screen but I hate using that, I like my screen to be clean. What I do bloody hate is the piano black! Mazda is obcest with that shit but I just placed inserts over it all over the car.

Apple CarPlay has touchscreen, but when you go to the standard Mazda screen, it can only be operated by the selector wheel.

No reasonable person thinks the cx50 is an off-road vehicle but it is pretty. 😍

The Infotainment in Mazda is much superior. Touchscreens are a scourge on the automotive world. It will touch in apple or android car play. But the rotary dial is way better.

Sheldon, the Tacoma engineer, explained that the Taco’s “Auto” 4WD mode is where you’d want to be with differing terrain. It does exactly what Roman is asking for here, and I do wonder if the Taco’s diff would’ve broken that day had they been in Auto instead of Rock mode. Not saying it makes what happened right, it shouldn’t break in any mode 😂

Roman saying fu*k is what we need more of😂 Less corporate, more guys being guys talk

Off roading is going over a curb in the starbucks parking lot to most these days especially 1/2 ton truck owners.

We have a CX-50 Turbo. If you run premium fuel, the horsepower bumps up to 260.

I WOULD RATHER HAVE A SUBARU FORESTER WILDERNESS

Careful Mazda might blacklist you like Subaru 😢

I agree with Roman in that these SUVs/wagons should be smart enough to adapt to road conditions automatically.

Roman is 100% right. With the exception of being able to turn off traction control, Modes are gimmicks and marketing nonsense. Give a person ALL the capabilities ALL the time and let the driver drive. Software will never replace lockers and ground clearance.

Nathan, yes Mitsubishi has revived the Ralliart name and yes, it's mostly a badge and sticker package. However, there is a new "Softroader" in Mitsubishi's lineup: the Outlander Sport Trail Edition. Beefed up fender flares, an optional roof rack, stickers, and most importantly, better tires for off-road conditions. I'd say it competes somewhat to the CX50 you guys have there. Also, Mitsubishi is getting back in the Rally world a little more heavily with their Triton trucks and have done well. Those trucks have real off-road chops and display the Ralliart badging, however no true equivalent exists to these custom trucks that a person could buy. Mitsubishi also created a concept Outlander PHEV two plus years ago called the Vision Ralliart. Rumored to have 3 motors plus a trick suspension, maybe it's a sign of things to come? I have a 1993 Mitsubishi Mighty Max that is 4X4 with the 6 cylinder and stick shift. That truck is really overbuilt for its size (especially compared to it's American counterparts for the time) and came with a factory rear locker. Cool little truck.

I am in the market for a dependable SUV. This would be my first one ever since I had driven sedans for years. My price range is under $40K. It must be automatic because I can't drive manual at all. What do you recommend?

most people wont off road their trucks & SUV in my day SUV's were station wagons and the roads were worse then rwd in the snow.. buy what you want but there is no need for center locking diff on a car that cant go over an 8 inch rock

If you have ever driven a 4Runner TRD in mid afternoon sun, you wouldn't mock the hood sticker...

Love the Model A backdrop :D

The Pilot Trailsport is a on new platform with an upgraded rear differential that doesn’t overheat. The Ridgeline and Passport have the old transmission that overheats.

What’s funny is I think the Germans heard you say they don’t have any softroaders because BMW came out with a Silver 25th anniversary X5 with skid plates and a rear locking differential it just costs 81k though

Dude! Stop interrupting! 😂😂😂 I’m assuming Nathan was wildly over caffeinated for this…

Selectable drive modes have gone out of control. If you bought an off roader with an offroad mode its a failure. That should be normal. It needs a highway mode for dd duty. And sports cars with a sport mode, same thing. That should be the default normal mode. Should be normal mode then track mode, eco mode for dd duty.

Come on Roman tell the full truth now. You took the outback offroading and damaged it.

I have the 2024 select cx-50 , I didnt buy it to drive off road, I bought it basically to have more carrying capacity. that wasnt a pick up truck. just bought it in June 6 2024, was originally looking at the Mazda 3, but was like that looks too small and I had a previous low car that always scraped curbs when parking in parking lots, so I like that its a few inches higher off the ground, the only complain I have is the HORRIBLE STEREO system I hate those Tweeters, my hearing is like a dog and I dont like high frequency noises gives me a headache

Whatever camera you were using in this livestream, the lens was smudged up.

1) Chest implants😂😂😂 that was hilarious Roman. 2) give Zack a microphone, I can't hear the questions from the viewers or have Roman or Nathan repeat it before they answer the questions. 3) I'm with you on this one Roman. I don't need all of these fancy modes, that I don't want to take the time to figure out what they all do exactly. Just give me a proper 4 wheel leaver and let me manually put vehicle into 4 high or 4 low. That's all I need no dumb off road modes like sand, mud, rock, snow, idiot mode😂, etc...

My 2016 CX-5 had a touch screen and so is my wife's 2019 Miata.....

Some of your information is inaccurate. The roof each holds much more then 200 lbs and infact has a tent that can go on top . Next the screen is in fact touch control when Apple CarPlay and Android are used . Not that any of that really matters .

Not a fan of these Subaru-lite rigs. But, this does have a very good looking front end design...

17:16 LOL

Congrats on getting rid of the Santa Cruze

The CX-50 Meridian edition looks like a joke of an off-road package

You left out the Jeep Trailhawk line lol.

A poor craftsman blames his tools.

Pride Month is over, give Gloria Stienem back her car.

It's touchbscreen. Only in android auto and apple car play. Mazda menus are not touch screen

Modes, nah. 2WD, 4WD auto, and 4WD low. With selectable lockers. That's all you need.

Truly sad that so many consumers in the states fall for these appearance packages and think vehicles like this are truly offroad capable. Segments like this telling people how vehicles actually aren't offroad capable is a indicator of what people don't know. What can you expect though? When we live in a country where pharmaceutical companies have to have commercials telling us to NOT, to take their medications, "if we're allergic to them", any amount of being uninformed or just dumb is possible.

Chicken tax guys, that's why VW will never sell a truck in the US

Mraptor

You can used Bronco Badlands for ~$30k with factory certified warranty. As far as "softroaders", I dont think you do any better than that.

The matte black on the hood? Warplanes have been that way for eons, and I don’t know what other vehicles. Not a new idea, though.

What car should i buy for off road in the US, well the US off road means you have to get a off road capable car that is made for the US. It's a very different market elsewhere in the world with smaller cars being dominant and the likes of trucks being used way less. That's why you don't see the likes of BMW, Audi, VW, Mazada etc. making off-road cars for the US market.

Rugged

The AC in my cx50 was absolute crap. Infotainment is ancient. It’s only touch screen when Apple CarPlay is on. Got rid of it for that reason alone.

Whats with Roman and his foul mouth? I liked the fact that my daughter could be in the room while I watched TFL. Not any more.

Any pickup is a pretend off-roader

Ugh. Romain needs to go.

Roman... senile.? The constant arguing and getting things wrong is getting old.

You guys are sinking… Mazda!?!