In case you haven’t watched TV or gone to the movies in the past several years, we’re here to tell you scenarios involving zombies are popular. People love imagining how they’d fight their way through a future dystopia full of the trudging, moaning, undead.
Even the writers at Motor Trend. Giving their vision of such a hypothetical fate an automotive twist, they set out to determine which four-wheel-drive SUV would be best suited to getting them through natural and no-longer-human disasters: the Mercedes-Benz G550, Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock, or Toyota Land Cruiser.
The magazine drove all three through the snow of Steamboat Springs, Colorado and over the rocks of Moab, Utah. In doing so, they discovered the outright speed of the G-wagen, the unstoppable nature of the Wrangler, and the grip and grunt of the big Toyota. The Land Cruiser’s size on trails was somewhat shrunk by its mind-blowingly inventive Off-Road Turn Assist feature, which basically allows it to pivot on one wheel and carve paths through the end of days with more precision.
The Land Cruiser split the difference between the Jeep and the Mercedes with the same precision. It was priced in between its two rivals and offered better on-road manners than the domestic rig, but was less mechanically vulnerable in the rough than the German one. Obviously, there’s a lot more to it than that, so hit the Motor Trend link below to read the full story.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
Where do you go for answers when you have a Lexus with a gorgeous leather interior but are not sure about how to maintain that luxurious look? The "Club Lexus" forums, of course.
