10 Tough Cars for Endurance, Weather and Dirt

Audi allroad ・ Photo by Audi

Tough cars today actually owe their origins to the rise in popularity of crossovers: A few automakers, caught by surprise by the crossover craze, decided to appeal to customers by toughening up their station wagons and increasing their ground clearance. In the end, they carved out a niche that still has its fans right now. You can check out our choices below to find out why.

2016 Audi allroad

The four-rings brand was one of the first automakers to introduce a lifted wagon to attract erstwhile SUV customers, and that entry, the original "allroad," was one of the first tough cars in town. That said, it also gained many of its robust capabilities by using brains, not brawn. Its extra ride height came with a sophisticated-for-its-time air suspension, for example, and Audi's signature quattro setup provided all-wheel drive. Today, the 2016 Audi allroad continues to showcase the latest quattro system, along with 7.1 inches of ground clearance and stainless-steel underbody shielding to protect the car from rocks, etc., in off-road driving. The allroad also scores points for SUV-like versatility inside despite its relatively compact exterior dimensions: It offers 27.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 50.5 in all. An all-new 2017 version, the A4 allroad, is also on the horizon.

Photo by Audi

2016 Subaru Outback

Another pioneer in the field of tough cars comes from Subaru and is now represented by the 2016 Subaru Outback. The self-styled "World's First Sport Utility Wagon" traces its roots back to the station-wagon variant of the Subaru Legacy sedan. As demand for SUV and crossovers began to rise in the 1990s, so too did the ride height of the Legacy wagon, and with some rugged styling cues—and the brand's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive—the Outback was born. The current model is right on the borderline between "car" and "crossover" in looks, complete with cladding around the wheel arches, and it rides high with a standard 8.7 in ground clearance. Like most of the 2016 Subaru lineup, the Outback also displays plenty of toughness in terms of occupant protection during impacts, with both a Top Safety Pick+ recognition from the IIHS and a 5-Star Overall Safety Score from NHTSA.

Photo by Subaru

2016 Subaru WRX STI

On the topic of Subaru's safety toughness, shoppers also should note that the Impreza-based WRX—though not rated by NHTSA—also has a TSP+ certification from the IIHS. But that's not why Autobytel experts picked the 2016 Subaru WRX STI for our team of tough cars. That's based on the STI's storied, ongoing motorsports career. Not only has the STI proven itself in the grueling World Rally Championship series, winning three titles, but it's also won its class three times at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring endurance race. That's not ancient history, either: The STI had a golden 'Ring experience just last year, when it captured its third class victory, and STI driver David Higgins took home his fifth straight Rally America driver's championship in 2015, going undefeated in the process.

Photo by Subaru

2016 Volvo S60 Cross Country

The current-generation S60 launched as the first car from Volvo's modernized lineup, and helped symbolize the transition to corporate ownership under Geely, the Chinese holding company. And while it used a "sexy" positioning—and design—to achieve that, Volvo also used its history of creating some of the toughest cars in the world to transform its sporty sedan into the 2016 Volvo S60 Cross Country. Naturally, the changes included extra elevation, so the S60 rides with 7.9 inches of ground clearance, and the car further leverages Volvo's "All-Wheel Drive with Instant Traction" when the going gets tough. Yet the S60 hasn't ditched its attention to style. Features like 18-inch alloy wheels are wrapped in tires specifically designed to add "off-pavement aesthetics" to the package. Volvo's first Cross Country sedan seals the deal with the superior array of high-tech, driver-assistance measures folks expect from the brand.

Photo by Volvo

2016 Volvo V60 Cross Country

Of course, if it weren’t for the 2016 Volvo V60 Cross Country, there probably wouldn't be an S60 version in the first place. The V60 Cross Country, though, was a no-brainer right from the start. The 2016 V60 is likewise a successful extension of those efforts to build tough cars, right down to skid plates for underbody protection, the same 7.9 inches of ride height, and Instant Traction AWD. The big differences are in the rear, where there's 43.8 cubic feet of total cargo space and standard rear seats that are split 40/20/40 for enhanced versatility. For additional storage, owners have access to cargo space behind the wheel housing and in an under-floor compartment.

Photo by Volvo

2016 Fiat 500L Trekking

Fiat may not be known for building tough cars, but the 2016 FIAT 500L Trekking does hit a rugged sweet spot between the 500 city car and the 500X subcompact crossover. The starting point is the 500L, which stretches nearly 30 inches longer than the 500, and furnishes four doors for passengers and up to 68 cubic feet of storage for gear. That's tough to beat in a car this size, and the Trekking trim then signals the 500L's appetite for adventure by adding distinctive front and rear fascias, wheel-arch and body-sill moldings, and standard 17-inch aluminum wheels. For rough riding in a city environment, the special Trekking Urbana edition blurs lines a bit more with urban-oriented style details like matte black mirror cabs and exterior trim as well as an optional red roof—all with a soundtrack supplied by standard Beats Audio.

Photo by FIAT

2016 MINI Countryman

Its manufacturer calls the 2016 MINI Countryman a crossover, but Autobytel experts call it a tough car, based on the following factors: The Countryman has an available ALL4 all-wheel-drive system, and prominent moldings along its wheel openings and on the lower edges of its rocker panels. It rides higher than other MINI models, too, and boasts a bolder, more horizontal and SUV-like grille. The brand even won the unbelievably demanding Dakar rally with a Countryman. Yet for all that crossover credibility, the Countryman you find at dealerships have more down-to-earth ground clearance ratings of 5.9 inches—they don't share much more with their rally-winning brethren than a name. On the other, other hand, the retail cars are a blast to pilot, with hi-po JCW editions racing from 0-60 in 6.6 seconds, and all models delivering fairly sharp driving dynamics.

Photo by MINI

2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack

Taking advantage of the new A4 allroad from Audi—which is owned by the Volkswagen Group—VW is getting into the tough cars competition with the 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, expected to go on sale in the United States this fall. When it arrives, the Alltrack will offer the same interior benefits of the Golf SportWagen, including a massive 30.4 cubic-foot rear cargo hold, and 66.5 cubic feet of rear storage with the back seats folded. VW then props up the Alltrack with a further inch of ground clearance, for an overall ride height that approach 6.5 inches, and revamps the exterior with a healthy application of protective cladding. The new model is hardly all style and no substance, since its standard 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system has been upgraded with a dedicated "Off-Road Mode." The bottom line: sure-footed traction when the Alltrack is off the beaten track.

Photo by Volkswagen

2016 BMW X6

BMW broke new ground among the world's tough cars with its first Sports Activity Coupe, and despite its hardly coupe-like, five-door hatchback body style, the 2016 BMW X6 continues to set the pace in the premium segment. Helping in that regard is the requisite increase in ride height, so the X6 sits some 8.3 inches off the ground, as well as large wheel arches that are emphasized at the rear with particularly bold lines. It's definitely on the lux side of the toughness scale, as is the vehicle's Dynamic Damper Control, air suspension, and intelligent all-wheel-drive technology with torque vectoring. Even as BMW delivers on the trail-friendly promise of the X6, the vehicle truly excels on the road. Indeed, the Bavarians provide the full M treatment for the X6, serving up go-fast goodies like a 567 horsepower TwinPower turbo for a 0-60 time of four seconds flat.

Photo by BMW

2016 BMW X4

That whole Sports Activity Coupe thing worked so well with the X6, that the team from Bayerische Motoren Werke apparently decided to downsize the concept, which brings us to the 2016 BMW X4. As you might guess, the X4 is a smaller version of the X6; the former is a compact 184.5 inches in length, with the latter listed at 193.3 inches and considered a midsize entry. The X4 also downsizes to a standard four-cylinder, 240 horsepower turbo engine, and instead of a full-on M variant, the smaller vehicle relies on an M40i edition—with a TwinPower turbocharged six-cylinder engine that makes 355 horsepower. To run with the top tough cars, the X4 touts 8 inches of ground clearance and BMW's xDrive all-wheel drive system, plus the same sort of sport-utility styling as its bigger sibling.

Photo by BMW