Number one: I want to get to greater faraway beaches, campsites, and trailheads, plus snowy and icy roads around Mammoth within the wintry weather. I considered driving the Ford Ranger to your recommendation; however, that won’t be a great match for driving and parking in a city daily. Will the current Subaru Outback manage mild off-roading, or are there different crossovers or wagons you’d propose?
I owned one of the modern-day era Outbacks for a couple of years after I lived in L.A. And had comparable wishes. It became high-quality on the town and road trips, but ultimately, I wanted something with a bit extra off-street capacity. Fitted with a first-rate set of lightweight all-terrain tires, the Outback (or any other Subaru crossover—the most effective thing differentiating them is size) will manage dirt roads with aplomb. But, in case you encounter any impediment—dust, sand, a washout—you’re not going for you to get thru. And there are several neat locations to camp which are on the other aspect of such barriers.
That said, I sincerely assume you must rethink that four-wheel-pressure truck. If you do ultimately pass this direction, fit the tires and skid plates I discussed in this article before taking it everywhere. I’d also snatch a hard and fast of MaxTrax—eventually, you will get a Subaru stuck somewhere. There’s plenty of cool stuff to do in and around Southern California that’s the handiest available with a car like this. Plus, something like the Ranger comes with trendy metallic bumpers, so parking one in L.A. may be less complicated than it appears. You’ll best give up about 5 miles in step with a gallon to the truck’s advanced engine and transmission.
Put that Ranger on a first-class all-terrain tire like the Cooper Discoverer AT3 LT, and it’ll be about as right a companion in iciness driving situations as you can hope. I plan to position mine on real iciness tires in November because I live somewhere cold. I recognize that’s now not honestly sensible for journeys from L.A. To Mammoth. Those tires will be a perfect compromise, and the electronic traction aids that include the Ranger’s FX4 bundle truely offer tremendous capability on snow and ice.