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Can a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss Out-Off-Road a 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser?

The question that TFL asks in this clip - whether it's a truck or a car (we'll take it they mean "SUV") that's better suited for off-roading - has been on a lot of people's minds. The fact we're yet to reach a conclusion should be a strong indicator that it's unlikely we'll be lucky enough to get one now.
2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss vs. Toyota FJ Cruiser off-road challenge 11 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss vs. Toyota FJ Cruiser off-road challenge2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss vs. Toyota FJ Cruiser off-road challenge2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss vs. Toyota FJ Cruiser off-road challenge2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss vs. Toyota FJ Cruiser off-road challenge2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss vs. Toyota FJ Cruiser off-road challenge2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss vs. Toyota FJ Cruiser off-road challenge2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss vs. Toyota FJ Cruiser off-road challenge2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss vs. Toyota FJ Cruiser off-road challenge2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss vs. Toyota FJ Cruiser off-road challenge2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss vs. Toyota FJ Cruiser off-road challenge
In theory, the answer is pretty simple: the SUV is the better choice. When going off the beaten track, assuming it's empty, the pickup's bed becomes a liability. It's just unused space that makes the vehicle's footprint bigger and doesn't provide lots of weight to push down on that rear axle for those moments when grip is needed.

Whether it's a trail or rock crawling, you rarely want your vehicle to be extra-large. Too narrow or short isn't good either as it raises the risk of rolling over, but a full-size truck will always have poor breakover angles unless it's got a suspension lift kit and big off-road tires.

But that's the thing with this comparison: there are way too many variables, starting with the myriad of possible pickup trucks and SUVs, going through the myriad of off-road scenarios, and ending with the tires they're equipped with or the drivers behind the wheels. Any of these can skew the results dramatically, which is why we won't refer to this as a "test" from now on but rather an "adventure".

This adventure features a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss truck and a slightly older (2014) Toyota FJ Cruiser (the Japanese SUV someone referred to as the "hipster 4Runner", which is what we'll be calling it from here on because it's funny and, at the same time, pretty accurate). The two couldn't be more different if they tried: V8 vs. V6, ten-speed auto vs. five-speed auto, a long wheelbase vs. relatively compact body, and, most importantly on a cold November day in Colorado, heated seats vs. no heated seats. Also, two windshield wipers vs. three.

Even so, they are both pretty apt at off-roading, one thanks in particular to its special optional package, and the other to its heritage. You'll have to watch the clip for some in-depth detail about each of the two models, but suffice to say that while they carried on shoulder to shoulder until the end, the obstacle that cut their little trip short proved too much for both of them.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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