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Jeep Cherokee XJ Won't Accept Defeat by Built Chevy Corvair in Off-Road Battle

Just like with any other specific activity involving cars—or even driving itself—once the off-road bug caught you, there's no escaping it. The only way you're coming out is if you run out of money or if your neurosurgeon says you either stop it or you're never getting out of bed again.
Jeep Cherokee Vs Chevrolet Corvair build off-road battle 12 photos
Photo: Matt's Off Road Rescue/YouTube screenshot
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Well, considering not everyone that does it is actually good at blazing the trails—or the simple fact that some people don't go off-road by choice, but by need and, therefore, might not be properly equipped for it—once in a while, they get stuck and need somebody to pull them out. Actually, it may happen more often than you think if the guys at Matt's Off-Road Recovery can make a living out of it.

Recently, Matt's fleet of recovery vehicles grew with the addition of a 1961 Chevrolet Corvair Lakewood 700 Series carefully engineered into a bespoke off-road machine ready to put its abilities in the service of others. However, if the Corvair is the new puppy everyone wants to play with, Matt also had an old and trusted dog in the shape of a Jeep Cherokee XJ.

Curious to know how the two stack up against each other, Matt came up with a series of head-to-head challenges that should deliver a definitive answer. Given the amount of money that went into the making of the Corvair, as well as the fact it's new, the only real question is just how far the Cherokee has fallen behind its new garage mate.

On paper, the Chevy is better in almost every way imaginable. It has more power, better angles, bigger tires, more interior room (though it only seats four), and, to add insult to injury, it also looks cooler. Way cooler. So, can it actually beat the Corvair in any of the trials?

The answer is pretty much "no," but the Cherokee doesn't go down without a fight. In fact, it doesn't go down at all, as even though it comes behind in almost every challenge, it's not that far behind. And the simple fact it can do it after so many years of service and so little time spent in the service shop is the best illustration of its performance. It may not shine in any other aspect, but it does where it matters the most: reliability. And that's the best a work vehicle can offer.

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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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