Off-roaders are expensive. The variety of features and capabilities on offer lead to vehicles that cost more to produce and therefore cost more to buy. Now, for decades, Chinese vehicles have been a far more affordable alternative that sadly couldn’t match the abilities of other vehicles from more well-known manufacturers. However, in recent years, Chinese cars have gotten much better both in terms of quality and features. This begs the question of whether you should buy one.
Well, most of them aren’t sold in the U.S., but this doesn’t mean a little comparison shouldn’t be made. In this article, you will see how a Tank 500 (China’s Land Cruiser-like SUV) stacks up against America’s best off-roaders – the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and the Ford Bronco Sasquatch.
The Tank 500 Is Excessive On The Outside But Conservative Underneath
At first glance, the Tank 500 is a bit intimidating. Firstly, because it is huge, but secondly and honestly, because it looks rather ugly. Sure, design is subjective, but the Tank 500 looks like a Land Cruiser had an affair with a Nissan Patrol (Armada in the US Market).
In any case, as you can imagine, the Tank 500 is aimed at the luxurious SUV market. It is a body-on-frame vehicle with an incredibly luxurious interior that features massaging seats, a big 14.6-inch infotainment display, a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, wireless charging, and ample leather and space.
At first glance, its sheer size suggests that this is another gas-guzzling behemoth that will never be taken off-road. While the latter two points are true, the former isn’t. You see, under that huge bonnet lies a small 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo. Yes, a 6000-pound body-on-frame SUV has a 2.0 liter under the bonnet. However, the little four-cylinder isn’t fighting on its own. A hybrid system is there to aid in power which leads to a combined output of 405 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque. These numbers are certainly respectable especially once you consider that the Tank 500 can drive 68 miles in full electric mode.
Tank 500 Powertrain Specifications
Engine | Hybrid 2.0-liter Four-Cylinder |
Power Output | 405 Horsepower |
Torque | 555 Pound-Feet |
Electric Range | 68 Miles |
The Tank 500 Offers Impressive Off-Road Features
The Tank 500 offers feature similar to what you will find in the majority of trucks currently available. Firstly, let’s start with the actual chassis. The Tank has a body-on-frame construction with a solid rear axle and independent front suspension. This is a very similar design to the Ford Bronco and Toyota Land Cruiser.
To aid in traction, the Tank has a low-range transfer box and lockable center and rear diffs. This should help the vehicle get through cross-axled situations in a slow and controlled manner. As is most often the case with new 4x4s, the Tank also offers electronic assist features like trail cruise control, trail turn (this helps the car take sharper corners), and 11 different driving modes that include choices like mud and snow.
There are, however, a couple of large drawbacks to the Tank when it comes to off-roading. Firstly, at 29.6 degrees, 24 degrees, and 22 degrees, its approach, departure, and break-over angles aren’t all that great. This is a large vehicle and will struggle on tight trails with steep climbs. Furthermore, the Tank rides on continental road tires which will be useless off-road. They are too soft and offer very little grip in rough situations.
What Does The Jeep Wrangler Have To Offer?
The Jeep Wrangler is the most capable rock crawler you can go out and buy right now. In stock form, it may get very close competition from the Ford Bronco; however, the Jeep’s solid front axle sets it apart when it comes to modifications.
Now, what underpinnings make that Wrangler Rubicon? Well, the Jeep sits on a body-on-frame platform with solid front and rear axles. It has two diff lockers, sway bar disconnects for more suspension travel, a low-range transfer box, and large 33-inch off-road tires. It's worth noting that the Rubicon comes with stronger Dana 44 axles with lower gearing. These make the Wrangler both more durable but also more capable.
Of course, it also has electronic off-road systems but most of the Wrangler’s ability can be found in its mechanical components.
What About The Bronco Sasquatch?
The Ford Bronco was made solely to compete with the Wrangler. Therefore, it also offers great off-road abilities and a retro look but with a different twist. You see, the Bronco ditches the solid front axle for an independent front end. This means that it can tackle high-speed off-roading and on-road driving better. However, it doesn’t have the strength and durability to compete with the Wrangler when it comes to hard-core rock crawling.
In terms of features, the Bronco offers two diff lockers, sway bar disconnects, low range, big 35-inch all-terrain tires, and a variety of electronic assists like trail turn and traction aids. Just like the Wrangler, most of the Bronco’s off-road abilities come from its mechanical components and not from the electronic ones.
Can The Tank Compete With The Bronco And Wrangler?
The short answer to the above question is no. The Tank loses a lot of off-road ability due to its size, weight, lower off-road angles, and road-oriented tires. To give you an idea, the Bronco Sasquatch offers 37.2 degrees, 29 degrees, and 43.2 degrees of departure, break-over, and approach angles respectively. This is a huge improvement over the Tank, and in addition to that, it also gets huge 35-inch off-road tires, front and rear lockers, and more suspension travel. In an off-road battle, both the Wrangler and Bronco would humiliate the Tank.
This, however, was expected. The Tank 500 isn’t an off-road toy like the Bronco and Wrangler are. The Tank 500 falls into the same class as the 300 series Land Cruiser. It is a luxurious SUV that also happens to be able to go off-road. If the same comparison was made between the Tank 500 and the Land Cruiser, the two vehicles would be really close. The only problem is that the Tank would most certainly look like a knock-off of the Japanese legend.