It’s been said that a truck should come only in one of two forms: filthy and covered in mud, or totally spotless. Mud is a reminder of all the fun you had the other day, but holy crap it is hard to clean off the mud from your undercarriage (especially clay). And don’t get me started about your camping gear in the bed of your truck. It’s downright maddening trying to clean some of your gear when it gets covered in dirt and grime.

Inevitably someone comes up with the idea of wrapping their gear in black garbage bags, or to cover it in tarps with an inordinate amount of tie-downs to keep gear clean and dry. At best in that moment you look like a hillbilly headed to the county landfill. After a few miles the wind begins beating against your precious protective layer of garbage bag and tarp, suddenly a tie-down slips and your tarp begins flapping in the wind like an oversized super hero cape and starts fraying and falling apart. I know we all enjoy the idea of having a Superman cape that allows us to fly off to rescue Lois from the maniacal Lex Luthor, but your truck doesn’t need to look like a poor man’s homage to the Man of Steel with a tarp flapping in the wind.

No, I am not suggesting that you sacrifice valuable truck bed real estate by putting on a gaudy shell that makes you look like you wish you bought an SUV or (gasp) a family van instead of a manly man’s vehicle. No self-respecting man wants to look like that. He wants to throw his gear and motorcycle in back and ride in triumph down the street in glory with ladies turning their heads to behold his magnificence.

Enter the Tuff Truck Bag and ride with confidence knowing that your gear will stay dry and secure. The Tuff Truck Bag has solved all of those little annoying nuances associated with transporting your gear around while keeping it clean, dry, and out of view from prying eyes (for that day that you are hauling around a mountain of cash and don’t want anyone to know that you just robbed a bank).

I have been testing this bag all season to make sure I can weigh in properly and give an unbiased opinion on whether or not you should spend your hard earned cash on an enormous bag. And here are the highlights:

Hits
• All my gear stayed clean and dry.
• The bag has enough space to hold a large tent, a few sleeping bags, a stove, air mattress, lantern, and a couple small duffle bags.
• The zippers are sturdy and don’t feel like they will slip.
• PVC material is strong and didn’t rip when I threw a log on top.
• Strong corner D-rings allow for secure rigging.

Misses
• The opening is a little small and awkward to get my gear into. This was a bit frustrating when trying to push my gear to the back of the bag.
• The beige bag looks pretty dirty after a couple uses. More color options would be nice (real men want camo!).
• Rolling the bag up to store is frustrating as the included storage bag is small and flimsy.

Opportunities
• Create an additional opening on the opposite end for easier access.
• Provide a better storage bag that will stand up to abuse.
• Add a little more length to the bag to allow for more capacity.

Overall, I think this is a great idea that will keep my gear in great shape for years to come. The Tuff Truck Bag really stands up to its name and has withstood several beatings that my canvas truck bag would have failed on immediately. There are some opportunities for improvement on design, but the product is rock-solid and will serve you well for many seasons to come. Farewell Superman truck! Check them out for more information, or at least to watch what happens when a person climbs inside and goes through a car wash!

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Currently, I’m a family-less man, but I do have a girlfriend and a dog so I figured it a suitable pairing to test the efforts of a brand that’s typically known for their midsize cars. In all honesty, Toyota had gone slightly soft in the design department for a number of years and it was a mindset that had carried through until now. The Highlander immediately rewrote what I knew as a Toyota. It features practicality, an array of tech options, and a strong engine to match its smart looks. Simply stated, I was impressed.

Though no family adventures took place during the week long loan, plenty of family-esque activities had been planned. As a holiday weekend unfolded, several outings with friends became an effort at capturing the typical expectations of the traditional buyer. Upon entry, most passengers were impressed by the heated and cooled leather seats, a stylish center console featuring a wide array of media options as well as the overall comfort found in the cabin. I immediately became the weekend chauffeur. I wasn’t complaining. The fully adjustable passenger seats and quality audio certainly strengthened everyone’s argument. It’s easy to passively drive anything when occupied by conversation during a busy weekend, so I was looking forward to the chance of spending a few days commuting to work.

This is a brand that’s no stranger to off-road prowess and cues can be seen in the Highlander. Featuring locking differentials, hill descent control and various terrain settings, it’s capable of getting you where you want to go. Unsurprisingly, moving people between various locations is its primary purpose. The surprise was how quickly it was able to move. Not that larger SUVs can’t put down sporty acceleration (note the ridiculously quick Range Rover SVR), it’s just not commonly expected from Toyota. But, again, I wasn’t complaining. The V6 engine delivered a deep punch and a lengthy rev range making for swift city driving. However, this didn’t bode well for gas mileage. Over the course of a week, I only managed a notch over 18 mpg. This figure was helped by a brief stint on the highway, but factory figures aren’t much better anyway.

Every year technology continues to improve and the way a vehicle drives is becoming far more than just engine feel. Between downtown trips for food to congested commutes after work, the driver aides were features I quickly accepted. It’s one of those scenarios where the usefulness isn’t acknowledged until you discover it yourself. Overall, this was proving to be a fully competent and capable SUV targeted at younger families.

As for this being a dog friendly SUV, it’s a mark against the Highlander in this category. It may be a small complaint from my experience, but the third row of seats doesn’t fold flat. As a result, it creates an uneven, slightly canted floor causing a dog kennel to rock about when driving. On a few occasions, there were close calls that an unhappy puppy would be heard. Fortunately, the trips to and from the bark park were a success. Now, if you’ve chosen children over animals, it can also be assumed that the third row wouldn’t make for a complaint-free family trip for those past the age of six. Nevertheless, this isn’t a reason to discount this vehicle as the same knee-to-chest experience can be found in all SUVs offering third rows.

Initially, I was expecting an average looking SUV pushing average performance while providing average comfort and niceties. At the end of the week, I was left with a new found interest in Toyota, and in the Highlander suddenly being a viable choice as a next vehicle, on the condition that the pet situation is sorted. In a crowded market, this is one worth considering. It has the looks, the power, and modern amenities most would expect in a mid-range vehicle placing the Highlander a notch above the rest.

The post Toyota Highlander Limited – Sophisticated & Surprising appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Considering Jeep’s gradual departure from an off-roading focus toward expanding growth in city worthy vehicles, it felt like a good time to see how the brand was adapting courtesy of the newly released Cherokee. The most notable and immediately apparent change is the radical shark nose slotted grille design, which hasn’t been so apparent on a vehicle since mid-’80s BMWs. It’s proving to be a love or hate style generating mixed reviews, though I’m finding it to be different enough that it exudes a sliver of charm. As defining characteristics are proving a vague challenge when comparing segment competitors, I was drawn toward the masculine yet quirky design cues of this Jeep.

The pull to the FIAT based crossover grew ever stronger when testing the “trail rated” Trailhawk model. In all honesty, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect before driving a car-based platform engineered to tackle moderate off-road obstacles. The visual cues all pointed to a rough and tough SUV: skid plates, red tow hooks, aggressive all-terrain tires and a higher ground clearance. However, driving around town proved to be just as civilized as anything else in the segment, if not more so. At no point did I find complaint with road comfort or steering feel during my routine trips. As an added bonus, the engine delivered plenty of punch when merging onto highways. Unfortunately, the complete drivetrain experience wasn’t as sweet. The new 9-speed transmission seemed to occasionally shuffle between gears when navigating busier and varying levels of traffic. Despite early growing pains, this new, little Jeep adapted to the city lifestyle without fuss. But how did its temperament change when met with snow covered dirt trails?

It’s reassuring to announce that the Cherokee wasn’t fazed by the Michigan back trails found nearby. Admittedly, I didn’t and couldn’t push it through Moab levels of difficulty but I tried my best to roll through the biggest challenges scattered along the trails. Unsurprisingly, dedicated A/T tires helped to crawl over most muddy hills but the adaption of the four wheel drive worked as expected. Without upgrading to the Wrangler, the level of off-road capabilities offered by this Jeep will prove more than capable for those owners that seek mild weekend backwoods adventures. It’s certainly more trail worthy than its predecessors, the Patriot or Liberty. The farther I drove the Cherokee the more its inherent character shown through the mud covered exterior.

Overall, the Cherokee proved to be a surprisingly capable and enjoyable SUV. I chose to label it as such because the crossover descriptor didn’t seem to capture the true off-road nature of this vehicle. When pairing the driving impressions with the interior comforts and infotainment system quality we’ve come to expect in Chrysler products, it’s easier to see how the Cherokee is out-classing its competitors in most every category. Despite the largest departure from the iconic Jeep grille, I’ve grown to admire the Cherokee design and its bold approach at redefining the theme of crossovers and small-scale SUVs. It’s certainly a vehicle that deserves consideration by any individual interested in city and off-road driving.

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