Alex Gutscher

In any case, the Blue Oval’s product planners didn’t necessarily have Armageddon in mind when they came up with the 2021 Ford Ranger Tremor, but that doesn’t mean this pickup wouldn’t make for a good truck upon which to build out an end times overlanding rig. Combined, those two option groups normally total about $2,000, so after spending a couple of weeks with this model both on and off-road, the nearly $2,300 cost premium for all of the Tremor’s additional gear feels like a pretty solid value. So, the Ranger Tremor isn’t a high-speed off-roader like a Ford F-150 Raptor (or even the overseas-only Ranger Raptor), nor is it a hardcore rock crawler. Of course, not everyone wants or needs a full-size pickup and the number of buyers splurging on smaller, costlier, factory-backed hardcore off-road specials like this 2021 Ranger Tremor appears to be growing every day.

The 2021 Volvo V60 Cross Country isn’t the most versatile vehicle available today, nor is it the quickest, fanciest, or best equipped. Riding about 2.5 inches taller than the V60 wagon (with a generous 8.3 inches of ground clearance) and fitted with standard all-wheel drive as well as hill-descent control, the Cross Country is designed for mild off-roading, to get you up that icy driveway or across a meadow to your favorite fishing spot. Beyond all that, this V60 Cross Country is also fitted with Pilot Assist, Volvo’s adaptive cruise-control system with lane centering. The 2021 Volvo V60 Cross Country may not excel in any particular area, but it’s still beautiful and upscale, offers plenty of features, and is pleasant to drive.

The 2021 Envision lineup utilizes just one engine, a 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 good for 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, which splits the difference between the two engines offered on pre-2021 Envisions, a 197-hp 2.5-liter I4 and a 252-hp 2.0-liter I4. My tester’s $1,670 Technology Package II upgrades that kit with a rear-camera mirror, adaptive cruise control, improved automatic emergency braking and automatic parking assist, so you’ll still have to shell out extra coin for some stuff that comes standard on other vehicles at this price point. Now, you don’t have to push toward $50,000 to rock a 2021 Buick Envision. The outgoing Buick Envision, which was built with the Chinese market in mind from the get-go, never really felt fully tuned to the US customers, but that changes with the 2021 model.

When properly configured (two-wheel drive, long box), max payload is 2,280 pounds, while towing can get as high as 13,300 pounds (four-wheel drive, double cab, standard box, 6.2-liter V8). My diesel-powered crew-cab tester can haul 2,060 pounds in its short bed and tow 9,000 pounds. A similarly spec’d Ram 1500 with the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel handles 1,800 pounds of payload and 9,710 pounds of towing, thanks to a 3.92:1 rear axle ratio (the Silverado’s diesel engine only goes to 3.23:1). You can’t get that trim with the diesel engine, though, and off-roading with a full-size pickup is pretty tough — unless you go for a Ford F-150 Raptor or Ram