Mark Richardson
Ford Bronco
The city can be a challenge for drivers in the spring, when all the freezing and thawing of water in the cracks of its streets create potholes big enough to swallow wheels and wreck rims. The bigger and deeper the tire the better, so my first choice would be the Ford Bronco, with its massive 35-inch tires on 17-inch rims.
I’d choose the Bronco over the Jeep Wrangler because it’s quieter and its ride is more refined; you still want a soothing sanctuary from city traffic, not the all-out, windshield-down backwoods experience. The basic two-door Bronco starts at just over $54,000 after fees but before taxes, though the bigger tires come with the $11,250 Sasquatch package and other trims.
2025 Ford BroncoCourtesy of manufacturer
Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen
I’m not a fan of the highly capable and highly expensive, but generally impractical G-Wagen, but if it’s able to drive through jungles and deserts and over mountains, it’s able to handle Toronto and Montreal at their worst.
It rules the rutted streets of Africa’s most ignored countries and so what if there’s not much space for passengers and luggage, and the steering is really loose? That fully independent front suspension with a rigid rear axle is unfazed by craters and sinkholes. If it was good enough for Jason Bourne’s nemesis in Moscow, it’s good enough for me. New models start at more than $200,000 after fees and the luxury tax, but before other taxes, and go up rapidly from there.
The 2025 Mercedes-AMG G 63 has 577 horsepower, 627 lb-ft of torque and can fly, for brief moments.Matt Bubbers/The Globe and Mail
Kunal D’souza
Subaru Crosstrek
The Subaru Crosstrek is an easy recommendation because of its versatility and one-size-fits-all practicality for most Canadian drivers, regardless of where they live, but most especially for its durability.
It skirts the line between SUV and wagon, and it has more ground clearance and a beefier suspension that other cars in its class. It’s perfect for punching through newly formed potholes and skipping over street-car tracks that would otherwise exact a heavy toll on the shock absorbers of lesser vehicles. Add in a proven all-wheel-drive system and a new fuel-efficient hybrid trim, and the Crosstrek might just be the best city car you get.
Prices start around $33,400 after fees but before taxes and balloon up to $43,400 for the hybrid.
The hybrid version of the Crosstrek has 194 horsepower and 199 lb-ft or torque.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Toyota GR Corolla
The best (fun) car for dodging the potholes is undoubtedly the Toyota GR Corolla. It’s the most expensive Corolla at about $51,500 after fees but before taxes, but it’s the only one that comes with a manual transmission and all-wheel drive. It’s not quite the homologated GR Yaris sold in other markets but you get the same engine and rally-inspired suspension.
2023 Toyota GR CorollaMark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Miranda Lightstone
Toyota Tacoma TRD
Want to reclaim the heavily potholed city streets? Enter the Toyota Tacoma TRD. While most people associate the TRD badge with weekend trail-running, its real-world utility shines on crumbling asphalt. This isn’t just a truck; it’s a security blanket. Thanks to those beefy Fox internal bypass shocks and a hardworking suspension designed to soak up high-speed desert bumps, a deep city pothole feels like a minor hiccup.
You aren’t just driving over the road; you’re conquering it. The Tacoma’s sheer ruggedness provides a peace of mind that low-profile tires simply can’t match. The 2025 Tacoma TRD Off-Road starts at $55,650 after fees but before taxes, though you can step up to the TRD Pro for $82,500 if you want the absolute pinnacle of damping technology.
The 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport with the five-foot bed.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Land Rover Defender OCTA
If you want to tackle the urban decay with a bit more, say, theatricality, look toward the Land Rover Defender OCTA. It’s arguably the most capable Defender ever built, but the real secret weapon for city sanity is inside: the Body and Soul Seats (BASS).
These seats don’t just provide support; they use tactile transducers to allow you to feel the music. Between the sophisticated 6D Dynamics suspension and audio quality so immersive it physically vibrates through you, the thud of a hard hit is effectively neutralized by the rhythm of your favourite playlist. Of course, this level of sanctuary comes at a premium, with the OCTA starting at $198,000 after fees and the luxury tax but before other taxes, and the OCTA Black is $213,000. In the OCTA, the world outside might be falling apart, but inside it’s a private concert.
With the OCTA in rock crawl mode, its progress up steep and sharp climbs is inexorable.Courtesy of manufacturer
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