Australia is one of the best places in the world for driving and riding off-road. The variety of climates and terrains, wide open spaces and fairly sparse population in many areas make it a true off-roading wonderland. We’ve talked before about places in Australia that you should see from a motorbike—but if you had access to the most competitive rate car finance to put towards an off-road vehicle, you could enjoy a much closer view of the landscape. If you’re a nature or off-roading enthusiast, none of this is news to you. However, if you’re new to the hobby or are otherwise in the market for a new vehicle to take off the road, you might be overwhelmed by choice. How you narrow down your choices is up to you, but we’re here to help.

Buying Australian Made Offroad Vehicles

Get out onto the beaten track

What Kinds of Off Road Vehicles are There?

Your typical car, truck, or motorcycle can’t reliably handle terrain much rougher than a dirt road. They’re designed for road driving, so they’re not usually suited for going off-road. If you want to drive completely off of the road, then you’ll need a vehicle specifically designed for it.

Fortunately enough, there are plenty of different types and models of off-road vehicles. Some of the first popular off-roaders were repurposed military vehicles, demilitarised and re-outfitted for speed and stability rather than for combat operations, including vehicles like Jeeps and Hum-vees. Trucks, 4×4 utes and specially outfitted cars are also popular as off-road vehicles because both these categories can pull double duty as on-road transportation. They’re still road-legal, after all.

There are plenty of specialised off-road vehicles, too. Four wheelers and dirt bikes have been extremely popular for years. It’s no surprise either; they can handle most difficult terrains that you might come across, they’re easy to store, relatively fuel efficient, and they’re pretty cheap to maintain. Four wheelers are particularly suited to irregular ground that might cause even a dirt bike to tip over, and they’ve become an increasingly common sight as more people have started to appreciate that. Vehicles specifically designed for certain kinds of terrain are even easy to come by, such as dune buggies and sandrails that can traverse dunes and sandy beaches without any trouble.

Who are Some Good Manufacturers?

Despite being a land incredibly well-suited for off-roading, there are not many domestic off-road vehicle manufacturers. However, those few that exist make some good vehicles that are designed with Australian terrain in mind, so an Australian-made off road vehicle is definitely worth looking into. One of the more popular Australian brands is Tomcar, which started in off-road vehicle manufacturing with military applications and later redesigned their combat vehicles for civilian roles. Dune Buggies Australia manufactures dune buggies in New South Wales. There are plenty of imports to choose from, too, from American brands like Polaris and Cannondale to Japanese and Korean ones like Kawasaki, Honda, and Hyosung.

Regardless of your final choice for an off-road vehicle, we are here to help with your car finance arrangements and make it as stress free as possible. The most important thing is to weigh your options carefully, so check out our articles on finding the most competitive car loan interest rates. The principles are exactly the same. You’ve got the tools, you’ve got the time, so why not see what you can find? We can also help you finance purchase of Australian Made Caravans and Australian Made Bikes, which we featured in two recent posts.