Tomcar TX 4x4 UTV Off-Road Drive Review: Military Grade
Tomcar TX can blast through any and all terrain at 60 MPH without issue.
In the mountains outside of Santa Clarita, California, my chariot for the day is being rolled off a trailer. It’s called a Tomcar TX, and if you haven’t heard of it, you’re not alone.
Tomcar got their start selling rugged, unbeatable ATVs to military forces around the world. Now, they are offering that same technology in the TX model to consumers who are looking to buy a rugged, unbeatable ATV… to blast through the sand, dust, dirty or mud on weekend getaways, rather than getting away from gunfire.
With the Tomcar off the trailer, it’s time to hit the open road, at least for a few miles. Fortunately, the Tomcar has get-in-and-go simplicity, an ideological carryover born from necessity out of its military vehicle roots.
On the road, the Tomcar’s 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and continuously variable automatic transmission offer ample acceleration. That engine produces 107 horsepower and just 80 lb-ft of torque. It may sound meager, but the Tomcar weighs in at just 2,700 pounds, allowing it to get to, and travel at 60 MPH with relative ease.
After a few miles of pavement, the Tomcar and I veer off the road, and into the dirt. This is Tomcar country. Ruts, rocks and untamed dirt roads, with crater-sized chunks of earth missing pose no threat to the Tomcar TX, thanks to it’s fully independent suspension with a superb 14-inches of suspension travel. Combine that with that 32-inch tall tires and the result is a vehicle is that surprisingly comfortable when ripping through this sort of terrain at speeds over 40 MPH.
Of course, 40 MPH is nothing for the Tomcar. After about 15 minutes of this it was time to kick the pace up. The Tomcar can hit 60 MPH on pavement, and it can hit 60 MPH on the dirt, as well. Don’t mind the rocks, this thing has 17 inches of ground clearance, it sails right over them.
Keep the accelerator pinned and the steering straight and all is well. Not only does the Tomcar have ample suspension travel and ground clearance, but the suspension geometry has been designed to eliminate bump steer, the unruly sensation of the steering wheel jerking or fighting as the suspension compresses and rebounds over bumps. That means drivers can keep a firm grip on the steering wheel without it wrenching out of hand at 60 MPH, even over the roughest of terrain. That’s what $37,300 worth of military-grade engineering gets you.
After several hours behind the wheel of the Tomcar, it was no worse for the wear, and neither was I, with no notable fatigue, even in the brutal California summer heat. The only limiting factor was that I had managed to burn through most of the TX’s 14 gallon fuel tank, so a return to civilization was a must.
The $37,300 asking price is not unsubstantial, especially for what amounts to most as a toy, however, if you want a vehicle that can go 60 MPH anywhere, all the time, whether it’s Baja, King of the Hammers, or even just your local off-road park, the Tomcar can go anywhere, and will go anywhere, flat out.
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