The Autoblog reporting staff took on the duty of driving a ZR2 Bison on extended drives in Washington and Michigan recently and had plenty of great things to say about its capability and dependability. The ZR2 trim begins with the very awesome 6.2-liter V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. Things just get better and burlier from there, with Multimatic DSSV dampers, lifted suspension, 33-inch Goodyear Wranglers, and front and rear electronic-locking differentials.
Another very sweet yet surly addition is the pair of powder-coated winch-ready bumpers. The very thorough AEV crew then threw a massive dash of spice into the already-amazing recipe with press-hardened steel shields to the differentials, transfer case, and fuel tank. There’s also a nice pair of steel rock rails and black 18-inch wheels that appropriately set the tone for full-on slaying the wild. The Bison does not quite scream as loudly for attention as the Raptor or TRX, but still simply looks great while tapping its foot waiting for you in the parking lot.
It may seem like a small detail, but the Carhartt all-weather mats in the AEV Bison served their purpose well after an entire week of trucking up and down the trails of Olympic National Park. Gritty sand and mud were spending quite some time getting caked into the mats, as the gang set in with a vacuum and still didn’t pick up that much when it was time to get clean. The Bison’s ride height is actually quite practical when it comes to rush-hour traffic, as you can spot vehicles coming to a standstill during a traffic jam quickly while having a sense of what’s next on the horizon.
Sandy, steep, and mud-washed are all-terrain categories that require a rig that isn’t going to suddenly balk at a bit of protruding tundra or other stray debris. This group had opted for a Bison that was loaded with a few awesome extra performance and comfort treats, beginning with the Tech Package, and heading on up the chain with a hard tonneau cover, Multiflex tailgate, and Glacier Blue Metallic Paint. Every single commodity on the planet is now going up in price, and considering the attractive design, excellent materials, and useful technology that this Bison can claim, the price didn't strike this group as offensive in the least.
The experts who are so very used to putting capable trucks through rigorous punishment at The Drive.com took one of these fully loaded beauties to Rush Springs Ranch. In our neck of the woods here at the Powerhouse, the crew quickly found a mud pit about 100 feet long. They plunged right in and never struggled for an instant for grip, and successfully forged through water that was creeping up to the bottom of the doors. The turn-down exhaust pipes came in handy during a descent into a dry creek bed, as there was not a lick of damage after inadvertently stuffing the front end into gravel.