The best cars to get if you want to survive an apocalypse

Alright, so maybe this circuit breaker is still very far from the complete breakdown of society, but the empty streets and general atmosphere of fear has got us thinking: What would be the typical Singaporean's best choice of car in a world-ending disaster?

We outline some of the best options available to you in a post-apocalyptic world, along with a rough guide on how you'd do best with your selected steed!

The family man

You work a typical nine to five job on the weekdays to keep food on the family dining table, so when disaster strikes your first priority naturally is keeping your entire family safe.

You're going to be looking for something that can fit the whole family and bring all the necessary essentials to survive for some time.

Well then, step forward to the Toyota Fortuner.

With three rows and seven seats, the Fortuner will be able to easily tow your entire family, and possibly even a few in-laws. But if you only need to seat three in the second-row, the rearmost seats can be folded neatly to the side to give you enough space to bring along all that a sizeable family will need to survive for a long time.

But the Fortuner delivers more than just pure space. Its most important feature of course, is the fact that it shares its platform with the near-invincible Toyota Hilux.

So when all around you is chaos, the Fortuner will allow you to drive with the confidence and knowledge that your car has a chassis that has conquered all sorts of terrain around the world.

Being built atop a truck platform also means that you get a proper commanding presence behind the wheel of the Fortuner, useful for helping you look for potential dangers both on and off-road.

The technician

You're mechanically inclined, and probably spent the last few days keeping some essential service afloat. But now society is in complete collapse and you've decided your best option is to scoot out to survive. Which car would be your best option to make a quick scurry out?

Why not consider the Ford Ranger?

With the Ranger, you'll obviously get all the same benefits of durability and tall ride-height that comes from a truck chassis, but there are plenty of additional advantages to be had if you don't need extra passenger space.

The Ford Ranger may not be commonplace on our roads, but a mechanically inclined person such as yourself should be well-aware that diesel fuel lasts far longer than petrol, so you will be able to keep your truck running for far longer than others will after the refineries stop functioning.

Better still, the Ranger is also immensely popular in Malaysia and Thailand, so even if something goes wrong with your vehicle, spare parts should still be easy to come by, assuming of course, that your plan of escape is to immediately start heading North.

With an 80-litre fuel tank and an official fuel consumption figure of 12.6km/L from the 2.0 Double Cab Pick-Up Limited giving you a theoretical range of 1,008km between fuel stops, long-distance drives shouldn't be any issue.

Utilise the Ranger's massive 1180-litre bed space to bring about as much tools and equipment as you think fit, and make a comfortable hideout for yourself until this all blows over.

The survival expert

Whether you've just graduated from Commando school or have watched every episode of Bear Grylls's Man vs. Wild and can barely wait to test out everything you've learnt, the Suzuki Jimny is the perfect escape vehicle for all those intending to put their survival skills to the test.

With only 85 litres of boot space on offer, picking the Jimny will mean that you will only be bringing along with you the very bare essentials, but the compact car still sports many advantages in a doomsday scenario.

For one, it's incredibly small next to the cars mentioned above, but is still equipped with a low-ratio transfer box.

So while you do lose that sense of protection from being in a larger car, what the Jimny gives you in return is the ability to steer between tank traps and go through the densest of jungle paths.

And when fuel begins to run scarce, you can take heart in knowing that the Jimny's 1.5-litre four-cylinder is only sipping whatever fuel is left as it traverses the worst of roadblocks (its official fuel consumption stands at 14.4 km/L).

If getting a Jimny and running off into the jungle sounds like an appealing escape plan, we'd definitely recommend you opt yours in that bright Kinetic Yellow to ensure that it never gets lost.

Man / woman with a plan

And what if your car is not a necessary part of your survival plan?

Suppose you've already prepared for this disaster with a survival bunker hidden somewhere, and all you need now is a car that will get you there as fast as is safely possible?

We would like to recommend to you, the Skoda Octavia RS 245.

The top-of-the-line Octavia is already a well-known option for those looking for a car with good power for its cost, but being an Octavia means it also is capable of doing double duty as a spacious transporter.

With its 590-litre boot and generous rear knee and legroom, it will easily allow you to get all your loved ones and essential items into your hideout in one fuss-free trip. You might even be able to pack a bicycle into that boot for an added transportation option when the roads are no longer usable.

And best of all, the RS245's set of larger rims and tyres couple with its limited-slip differential to ensure that what could very possibly be your very last drive will be a thoroughly entertaining one.