Tennessee has a mountain end, a river end and a steep plateau in the middle

Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge draw traffic out of proportion to their size, and the climb over Newfound Gap into the national park is a steady mountain road with descents that heat up brakes. Cades Cove loops, the Cherohala Skyway and the backroads around Cosby and Townsend reward a vehicle that feels settled in curves, not one that is tall and floaty.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee suits the area well. It starts at $39,730, offers Quadra-Trac I or Quadra-Drive II 4x4, and the Trailhawk and Summit add air suspension with up to 11.4 inches of ground clearance on the Trailhawk. The Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator are popular on private off-road parks and old logging tracks around the east end of the state, where a Rubicon's locking differentials and 33-inch tires make sense. Most Wrangler 4-doors tow 3,500 pounds, so a Gladiator is more practical when the trip also involves a trailer.

Between Chattanooga and Nashville, I-24 climbs Monteagle Mountain, and the stretch is known for long, steep descents, runaway truck ramps and sudden fog. I-40 across the plateau near Crossville is another high-speed grade with heavy freight traffic. If you tow regularly, test how a vehicle behaves coming down, not just going up. Boaters heading for Norris, Douglas, Percy Priest or Kentucky Lake cross some of this terrain with a trailer behind them every summer weekend.

A Ram 1500 with the Hurricane Standard Output six is rated to tow up to 11,530 pounds with a payload as high as 1,880. The Laramie adds selectable Auto, Tow, Snow, Sport and Off-Road modes on 4x4 trucks. Gladiator is the lighter alternative: the Sport and Sport S with the 4.10 axle are rated for 7,700 pounds, though trims such as Willys and Mojave drop to 6,000 and the Rubicon to 7,000. Check the spec sheet for the exact trim and axle before assuming the headline number applies.

The daily driver's problem is traffic. I-65, I-24 and I-40 around Nashville back up at rush hour, and so does I-40 near Memphis, where the Mississippi River adds its own flood risk in wet years. Knoxville has its own pinch point at the I-40 and I-75 interchange that locals call Malfunction Junction, and Chattanooga drivers fight the I-24 and I-75 merges. Pavement is mostly the issue in all of these places, so fuel economy and driver-assist features matter more than ground clearance.

The Jeep Compass is the cheapest vehicle in our files at $29,990, comes with 4x4 on every trim and adds adaptive cruise control as standard for the new model year. The Cherokee hybrid costs more at $35,130 but reaches up to 39 mpg in the city, according to Jeep. Both are worth pricing before moving up to a three-row SUV.

Tennessee has repeatedly seen damaging storms, including the March 2020 tornado that crossed Nashville. Wind-blown debris, hail and flooding all end up in the used-car stream. Ask about repair history, inspect for hail dimples and look closely at windshield and roof seams. Titles and registration are processed through the county clerk's office, which is where you ask about transfer rules if you are moving a vehicle in from another state.