The 10 Best Car Ramps – [Top Reviews & Rankings]

If you’re looking to do maintenance on your own vehicle at home, the best car ramps might be your best bet. Investing in a car ramp can save you a trip to the mechanic or the dealership – that’s if you know how to service your vehicle properly.

Car ramps are perfect for getting under your vehicle to do anything from inspecting your exhaust, to performing oil changes (Source). They’re also a lot safer and simpler to use than carjacks.

Rather than spending unnecessary time and effort jacking up your car, it’s as easy as lining up the ramp with your front wheels and slowly pulling up on top of them (Source).

From there, we recommend engaging the parking brake on your car for safety. We also suggest using wheel chocks on the back wheels for added safety while getting under your vehicle.

In addition to being great for regular maintenance, car ramps are perfect for people who love modifying their vehicles. They’re also for those who take pride in their vehicles and love the cool look of them elevated on their driveway.

Prior to purchasing car ramps, you’ll need to consider if you want a plastic, rubber, or metal ramp, with plastic being the cheapest option. Also, do you need low profile car ramps or hydraulic ones? Finally, consider the angle of the ramp’s incline to ensure it works with your vehicle’s height clearance.

At last, you’ll need to consider the weight of your car. Whether you’re a proud motorhead or just want to change your oil at home, our car ramp reviews will help you decide.

What Are The Best Car Ramps?

The Rhino Gear 11909 offers the best car ramps, given that they have a rugged design and are quite portable. Additionally, its CoreTRAC offers a non-skid base that helps reduce slippage. Also, these ramps are designed for low clearance vehicles.

How Much Do Car Ramps Cost?

In order to pick the best car ramps for your vehicle, take note of the features, weight, and size of the car ramp you’re researching before you buy. 

Vehicle ramps can range in size, weight, and price. The best car ramps can cost anywhere from $10 to $40-$50 on the low end for simple garage ramps, like rhino ramps, and up to $150-$230 and even $300 on the high end for nice steel car ramps. 

Metal car ramps, like steel car ramps, can be more expensive, but not always. For example, you can get steel low profile car ramps for around $60 depending on the brand.

How High Should Car Ramps Be?

Car ramps should be at an incline of about 6 to 15 degrees. When it comes to the grade, the absolute maximum should be 20%. Additionally, if your car ramp has a height of 5 inches at most, your high car ramp’s length must be at least 25 inches.

Comparing The Best Car Ramps

1. Rhino Gear 11909 ABMI Car Ramp – The Best Car Ramps

Talk of built quality and versatility and any expert will tell you that the RhinoGear 11909 ABMI vehicle ramp is among the best today. Rhino ramps are of the strongest and sturdiest ramps today, with a weight capacity rating of 12,000 lbs Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). The product is specifically designed to offer unmatched stability in almost all ground surfaces.

You will also love the fact that these auto ramps are relatively affordable. This may be attributed to their plastic construction. However, Rhino ramps are very strong and feature CoreTRac nonslip base to prevent the car from slipping while you are loading it.

The product features a functional rugged construction. As such, these vehicle ramps are suitable for almost all tires. These low profile ramps are also easy to store, and great for vehicles with a high clearance.

2. Camco Yellow Drive On Tri-Leveler – Best Ramps For Leveling Trailers

The Camco Yellow Drive-on Tri-leveler is a durable, non-slip and lightweight ramp that may be used to raise vehicles to three different heights. Depending on the clearance you need, you can raise your car to 3, 7 or 8 inches with these garage car ramps. The product is made of a durable resin that can safely bear up to 3,500 pounds.

To ensure that the tires remain in place, this product features a non-slip surface. The resin construction of the product makes it lightweight. As such, it is easy to carry around when you are not using it. The built quality and durability of the unit is backed by a 1-year limited warranty by the manufacturer.

3. RhinoGear 11912ABMI MAX Vehicle Ramp – Best Ramps for Trucks & SUVs

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RhinoGear is renowned for producing some of the toughest, lightweight and durable floor ramps today. If you are looking for a product by a reputable manufacturer, you should consider buying the RhinoGear 11912 ABMI vehicle ramp. This product is rated the best by most of the experts in the industry for a reason.

One of the aspects that make this unit stand out is its built quality. Although it is made of a structural foam plastic, the product features the patented polymer internal support system by the manufacturer. This, coupled with its wide stance, enhance weight distribution and weight capacity of the ramps. The 17 degrees angle of inclination makes this unit suitable for low-profile cars.

4. Race Ramps RR-56-2 – The Best 56-Inch Car Ramp

This may not be the strongest car ramp, but it is one of the best car ramps for small to medium-sized vehicles. The unit features a sturdy construction and can safely take up to 6,000 pounds. This may be attributed to its 100 percent solid core construction. While it is a strong product, it is lightweight and easy to carry around.

With regards to ground clearance, the Race Ramps RR-56-2 has a reduced angle of approach, of 10.8-degrees. This makes it ideal for cars with a relatively low ground clearance, such as sports cars.

5. Scepter 08226 Plastic Automotive Ramp Set – Best Car Ramp for Snow & Wet Conditions

The Scepter 08226 Plastic Automotive Ramps is another great car ramp for small and medium-sized vehicles. Owing to its solid and tough construction, these garage car ramps can safely lift up to 12000 pounds. The design of this unit features a parabolic arch that runs through its centre. This arch is meant to enhance the strength and weight distribution of its base.

You will not experience any slippage while loading your car onto these ramps, thanks to the grids. The product features a  smooth angle of inclination, which makes it suitable for low profile cars. These low profile car ramps may be used to increase the ground clearance by up to 6 inches.

6. Race Ramps RR-40 Pack of 2 Car Ramps – The Best Car Ramp for Sports Cars

Are you looking for a car ramp that is rather sleek and simple? Well, few options can beat the Race Ramps RR-40 vehicle ramps today. Having been designed for sports enthusiasts, this product features a smooth angle of inclination. This makes it friendly to low profile sports cars.

Again, these low car ramps can be used for tires as wide as 8 inches and will lift your car up to 7 inches high. Though solid and sturdy in construction, this product is relatively lightweight, weighing 8.49 pounds.

7. Nicky Nice Solid Steel Auto Ramp Set – The Best Steel Car Ramps

Whether it is for routine maintenance, repair or just an oil change, the Nicky Nice Solid Steel car ramp will give you the additional clearance you need. The package includes two heavy-gauge steel ramps that are stamped. Each of the ramps can take up to 3,000 pounds, and two can safely lift a gross vehicle weight of 6,500 pounds.

While most vehicle ramps available today are made of resin or plastic, these Nicky Nice units are made of solid steel. This makes these auto ramps tougher and more durable. To curb corrosion as well as wear and tear, their surfaces are powder coated. The two ramp pieces feature extruded traction holes on their surfaces to improve traction.

8. Discount Ramps 6009-V2 – The Best Mini Car Ramps

Are you looking for a small increase in ground clearance for your low-profile car? Discount Ramps 6009-V2 Car Service Ramps have the solution to your problem. Although these low car ramps do not offer much lift for your car, they will raise it about 2.5 inches above the ground. This should be enough for you to get beneath the vehicle.

If your car has low ground clearance, do not struggle to position a hydraulic jack beneath it to increase the clearance. Instead, you should use these mini auto ramps to save time and effort. Since these vehicle ramps are meant for low profile cars, they feature a smooth angle of inclination of 9.05 degrees.

9. Magnum 1002-01 Automotive Ramp System – Best For High Profile Vehicles

Magnum is one of the leading manufacturers of car parts and accessories today. Being an American brand, you can rest assured that their products are of the right quality. In this regard, the Magnum 1002-01 auto ramp system is among the best high car ramps in the industry today. To begin with, the unit can safely support cars as heavy as 16,000 pounds.

These high car ramps are best suited for car owners who have limited storage space or need a portable solution. The product comes in 4 detachable units that are relatively easy to join and detach. As such, you can easily dismantle these high car ramps for easy storage. The lightweight design of this ramp system makes it very portable as well.

10. Rage Powersports ML-1066 – Best Vehicle Ramps for High-End Cars

If portability and storage space are not your concerns, you should consider buying the Range Powersports ML-1066 car ramp today. These car ramps are meant for low profile sports cars and feature a gentle angle of inclination of 11.5-degrees. As such, they are relatively long, bulky and heavy.

However, these vehicle ramps are sturdy all-aluminum products that will raise your low profile car 7 inches higher. You will also love the fact that this ramp can accommodate tires as wide as 16 inches. Each of the ramps is designed to bear 3000 pounds, thus not ideal for trucks and SUVs.

Things You Must Know Before Buying a Car Ramp

Whether looking for the best car ramps for oil change or for routine maintenance, you need to use good car ramps. Whenever you go beneath a car standing on a ramp, you are entrusting your life to that car ramp.

If for any reason the ramps malfunctions, the car will end up crushing you. This being the case, you need to take your time and ensure that you are buying the best car ramps your money can buy.

Besides low profile car ramps, if you want to protect the unoccupied backspace of a car or truck, consider buying the best retractable tonneaus. It covers deliver stylish looks and roll away within seconds to provide full bed access.

However, what should you look for while shopping for the best ramps for your car?

Weight Capacity

You may think of the weight capacity of any vehicle ramp as the maximum weight the ramp can safely support.  While shopping for the right vehicle ramp for your car, this is one of the most important things that you have to consider.

Although the manufacturers specify this on their products, the choice may not be that easy. This is because some car ramps show the single-axis rating instead of the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW).

In such a case, you need to know the weight of each of the axis on your car before choosing the right ramp. In most cases, the front axis is heavier than the rear axis because of the positioning of the engine in front of the car.

Regardless of the rating used on your preferred vehicle ramp, you must never exceed its weight capacity. Exceeding this capacity will not only damage your ramp; it is very risky for the person working beneath the car.

Ground Clearance of the Car

How high is the underside of your car above the ground? You do not want to buy a ramp only to realize that it cannot fit beneath the car without scratching the front bumper, right? Therefore, you should also consider the ground clearance of your car. If you own a low profile car, it is advisable to buy low profile ramps.

The ramps meant for low profile cars are generally longer and feature gradual inclines. This allows the car to gradually drive onto them without damaging or scratching its undercarriage. The vehicle ramps designed for high profile cars are relatively shorter and tend to have steeper inclines.

Ramp Width

When choosing the right pair for your car, you also need to consider the car ramp dimensions in relation to your tire width. This will give you an idea of the much room for error you will have while driving the car up the ramps. If your vehicle makes wide tires, you might need a wider car ramps. To determine the right ramp width, you will need to measure the width of tires.

With that in mind, your preferred ramps should be wide enough to accommodate the tires, leaving a few inches on either side of the tires. For instance, you should get auto ramps with a width of about 12” for standard P215 tires (with a width of 8.46”).  This goes a long way in reducing slippage when you are loading the car on your ramps.

Nature of the Surfaces

Basically, the surface of your preferred ramps should offer enough traction for the car to drive up under any conditions. As you can imagine, a smooth surface will encourage slippage, even if the ramps have a low incline. If you do not know the type of surface to go for, here are some that you should consider:

• EZ Traction Surface

EZ traction ramp surfaces feature punched plates for enhanced traction. If you are going to be using the ramps on snowy or wet conditions, this is the type of surface you should go for. The staggered serrated holes punched on the surface of such ramps offer optimal traction for your car, regardless of the angle of inclination.

Are Car Ramps Safe for Oil Changes?

Yes, they are safe. However, bear in mind that when using your ramps as oil change ramps, your vehicle is not level because you can only use ramps at one axle.

As a result, it is not advisable to use ramps to change fluids because the car’s tipping angle can prevent fluids from draining completely.

Are Jack Stands or Car Ramps Safer?

It depends on who you ask. There are those who insist that jack stands are safer than ramps and there are those who swear by car ramps. Ultimately, it is up to you. To help make that decision, here is a list of the merits and demerits of each.

Benefits of Car Ramps

• They are incredibly easy to use. All you have to do is place them appropriately, drive your car up the incline and pop the parking brake on.
• Ramps are forgiving when it comes to errors because they provide a large surface area for support by adding traction to the ground and by supporting the wheels of the vehicle itself.
• They are stable.

Disadvantages

• Ramps can slide if positioned on a surface that does not offer enough traction.
• Might not work in cramped quarters because of the space needed to move the car forward and backward.

How Steep Should My Ramps Be?

The steepness of your ramps is entirely dependent on the vehicle in question. A sports car, for instance, will require a gentler slope than a 4×4. When purchasing a ramp, it is essential to go through the sizes offered carefully and select the length that best corresponds to your car.

How Do I Know the Capacity I Require On a Ramp?

To find the right capacity, the first thing you need to do is check the weight of the vehicle. To that weight add roughly 150kg to 200kg. The added weight is to allow for the extra weight of fuel or any other load that might add weight.

The resultant weight is the capacity you will need your ramp to take.

How to Correctly Use a Ramp

When it comes to using a car ramp, there is only one key factor to keep in mind. Never try to raise your car on soft or uneven terrain. If the terrain causes the ground to shift even a little, the risk of injury or death is high.

Ready To Buy The Best Car Ramps?

The best car ramps for any vehicle will depend on several aspects, such as the weight capacity, angle of inclination, and quality. Also, the level of traction offered and car ramp dimensions. Even with such considerations in place, the high car ramp you choose will depend on your specific needs.

For instance, you may be looking for ramps that can safely bear the weight of heavier vehicles. In such a case, you should get the units that have a relatively higher GVW rating, such as the Magnum 1002-01 or the RhinoGear 11912ABMI.

If you do not have much storage space for auto ramps or are looking for a unit that is highly portable, you may need to go for the mini-car ramps. In such a case, the Discount Ramps 6009-V2 ramps will come in handy.

Regardless of your preference, this guide should help you choose the best. And, other than vehicle ramps, make sure to routinely check important components of your car’s engine.

Are you looking for the best way to protect your vehicle from sunlight away from home or are just looking for temporary storage space? Buying a portable garage is the right solution for you. Finally, our read of the best electric tongue jacks.