Don't try this at home.

ANYONE who has spent time driving around Los Angeles knows there are a beck of a lot of SUVs to choose from. And it's probably safe to say that most will never make use of their height or four-wheel drive capabilities to fjord anything more challenging than a pothole.

Still, the folks at Land Rover are giving buyers a chance to push their vehicles to the limit, sort of, before driving them off the lot.

Most of the U.S. Land Rover dealers, including the two in L.A., have built off-roading obstacle courses that allow customers to get a sense of what the vehicles can do if called upon.

In Thousand Oaks, the roughly 150-meter course is decked out in safari theme, complete with African foliage and a rhinoceros statue. In addition to rocks, railroad ties and steep up-and-down ramps, the course features a bank that puts the vehicle at a 32-degree tilt.

"Some people get nervous, but they're usually pretty game," said salesman Scott Thomas.

In Encino, where the course has been in place for five years, the theme is desert but the experience is pretty much the same. "You go up a 45-degree angle and when you come down the car is literally on its nose," said Sales Manager Dexter Everhart. "The car has a top-heavy appearance so some people have concerns that it could tip over. Once they go over the course, they know it's pretty stable."

But potential customers who plan an off-roading adventure at their local dealership should think again. Only sales people are allowed to drive the vehicles.

"We have had a few people who tried to sneak onto the course with their cars," Everhart said.