The land that stole my automotive heart

Reykjavik is a really cool city, where about 70% of Iceland's population lives, but if you really want to see some interesting things you need to get out and do some exploring.  There is a pretty robust tour industry here, but I have always been a champion of the good ol' rental car to find some real adventure.  It seems other than one or two main cross island byways there is not much in the way of paved roads on the island.  I guess it makes sense being that whatever surface it may be is actually covered by snow and ice (or ash in recent weeks) for 80% of the year.  To my amazement, the daily driver out here for many Icelanders is a lifted SUV with 44" tires (some even much bigger).  Hell, even the ambulances and school buses have 44" tires to plough through all of that pure white powder in the depths of winter. That practically qualifies as a monster truck.  So I knew I would be at a disadvantage renting a Toyota Yaris, but I have more than my fare share of off-roading experience and I know most of what it takes is skill not size.  If only it were an option to rent myself a Wrangler lifted into the skies I would have jumped at the chance, but I had no luck finding anything of the sort.  Anyway... the Yaris did just fine as we covered nearly half of this frostbitten land.