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Dr Strauss - can you refine your request a little:
How much $$?
Will you consider buying used, and if so, how old a vehicle would you consider?
Is luxury or bare bones utility equally acceptable? I do see that you need decent on-road manners.
Some comments:
If your emphasis is true off-road ability, small and nimble, you have just eliminated 98% of the "SUVs" on the market. Most are wanna-bes with no serious off road capabilities. Anything without a low range transfer case should not even be considered. The remaining vehicles don't all have small engines, so I think you should at least consider a V8.
My recommendation would be a new 2003 LR Discovery II. LR has made major changes to the vehicle for this year - it now has abundant power with the 4.6 liter V8 from last year's Range Rover, and the brakes have been greatly improved. Peak toque is 300 ft lbs at a low 2600 rpm. IMHO it is unsurpassed in all-around luxurious all-weather, all-terrain capability, though it suffers from 2 faults: poor mileage (12 to 16 mpg on Premium) and lack of a center diff lock (due in the USA in '04). This marque has gained a reputation for poor reliability and expensive repairs. The first seems to have improved significantly in the last few years, and the second...well it's true if you are out of warranty, unless you turn your own wrenches. The last time I visited a dealer, LR was offering a free 40K maintenance program as well as the std warranty.
With a mild Old Man Emu lift and agressive tires the 100 inch wheelbase Disco is an off-road beast. The long travel, solid axle suspension works great off-road, keeping the tires planted where trucks with IFS teeter and wag their tires in the air. Yet the truck is refined and quiet on the highway. You owe yourself a test drive before you dismiss this vehicle. Let the LR sales person demonstrate its abilities on the concrete "off road" track most dealers have. One other comment - the Disco is a fun and rewarding vehicle to drive, unlike most other SUVs which feel numb to me.
Please read this article:
http://www.forbes.com/2002/07/29/0729feat.html
and check out the Land Rover USA site:
http://www.landrover.com/us/en/default.htm
In regards to other choices:
Land Cruiser (and Lexus equivalent): Too pricey to hammer a new one off road. Even a 3 year old one will set you back US$35K. Wheelbase is a little long for good maneuverability. V8 power. Legendary reliabilty. My next choice after a Disco.
Grand Cherokee: unibody, so not nearly as rugged as a full frame SUV, but otherwise a very capable off roader. Underpowered with the I-6. Build quality significantly less that the above vehicles.
Cherokee (used): almost as capable off road as a stock Wrangler, but poor lightweight unibody construction. Very peppy and fun to drive with the I-6, standard sized tires and minimal cargo. Lots of NVH on the highway - it's a squeeky trucklet. No traction aids like lockers is a big minus. I own a '91 and would not buy another....
Toyota Four Runner: The new V6 is _astounding_ on road, and the vehicle seems to be capable off-road, though the engine has a high 3500 rpm torque peak. The V8 would be a better choice for slogging due to its higher torque. I think the interior is bland and the exterior is hideous.
Wrangler Rubicon: By comparison to these others, miserable on-road, even with the hard top, and cramped. Superlative off road (with its extra low range transfer case and air-locking axles)- it crawls on, where other stock vehicles get stuck. A new long-wheelbase Scrambler is in the works, maybe for '04. I haven't heard if it will be available with 4 doors (if that matters to you). If so, I would buy one in a heartbeat. American Expedition Vehicles supplies turn-key modified and long wheel-base Jeeps for severe off road "expedition" type use, with full warranty. Check out their site:
http://aev-conversions.com/index.html
VW Touareg: in the dealers in a few months. Same price range as a Discovery, with $42K getting you a base V8 model. A little too large, I think, but very impressive off-road credentials: center and rear lockers and the whole alphabet soup of ABS, ETC, EBC, TCS, and so on. A V6 is available, but the truck weighs 5000 pounds (base weight) and will be underpowered with that choice. The V8x has the wonderful 4.2 Audi V8, outside spare and off-road accessories. The main reason I hesitate about recommending this truck is because it's so new and unproven. It would certainly get you around anywhere in style. The big V10 diesel will be here in a year or so, they tell us, for probably US$60K!
Check out an '03 Disco - that's the vehicle I recommend with your 82 mile commute and other equirements. Get a base S model (about $35K) and you get the smaller wheels and no ACE or air springs, which add unnecessary complexity for off-roading. An '04 with CDL would be even better, if you can wait 6 months. I was amused by the recent Car and Driver SUV Comparison test. The Touareg won, but the Disco was the vehicle of choice to pull the others out of the mud holes. As another person suggested, check out DiscoWeb.com. The guys there are rabidly loyal to the marque, but will tell you straight out the strengths and admitted faults of the vehicle.
And one final caveat: if you are regularly traversing deep sand, you need a winch; be sure to investigate this aspect - some vehicles are harder to equip with self-recovery gear than others. The Disco has no problems in this respect.
Good luck.
posted by 12.82.16...
, Tue, 18 Feb 2003 16:22:16
, Tue, 18 Feb 2003 14:07:48
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