> But, truth be told, I'm not at all an
> aggressive off-roader . just enjoy the ability to get out into what passes
> these days for the wilderness. I stay on the tracks, though. And carry a
> fair bit of kit.
As a "daily driver" it is important to not threaten the sheet-metal
too much. But I tend to make short work of inadequate ground
clearance. Most vehicles do pretty well on just about anything
reasonable, but where things get dicey is when you get a rain, sleet
or snowshower. That slicks everything up so much that what was
manageable has turned into a pucker situation. To me, I like to get
far enough in that it filters out the soccer moms and disney crowds.
> 1 Manufacturers can't stop adding-on to models. Each year they seem
> to get plusher, bigger, more on-road oriented. I mean, Jeeps with the
> accouterments of the latest Grand Cherokee ?
Agreed. Granted, one can never have too many cup-holders, and that
Blutooth entertainment center is pretty nifty. Oh, and did I mention
the cup-holders?
> 2 The best off-road was the earlier circa 1988 model. Had a 94 GC
> of the same line. Great handling. Not bad on-road. A bit noisy.
I really liked my 1994 Cherokee sport. Thought that was about the
cat's meow for off-roading, except for a couple minor issues. I've had
a 1999 JGC (the feminine one), a 2005 JGC (Range-Rover style) and have
been driving a 2004 JGC (another feminine one) for quite a while. I'll
admit that the feminine style'd one has grown on me. The 2005 was
uncomfortable to me, for some reason, and my back couldn't handle it.
> 3 Worst off-road was the 2001 GC. Jeep lost its way, in my view.
> Couldn't wait to trade it in. Just a poor vehicle.
I'm on my second of that body. It definitely has its moments, but I
think it is superior to the Range-Rover styled one that replaced it.
Off-road, that thing couldn't get out of its own way. However, with
all of them, it comes down to tires. As long as I have my Goodyear
Wrangler AT/S (or Silent Armour) tires, I'm happy.
> 4 Toyota (4-runner) didn't quite have it.
Biggest problem with the 4-Runners and pickup trucks is the
approach/departure angles. Far too much overhang. My old truck was
constantly getting the rear bumper dragged. As Chuck says, sometimes
Toyota really loses the way when it comes to human engineering. The
Sienna being by far the second worse vehicle they've ever made. (That
previous minivan with the center engine being the worse).
> This has led me to - horrors - really like the semi-SUVs like the Pilot (the
> earlier ones, due to point #1 above.) I know, seems odd. But the
> combination of reasonable size, reasonable on-road performance and enough
> off-road capability is very attractive.
I keep circling around to the Pilot. I agree that it isn't too bad.
Off-road, it still suffers from some ground-clearance and ruggedity
issues, but it's a very nice highway cruiser. What remains the
show-stopper for me is the lack of legroom and unfortunate placement
of certain dashboard componants that brutalize my knees. Other than
that, I would seriously consider it.
I don't abuse my vehicles, but I'm not going to freak out if I bounce
the undercarriage off a rock either.
I'll post a picture of my neighbor's Jeep Wrangler for your opinions.
--
Ken Norton
ken@xxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.zone-10.com
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