Guys,

I'm looking for a new wheels. Ideally, I want an SUV that would have a comfortable ride on a highway. 0 to 60 in less then 6 seconds is nice to have, but not a requirement.

My job requires frequent trips from NJ to PA or Boston. Occasionally, I want to be able to take it off-road. I have never done it before but would like this as family bonding activity.

I know it will come up but I think the Wrangler is too spartan for me, and I test drove 4Runner SR5 and didn't really liked it. So with that said, I will really appreciate your insight and recommendations :). Oh BTW I'm coming from G35x which I love but..

Thank you in advance.   

 

Guy I know has a Jeep Cherokee Overland with the 5.7 hemi. Says it's quick. My wife drives a limited that I drive occasionally and it's nice. Might not be a G35x but it serves the need. 

off road and highway  comfort don't usually go together.

my wrangler dose better off road then on.

ford raptor has plenty of power pretty good at both highway and offroad

I bought my son a grand Cherokee summit edition with the eco diesel.  It's good off road, has lots of power and when we took it Pennsylvania we got 29.1 mpg on the way back in the rain over 214 miles.  I drive pretty fast.  

 

 

MB AMG G63 is right up to your requirements

I Was thinking about that but the mileage on this is terrible

Wranglers are very cushy these days, I'd give one a chance. 

What offroading are you looking to do? 

I've only owned pickup trucks and SUVs. I've looked for chances to off-road, and I've been limited to off road parks, the occasional access roads to reservoirs, powerline access roads, and my friends field when we went skeet shooting. 

The off road parks are serious, the trails illegal, and the last I used my girlfriends Escape. A beetle would have worked. I never went to the park because I didn't feel like beating up my daily driver.

I've looked for overlanding opportunities, and I can't find one. However, if you find a 100 mile stretch of open land to trek across call me. I'll bring my campstove.

What I'm saying is, I don't think you'll take the thing offroad unless you want to get stuck in Rausch Creek or cruise Wharton State Forest. I have two doors, a low range transfer case, and new all terrain tires. I throw it in 4x4 high getting out of my driveway then back into 2wd when it snows. The other days of the year I dont touch it.

33 minutes ago, 302w said:

Wranglers are very cushy these days, I'd give one a chance. 

What offroading are you looking to do? 

I've only owned pickup trucks and SUVs. I've looked for chances to off-road, and I've been limited to off road parks, the occasional access roads to reservoirs, powerline access roads, and my friends field when we went skeet shooting. 

The off road parks are serious, the trails illegal, and the last I used my girlfriends Escape. A beetle would have worked. I never went to the park because I didn't feel like beating up my daily driver.

I've looked for overlanding opportunities, and I can't find one. However, if you find a 100 mile stretch of open land to trek across call me. I'll bring my campstove.

What I'm saying is, I don't think you'll take the thing offroad unless you want to get stuck in Rausch Creek or cruise Wharton State Forest. I have two doors, a low range transfer case, and new all terrain tires. I throw it in 4x4 high getting out of my driveway then back into 2wd when it snows. The other days of the year I dont touch it.

So, If I understand correctly, except for Wharton State Forest there aren't too many off roading options in NJ/PA. The Rausch Creek is too difficult/harsh for primary driver. 

I was looking to test drive Grand Cherokee Trailhawk but from what you saying the Limited with standard 4LO/ 4WD options will suffice for NJ trails?

Unfortunately I cannot afford having daily car + toy car.

 

4 minutes ago, Matroskin said:

So, If I understand correctly, except for Wharton State Forest there aren't too many off roading options in NJ/PA. The Rausch Creek is too difficult/harsh for primary driver. 

I was looking to test drive Grand Cherokee Trailhawk but from what you saying the Limited with standard 4LO/ 4WD options will suffice for NJ trails?

Unfortunately I cannot afford having daily car + toy car.

 

Correct. Unfortunately.

Rausch Creek is certainly not where I'd want to take a $40,000+ regular SUV. They have beginner trails-so maybe your Cherokee has a place there.

A lot of the problem is you can probably make it through somewhere, but you have to drive this thing through midtown on Monday and don't want to drive through a mudpit. Stuff breaks. 

I am not familiar with new Jeeps, but low range is always a nice option to have. Again, driving on trails you probably don't need four wheel drive. High range would probably be more than enough.

I've read Wharton State has a lot of fire roads to drive around in. I don't see why you couldn't go there. I have not been there myself but it doesn't seem rough.

My dream is to do some Top Gear style overlanding, camping and driving over rolling hills for a few days. Not here unfortunately. 

Would love to take my lifted pickup off road somewhere. Its just so damn big

You are in the wrong area for offroading.

I lived in El Paso, Texas when In was in young 20s.  Had a Toyota 4×4 truck.  I could be in the dunes in 20 minutes.  Around here, unless you are willing to travel, off roading is mostly a fantasy. 

Just buy the car you want that makes you happy that you can afford.  IF you ever schedule a family vacation where you may have the opportunity to offroad then rent a vehicle with 4×4 capability and haven at it.  Don't buy a SUV or truck living in NJ because you want to go offroading.  Chances are you never will.

Once again, a collective wisdom rules. I really appreciate your comments. 

I will focus on something I will able to drive comfortably (relative term) in North East. And, if it comes with 4LO that will be a bonus nor a requirement. 

 

14 hours ago, Oleg said:

MB AMG G63 is right up to your requirements

My next SUV when they release the update later this year.  

When my friend who liked to drive fast reasonably cheap (upgraded wrx sti) switched his interests into off-roading he went with used Toyota Land Cruiser. I bet two of these even new cost less than one MB

The dealer by my house had the G550 4x4 squared and I begged my wife to get it and I was denied because it was lime green  Had it been a better color she may have given the nod.  

 

This truck in this color:

 

https://www.kbb.com/car-news/all-the-latest/2017-mercedes-benz-g550-4x4-2-america-bound/2100000793/?r=33&ref=www.google.com/

 

1 hour ago, Oleg said:

When my friend who liked to drive fast reasonably cheap (upgraded wrx sti) switched his interests into off-roading he went with used Toyota Land Cruiser. I bet two of these even new cost less than one MB

Should also mention Lexus GX 460 (Land Cruiser Pardo outside of US) in $53k it's cheap comparing to her big sister 

15 hours ago, Matroskin said:

So, If I understand correctly, except for Wharton State Forest there aren't too many LEGAL off roading options in NJ/PA. The Rausch Creek is too difficult/harsh for primary driver. 

I was looking to test drive Grand Cherokee Trailhawk but from what you saying the Limited with standard 4LO/ 4WD options will suffice for NJ trails?

Unfortunately I cannot afford having daily car + toy car.

 

its the legality, even wharton is a mess with where you can and cant go. had a couple of buddies that got ticketed by the rangers once and it was one of those if they were 10 feet to the left that would be legal, but they wandered to far to the right clearing.

alot of wharton can be driven through with a car, so you dont need a trailhawk in there.

many moons ago i used to wheel a 2005 Ford explorer in Paragon when it was till there. yes i said, 05, as in the IFS/IRS one. It would keep pace with the beginner (green) trail rides on stock street tires. While Rausch does have hardcore trails their easier ones are about the same. 

What it really comes down to is what do you define offroading as?

are we talking like this: (05 stock explorer at Paragon)

or like this: (91 Explorer at Rausch, 35s 8"lift)

 

New Wrangkers (JK) are cushy, but still jeeps under all that cush. I dd one because it was time to consolidate toys and the DD and well now have 2 kids. I only commute like 25 miles aday tho admit ably, and well compared to the above truck this thing rides like a cadallac. Im averaging about 16 MPG local, could be better could be worse. I know you mentioned apartain, you can get these things pretty loaded. mine however is not

Im a fan of the 4runner as well, but pricing kept me away from it. For myself i was only considering body on frame suzs with atleast 1 live axel, not alot in that category, but if youre just looking for some light trail riding most of the 4wd suvs can do that

I'm on my second Grand Cherokee.  First one had that adaptive 4wd, whereas the current on has a true differential.  I do sand driving quite often.  I also have driven up to URI several times at speed. (pick up the kid at school).

 

The choices for real 4wd are quite narrow, unless you can swing a rover or GL.

MB GL?

I have a 2017 Subaru crosstrek and aside from being a bit of a slug, it's awesome. I even pull a 5x8 with dirt bikes or motorcycles with it.


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You are really asking the impossible IMO.  If you want something great on the highway you have to give up off road capabilities and vice versa.

Just look at some facets of what you're asking.

Great highway tires suck off road.  You want good ground clearance off road which raises your center of gravity.  Not conducive to high speed handling. Suspension requirements are very differect for both applications.  I could go on and on.

Anytime you ask a vehicle to do more than one job with vastly different requirements it will excell at none of them.  Most SUVs are designed more for the highway as that's where they spend 99% of their time.  You can option up just about all of them and be far from spartan.

You are really asking the impossible IMO.  If you want something great on the highway you have to give up off road capabilities and vice versa.
Just look at some facets of what you're asking.
Great highway tires suck off road.  You want good ground clearance off road which raises your center of gravity.  Not conducive to high speed handling. Suspension requirements are very differect for both applications.  I could go on and on.
Anytime you ask a vehicle to do more than one job with vastly different requirements it will excell at none of them.  Most SUVs are designed more for the highway as that's where they spend 99% of their time.  You can option up just about all of them and be far from spartan.

That's why I got the crosstrek. 25mpg around town with AWD, still great on the highway, and it manages to have great ground clearance.


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Having learned a bit more about topic, I understand that you are right GRIZ.

Just to share, I narrowed down my choices to a 3 potential SUVs:

Forums' favorite: Grand Cherokee - I test drove Overland and I want to test drive Limited and Trailhawk just to see the difference. And there is a 4Runner and Land Rover Discovery Sport.  will see if I like them.

 

Outback sedan sport.... the no makey no mo.

Dude in my Enduro club has the last years model. Old man Henry can go anywhere in the pines. Wrx turbo motor and outback clearance. I would rock that car.

8 hours ago, Matroskin said:

Having learned a bit more about topic, I understand that you are right GRIZ.

Just to share, I narrowed down my choices to a 3 potential SUVs:

Forums' favorite: Grand Cherokee - I test drove Overland and I want to test drive Limited and Trailhawk just to see the difference. And there is a 4Runner and Land Rover Discovery Sport.  will see if I like them.

 

How's the reliability on the disco sport?   I was thinking of the new disco which is coming out soon, but had flashbacks to my wife's mid-2000s RR and it was a disaster.  

Projected reliability rate is mediocre for both Disco and the Jeep but if you lease them, you have warranty service and good "exit strategy"

F150

Too late I've got the Grand Cherokee..

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Id look at the Chevy Colorado diesel ZR2. You can get a crew cab, diesel should get good MPGs, and off reading would be good. 

 

Tacoma is available similarly equipped.  

Probably would avoid raptor and such things as they will have a greater fuel penalty. 

18 minutes ago, JHZR2 said:

Id look at the Chevy Colorado diesel ZR2. You can get a crew cab, diesel should get good MPGs, and off reading would be good. 

 

Tacoma is available similarly equipped.  

Probably would avoid raptor and such things as they will have a greater fuel penalty. 

This one is really nice.