Large SUVs - offroad ranking?

**The Suit** · 02-19-2010, 09:51 PM

Can anyone here take a shot at ranking large (8-passenger) SUVs by their offroad performance capabilities? I need something that can haul a bunch of people, but won't get stuck climbing or descending sandy hills, and won't break on moderately rocky two-tracks.

**Daywalker** · 02-19-2010, 10:13 PM

Toyota Land Cruiser... #1.

sorry about that price.

**SP_sam-O** · 02-19-2010, 10:19 PM

My family's SUV seems to never get stuck where many other cars have, and it's been through lots of really sandy areas and lots of rocky/pot hole filled shitty roads for hiking and skiing and has about 200k miles on it. Tons of problems with the locks/windows/ doors though, way more than it should have. But I'm 15, so the farthest I've driven it is 15 minutes from my house to get something from a friend in a hurry, so I'll shut up now.

**mtnjam** · 02-19-2010, 10:51 PM

UniMog or Pinzgauer

**RedWolf** · 02-19-2010, 11:05 PM

My company uses Suburbans with better tires/wheels to get us into and out of the field I work in. The roads, if you can call them that, are generally rutted-out, rocky, seriously muddy/snowy two-tracks. We don't have too much of a problem getting around, and they (usually) don't break...

**fluxrad** · 02-19-2010, 11:09 PM

Seconding Suburbans as a good choice. I was on a fishing trip in Del Norte, CO a number of years ago where we had to head over some pretty hairy terrain. We ditched most of the other 4WDs at the trail-head.

YMMV.

**Pow4Brains** · 02-19-2010, 11:27 PM

3/4 ton Burban or if you want diesel go with the Excursion. Sequoia’s are nice but lack storage for that many peeps. American auto makers still rule the supersized.

**LightRanger** · 02-20-2010, 01:18 AM

Defender 110

Other than that, Suburban, as everybody else said.

The 4wd in my best friend's company Expedition went out a few weeks back. He was a couple feet away from going off a snow-covered backroad into the Pitt River. Anecdotal, but he said he googled around and found complaints about that system. <100K on the odometer.

**Tye 1on** · 02-20-2010, 01:35 AM

I was up at Flagg yesterday with an operator that uses diesel Excursions for his snowcoach business, which doesn't get to your question, but it did pretty good crossing the Continental Divide six times a day fully loaded to OF and back.

just sayin'...

and, tech talk jong.

wait.

**schuss** · 02-20-2010, 07:02 AM

As others have said, unimog/pinz are the tits, but don't have much in the way of creature comforts. Suburbans are good, but consider upgrading the axles if you want a truly bulletproof setup. Airlockers+a mild lift+bigger wheels/tires would make it unstoppable.

**El Chupacabra** · 02-20-2010, 08:02 AM

Suburbans are inexpensive, but not a lot of ground clearance. I think the Excursion has quite a bit more clearance (solid front axle; F250/350 chassis -- which means it will ride a lot more truck-like too). The older Excursion with IH 7.3 diesel gets quite decent MPG, like 20+ hwy.

Originally Posted by Daywalker

Toyota Land Cruiser... #1.

sorry about that price.

Or for $5K more, spring for the Lexus version. At that price range, why not?

SB · 02-20-2010, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by mtnjam

UniMog or Pinzgauer

+1000000

**Caucasian Asian** · 02-20-2010, 09:00 AM

I'd look at an '02-'03 Excursion. Before they went to the 6.0L Powerstroke. If the Suburban was the gold standard for large-people movers, the Excursion is the Suburban for Northern BC.

**arild** · 02-20-2010, 05:14 PM

Seconding Defender 110.

**sidewall** · 02-20-2010, 08:39 PM

Second the landcruiser.

**grskier** · 02-20-2010, 09:48 PM

Get a H1

**ill-advised strategy** · 02-20-2010, 10:03 PM

Our fire crew had a diesel excursion (the "excretion"..heh), it was tough as a motherfucker and very comfortable on long trips. It got beat like a redheaded stepchild and never broke down.

Very stout and comfortable. Lots of power. Sweet rig.

**ImSearchingforPowder** · 02-20-2010, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by YetiMan

Our fire crew had a diesel excursion (the "excretion"..heh), it was tough as a motherfucker and very comfortable on long trips. It got beat like a redheaded stepchild and never broke down.

Very stout and comfortable. Lots of power. Sweet rig.

This....

You can not go wrong with the excursion, especially the 7.3l model.

**bmg97** · 02-21-2010, 01:29 AM

Its gonna cost ya but this is pretty solid.
G500

**swissbro** · 02-21-2010, 03:27 AM

I have a 93 Suburban 4x4 and a Toyota Landcruiser Model 78. Suburban good for hauling lots of people in comfort and not too bad in the sand if tires are deflated. Toyota Model 78 in a class of its own. Not great for traveling comfort with the bench seats in the back, but it will easily accommodate ten people and when the trail really gets tough and the sand soft, it leaves all of the American vehicles behind unless they've been modified. You can almost guarantee that you'll get 200,000+ miles on it before you need to worry about replacing anything. Big problem is that they aren't imported to NA. Comes with either a 4.5 L gas straight six or a V-8 diesel.

**Beyond** · 02-22-2010, 01:55 AM

Another vote for Landcruiser. My sister in-law got caught in a road avalanche driving her LC a few years ago near Tahoe, stayed more or less upright, she motored through, up and over, survived. Truck looked like it had been worked over by a giant with a hammer, took most of a pine tree right through the passenger window, but she got a new window and drove it until last year. Driving on sand would be child's play.

If LC's too pricey, might look at Honda Pilot. Ugly, but holds 7-8, can personally testify to how it and similar AWD Hondas like the Ridgeline do on sand and loose steep gravel. Not enough clearance as sold, though, if you like true off-road bouldering.

**anjinsan** · 02-22-2010, 09:42 AM

If you want room, room, the excursion is the way to go. Mine was cavernous inside. HOWEVER, do not, I repeat do not get the V10.....very underpowered. Ex with diesel will set you up nicely.....biggest SUV made or at least was made.

**flip** · 02-22-2010, 10:25 AM

In order of capability:
Sportsmobile
Landcruiser (but doesn't seat 8)
Excursion
Older Suburban (solid axle)
Newer Suburban (IFS)

Best bang for the buck is to get an older Suburban and do a suspension lift + tire package. That'll handle almost anything you'd ever want to take 8 people over.

**jmars** · 02-22-2010, 10:35 AM

Burans and Expeditions blow ass in real offroad terrian.........the are to long and get hung up. These trucks weren't built to be offroad machines. If you are just going through fire roads and over drainage ditchs or some small ruts then they are fine.

Deals on Land Cruiser 80 and early 100 series are out there b/c mostly soccer moms bought them. The 80 is a solid alxe front and rear truck that can be had with factory lockers fr & rr, its an inline 6 w/a 4spd tranny. The 100 series as indepent up front solid rear axle and is offered with rear lockers. The 100's have V8's and 5 spd trannies and all around more refinment compared to the 80. Both 100 & 80 series trucks have center locking diffs. Get an Old Man Emu 2inch lift and an ARB bull bar up front and you now have a dead serious offroader.

If you are interested in LC's then get on IH8MUD.com and then learn who Christo Slee is.......call him, he is the best in North American in terms of Toyota offroad knowledge.

Defender 110's are the bees knees but maintence whores.........not so much with Toyota.

Unimog is the more hard core choice presented though.

The LC however are 7 pass truck........you should really consider one though