I'm getting the wife to buy off on a new vehicle by having her come test drive different ones. In the meantime, I'm looking to make the longest post ever.

Different vehicles are better for different people. I'm not looking for a hard core crawling out of the box, but it has to be able to do more than a graded dirt road. I want a 4wd vehicle that will get me to where I want to go to hike, kayak, rock climb, bike, etc. It obviously needs some storage room...and a backseat for kids or friends. Plus what do we view as more important over 10 years: fancy dash (nice to look at), or easy to get in, and strong engine with good mileage (much nicer to have).

We threw out any of the car-based 2wd SUV's right off. Toyota RAV-4's, Suzki Vitara, Mazda Tribute, etc. Others were tossed on price. The 4Runner price-point is too high, and honestly looking at the "mud and snow scoop," rock-catching design of their latest skid plate, I'm wondering about the off-road design. LandCruiser gets outstanding marks for on and off-road driving, but makes the 4Runner look cheap. Some LandRover's are rated like tat (good on and off road), but low end LR's see take hits for poor off-roading.

Test Drive:
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Isuzu Rodeo --- Jeep Liberty --- Nissan Xterra

We test real world--loading things in back storage area. Put in the baby seat. Test drive--but not the 10 minute on-highway-only ride the salesman wants you to take with the stereo up a little. We test drove them over a 3 day period, over the same 15 mile route starting out up a 1 mile hill, through city streets, down a highway (and highway sway check), around a 90deg highway exit bend that had a small ridge/bump (rear-jump test), and into a little industrial park where we could check curb-to-curb turns, parking ease, speed bumps, and angled bumps via short, 40deg driveways we could take at an angle and check suspension. (For those in Phoenix, it was down McDowell dealers to 143 to university, east under the highway into the industrial area along side it, then looping back up Rural)

Comparison_Info___Jeep__Xterra_Rodeo (From their own websites)
Ground Clearance:__7.9___10.3____8.2
Height to top:_____71.1___74.2___69.4 (Roof rack)
Axle to Roof:______63.2___63.9___61.2
2-person Storage__69.0___65.6___81.1
Turning Radius:____35.9___35.4___38.4 **
** We tested the turn radius and found out that someone was lying. This is when we began to doubt the honesty of self-reporting numbers

Power/Mileage__Jeep__Xterra_Rodeo (From their own websites)**
Rodeo 3.2L:___205 HP/214 Ft-Lb___Auto 2WD: 17/23___Auto 4WD: 17/23
Rodeo 3.5L:___250 HP/246 Ft-Lb___Auto 2WD: 18/23___Auto 4WD: 17/21
Liberty 3.7L:___210 HP/235 Ft-Lb___Auto 2WD: 17/21___Auto 4WD: 16/21
XTerra: 3.3L:__180 HP/202 Ft-Lb___Auto 2WD: 17/21___Auto 4WD: 16/20
** Except Jeep, I got that from Edmunds. Jeep doesn't list gas mileage on their specs. Probably a hangover from the Wrangler that lists 14 MPG. While most vehicles get less MPG than listed, I've seen Jeep mentioned here and there on internet boards for actually getting quite a bit less than listed. Anyone with experience on this board chip in?

EPA "Clean Air" Ratings:
Rodeo 3.5L: 8/10______(The 3.2 engine: 6/10)
Liberty 3.7L: 6/10
XTerra: 4/10 (all engines)

2004 3.5L Rodeo Direct Injection
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Dealer: Approached twice while there, both friendly. When they didn't know something, they admitted it and took us back to the service department for clarification.

Loading Cargo: Best of the four vehicles. She liked that it was the lowest to the ground for loading (Rodeo-Liberty-XTerra have ground clearance +/- 1 inch, but cargo loading heights vary up to 6 inches which adds up when loading a baby or lots of heavy groceries). Bench seats flip up and locking rings stick out only an inch or so; they stick out less than the wheel wells so you should never catch a box on them. You have to pull the headrests (if you want the floor flat), then back rest folds flat. There is a 1" gap (1") between the rear cargo and the folded-down seat that's covered only by carpet; a hard 2" plastic strip under the carpet would look better and guide things in smoother when pushing from behind. The loading area was completely flat and free of obstructions--something I learned later was *not* normal. Rodeo had the biggest total space, and the biggest "opening" space (you could put a very large cardboard box inside).
o Loading Top: Lowest of all three vehicles, the roof rack was easily reachable by me, reachable by her (I'm 5'7").
o Loading Rear Seat: Baby seat went in without a hitch (flat loading). Fastened fine, held up fine during the trip. Plenty of rear legroom.

Ergo: Seats comfortable. Everything easily reachable. In general, everything was fine. One exception; the dials for climate controls were clunky when turning. It was a manual system (which is fine--cheaper and less to break) but you really knew it. (Worst controls)

General Look: Better than the past; they've fixed the low-hanging rear tire by pulling it up more, hanging it flatter, and bringing the bumper plastic down lower to cover it. Only about 2 inches hangs visible, and you can't see the entire tire and rim. Put in a tow package and it's invisible. Inside was strictly utilitarian (least attractive looking). All flat black plastic; no trim plastic (plastic in other colors for accents). This is Isuzu's biggest failure--it's not sharp looking on the inside. Put some of the Axiom trim in there. Some fake-wood plastic, some silver plastic trim, only a few dollars more to make it look thousands of dollars better. The instrument cluster seems to be the same for the Rodeo/Axiom; simple and basic. Nothing great and no option for a full cluster with temps, oil pressure, battery voltage, etc.
_______________Basic Rodeo Dash


Engine/Transmission/Brakes: Great power and acceleration. Very quiet engine, very smooth shifting--not even a tiny bump between gears. By far the best power and smoothest shifting out of the bunch. Rear drums on 2wd; 4wd comes with rear disk.

Driving: We both had great visibility. Good city street driving. Easy to park, good turning radius (could just barely do circles in the street we were in--middle rank). Jerked the wheel back and forth while driving down the highway, there was some sway to it. We also felt the sway a little on corners. "Turn and bump" (small ridge hit wile taking an angled 90deg turn at about 30 mph) gave a little bump, but no skid or jump. Went over speed bumps fairly well; a little stiff. Angled bumps rolled it a little, showing the suspension stiffness again. Brakes were a little soft before catching (softest brakes).

Noise: Quietest out of all three vehicles. One defect--the fan sounded like it had a plastic "thread" from the extrusion molding which brushed the casing at low speed. At high fan speed it went away, at low speed it came back.

Note: Colors this year aren't nice. Off-red, dark green, really dark blue (nearing black), strange-tannish-silver (Ascender silver was a shade lighter and much better), strange blue-tinted silver, and black or white. We preferred plain white over the colors. Bring back simple red and blue. The salesman wasn't concerned at all about a real-world test drive or how long it took--he didn't even take a copy of ID.

Jeep Liberty 2004
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Dealer: They brought us the leather 4x4 edition. Oh, my. Daddy like. Salesman was about 45 or 50, been selling Jeep for decades, and completely unknowledgeable except that "Jeep was best" "Most powerful engine," etc. (3.7L gas-thirsty 210 HP). I asked about the 20 lb rollers next to the rear differential (A J-hook bolts on top of the differential and swings down and forward to be alongside the driveshaft input, it's designed to protect the driveshaft connection which is the low point) Salesman said it was "A counterweight to balance the driveshaft." I pointed out this didn't make sense as it was bolted to top of the differential and gave an opportunity for a better answer. He insisted he was right. OK. They did re-design the shaft-differential connection this year--it's still a low point with bolts/flanges/rock catches leading the way, but now the connection has the standard "Circle" or collar of metal around the connection for some protection. Having the U-Joint where driveshaft/differential meet as the low point is still a weakness when 4x4ing. You're Jeep--stop slapping band-aids and redesign it right.

Loading Cargo: Great idea by Jeep (hint: Junk Yard Search)--the back of the rear bench has small, recessed plastic hooks (hook is flush with rest of seat) to hold plastic grocery bags. I had to lift a little to get things in the back for me-about 3" higher than the Isuzu as a guess. Unlike the Rodeo/XTerra, dropping the rear seats is a one-step operation. When you drop the rear seat, the rear seats automatically pull themselves up and forward a little.

Even with headrests out, the seat did not fold flat (about 25 or 30 deg up). Liberty did have a sturdier "gap" cover than the Rodeo, but it also needed it with a 3" gap. Despite a huge rear door, the actual opening inside is quite a bit smaller than you'd expect. After you flip the seats down, there are two huge metal "D" rings that held the seat in place. They stick out about 3-1/2" each, and there's 2 others poking down from the roof. This further reduces your useable loading space. Sure, they're good for tie-downs, but what are you tying down with 3" thick rope? Make them smaller!

Despite claiming a 69 cuft area, the USEABLE or LOADABLE cargo space was by far the smallest of all three (based on the cardboard-box size I can slide in theory). The hooks were also very bad for a TV or table that shifts and gets a huge gouge in it, or the tube broken.
o Loading Top: The roof rack was a high for me to reach, using it would be hard but not impossible without a step ladder or nerf bars. The "sport rack" that bolts onto the bars makes it worse; shorter people have to carry a step-ladder to get to your stuff.
o Loading Rear Seat: The seat bench is sloped about 30 or 35 deg (knees higher than butt). Loading into the rear seat involves some slight lifting. Requires a full climb-in to anchor the rear-facing baby seat due to the sloping. With the steep slope on the rear seat, as we went over bumps, the baby seat crept up until she was vertical in the seat, face-planted on the rear bench. We fixed it, checked everything, drove off and over a speed bump....and she face-planted (seat edges hit first and protected her face). This vehicle is NOT acceptable for a rear facing baby seat.

Ergo: Plus: Dash controls were simple and easy to understand, and very smooth to operate. Everything was reachable; had a little stretch for the gear lever (remember I'm 5'7")
Minus: The two levers on the steering wheel were over-crammed with ways to twist, turn, and rotate. I had to try and decipher all the small pictures crammed together. You would get used to them, but some of the functions need to move off the two levers.
But not to the center console! The window switches are all together on the vertical portion of the center storage. When you're driving, at 5'7" I had to stretch my arm uncomfortable to reach them. At 5'2", my wife sits even more forward and had to twist in her seat while driving to try and lower the window. Not just uncomfortable--not safe. Unacceptable.
o Seats Front: Adjustments up the yang. You will find a good spot as you're sitting there. The front seat butt-bench was the shortest out of the three vehicles, cutting off about 6" behind the knee on me; taller/bigger people would find it even worse. (For comparison, the Rodeo seat bottom comes almost to my knee, the Dodge Durango seat comes to my knee). The back rest was fine, but the short bench/bucket made them uncomfortable even for short trips--we were both squirming. Seat warmers weren't necessary in Phoenix (I understand, it's all built in one spot).
o Seat Rear: I learned something new this time. The Rodeo rear seat bench is almost flat. When vehicles rate rear leg room, they measure from back of the seat rest to the seat in front of you. The Liberty has a steep angle on the rear seats (but lower, knees higher). A slight angle gives a more comfortable seating position. Steep angles do not--but it does increases the amount of rear leg room they can report as you are measuring from back of seat to the drivers headrest. When you sit there, however, the "Kneecap to seat in front of you" is very small. Neat trick, guys. It also doesn't tell you how long the seat cushion is under you. Think airplane seats--your knees are in seatback in front of you, the headrest is in your face, but you can fit your legs in. You just can't move.
In short: Absolute worst seats, front and rear.

From Jeeps own site: Rear Leg Room: (Jeep 37.2 in.)___(XTerra 32.8 in.)___(Rodeo: 35 in.) A picture explains it better (This isn't me, it's a guy from Car Talk where they dinged it for the same thing):
________Roomiest rear seat?


General Look: You've seen the Liberty. I generally like the front 3/4, but dislike the big, square/boxy rear end. Lower the vehicle profile a little, or with all that space, get rid of the spare tire and put it underneath. From the front seat, the inside was by far the best looking (remember this was the leather model). Beautiful silver door handles, and while it was plastic everywhere, it was mixed color, both flat and shiny plastic, and trimmed with silver plastic and a touch of fake-wood plastic that accented well. Dash had all the instruments/indicators (voltage, engine temp with actual temp, oil pressure, etc) and was very nice looking--the kind of stuff others make aftermarket for. Best looking layout by far (again, we were in luxury model.)
__________Standard (not luxury we test drove) Liberty Dash


Engine/Transmission/Brakes: The salesman kept telling us how powerful the 3.7L 210 HP engine was. Not when you're driving it. Worse mileage than the rodeo, and weaker acceleration. It was actually just "normal," nothing I'd brag about. Just a small bump when the auto shifted gears. 4 wheel disk brakes on the luxury model; I don't know about the regular trim. The brakes were extremely firm--you just brush your foot by the brake pedal and you're grabbing the disks. Zero play. Just like soft brakes, you would get used to it, but it was too tight for my preference.

Driving: Good visibility. Decent city street driving. A strange rock-sway on corners. Easy to park, and by far the best turning radius. We did circles in the same street with room to spare. We turned the wheel back and forth while driving down the highway and the strange rock-sway was more obvious. It is hard to explain, but it feels like the frame is crabbing back and forth under the body, while the cabin maintains a forward direction with a little roll. It was very disconcerting, and my wife made me stop as it felt creepy. "Turn and bump" (hitting a bump while at about 30 mph on a turn was smooth (best one). Went over speed bumps the best of all--it hardly felt them. For small bumps, the suspension was the best of the bunch. Angled bumps rolled it a little.

Noise: Out of the three vehicles, this was the nosiest inside; surprising since it had the most rubber sealing on everything. A lot of road noise came through. The engine itself was quiet.

Note: The Jeep salesman was upset over how long the test drive took, not the distance I drove. Apparently, I was only supposed to go a few miles down the highway and back. Taking it out through real world conditions bothered him. I would like to think that's *not* typical of a salesman, but the more I deal with, the more they want you to just drive down the highway and back to prove the vehicle can go straight.

2004 Nissan XTerra XE-6
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Dealer: Nice, friendly. I asked about the supercharger and axles; he admitted didn't know any details and he went and got a service guy. Perfect.

Loading Cargo: It was highest off the ground for rear loading; I had to pick each item up an extra six inches. This adds up with lots of heavy groceries. The rear seat folds down to about 20-25 deg of being flat, but would probably push mostly-flat with some extra weight on it. Here's my gripe on the cargo space. To get the rear backrest to fold down, you have to pull out the two-piece rear seat bench and put them on the ground. Fold the seat-back down flat. Then you throw the bench/bucket into your cargo area. If you go on a trip and want to buy something big, you don't want to leave your seat behind. Headrests you *could* throw on the passenger floor. Not an entire bench seat. They should measure cargo space in the XTerra by how much room is left *after* you put the parts back in.

The loading area was mostly free of obstruction and the hooks (especially ceiling hooks) are mostly out of the way, scoring well on the cardboard-box size test. Rear cargo area ranks between the Liberty and the Rodeo (without the seat) or the worst of the three (if you count having to stack your stuff on or around the rear seat pieces).
o Loading Top: Tallest of all three vehicles. I could not stand on the ground and throw my kayak up there. Tube steps or ladder mandatory if you don't want to beat your vehicle up. Even standing on the tube steps, where my balance would be off, I had to hold onto the roof rack with one hand. This makes loading difficult. The bulky steel roof rack is very stout looking, but impractical (just makes the loading height taller) and loans itself to the XTerra's "Poor" rollover rating. On vehicles with moon roofs, the loading basket stops the moon roof from opening.
o Loading Rear Seat: The XTerra uses stadium seating, so the back seat is up a few inches higher. The seats are also angled like Liberty, but not as much. The higher body makes it the hardest to put objects in the back seat; combined with the angled seats it was the most difficult to load the baby. The lower angle and cloth seats meant the baby didn't face-plant; the baby seat stayed in place (another item I never thought I'd have to check).

Ergo: Dash controls were simple and easy to understand. Just slightly clunky; not bad at all. Everything was reachable. Overall pretty good. Front and rear seats were both comfortable. The XTerra uses the same "angle the seat for more leg room" trick as the Liberty, but not as bad. Decent legroom; it was a little tighter than the Rodeo, but roomier than the Jeep. Then there's the stadium seating. I learned this means that instead seeing the backrest in front of you (where you can lean over and see the whole road), you instead see the back of the head of the person in front of you (and leaning over lets you see a sliver of the road. If 10-and-under kids do the driving and the parents sit in the back, it does work a little better. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Dealers hype it, but I think it's overrated and the tradeoff is a higher CG and a rating of "Poor" on rollover tests.

General Look: It's love it or hate it. With the funky rear window, the fake bump for the first aid kit, and the stepped shape, it's different. I really like with the brighter colors (bright red, blue, or yellow), but it looks strange with the basket off. Boring colors (beige, etc) make it look bad. The dash on the "regular" version was not near as nice as the luxury Liberty, but was good to look at/use, with a little bit of trim to avoid the all-bland-plastic look. Good job there balancing looks at a low cost.
___________The Dash:


Engine/Transmission/Brakes: Nissan generally makes great car engines. Which is why the XTerra is a big disappointment. My nephew kept talking how he liked it because it was the most powerful out of the vehicles, which I found hard to believe based off it's vehicle size and the engine power. (143 HP 4-cyc, 180 HP v6, or 210 supercharged v6). 180 is pretty much the standard. Going up the same hill (as the 205/250HP Rodeo or 210HP of the Jeep), the 180 HP XTerra had to work it's way up to speed. By far the slowest/worst power-to-weight ratio. Then my nephew made it all clear: "You hear how powerful that is?" A-ha. The noisy exhaust and loud engine/transmission made him think it was powerful...which is probably what they wanted you to think. This big, high-wind-cross section, flat-back suction-generating beast needs the 210 HP engine as a minimum model, but that involves a supercharger (lower gas mileage) and premium fuel (expensive in Phoenix). I rated this area very bad. This was also the only engine to use cap/rotor and wires technology instead of distributorless.

The transmission shifted fine and the brakes had the best feel--a little play, but not much. (Like the three bears--one was too soft, one was to hard, the XTerra brakes were just right.)

Driving: OK visibility; a bit of a blind spot when looking over the shoulder due to the back pillar sticking into the cabin. The best on-street city street driving. It handled very well, like a car, at slow speed and on the highway. We turned the wheel back and forth while driving down the highway (more than you do to change lanes) and it was very solid--it's the tallest, most top-heavy vehicle (by rollover tests) and it had no sway.

Nissan lists the XTerra as having a smaller turning radius than the Liberty. We took it to the same street and tested it. Remember, the Jeep did donuts with room to spare, the Rodeo just barely looped around. The Xterra didn't even come close. We tried several times and could not even do a 180 in the street without running into the opposite curb. I think they need to re-check their numbers.

Here's where the tight suspension hurts it: "Turn and bump" (hitting a bump while turning at 30 mph) gave a front end jolt and a back-end sideways jump of a couple inches. We went over speed bumps and it bounces you. When we took the angled driveway bumps, the XTerra throws you around the cabin. The baby thought it was fun, but the adults in back were tossed against seatbelts and didn't like it at all.

Noise: This had only moderate noise. Not a lot of wind or road noise, but the engine/exhaust noise could be quieter. Overall quieter than the jeep, noisier than the Rodeo.
Notes My guess is they sell this as rugged looking, but realize it's going to driven (and especially test-driven) on-road. They also didn't want any sway (rollover was "poor," they were worried about "unacceptable"). So they built it super-stiff, maximizing the on-road driving you'll get to do for the test drive. Plus, on-road is what 98% of people will every do, and of the remaining 2% that do take XTerra's off-pavement, it will only be slow speeds on graded dirt. Despite an engine that's weaker than it's competitors, it sounds powerful, which will confuse people who don't load-test it. And they distract you by yammering on about stadium seating. It was a good vehicle overall, but also a good example of why "real world" tests need to be performed.

2005 Update
For the 2005 model year, Nissan significantly redesigned the XTerra and it's now based off their Titan/Armada platform. Take the Armada and put a goofy roof rack on it, and you have the XTerra. They fixed the low-power by putting in a 4.0 liter, 265 HP engine which I haven't seen, but assume they've gone distrubtorless/coil on plug like everyone else. The vehicle is bigger outside in every direction, but inside space is essentially unchanged. I don't know if they fixed the rear seat fold-down problem. They lowered ground clearance from 10.3 to "8.5 to 9.5 inches," presumably to help with the low rollover rating score (worse in class, nearly failed)

It comes with vehicle stability control (good), descent control (mostly gimmick, but OK), and a rear locker (very good), but the price for a base 4x4 model jumped past the "inexpensive 4x4" class. Still, it's a good deal if you need part time 4x4 (if you want lots of rock climbing out of the box, get a Jeep Rubicon). If they styled the XTerra like the Rodeo and gave you more inside space for the size, it would be a great deal. But as with *any* new vehicle or re-design, wait a year or two for them to work the bugs out.

The 2005 XTerra is an inch longer, about 2.5 inches wider, and 8.5 inches taller than the Rodeo. The 04 Rodeo has 8.4" of ground clearance to the XTerra's 8.3". The Rodeo has 81 ft^3 of storage, the XTerra has 63 ft^3.

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Bonus Reviews
=======================
2004 5-passenger Ascender
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Loading the rear was fine, seats were fine...all in all, a nice enough vehicle at first glance. We were more interested in the more powerful and more gas efficient engine in the Rodeo. One thing that was interesting (aka Why I Included this): when you fold the rear seat down, the two headrests swivel to the backside of the seatback. It prevents you from moving a large box all the way forward, but it saves you from having to pull the headrests.

Volvo XC90
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A Caucasian married couple I know (both engineers, no kids or house) bought one. She loved the cargo-area climate control for the dogs. (It has 3 zones; maybe 4 as I forget the back seat has a climate control). I just wanted to show my wife how nice it was, how many little touches it has (a stereo up front and two headphone stereos in back for each kid), take it for a little spin. (Volvo safety with side impact airbags, anti-lock/anti-rollover traction, etc.)

Dealer: A white man and a black woman walk into a Scottsdale Volvo dealership with a baby......Sounds sort of like a joke. While other couples were met at the door, we met the door. Opened it ourselves. Ignored. We were in the small showroom, surrounded by salespeople and were looking at a vehicle mere feet from their offices. Ignored. We were in the vehicle's back storage, we were in the front seats checking out options. Ignored. We were brushed by as salespeople rushed to other ...more visibly attractive to the client base... customers. We were under the hood. Ignored. Now I normally like being left alone while I look a vehicle over and ground-check it. But time for a test drive? Couldn't get anyone to help. All too busy. Nice and comfortable vehicle; not really meant for towing or off-road. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> (note: this is not meant to be indicative of Volvo or Scottsdale as a whole.)

lol, that was quite the post

So, are there any others you will be looking at? Any from the Ford family? Not that I want you to buy a ford, just love the thought out and nice written reviews

I would normally say go with the rodeo. Even with throwing out the Isuzu part, it seems to be the best fit. I have driven all three of those (short distances, customer vehicles) and I like the rodeo the most. I am biased, I admit. I like the xterra, but some things are well "overboard." For instance the roof rack that is almost useless...... Also, the "fake" first aid kit bump.... I also felt the xterra was underpowered with the 6 cylinder natural aspirated

I liked the liberty, but personally would look into a GC before a liberty. Of course, as you stated, cost is an issue (WHEN IS IT NOT?!0 so this is probably not a viable option....

Like I said before, I would go with the rodeo. I am not sure if it was still going on, but Isuzu was having a 500 dollar cash back for returned Isuzu owners.... Brand Loyalty

This is all personal opinion, which I am sure is biased, even though I did my best not too <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

My experience is somewhat limited with newer non-Isuzus, but I do like the truck-based Rodeo with that sexy DI motor. Getting free financing from Isuzu is also attractive... you might also consider roof-rack flexibility for all of your various strap-on hobbies <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" /> -- that alone would discount the Xterra, with its for-looks and otherwise-in-the-way fat-tube rack (gotta love how the moonroof and rack designers apparently must NEVER have talked to each other!). I think the Rodeo wins hand-down for USABLE interior space, even without a rack.

Miscellaneous thoughts:
* I was kind of surprised to see the Xterra so much in the lad for ground clearance -- do they measure differently than everyone else, or is that just a benefit of the larger stock tires?
* I suspect that your Rodeo headrests will wind up permanently uninstalled and stored in a box in the garage.
* I like black plastic on the inside for easy cleaning and repair -- a quick spritz with a protectant really dresses it up! I'm *NOT* a fan of fabric panels for the inverse reasons, and I'd almost rather have vinyl seats for similar reasons. Though perhaps in Arizona's direct sunlight, that might get *sizzle* a bit uncomfortable. If I had black plastic on the dash and black leather on the seats, I'd be in hog heaven. The only thing better might be my lovely wife in (small bits of) black leather beside me, but I digress. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rodent.gif" alt="" />
* That rear Dana 44 with disks is a nice axle by any measure, and is easy to upgrade when the time comes.
* White is a cool base color that you can customize if you want with subtle cues or custom stripes -- also easiest of all colors to match if you need to touch-up. Tends to hide small ripples, as well.
* I detest the huge clamshell hatches that have come into fashion. You damn near NEED an electric motor to swing that much glass, metal, and plastic -- tough to do with a bag of groceries in one arm. I much prefer the ambulance-style barn doors, but having a tailgate, flip-up window isn't a bad solution either. The 4-Runner's electric rear glass is awful nice, though I'm told it is a somewhat common point of failure.
* I did some backseat-time in a Liberty, and it SUCKED. No room for 6'1" me -- tight on my knees, tight on my hips, tight on my shoulders. On the flip side, when I finally elbowed the fellow out of the shotgun seat, that fit quite well.
* I gotta admit that the Nissan supercharger excites me, too bad that it is strapped atop such a lame motor. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> Could you imagine that blower on the Rodeo? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
* BTW, if you buy a Liberty or a Rodeo, I'll buy you a first-aid kit and even offer to hammer a 'bump' for it into the trailgate. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />
* A Nissan XT I was in rode completely differently with a small lift and larger tires... it was WAY better than stock IMHO, though ride compliance was provided at cost to body sway.

Kudos, BTW, for your consistent approach to testing, over the same road, with the same conditions. Most folks compare only loosely, and let their first impressions drive their purchase. I can't help but think that your approach will make you more confident in a lasting decision.

I'll freely admit that I'm a bit biased in favor of Isuzus, so take this all with the requisite grains of salt.

Randii

Wow, I've seen armored handwear thrown down before, but I've never heard one rattle down from so far away, with such precision. That gauntlet landed squarely in Jeff's driveway, and I just hope you spun it to the left so that it bounced into the lawn instead of onto the Cadillac. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

You know, at some point, Wayne, length becomes intimidating. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/evil.gif" alt="" />

Randii

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> Great write up! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Great reviews, Wayne, really interesting.

Oleg

We looked at the Subaru Baja. I had dismissed it a while ago due to the specs (small engine size). She thought it was cute....so we stopped. It is nice looking, but must continue to push functionality.

Land Rover is Ford.... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/coolg.gif" alt="" /> Ford Explorer 4-door, 4x4 was too big/thirsty compared to the vehicles above, Excursion more so.

Ford Escape Hybrid sounded neat and worth waiting for...until you see max tow is 1000 lbs.

The gasoline Escape was an option. I like the mileage it gets as well (20/25 in the front wheel drive model, couple less in 4wd, just like the Rodeo). Then you read some of the specs on their "No Limit" rugged package:
ò 4WD is extra. Just odd that it's not included in the "No Limit" off-road package.
ò Front and rear appearance skid plates. (Direct quote)
ò New unique cloth fabric. (Direct quote)
I also don't like the 66 cuft of storage (vs 81 in Rodeo) in the same size vehicle...and the Escape makes you store the rear bench in the back, like the XTerra. This takes it down to maybe 60 cuft, with two spare seat bottoms bouncing around.

G. Angle of Approach (degrees) 20.4 (To Rodeo's 32.5). Good luck getting over that rock or up that steep hill.
F. Angle of Departure (degrees) 27.2 (to Rodeo's 24...with low-hanging spare on. That goes in the back when 4x4ing!)

Escape is nice, but more in the RAV-4 class. The hybid version will be awesome as a mall-runner/grocery-getter. But not really for off-road.

I also liked the Dodge Durango. Neat look, lots of power, make for towing...and the gas mileage to prove it. Then in 2004 they went with the "Supersize" option and it looks like a mini-van. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/barf.gif" alt="" />

Trailblazer/Ascender also too big for what I need.

Nice work on the reviews.

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> I can't remember ever seeing a skid plate unless the vehicle was on a hoist or I was laying on the ground, so what's up with appearance skid plates?

The Escape is a unibody, isn't it? I would stick with the body on frame vehicles.

Before I bought my 2-door Tahoe I went and sat in a Liberty and a Grand Cherokee...the Liberty had way more headroom than the GC (I guess at 5'7" you might not find that an issue), the GC wasn't even an option for me. Same for Xterra. Same for a Rodeo for that matter, heck my ex-Trooper was only adequate in that regard, had to get one without a moonroof to fit. Hard to imagine, but I am 6'3" and long torso to boot. Hence the Tahoe (which, BTW, got 20 mpg coming back from Missouri on Monday...love a good tailwind!).

Re: Appearance Skid Plates
XTerras have plastic fake skid plates, too. For serious off-roading, METAL skid plates obviously the underbody "catchy bits" as you approach (so you don't stop) and depart (so you don't get stuck with a 4" stump catching your bumper).

Appearance skid plates are plastic bits that make it look like you can off-road seriously, but will actually just hang low so they can be seen, then rip off on the first hard object the meet. They're in the same class as brush guards for tail lights....for people who only drive forward on highways.

Re: Head Clearance I've heard the best head clearance has been in the shortest vehicle: Subaru Forester. Apparently it's a dirty little secret in the "tall people" Bulletin Boards. (See "Baja Engine" as to why I didnÆt look closer at one of these...good when turbocharged, not good for towing.) VolvoÆs also have great headroom for tall people as my friends are 6Æ3" and 6Æ7"

Thanks for the compliments. If I could drive as well as I review....

Most. Blatant. Double-entendre. Ever.
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