What's the best SUV option

[obi_waynne]

If you were needing to buy a family car with some off road capabilities which car would you choose?

Of all the SUV's on the market which ones are the winners and which ones would you avoid like the plague?

QashNCarry CX-5 RAV4 Evoke Q3 the list goes on they are all doing it now....

 

[stamford]

Some don't even have 4wd so why have them? Hard for me to comment as only prefer the real thing, others are just a poor copy and more an image thing. Evoque........never understood the point in that apart from the badge and wanting a Range Rover for Freelander money. Fugly thing and looks like a 70s roofchop gone wrong.

Determining the family car with offroad capabilities, would this be for seating 5 in comfort, room for the dogs and shopping plus holidays? Most have zero hatch room. I would rather look at spending my money on an allroad or similar with a decent estate type load.

 

[T9 man]

A tough call this one, do you go for tried and tested British toughness like the Range Rover or look for something smaller and more exotic? Should the choice ever have to be made by myself, I fear it will take a very long time as the choices available are just bewildering.

 

[HDi fun]

Volvo XC something or other??

 

[stamford]

A tough call this one, do you go for tried and tested British toughness like the Range Rover or look for something smaller and more exotic? Should the choice ever have to be made by myself, I fear it will take a very long time as the choices available are just bewildering.

Spot on, I did the exact same thing and drew up a shortlist of those we liked, those that could take three large dogs in comfort, could tow a 25' van, be nice to drive and decent enough in winter as the 70 mile a day commute has been interesting in recent winters and not too hard on the pocket. The list got very small very quickly! As I already had a Discovery 2 I was somewhat swayed to LR. My list ended up with a Discovery 2 facelift (old but still decent although slow) Discovery 3 (still old depending on budget but more modern) or the Jeep Grand Cherokee. I did consider the Nissan Pathfinder but was disappointed with the interior, so bland. Also looked at the Shogun, engine not as nice and didn't really float my boat. Ended up with what I wanted since day one, the Disco 3. I wanted a RR Sport but too small in the rear for the dogs and stuff and a bit footballer's wives for me!

It is a tough choice, so many types out there for various needs.

 

[davalav]

My girlfriends Dad has a 2012 Range Rover Westminster, Autobiography version. Very comfy, boot space is MASSIVE and a fully capable off road warrior.

 

[RobBentley]

I have to say, I loved every minute of my Range Rover Sport. Drove amazingly well on the road for a 2.7 tonne monster, the V8 diesel thumped like an american muscle car V8 on full boost and it survived a pay and play off road course with me at the wheel... a complete off-road driving novice.

Not sure I would go as far to say its the best SUV option though. Typically Land Rover it proved electrically challenged sometimes. Things would often cease to work for no reason, and then work again when you turned the car off and back on again. Land Rover never managed to fix any of that under warranty - and i've tuned enough of them to know other owners suffer the same weird gremlins. Secondly tyres and brakes where expensive and wore out quite frequently!

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

My BIL had a Disco and it would sometimes suddenly stop when driving down the highway no lights or ignition or power steering and after a few minutes it would start again. Was eventually tracked down to a short where the harness came thru the firewall.

 

[Yugguy]

Family car with good off-road?

Subaru Outback diesel, or Legacy estate diesel.

Unlike most SUVs it will actually be able to go offroad.

 

[obi_waynne]

I was in a land rover the other day and was pleasantly surprised by it. They make great family cars.

 

[stamford]

I love my Discovery 3, would have another in a heartbeat. Even the local dealer is superb, Guy Salmon, I received a recall for a towbar inspection. Seems the LR towbar was suspect and indeed it failed and was replaced with a brand new one FOC, even got a full valet and was looked after in the waiting area. A retired chap I was speaking to does a 100 mile round trip because the service is excellent.