Off roadable SUVs a dying breed?
 

It's funny how the SUV market has transformed in the past decade. 10 years ago, most parking lot warriors were steel framed, low range and rear locker fitted that looked as mean as it is capable.

Seems like those days are gone with Jeep WK, Infiniti FX, Nissan Pathfinder all becoming city-based CUVs. Seems like only rubicon wranglers and 4runners be the only options left in the new vehicle market.

What do you guys plan to do when shopping for 4x4's in the future?

its all about the money.

if you narrow you customer base to just off road enthusiasts you're going to have a bad time financially

http://static2.fjcdn.com/comments/if...1e45425fe6.png

Ram runner, svt raptor, Toyota Land cruiser/Lexus equivalent, wrangler, range rover, g wagen..there will always be off road capable offerings on the market alongside crossovers.

you forgot xterras.

ive driven my fair share of off-road vehicles, and i thought they were the best.

Off roaders = bad gas mileage

We need more diesel trucks!

No, we need more diesel options without the epa crap on them.
Posted via RS Mobile

What will eventually replace the 4Runner will be a new Tacoma or an old 60/80 series. Or potentially if they brought a diesel Crosstrek to Canada, I'd buy that and DD/camp that and get a CJ2a.

Not always.

I heard it was just the Hybrid that was going to be released here. I would absolutely buy a brand new Tacoma Access Cab Off-Road way before anything else. Those things are just awesome in the bush even bone stock with good AT tires.

LOL WUT?

The FX was always a city based car, infiniti never advertised you should take a $60000 SUV built on a 350Z chassis and take it rock crawling.

There are choices for those who want to go off-roading, but they are always going to be more limited than the choices for people who don't care about off-roading. This is simply due to demand, the vast majority of cars never see the 4x4'ing trails; therefore, why spend all that money developing a car for a niche market?

As others have stated, between the myriad of pickups you can buy, there is also the xterra, 4runner, range rover, G wagen, wrangler, etc,

Yeah unfortunately. North America gets the no power 45mpg hybrid while the rest of the world gets the powerful diesel 40mpg XV. We get the shaft again. Toyota makes me angry because I can't get a double cab TRD OR here but can in the states. The vast majority sold down there are DC's. Frustrating. Oh well, if I settle for a few years old I'll just import a DC TRD OR.

Range Rovers and G-Wagens (and Porsche Cayennes) are luxury SUVs, not off-road vehicles. Land Rovers heritage is off-road and the G-Wagen is produced in very specific off-road variants (ie. military spec), however, only a negatable percentage of typical contemporary examples will see even an FSR road, much less true off-roading. The demographic they appeal to does not drive off-road. They're also too delicate and expensive to beat up off-road unless you have money to burn on repairs.

OP didnt specify affordability as one of the criterion, he only stated 4x4 capable SUV.:troll:

http://xdrevolver.com/gallery/revolv...fj_cruiser.jpg
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog....efjcruiser.jpg
http://www.purefjcruiser.com/images/...ser-bumper.jpg
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...0058_large.jpg

RRs and G Wagens are luxury vehicles AND off-road capable. Just because the vast majority of people that buy them will never take them off road doesn't mean they don't have the capability to do so. The new RR is one of the very best off-road vehicles on the market right now. LR put a huge amount of resources into making it that way.

By your logic Ferrari 458s aren't sports cars because most of the people that buy them will never take them around a track.

I thought Range Rovers have terrible reliability though

i'd like to keep my current 4runner for 25 years then go with a taco, or land cruiser.

if they've stopped producing body on frame suv's ill build an off road truck or do a major overhaul on my 4runner.

RR only looks good on paper and on Top Gear. A wrangler rubicon can easily put that 'very-best off-road vehicle' to shame.

Aluminum unibody frame, no suspension articulation, no lockers. Computers are no substitute for actual mechanical hardware. RR's excuse for no lockers is that it has a braking system that does that, like my 11 year old Merc :fuckthatshit:

It isn't the most capable off-road vehicle on the market, but it's up there. It's more than enough for most people unless you intend on taking it rock crawling, which no stock production vehicle will be capable of anyway..

The real question is what we consider off-road to be and how hardcore it is. Is it rock crawling? Hill climbing? River fording? FSR's? Or just anything that requires a modicum of ground clearance?

I've taken my old Oldsmobile Alero in and out of a off-road trail where an H2 ahead of us got stuck and had to be pulled out by a pair of ATV's. Sure, an H2 isn't a good off-roader, but it's got two more wheels being driven compared to the Alero, and far better ground clearance.

As much as I hate to say it, there are very few potential customers out there looking for a true off-road SUV/truck. Those that are wanting one tend to look for something older that's more reasonably priced, they don't mind getting dents and scratches on, is cheap to repair, and has good aftermarket support.

And gas mileage is usually terrible. My Pathfinder is brutal, and the Blazer makes me bash my head against the pump every time I filled it up. There needs to be more diesel options. :(

jeep wrangler rubicon trim will handle itself decently rock crawling in stock config. the 4runner trail edition and fj trail teams will also do decently rock crawling with a few bumps here and there.

I hear ya. I don't like the dinky little box they have though. I would make the interior cabin space sacrifice and get the Access Cab just to have a normal sized bed.