Three for the Road: Off-roaders
September 25, 2006 - By John LeBlanc

Tired of so-called sports-utility-vehicles that are nothing more than tall station wagons with faux aluminium plastic cladding posing as skid plates? Weary of blandly styled cute-utes that pretend to be all Swiss Army-like in their sales pitches’: It’s an SUV! It’s a sports car!; It’s a minivan! Soccer-moms, cover your eyes, because here are three in-yer-face, honest-to-gawd, 4X4 off-roaders. A trio of hard-core, truck-based mid-size SUVs that aren’t afraid of getting their Wellies wet or crawling over the occasional boulder. Nonetheless, this is straight-six.com, after all, so what are these three rock-hoppers like to drive in the environment that most owners will travel on: the paved road?:

THIRD PLACE: 2006 Hummer H3 1SA The littlest Hummer is based on the antediluvian mechanicals of the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon pickups. The H3’s cabin has nicer details and finishes than the Nissan, and when its time to turn the steering wheel, there’s a surprising amount of feel. However, if you like excessive nose dive under braking, woolly handling, relentless body roll while cornering, and what seems like unlimited understeer, the H3 comes standard with all of the above. Drive the H3 like a real car, and you better get use to the blinking stability control light. Although not as bad as the Toyota, the Hummer’s chopped-top, quasi-military styling limits visibility, and the front seats force residents to squat. Hummer wannabes are flocking to the H3 because of its (relatively) superior gas mileage; unfortunately, the result of not enough cojones under the hood. When was the last time you drove a $40,000 vehicle that took over ten seconds to get up to highway speeds?



SOCCER-MOM ALTERNATIVE 2006 Chevrolet Equinox LS AWD $28,770 BOTTOM LINE The heaviest, least powerful, poorest handling and most expensive off-roader here. Except for excellent feedback at the helm and a nice cockpit, the H3 is best left in the woods, or wait for the ’07 H3 with 22 additional ponies.

SECOND PLACE: 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser/Package B Essentially a $10 grand cheaper two-door 4Runner, the FJ’s 4.0-litre V6 has less power than the Xterra’s similarly configured mill. But it also weighs less, so performance is comparable, both reaching 100 kilometres per hour from rest in around eight seconds. Of this trio, the Toyota’s cockpit is the best screwed together, but the interior’s strongest first impression is the view—or lack thereof. The massive Rolls-Royce Phantom-like C-pillar means those elephant-ear side rear-view mirrors will become your friends—fast!—making the optional B package with its back-up sensor a must. Of this group, the Toyota’s steering is quite numb. And the lack of on-centre feel requires constant corrections at highway speeds. However, like the donor 4Runner’s chassis, the FJ literally cruises at highway speeds with a nice, refined ride. But it ain’t no Celica GTS when the road turns, mainly due to an invasive stability control system that equals plenty of ploughing in turns.



SOCCER-MOM ALTERNATIVE 2006 Toyota RAV4 $29,300 BOTTOM LINE Competitive pricing with the nicest interior, the FJ rivals the Xterra in straight-line performance. But being able to see only what’s in front of you is a real driving concern.

FIRST PLACE: 2006 Nissan Xterra Off-road In spite of the generous ground clearance and balloon tires, Nissan’s off-roader still has a comfortable ride. Halfway between the excellent H3 and the mediocre FJ, the Xterra’s steering is just fine. But the big difference is the predictability of its handling. Even on twisty two lanes, the Xterra always felt planted and balanced, never feeling tipsy like the other two. There are plenty of rough plastic surfaces inside the Xterra’s cockpit, but the driving position is bang on, with the biggest advantage being excellent visibility. None of that hat-pulled-down feeling you get in the Hummer or Toyota. Just as fast as the FJ in acceleration, the Xterra is the least compromising of this trio when it comes to everyday driving.



SOCCER-MOM ALTERNATIVE 2006 Nissan X-Trail XE AWD $27,648 BOTTOM LINE It doesn’t have the extroverted looks of the Hummer or Toyota, but Nissan gives you plenty of on-road performance and handling in a vehicle that can still play in the mud on the weekends.

- John LeBlanc, Publisher, www.straight-six.com


THIRD PLACE: 2006 Hummer H3 1SA
ENGINE 3.5 L inline-five
POWER 220 @ 5,600 rpm; 225 @ 2800rpm
TRANSMISSION 5-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT 2,132 kgs
FUEL ECONOMY L/100 km 15.6 city, 10.9 hwy
BASE PRICE $39,995

SECOND PLACE: 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser/Package B
ENGINE 4.0 L vee-six
POWER 239 @ 5,200 rpm; 278 @ 3,800 rpm
TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT 1,946 kg
FUEL ECONOMY L/100 km 14.5 city, 11.2 hwy
BASE PRICE $33,440

FIRST PLACE: 2006 Nissan Xterra Off-road
ENGINE 4.0 L vee-six
POWER 265 HP @ 5600 rpm; 84 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT 1,969 kgs
FUEL ECONOMY L/100 km 14.0 city, 10.0 hwy
BASE PRICE $35,948

© National Post 2006. This article originally appeared in The National Post's Driving.