You know the kinds of ads I’m talking about: A young couple, dressed in the best combination of Macy’s sweaters and REI jackets pulls through a perfect scene of small towns and perfect autumn foliage towards the small house that one set of parents lives at in the SUV of the moment. They will all get out, laugh and greet each other, and while the kids play with the dog the adults will sit outside in the perfectly raked backyard and admire the scenery. BLEEEECCH. There is so much sap to that picture that you could boil it down for syrup.
Fall is about getting out and enjoying the useable and cooler weather before Mother Nature shows you just how evil she can be. The only thing that we can agree with the ad agencies on is that the sports-utility vehicle is a great choice, but as to which one, we disagree. No CR-V, or RAV4, or even Chevrolet Traverse is going to cut it. You need a real SUV, a legitimate truck-based station wagon, one that genuinely has the ability to go off road and can be used as a truck yet is comfortable enough that driving up from “the big city” isn’t a punishment. Snow? No problem. Dirt roads? Unnoticeable and/or no issue. No road? No problem. These are useable and aren’t so prohibitively expensive that you would be afraid to use them right off of the bat.
Here’s our picks. Don’t agree? Let us know below!
11. First-generation Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer edition
An Explorer looks better the further back you go, and it’s hard to deny that in hindsight, the original boxy versions have aged well. At one point in time you could pick up a rock and throw it through the window of a green and tan Eddie Bauer edition like the one McTaggart owned a few years back. Luckily, with millions upon millions of these things still available, parts are cheap, they are reasonably easy to wrench on and look great with a minor altitude adjustment. Besides, we all know you wanted a Jurassic Park Explorer when you saw the movie.
10. 1990-94 Chevy S-10 Blazer/GMC Jimmy/Oldsmobile Bravada
Another popular 1990’s box, these four-doors were a great rival for the Explorer, even if they were already long in the tooth. The later trucks had the 4.3/auto powertrain, the Bravada had all-wheel drive, and they aged very well. Sure, the paint quality might have been well below par and the body cladding was starting to appear, but compared to the 1994 trucks, these were just a damn sight better.
9. Dodge Ramcharger/Plymouth Trail Duster
Ok, these aren’t so much about comfort. But what the big Mopar SUV’s lack there they make up for with a drivetrain that will handle whatever the hell you can throw at it. Add in traditionally handsome looks and a good color and it wouldn’t look the least bit out of place in front of the cabin. In fact, it’d look perfect.
8. 1978-1996 Ford Bronco
Photo: CarDomain.com/JetBlackBronco
Pretty much everything that can be said for the Ramcharger goes for the Bronco as well. Just like the Dodge, the Ford got comfy as the 1980’s moved along and by the 1990’s they were just as nice to ride in down a dirt road as they were to run a trail with. Only problem with a Bronco is that sooner or later you’ll hear an O.J. Simpson joke.
7. Toyota Land Cruiser
The Land Cruiser had always been well-known for it’s off-road reputation, but when the J80 ‘Cruiser was introduced in 1990, it showed that the big Toyota could still be an off-roading champ while holding a family in comfort. The straight-sixes used for power are torquey and options such as locking differentials allowed the J80 to play with the best in the rougher stuff. But cleaned up and cruising through the forests, and it becomes everything you want in a Camry…with four-wheel-drive.
6. Jeep Cherokee (XJ)
Sure, it’s not uber-comfortable compared to some of the others, but a good XJ Cherokee is a great SUV. 4.0L inline six, manual and automatic transmissions, excellent off-road chops and decent enough road manners, this has been the benchmark for a small off-roader for decades.
5. Jeep Grand Cherokee (ZJ)
The low engine was the 4.0L inline six, and you could get a 360ci V8 in it. The Orvis edition was like an upscale Eddie Bauer edition…what was it with forest green and creme/tan interiors in 1996?
4. 1992-1999 GM Fullsize SUVs (GMT400)
You want two doors? Sure. Four doors? Done. Need more space? Suburban. It’s very hard to find fault with this series of GM trucks. Ok, the plastic interior was bad, but the seats were great, and if they were leather, all the better.
3. 1973-91 GM SUVs
If you can’t make any of these C/K wagons work for you, you aren’t trying hard enough. They’ve become classics for a very good reason. These things are so plug-and-play easy that even a kid can do it. From cheap and rusty all the way up to the conversion-van overkill, there’s a C/K just right for you.
2. Land Rover Range Rover
Land Rover has never had a problem showing what it’s Range Rover lineup can do…be it rock crawling, fording, or giving the owner a sense of entitlement by wealth that irritates others. Perfect for viewing the vibrant foliage. And yes, I know that’s the brand new and frighteningly expensive Range Rover. ANY of them will do, so look in the classifieds.
1. Jeep Grand Wagonneer (SJ)
The SJ platform dates back to 1963 and was produced until 1991. Between those two dates the platform outlived Willys-Overland, Kaiser Jeep, and AMC with little to no change. That pedigree, combined with it’s “going out on top” Grand Wagoneer model, solidifies it’s place on this list. It looks great and aged well. The power trains are durable. The suspension will take most anything you’re willing to put one through, and the interiors, especially of the later models, was as luxurious as you could want. There are plenty of good choices, but the SJ takes the cake.
Good list – I assume it’s in no particular order though 🙂
Own a first gen Explorer and last gen Bronco, great trucks. 2-door SUVs are where it’s at.
That pictured SJ is very nice. I imagine someone put a lot of care into either keeping it looking nice, or restoring it.
Plus it reminds me of What About Bob.
Absolutely agree with the Grand Wagoneer. The most bad-ass old rigs, hands-down.
If you own a Grand Wagoneer, check out the rear frame rail over before the axle. Because they mounted the steel skid plate flush with the frame they trap water and rust through. The skid plate is the only thing holding the rail together. A company in RI makes a weld on fix. Been there, done that.
Come to think of it, there’s an older rust-red SJ parked along the street that I see on my weekend jogs. I feel bad for it since it never goes anywhere and has no front drive shaft. If I weren’t already up to my eyeballs in projects, I’d probably see if the owner wants to sell.
Awesome list. If they were in order I’d put the FSJ first, ramcharger second, and the bronco third. All of those are rock-solid for road and trail. Odds are the ramcharger would accept the most outlandish abuse without much complaint.
I’d say the Isuzu Trooper II belongs on that list as well.
What about an AMC eagle? Your choice of sedan or wagon or hatchback.
late 80s to early 90s 4-Runner? Early 90s Isuzu Rodeo or its Honda clone are worthy of consideration. I never much liked the Trooper, but it’d be in consideration for the list. I think the early Pathfinders were body-on-frame, too. Gotta go thumbs down on the Range Rover — unless you’re talking 60s or 70s vintage — but then you’re also talking “legendary British reliability…”
I dunno i dont remember seing a K5 on there. I can say s series were horible hence a great many of bad chapters and wasted blood from wrenching on them. And other than a yoda and rover most of them are worse than gas milages of the rams expesilalli issu
What about an international scout??
Truly when someone doesn’t know after that its up to other viewers that they will
assist, so here it takes place.