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How To Shop for a Sport-Utility Vehicle
Early-generation SUVs left their drivers little doubt that they were operating a truck, not a car.
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Business New Haven
11/22/1999
By: Michael C. Bingham
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Five years ago it seemed as though every red-meat-eating American male (and not a few American females) just couldn't wait to get their mitts on a big, over-powered, turf-busting 4X4 sport utility vehicle (SUV), an industry category whose very name hadn't even been invented even five years before that.
And in fact, hundreds of thousands did just that, elevating the sport ute from fad to fixture of the U.S. auto pantheon. They're here to stay for a reason - and that reason probably has as much to do with "utility" as it does with "sport."
Problem is, virtually every auto maker has jumped into the fray, driving the number of domestically available SUVs to more than 30 and creating greater complexity and confusion for buyers than existed when the sport ute stable numbered a neat half-dozen.
The first and most obvious question the potential SUV buyer needs to ask is: How much to pay? This model year's SUVs range from an MSRP of just over $18,000 all the way up to more than $66,000. Bear in mind that bigger almost always means more expensive. So if you require a larger vehicle, it may make sense to consider a previously-owned truck.
Next, be honest with yourself about how you will really use the vehicle (as opposed to how you are already using it in your mind's eye, blasting through Rocky Mountain snowdrifts or snaking through the blazing Serengeti):
• As a people hauler, occasionally transporting six or more passengers
• As a sport vehicle for weekend trips and off-road adventures (see parentheses above)
• As a cargo hauler for regular trips to the garden center, lumber yard, etc.
• To tow a trailer on a regular basis
• As your regular personal vehicle for day-to-day use
• All of the above
Most SUVs are purchased for their all-terrain, all-weather capabilities. Four-wheel drive transmits engine power to all wheels simultaneous. Distributing the force of acceleration to all wheels and optimizing grip. While a two-wheel-drive SUV may seem like an oxymoron, there are some buyers who may live in the Sunbelt, or merely need a fair-weather, on-pavement tow vehicle, and prefer the fuel economy of two-wheel drive.
The rest must then sort out the four different categories of 4WD:
• "Part-time" 4WD, which gives the driver the choice of when to drive around in two-wheel drive and when to engage the 4WD. It is less costly to build (and therefore to buy) than the following 4WD options. But because part-time 4WD has no center differential between the front and rear axles, you lock the front and rear wheels together - great for straight-ahead traction, but very difficult to steer around a corner on all but the most slippery pavement.
• "Full-time" 4WD really isn't, because it offers a two-wheel-drive mode for summertime or dry-road driving, an "automatic 4WD" mode for changing conditions plus 4WD high and 4WD low mode for really tough going. Many drivers like the convenience of auto 4WD, which reacts to changing road conditions.
• "Permanent" 4WD is similar to "full-time" 4WD, but it has no two-wheel-drive mode. The vehicle is always in 4WD, so you never have to determine whether conditions are more appropriate for 2WD or 4WD. Nearly all available permanent 4WD vehicles do not offer an alternate drive system.
• Finally, "all-wheel drive" is a 4WD system used by some manufacturers on certain passenger cars and light-duty SUVs. Think of it as permanent 4WD without a two-speed transfer gearbox. Totally automatic and always in 4WD mode, it's fine if your idea of off-roading is a smooth dirt road. But for serious rock climbing or towing in mud and snow, a two-speed transfer gearbox can be a necessity.
Nearly all SUVs look long, tall and roomy from the outside. But carefully examine the interior and cargo area of each candidate, keeping in mind your real needs: Some have more leg-room for rear-seat passengers, while others are engineered for ample cargo space. It's hard to have both.
Finally (like, duh), how does it drive? Early-generation SUVs left their drivers little doubt that they were operating a truck, not a car. That's no longer the case. Here, suspension specifications and tire selection are the most important factors. Some models offer options for both, others do not. Be sure the vehicle you test-drive has the same tires as the vehicle you intend to buy.
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