| Bronco |
| Love our landrover discovery. It can do this and you can raise it up for deeper water crossings |
oh noooo... those scream low class |
And, this whole thread doesn't? |
Oh no then I better sell my land to a developer so they can make mcmansions! That would be very UMC |
Not really. I don't see Landcrusier low class thing. |
If OP is fording rivers, they will need a snorkle. It's not a "want." |
| Land Rover Discovery is very popular in my mountain town, as is Subaru Outback and Toyota 4Runner. |
OP wants to ford a stream that can be up to 2 feet deep. Would you do that in your forester? |
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Lexus LX. Seriously. Heir to the Land Cruiser. Crawl control. Locking differential. Or just get a late model Land Cruiser.
The GX is smaller and based on the 4Runner. It’s no less competent off-road. I’ve even driven an X5 with air suspension at the BMW performance center. Impressive AWD system. No issues with fording, or apposrch and departure angles. Skid plates. Over 10” clearance. And Subaru Outback Overland with XMode likely to hit a sweet spot. A retired military friend bought one for overlanding. Is towing a consideration? |
Yes I'd love to be able to tow 2500-3500 |
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Two feet of moving water is no joke. It will float most SUVs. And it’s not for the inexperienced or faint of heart if the force of the water starts to move your vehicle downstream.
I you’re most realistically into the territory of a off-road rig like a TRD 4Runner/Sequoia/Land Cruiser or Bronco. A LR Defender or Disvovery Sport with air suspension is also something to look at. The last thing you need is to hydrolock your engine so bear in mind that a rated wading depth is for static water. And a snorkel shouldn’t be off the table depending on your needs. The Bronco Everglades fits this niche. Unless traveling with a more capable rig, I wouldn’t attempt this type of fording (deeper than 14-16”) without at least a remotely operated demountable electric winch. And although modern AWD tech is marvelous, you almost certainly want locking differentials and off-road tires. Finally, ask yourself whether you want to subject a brand new vehicle to this type of use, with the understanding there aren’t many deals to be found on a used late model vehicle right now. |
Should not be an issue unless you’re thinking you’ll be pulling that through two feet of water. Almost everything in this category will come with a basic prewired tow package. |
This is good advice. Definitely consider a snorkel and a winch. They can be a PITA with re: to maintenance, but for these requirements, if I didn’t want a Jeep, I’d get an older Land Rover (Discovery or LR4) or an older Toyota Land Cruiser and put on a snorkel and a winch. If you don’t mind beating up an expensive car, new Land Rovers are underrated as trail vehicles. If you don’t need a shorter wheel base and you want towing capacity, a new 4WD truck is another option. More ground clearance and the new club cabs are huge and would accommodate the kids and dogs. My DH traded his old Land Rover (that finally just died) for a Ram, and he loves it. |
| You might also want to verify if the vehicle is equipped with a brake controller on a smaller wheelbase SUV if towing more than 2500 lbs. |