C&D Comparo: Explorer vs Grand Cher. vs Montero vs Pathfinder vs 4Runner vs Touareg
03-23-2005, 12:33 PM
#1
Moderator Alumnus
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Washington DC (NOVA)
Age: 52
Posts: 16,399
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes
on
8 Posts
C&D Comparo: Explorer vs Grand Cher. vs Montero vs Pathfinder vs 4Runner vs Touareg
Rock-Climbing SUVs, Size M - - We've got four-wheel drive, and we're not afraid to use it. - - BY PATRICK BEDARD - - Source: www.caranddriver.com
April 2005
Mother Nature started her landscaping for this comparison test 275 million years ago, when she washed a bunch of quartz sand with rusty water until the grains took on a pretty red hue and then cemented them together to form sandstone bedrock. Over the ages since, she hoisted this one-time sand pile upward by 4600 feet and set about sculpting it into a lofty lump that today's residents of Sedona, Arizona, call Chicken Point.
Not that most of them get to see this particular sample of her handiwork. Mother hid it well behind a spellbinding array of other rocks, all of which seem to have more appealing names.
Chicken Point is hidden but not forbidden. There's a trail—Broken Arrow—barely wide enough for one vehicle over most of its 2.1-mile length. Thrill-seeking visitors buy a ride in the Jeeps of a local tour company. But if you have a 4x4 and are willing to risk ripping the bottom out of it, you can attempt the journey yourself.
Hmm. Could we urge a six-pack of grocery getters up to Chicken Point without leaving 5W-20 slicks from savaged oil pans or embarrassing ourselves with a call for helicopter evacuation? Only one way to find out.
Exactly which SUVs? First, the all-important qualifier: The vehicles must have low and high ranges. Broken Arrow is a slow-speed trek demanding plenty of ground clearance and driver expertise.
The spring season has two all-new mainstreamer SUVs: the Jeep Grand Cherokee, now with Hemi power, and a Nissan Pathfinder built on Titan bones. Both have the climber's swagger.
Featured in This Comparo
Ford Explorer XLT V-8
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4WD 5.7L
Mitsubishi Montero Limited
Nissan Pathfinder SE Off-Road
Toyota 4Runner 4WD Sport Edition
Volkswagen Touareg V-6
Toyota's athletic 4Runner is certainly right for the mission. The optional V-8 won't go breathless on us at altitude. The Mitsubishi Montero has intriguing off-road capability, too, including the ability to be shifted from rear drive to all-wheel drive on the fly at speeds up to 62 mph.
From VW, the agile Touareg might be pulled down to popular prices if we stay with the standard 237-hp, 3.2-liter V-6. We're aiming for a base sticker in the $35,000-to-$40,000 range.
What about the most ubiquitous SUV ever, 14 years as an American bestseller: the Ford Explorer? With two-wheel drive, it's as common as dandelions. Instead, we'll opt for AdvanceTrac full-time all-wheel drive and Roll Stability Control. The price? Uh, a blur of incentives lets you buy an Explorer right. And if these rebates were as predictable as, say, lunar cycles, we could pull them into our as-tested calculation. They aren't. We can't. Let's just say we welcome Mommy's favorite ballet bus to the climb, and if it can do a demi-plié on Chicken Point, there'll be high-fives in PTA meetings across the land.
At the risk of getting all Lewis-and-Clark on you, we hired a geologist to accompany us. Inquiring minds want to know why the rocks of Sedona are red, and why does that redness stop just beyond the edge of town?
Geologist Wayne Ranney explains rocks as if he had baked them himself. He helped us see that the red is really just a stack of layers about 1400 feet thick, situated partway up a much taller cliff. Look northeast of Sedona: The high ground is tan. Those lighter-colored layers above the red start about a mile above sea level; they covered Sedona thousands of years ago. Blame erosion? You could, or you could enjoy the carvings it leaves behind. From two fixed points just south of town—they happen to be old volcanoes—Ranney has calculated that Sedona's cliffscape is migrating northeast at the rate of one foot every 625 years.
The relatively soft rock—mostly sandstone—doesn't dissolve uniformly, however. Lumps and spires are left behind for our Kodak moments—the rock equivalent of slowly melting icebergs—and they are christened with fanciful names like Courthouse and Bell Rock.
Chicken Point is a formation still hidden in the background, biding its time as the rocks in front crumble away. In a few turns of geological time it, too, will be gone.
The rocks are melting, guys. Let's roll.
If you go: Sedona, Arizona, is about two hours north of Phoenix on I-17. Take Exit 298 and follow Highway 179. Our off-road experience was on Broken Arrow 4x4 Road, a primitive one-lane dirt path open to the public within the Coconino National Forest. From the 89A intersection, take 179 south for 1.2 miles, turn left on Morgan Road, which will become the 4x4 road.
Drive yourself: Red Rock vehicle passes are available (one day, $5; one week, $15; annual, $20). For selling locations and requirements, check out www.redrockcountry.org or call 928-282-4119.
Leave the driving to Pink Jeep Tours: Two hours, $65, 800-873-3662, www.pinkjeep.com.
More info: South Gateway Visitor Center, 928-284-5323, www.redrockcountry.org.
Arizona geology made fascinating: Wayne Ranney is a geologist who has picked and scratched his way over the northern Arizona landscape, searching for the fault lines and lava flows that explain exactly how this part of the American West was formed. His first book is Sedona Through Time (Flagstaff: Red Lake Books, 1993), $14.95. Available in April 2005: Carving Grand Canyon.
-----------------------------------
Sixth Place
Ford Explorer XLT V-8
Highs: The $$$ incentives, roomy (relatively) three-row seating, no worries about overstimulating your cardiac condition.
Lows: All-bran brown interior, odd hounds-tooth-printed metal on dash.
The Verdict: Anonymity on the rocks.
---------------------------------
Fifth Place
Toyota 4Runner 4WD Sport Edition
Highs: A dancer's chassis muscles, well-calibrated throttle motions, disciplined V-8 noises.
Lows: Overboosted brakes, hood scoop blocks view, ugly climate controls, ridiculous location for fuel-filler-door release.
The Verdict: Unique blend of the capable and the off-putting.
--------------------------------
Fourth Place
VW Touareg V-6
Highs: Supple long-travel suspension, amazing ground clearance, smooth moves on- and off-road, Lexus-class interior.
Lows: Four passengers is the comfort limit, not much motor for the money, amazingly heavy at 5235 pounds.
The Verdict: Forget the Phaeton—this is the VW to lust after.
----------------------------------
Third Place
Mitsubishi Montero Limited
Highs: Sensational view forward, highchair seating, big-space mood of the cabin, easy shifting into AWD.
Lows: Overly sensitive throttle off-road, front-end styling doesn't go with the back end, no Reebok space in row three.
The Verdict: Oddly lovable, like the ugly mutt that keeps licking your face.
----------------------------------
Second Place
Nissan Pathfinder SE Off-Road
Highs: Feels satisfyingly trucky, good power, nicely calibrated throttle, all-day seat comfort.
Lows: Lots of interior roar at speed, too many interior textures and gestures, no adult space in row three.
The Verdict: Does it all with no significant disappointments.
--------------------------------
First Place
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4WD 5.7
Highs: Haul-ass Hemi, superb Quadra-Drive II, carlike driving position.
Lows: We got 12 mpg, jumpy throttle off-road, Goodyear textures on dash-top and window sills.
The Verdict: Truck credibility without truck rudeness.
---------------------------------
Ford Explorer Jeep Grand Cherokee
Mitsubishi Montero
Nissan Pathfinder
Toyota 4Runner
Volkswagen Touareg
Vehicle
base
price $34,675 $34,790 $36,424 $31,030 $33,055 $37,755
price as
tested $39,765 $40,280 $36,874 $34,160 $36,771 $46,595
Dimensions, inches:
length 189.6 186.6 190.2 187.6 189.0 187.2
width 72.1 73.3 74.6 72.8 73.8 75.9
height 72.1 67.7 74.2 73.3 71.3 68.0
wheelbase 113.7 109.5 109.4 112.2 109.8 112.4
track,
front/rear 60.9/61.3 62.0/62.0 61.4/61.4 61.8/61.8 62.0/62.0 65.2/65.7
weight, pounds 4815 4920 4935 4895 4650 5235
weight
distribution,
% front/rear 51.4/48.6 54.1/45.9 47.4/52.6 50.7/49.3 53.8/46.2 51.5/48.5
fuel tank,
gallons 22.5 20.8 23.8 21.1 23.0 26.4
recommended
octane rating 87 89 91 91 91 91
Interior volume, inches:
front 58 57 59 57 54 53
middle 49 50 48 45 43 45
rear 41 — 29 32 — —
cargo 44* 40 40* 49* 41 32
# beer cases
behind
f/m/r 48/24/5 39/18/— 48/30/0 49/26/9 51/24/— 39/18/—
length of
pipe, inches 140.0 133.5 137.0 135.0 134.0 125.0
sheet of
plywood,
inches (l x w) 75.5 x 44.5 68.8 x 43.8 57.3 x 37.5 73.5 x 44.3 67.5 x 41.5 64.0 x 44.0
*With third-row seats folded.
Chassis
front
suspension control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar control arms, air springs, anti-roll bar
rear
suspension multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar rigid axle, multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar multilink,coil springs, anti-roll bar control arms, coil spings, anti-roll bar rigid axle, multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar multilink, air springs, anti-roll bar
front
brakes vented disc vented disc vented disc vented disc vented disc vented disc
rear
brakes disc disc vented disc disc vented disc vented disc
anti-lock
control yes yes yes yes yes yes
stability
control yes* yes yes yes yes yes
tires BFGoodrich Rugged Trail T/A, P245/65R-17 105S M+S Goodyear Wrangler SR-A, P245/65R-17 105S M+S Bridgestone Dueler H/T, 265/65R-17 112H M+S BFGoodrich Rugged Trail T/A, P265/75R-16 114T M+S Dunlop Grandtrek AT20, P265/65R-17 110S M+S Dunlop Grandtrek ST8000, 255/60R-17 106H M+S
braking,
70-0,
feet 203 191 191 192 170 189
test
average 189
CD test results
roadholding,
300-foot
skidpad, g 0.70 0.72 0.67† 0.68 0.71† 0.76
test
average 0.71
lane change,
mph 61.7 62.1 58.5† 61.4 59.5† 64.9
test
average 61.4
*Stability-control system includes Roll Stability Control.
†Montero and 4Runner stability-control systems cannot be completely disabled, which can affect skidpad and lane-change numbers. Best in test.
Powertrain
engine:
type SOHC 16-valve V-8 pushrod 16-valve V-8 SOHC 24-valve V-6 DOHC 24-valve V-6 DOHC 32-valve V-8 DOHC 24-valve V-6
displacement,
cu in (cc) 280 (4593 ) 345 (5654) 234 (3828) 241 (3954) 285 (4664) 195 (3189)
power,
bhp @ rpm 239 @ 4750 330 @ 5000 215 @ 5500 270 @ 5600 270 @ 5400 237 @ 6000
torque,
lb-ft @ rpm 282 @ 4000 375 @ 4000 248 @ 3250 291 @ 4000 330 @ 3400 229 @ 3200
redline,
rpm 6200 6000 6000 6250 5700 6500
lb per bhp 20.1 14.9 23.0 18.1 17.2 22.1
drivetrain:
transmission 5-sp auto 5-sp auto 5-sp auto 5-sp auto 5-sp auto 6-sp auto
driven
wheels all all rear/all rear/all all all
gear ratios:1 3.22, 2.32, 1.55, 1.00, 0.71 3.00, 1.67, 1.50*, 1.00, 0.75, 0.67 3.79, 2.06, 1.42, 1.00, 0.73 3.84, 2.35, 1.53, 1.00, 0.84 3.52, 2.04, 1.40, 1.00, 0.72 4.15, 2.37, 1.56, 1.16, 0.86, 0.69
transfer
gear:1, L/H 2.48/1.00 2.72/1.00 1.90/1.00 2.63/1.00 2.57/1.00 2.66/1.00
axle ratio:1 3.89 3.73 3.06
mph/1000
rpm, L/H 2.9/7.2, 4.0/10.0, 6.0/14.9, 9.3/23.1, 13.1/32.6 2.8/7.6, 5.0/13.6, 8.3/22.7, 11.1/30.2, 12.4/33.8 2.9/5.4, 5.3/10.0, 7.6/14.4, 10.8/20.5, 14.8/28.1 2.7/7.0, 4.4/11.5, 6.7/17.7, 10.3/27.0, 12.3/32.2 2.5/6.4, 4.3/11.1, 6.3/16.2, 8.8/22.6, 12.3/31.6 1.6/4.3, 2.8/7.4, 4.3/11.3, 5.7/15.2, 7.7/20.5, 9.6/25.6
C/D test results:
acceleration, seconds
0-30 mph 2.6 2.4 3.0 2.5 2.4 3.2
test
average 2.7
0-60 mph 8.2 6.8 9.6 7.5 7.2 9.8
test
average 8.2
0-80 mph 14.5 11.7 17.3 13.3 12.8 17.3
test
average 14.5
1/4-mile @ mph 16.4 @ 83 15.3 @ 90 17.3 @ 80 15.9 @ 87 15.7 @ 88 17.3 @ 80
test
average 16.3 @ 85
rolling
5-60 mph 8.9 7.2 10.2 7.7 7.4 9.8
test
average 8.5
top gear
30-50 mph 4.3 3.8 4.9 3.9 3.8 4.8
test
average 4.3
50-70 mph 6.3 4.8 6.9 5.2 5.2 6.3
test
average 5.8
sound level,
dBA:
idle 39 40 44 41 40 41
test
average 41
full-throttle 71 75 72 73 73 71
test
average 73
70-mph
cruise 67 68 67 68 67 65
test
average 67
fuel economy, mpg:
EPA city 14 14 15 15 16 16
test
average 15
EPA highway 18 21 19 21 19 21
test average 20
C/D 300-mile
trip 14 12 14 15 13 14
test
average 14
*This ratio is only used during kickdowns from higher gears
Off-Road Capability
transfer
case/
center-diff
type full-time 2-speed/ limited slip with auto locking full-time 2-speed/ limited slip with auto locking part-time or full-time 2-speed/ limited slip with manual locking part-time 2-speed/ none full-time 2-speed/ limited slip with manual locking full-time 2-speed/ limited slip with auto locking
rear-diff
type open limited slip with auto locking open open open limited slip with auto locking
hill
descent no no no yes yes yes
hill
holder no no no yes yes yes
skid
plates no yes yes yes yes yes
minimum
ground
clearance,
inches 8.5 8.0 8.6 9.2 9.1 11.8*
approach
angle,
degrees 27.7 34.1 39.0 32.6 31.0 33.0*
departure
angle,
degrees 23.9 27.1 17.5 24.0 24.0 33.0*
*The Touareg's optional four-wheel air suspension can adjust ground clearance; the number listed is with the suspension in its highest setting.
Note: All these vehicles have brake-based traction-control systems that help transfer torque to the wheels with traction.
Results
vehicle:
driver
comfort (10) 7 9 9 8 7 9
front-seat
space* (10) 9 9 10 9 7 6
ergonomics
(10) 8 9 8 8 6 8
middle-seat
comfort (5) 4 2 5 2 3 3
middle-seat
space* (5) 5 5 4 4 3 4
cargo
utility* (10) 9 7 7 10 8 5
rear-seat
utility* (10) 8 0 4 4 0 0
features/
amenities* (10) 7 7 7 8 7 10
fit and
finish (10) 6 8 8 8 9 9
styling (10) 6 8 7 7 7 9
value (10) 6 7 8 8 8 6
total (100) 75 71 77 76 65 69
powertrain:
engine
output* (10) 6 9 6 8 8 7
performance*
(10) 8 10 6 9 9 6
throttle
response (10) 8 9 8 8 8 7
engine NVH
(10) 7 9 8 8 9 8
transmission
(10) 8 9 8 8 8 7
total (50) 37 46 36 41 42 35
chassis:
performance*
(10) 7 9 7 8 9 10
off-road
capability (10) 7 8 8 8 8 9
on-road
handling (10) 8 9 7 8 8 8
on-road
ride (10) 8 9 8 8 8 9
steering
feel (10) 7 8 8 8 8 8
total (50) 37 43 38 40 41 44
gotta-have-it
factor (25) 7 14 12 12 12 13
fun to
drive (25) 10 16 12 12 11 13
grand total
(250) 166 190 175 181 171 174
finishing
order 6 1 3 2 5 4
Mother Nature started her landscaping for this comparison test 275 million years ago, when she washed a bunch of quartz sand with rusty water until the grains took on a pretty red hue and then cemented them together to form sandstone bedrock. Over the ages since, she hoisted this one-time sand pile upward by 4600 feet and set about sculpting it into a lofty lump that today's residents of Sedona, Arizona, call Chicken Point.
Not that most of them get to see this particular sample of her handiwork. Mother hid it well behind a spellbinding array of other rocks, all of which seem to have more appealing names.
Chicken Point is hidden but not forbidden. There's a trail—Broken Arrow—barely wide enough for one vehicle over most of its 2.1-mile length. Thrill-seeking visitors buy a ride in the Jeeps of a local tour company. But if you have a 4x4 and are willing to risk ripping the bottom out of it, you can attempt the journey yourself.
Hmm. Could we urge a six-pack of grocery getters up to Chicken Point without leaving 5W-20 slicks from savaged oil pans or embarrassing ourselves with a call for helicopter evacuation? Only one way to find out.
Exactly which SUVs? First, the all-important qualifier: The vehicles must have low and high ranges. Broken Arrow is a slow-speed trek demanding plenty of ground clearance and driver expertise.
The spring season has two all-new mainstreamer SUVs: the Jeep Grand Cherokee, now with Hemi power, and a Nissan Pathfinder built on Titan bones. Both have the climber's swagger.
Featured in This Comparo
Ford Explorer XLT V-8
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4WD 5.7L
Mitsubishi Montero Limited
Nissan Pathfinder SE Off-Road
Toyota 4Runner 4WD Sport Edition
Volkswagen Touareg V-6
Toyota's athletic 4Runner is certainly right for the mission. The optional V-8 won't go breathless on us at altitude. The Mitsubishi Montero has intriguing off-road capability, too, including the ability to be shifted from rear drive to all-wheel drive on the fly at speeds up to 62 mph.
From VW, the agile Touareg might be pulled down to popular prices if we stay with the standard 237-hp, 3.2-liter V-6. We're aiming for a base sticker in the $35,000-to-$40,000 range.
What about the most ubiquitous SUV ever, 14 years as an American bestseller: the Ford Explorer? With two-wheel drive, it's as common as dandelions. Instead, we'll opt for AdvanceTrac full-time all-wheel drive and Roll Stability Control. The price? Uh, a blur of incentives lets you buy an Explorer right. And if these rebates were as predictable as, say, lunar cycles, we could pull them into our as-tested calculation. They aren't. We can't. Let's just say we welcome Mommy's favorite ballet bus to the climb, and if it can do a demi-plié on Chicken Point, there'll be high-fives in PTA meetings across the land.
At the risk of getting all Lewis-and-Clark on you, we hired a geologist to accompany us. Inquiring minds want to know why the rocks of Sedona are red, and why does that redness stop just beyond the edge of town?
Geologist Wayne Ranney explains rocks as if he had baked them himself. He helped us see that the red is really just a stack of layers about 1400 feet thick, situated partway up a much taller cliff. Look northeast of Sedona: The high ground is tan. Those lighter-colored layers above the red start about a mile above sea level; they covered Sedona thousands of years ago. Blame erosion? You could, or you could enjoy the carvings it leaves behind. From two fixed points just south of town—they happen to be old volcanoes—Ranney has calculated that Sedona's cliffscape is migrating northeast at the rate of one foot every 625 years.
The relatively soft rock—mostly sandstone—doesn't dissolve uniformly, however. Lumps and spires are left behind for our Kodak moments—the rock equivalent of slowly melting icebergs—and they are christened with fanciful names like Courthouse and Bell Rock.
Chicken Point is a formation still hidden in the background, biding its time as the rocks in front crumble away. In a few turns of geological time it, too, will be gone.
The rocks are melting, guys. Let's roll.
If you go: Sedona, Arizona, is about two hours north of Phoenix on I-17. Take Exit 298 and follow Highway 179. Our off-road experience was on Broken Arrow 4x4 Road, a primitive one-lane dirt path open to the public within the Coconino National Forest. From the 89A intersection, take 179 south for 1.2 miles, turn left on Morgan Road, which will become the 4x4 road.
Drive yourself: Red Rock vehicle passes are available (one day, $5; one week, $15; annual, $20). For selling locations and requirements, check out www.redrockcountry.org or call 928-282-4119.
Leave the driving to Pink Jeep Tours: Two hours, $65, 800-873-3662, www.pinkjeep.com.
More info: South Gateway Visitor Center, 928-284-5323, www.redrockcountry.org.
Arizona geology made fascinating: Wayne Ranney is a geologist who has picked and scratched his way over the northern Arizona landscape, searching for the fault lines and lava flows that explain exactly how this part of the American West was formed. His first book is Sedona Through Time (Flagstaff: Red Lake Books, 1993), $14.95. Available in April 2005: Carving Grand Canyon.
-----------------------------------
Sixth Place
Ford Explorer XLT V-8
Highs: The $$$ incentives, roomy (relatively) three-row seating, no worries about overstimulating your cardiac condition.
Lows: All-bran brown interior, odd hounds-tooth-printed metal on dash.
The Verdict: Anonymity on the rocks.
---------------------------------
Fifth Place
Toyota 4Runner 4WD Sport Edition
Highs: A dancer's chassis muscles, well-calibrated throttle motions, disciplined V-8 noises.
Lows: Overboosted brakes, hood scoop blocks view, ugly climate controls, ridiculous location for fuel-filler-door release.
The Verdict: Unique blend of the capable and the off-putting.
--------------------------------
Fourth Place
VW Touareg V-6
Highs: Supple long-travel suspension, amazing ground clearance, smooth moves on- and off-road, Lexus-class interior.
Lows: Four passengers is the comfort limit, not much motor for the money, amazingly heavy at 5235 pounds.
The Verdict: Forget the Phaeton—this is the VW to lust after.
----------------------------------
Third Place
Mitsubishi Montero Limited
Highs: Sensational view forward, highchair seating, big-space mood of the cabin, easy shifting into AWD.
Lows: Overly sensitive throttle off-road, front-end styling doesn't go with the back end, no Reebok space in row three.
The Verdict: Oddly lovable, like the ugly mutt that keeps licking your face.
----------------------------------
Second Place
Nissan Pathfinder SE Off-Road
Highs: Feels satisfyingly trucky, good power, nicely calibrated throttle, all-day seat comfort.
Lows: Lots of interior roar at speed, too many interior textures and gestures, no adult space in row three.
The Verdict: Does it all with no significant disappointments.
--------------------------------
First Place
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4WD 5.7
Highs: Haul-ass Hemi, superb Quadra-Drive II, carlike driving position.
Lows: We got 12 mpg, jumpy throttle off-road, Goodyear textures on dash-top and window sills.
The Verdict: Truck credibility without truck rudeness.
---------------------------------
Ford Explorer Jeep Grand Cherokee
Mitsubishi Montero
Nissan Pathfinder
Toyota 4Runner
Volkswagen Touareg
Vehicle
base
price $34,675 $34,790 $36,424 $31,030 $33,055 $37,755
price as
tested $39,765 $40,280 $36,874 $34,160 $36,771 $46,595
Dimensions, inches:
length 189.6 186.6 190.2 187.6 189.0 187.2
width 72.1 73.3 74.6 72.8 73.8 75.9
height 72.1 67.7 74.2 73.3 71.3 68.0
wheelbase 113.7 109.5 109.4 112.2 109.8 112.4
track,
front/rear 60.9/61.3 62.0/62.0 61.4/61.4 61.8/61.8 62.0/62.0 65.2/65.7
weight, pounds 4815 4920 4935 4895 4650 5235
weight
distribution,
% front/rear 51.4/48.6 54.1/45.9 47.4/52.6 50.7/49.3 53.8/46.2 51.5/48.5
fuel tank,
gallons 22.5 20.8 23.8 21.1 23.0 26.4
recommended
octane rating 87 89 91 91 91 91
Interior volume, inches:
front 58 57 59 57 54 53
middle 49 50 48 45 43 45
rear 41 — 29 32 — —
cargo 44* 40 40* 49* 41 32
# beer cases
behind
f/m/r 48/24/5 39/18/— 48/30/0 49/26/9 51/24/— 39/18/—
length of
pipe, inches 140.0 133.5 137.0 135.0 134.0 125.0
sheet of
plywood,
inches (l x w) 75.5 x 44.5 68.8 x 43.8 57.3 x 37.5 73.5 x 44.3 67.5 x 41.5 64.0 x 44.0
*With third-row seats folded.
Chassis
front
suspension control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar control arms, air springs, anti-roll bar
rear
suspension multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar rigid axle, multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar multilink,coil springs, anti-roll bar control arms, coil spings, anti-roll bar rigid axle, multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar multilink, air springs, anti-roll bar
front
brakes vented disc vented disc vented disc vented disc vented disc vented disc
rear
brakes disc disc vented disc disc vented disc vented disc
anti-lock
control yes yes yes yes yes yes
stability
control yes* yes yes yes yes yes
tires BFGoodrich Rugged Trail T/A, P245/65R-17 105S M+S Goodyear Wrangler SR-A, P245/65R-17 105S M+S Bridgestone Dueler H/T, 265/65R-17 112H M+S BFGoodrich Rugged Trail T/A, P265/75R-16 114T M+S Dunlop Grandtrek AT20, P265/65R-17 110S M+S Dunlop Grandtrek ST8000, 255/60R-17 106H M+S
braking,
70-0,
feet 203 191 191 192 170 189
test
average 189
CD test results
roadholding,
300-foot
skidpad, g 0.70 0.72 0.67† 0.68 0.71† 0.76
test
average 0.71
lane change,
mph 61.7 62.1 58.5† 61.4 59.5† 64.9
test
average 61.4
*Stability-control system includes Roll Stability Control.
†Montero and 4Runner stability-control systems cannot be completely disabled, which can affect skidpad and lane-change numbers. Best in test.
Powertrain
engine:
type SOHC 16-valve V-8 pushrod 16-valve V-8 SOHC 24-valve V-6 DOHC 24-valve V-6 DOHC 32-valve V-8 DOHC 24-valve V-6
displacement,
cu in (cc) 280 (4593 ) 345 (5654) 234 (3828) 241 (3954) 285 (4664) 195 (3189)
power,
bhp @ rpm 239 @ 4750 330 @ 5000 215 @ 5500 270 @ 5600 270 @ 5400 237 @ 6000
torque,
lb-ft @ rpm 282 @ 4000 375 @ 4000 248 @ 3250 291 @ 4000 330 @ 3400 229 @ 3200
redline,
rpm 6200 6000 6000 6250 5700 6500
lb per bhp 20.1 14.9 23.0 18.1 17.2 22.1
drivetrain:
transmission 5-sp auto 5-sp auto 5-sp auto 5-sp auto 5-sp auto 6-sp auto
driven
wheels all all rear/all rear/all all all
gear ratios:1 3.22, 2.32, 1.55, 1.00, 0.71 3.00, 1.67, 1.50*, 1.00, 0.75, 0.67 3.79, 2.06, 1.42, 1.00, 0.73 3.84, 2.35, 1.53, 1.00, 0.84 3.52, 2.04, 1.40, 1.00, 0.72 4.15, 2.37, 1.56, 1.16, 0.86, 0.69
transfer
gear:1, L/H 2.48/1.00 2.72/1.00 1.90/1.00 2.63/1.00 2.57/1.00 2.66/1.00
axle ratio:1 3.89 3.73 3.06
mph/1000
rpm, L/H 2.9/7.2, 4.0/10.0, 6.0/14.9, 9.3/23.1, 13.1/32.6 2.8/7.6, 5.0/13.6, 8.3/22.7, 11.1/30.2, 12.4/33.8 2.9/5.4, 5.3/10.0, 7.6/14.4, 10.8/20.5, 14.8/28.1 2.7/7.0, 4.4/11.5, 6.7/17.7, 10.3/27.0, 12.3/32.2 2.5/6.4, 4.3/11.1, 6.3/16.2, 8.8/22.6, 12.3/31.6 1.6/4.3, 2.8/7.4, 4.3/11.3, 5.7/15.2, 7.7/20.5, 9.6/25.6
C/D test results:
acceleration, seconds
0-30 mph 2.6 2.4 3.0 2.5 2.4 3.2
test
average 2.7
0-60 mph 8.2 6.8 9.6 7.5 7.2 9.8
test
average 8.2
0-80 mph 14.5 11.7 17.3 13.3 12.8 17.3
test
average 14.5
1/4-mile @ mph 16.4 @ 83 15.3 @ 90 17.3 @ 80 15.9 @ 87 15.7 @ 88 17.3 @ 80
test
average 16.3 @ 85
rolling
5-60 mph 8.9 7.2 10.2 7.7 7.4 9.8
test
average 8.5
top gear
30-50 mph 4.3 3.8 4.9 3.9 3.8 4.8
test
average 4.3
50-70 mph 6.3 4.8 6.9 5.2 5.2 6.3
test
average 5.8
sound level,
dBA:
idle 39 40 44 41 40 41
test
average 41
full-throttle 71 75 72 73 73 71
test
average 73
70-mph
cruise 67 68 67 68 67 65
test
average 67
fuel economy, mpg:
EPA city 14 14 15 15 16 16
test
average 15
EPA highway 18 21 19 21 19 21
test average 20
C/D 300-mile
trip 14 12 14 15 13 14
test
average 14
*This ratio is only used during kickdowns from higher gears
Off-Road Capability
transfer
case/
center-diff
type full-time 2-speed/ limited slip with auto locking full-time 2-speed/ limited slip with auto locking part-time or full-time 2-speed/ limited slip with manual locking part-time 2-speed/ none full-time 2-speed/ limited slip with manual locking full-time 2-speed/ limited slip with auto locking
rear-diff
type open limited slip with auto locking open open open limited slip with auto locking
hill
descent no no no yes yes yes
hill
holder no no no yes yes yes
skid
plates no yes yes yes yes yes
minimum
ground
clearance,
inches 8.5 8.0 8.6 9.2 9.1 11.8*
approach
angle,
degrees 27.7 34.1 39.0 32.6 31.0 33.0*
departure
angle,
degrees 23.9 27.1 17.5 24.0 24.0 33.0*
*The Touareg's optional four-wheel air suspension can adjust ground clearance; the number listed is with the suspension in its highest setting.
Note: All these vehicles have brake-based traction-control systems that help transfer torque to the wheels with traction.
Results
vehicle:
driver
comfort (10) 7 9 9 8 7 9
front-seat
space* (10) 9 9 10 9 7 6
ergonomics
(10) 8 9 8 8 6 8
middle-seat
comfort (5) 4 2 5 2 3 3
middle-seat
space* (5) 5 5 4 4 3 4
cargo
utility* (10) 9 7 7 10 8 5
rear-seat
utility* (10) 8 0 4 4 0 0
features/
amenities* (10) 7 7 7 8 7 10
fit and
finish (10) 6 8 8 8 9 9
styling (10) 6 8 7 7 7 9
value (10) 6 7 8 8 8 6
total (100) 75 71 77 76 65 69
powertrain:
engine
output* (10) 6 9 6 8 8 7
performance*
(10) 8 10 6 9 9 6
throttle
response (10) 8 9 8 8 8 7
engine NVH
(10) 7 9 8 8 9 8
transmission
(10) 8 9 8 8 8 7
total (50) 37 46 36 41 42 35
chassis:
performance*
(10) 7 9 7 8 9 10
off-road
capability (10) 7 8 8 8 8 9
on-road
handling (10) 8 9 7 8 8 8
on-road
ride (10) 8 9 8 8 8 9
steering
feel (10) 7 8 8 8 8 8
total (50) 37 43 38 40 41 44
gotta-have-it
factor (25) 7 14 12 12 12 13
fun to
drive (25) 10 16 12 12 11 13
grand total
(250) 166 190 175 181 171 174
finishing
order 6 1 3 2 5 4
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
