Truck Trend's Best in Class 2008: Compact SUV, AWD/4WDBy Editors of Truck Trend
Winner: Land Rover LR2
Runner-Up: Jeep Liberty
This was a tricky vote for us, because it essentially breaks down into two categories: those sport/utilities (with less than a 106.3-inch wheelbase) that can run a trail and those that probably won't ever need to. At Truck Trend, we favor vehicles that have the capability and drive systems to deal with backcountry adventures, but we understand that buyers here typically have simpler, more car-oriented priorities in mind. With that said, we gravitate to one of the most expensive members of the group because of the added capability provided by the Terrain Response all-wheel-drive system. Additionally, the LR2's new chassis is light years ahead of the previous model (the Freelander), giving the new LR2 an on-road feel it never had before. In the runner-up spot, we chose the Liberty for its proven package, dedicated low-range four-wheel-drive system, and the fact you can order the wide-mouth Sky Slider roof option for $800.   | Compact SUV, AWD/4WD (UNDER 106-in WB) | | Vehicle | Acura RDX AWD | Ford Escape AWD | Honda CR-V AWD | | Base price | $33,910 | $22,175 | $22,535 | | Wheelbase, in | 104.3 | 103.1 | 103.1 | | Engine | 2.4L DOHC I-4 | 2.3L DOHC I-4 | 2.4L DOHC I-4 | | Opt engines | | 3.0L V-6 $2250, | | | Opt engines | | 2.3L hyb $6600 | | | Horsepower, SAE | 240 | 153 (200, 133) | 166 | | Torque, SAE | 260 | 152 (193, 124) | 161 | | Airbags | Dual, head, side | Dual, head, side | Dual, head, side | | Brakes, f/r | Disc/disc, 4WAL | Disc/drum, 4WAL | Disc/disc, 4WAL | | Tires | 235/55R18 | 225/75R15 | 225/65R15 | | Fuel cap, gal | 18 | 16.5 | 15.3 | | EPA fuel econ, city/hwy | 17/22 | 19/24 (17/22, 29/27) | 20/26 | | Max pass | 5 | 5 | 5 | | Base curb weight, lb | 3924 | 3183 | 3389 | | GVWR, lb | 4800 | 4200 | 4400 | | Max payload, lb | 900 | 1080 | 800 | | Max cargo cap, cu ft | 60.6 | 66.3 | 72.9 | | Max towing cap, lb | 1500 | 3500 | 1500 | | Vehicle | Hyundai Tucson AWD | Jeep Liberty 4WD | Jeep Patriot AWD | | Base price | $23,395 | $22,600 | $17,785 | | Wheelbase, in | 103.5 | 106 | 103.7 | | Engine | 2.7L DOHC V-6 | 3.7L OHV V-6 | 2.4L SOHC I-4 | | Horsepower, SAE | 173 | 210 | 172 | | Torque, SAE | 178 | 235 | 165 | | Airbags | Dual, head, side | Dual, side | Dual, head | | Brakes, f/r | Disc/disc, 4WAL | Disc/disc, 4WAL | Disc/drum, 4WAL | | Tires | 215/60R16 | 225/75R16 | 215/65R17 | | Fuel cap, gal | 15.3 | 19.5 | 13.6 | | EPA fuel econ, city/hwy | 17/23 | 15/21 | 22/27 | | Max pass | 5 | 5 | 5 | | Base curb weight, lb | 3240 | 4030 | 3108 | | GVWR, lb | 4200 | 5400 | 4200 | | Max payload, lb | 1000 | 1200 | 1000 | | Max cargo cap, cu ft | 65.5 | 64.2 | 56.5 | | Max towing cap, lb | 1500 | 5000 | 2000 | | Vehicle | Jeep Wrangler 4WD | Kia Sportage AWD | Land Rover LR2 AWD | | Base price | $19,320 | $20,170 | $34,700 | | Wheelbase, in | 95.4 | 103.5 | 104.7 | | Engine | 3.8L OHV V-6 | 2.0L DOHC I-4 | 3.2L DOHC V-6 | | Opt engines | | 2.7L V-6 $1800 | | | Horsepower, SAE | 202 | 140 (173) | 230 | | Torque, SAE | 237 | 136 (178) | 234 | | Airbags | Dual | Dual, head, side | Dual, head, side, knee | | Brakes, f/r | Disc/disc, 4WAL | Disc/disc, 4WAL | Disc/disc, 4WAL | | Tires | 225/75R16 | 215/65R16 | 235/60R18 | | Fuel cap, gal | 18.6 | 15.3 | 18.5 | | EPA fuel econ, city/hwy | 15/19 | 19/24 (17/21) | 16/23 | | Max pass | 5 | 5 | 5 | | Base curb weight, lb | 4203 | 3230 | 4255 | | GVWR, lb | 5200 | 4400 | 5400 | | Max payload, lb | 1000 | 1200 | 1200 | | Max cargo cap, cu ft | 56.5 | 66.6 | 58.9 | | Max towing cap, lb | 2000 | 2000 | 4400 | | Vehicle | Mazda Tribute AWD | Mercury Mariner AWD | Mitsubishi Outlander AWD | | Base price | $22,805 | $23,335 | $24,395 | | Wheelbase, in | 103.1 | 103.1 | 105.1 | | Engine | 2.3L DOHC I-4 | 2.3L DOHC I-4 | 3.0L SOHC V-6 | | Opt engines | 3.0L V-6 $1240, | 3.0L V-6 $1000, | | | Opt engines | 2.3L hyb $6600 | 2.3L hyb $6100 | | | Horsepower, SAE | 153 (200, 133) | 153 (200, 133) | 220 | | Torque, SAE | 152 (193, 124) | 152 (193, 124) | 204 | | Airbags | Dual, head, side | Dual, head, side | Dual, head, side | | Brakes, f/r | Disc/drum | Disc/drum, 4WAL | Disc/drum, 4WAL | | Tires | 235/70R16 | 235/70R16 | 215/70R16 | | Fuel cap, gal | 16.5 | 16.5 | 15.7 | | EPA fuel econ, city/hwy | 19/24 (17/22, 29/27) | 19/24 (17/22, 29/27) | 19/26 | | Max pass | 5 | 5 | 5 | | Base curb weight, lb | 3300 | 3341 | 3527 | | GVWR, lb | 4200 | 4200 | 4600 | | Max payload, lb | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | | Max cargo cap, cu ft | 66.3 | 66.2 | 72.6 | | Max towing cap, lb | 3500 | 3500 | 2000 | | Vehicle | Nissan Rogue AWD | Subaru Forester AWD | Suzuki Grand Vitara 4WD | | Base price | $21,195 | $21,840 | $21,669 | | Wheelbase, in | 105.9 | 99.4 | 103.9 | | Engine | 2.5L DOHC I-4 | 2.5L DOHC F-4 | 2.7L DOHC V-6 | | Opt engines | | 2.5L turbo | | | Opt engines | | F-4 $5500 | | | Horsepower, SAE | 170 | 173 (243) | 185 | | Torque, SAE | 184 | 166 (241) | 175 | | Airbags | Dual, head, side | Dual, head, side | Dual, head, side | | Brakes, f/r | Disc/disc, 4WAL | Disc/disc, 4WAL | Disc/drum, 4WAL | | Tires | 215/70HR16 | 215/60R16 | 225/75R16 | | Fuel cap, gal | 15.9 | 14 | 17.4 | | EPA fuel econ, city/hwy | 21/26 | 20/26 (19/24) | 16/21 | | Max pass | 5 | 5 | 5 | | Base curb weight, lb | 3426 | 3140 | 3452 | | GVWR, lb | 4250 | 4000 | 4400 | | Max payload, lb | 900 | 900 | 1000 | | Max cargo cap, cu ft | 57.9 | 68.6 | 68.9 | | Max towing cap, lb | 1500 | 1000 | 3000 | | Vehicle | Toyota FJ Cruiser 4WD | Toyota RAV4 AWD | | | Base price | $24,410 | $23,185 | | | Wheelbase, in | 105.9 | 104.7 | | | Engine | 4.0L DOHC V-6 | 2.4L DOHC turbo I-4 | | | Opt engines | | 3.5L V-6 $2050 | | | Horsepower, SAE | 239 | 166 (269) | | | Torque, SAE | 278 | 165 (246) | | | Airbags | Dual, head, side | Dual, head, side | | | Brakes, f/r | Disc/drum, 4WAL | Disc/disc, 4WAL | | | Tires | 265/70R17 | 215/70R16 | | | Fuel cap, gal | 19 | 15.9 | | | EPA fuel econ, city/hwy | 15/18 | 20/25 (19/26) | | | Max pass | 5 | 7 | | | Base curb weight, lb | 4050 | 3300 | | | GVWR, lb | 5200 | 4400 | | | Max payload, lb | 1200 | 1100 | | | Max cargo cap, cu ft | 66.8 | 73 | | | Max towing cap, lb | 5000 | 3500 | |
(Related Articles) Truck Trend's Best in Class 2008
It's that time of year again. We've collected the vital information on every pickup, sport/utility vehicle, crossover, and minivan and put all the data into charts for you to sift through. Every Full-Size, Compact, Pickup, SUV, Minivan, and More! |
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Posted July 18 2008 10:31 AM by Mark Williams
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Posted July 11 2008 12:54 PM by Allyson Harwood
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I enjoyed your article in the May/June 2008 issue, " Time To Play ," by Larry Walton. While I like to read about the new toys available and I liked the pictures, I didn't expect to see this kind of story in a magazine... more
In recent side crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the 2008 Toyota Tacoma earned the highest rating while the Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger, and Nissan Frontier faired "okay" and the and the... more
Just recently, I've "volunteered" to help my younger sister with the responsibility of taking my almost two-year-old nephew to daycare for her in the mornings. This has opened an whole new world of questions about safety,... more
You think of the recent spike in gas prices not as a deterrent to buying a gas-hungry SUV, but as incentive to get the hard-core SUV of your dreams for a great price. The market is still full of choices to satiate your... more
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Posted July 23 2008 02:41 PM by thomas_voehringer
There are excellent movies that feature trucks prominently in the story line. Truck Trend ran John Pearly Huffman's " Top 10 Truck Movies " in the March/April 2007 issue. As with all lists, there's bound to be... more
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I enjoyed your article in the May/June 2008 issue, " Time To Play ," by Larry Walton. While I like to read about the new toys available and I liked the pictures, I didn't expect to see this kind of story in a magazine... more
In recent side crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the 2008 Toyota Tacoma earned the highest rating while the Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger, and Nissan Frontier faired "okay" and the and the... more
Just recently, I've "volunteered" to help my younger sister with the responsibility of taking my almost two-year-old nephew to daycare for her in the mornings. This has opened an whole new world of questions about safety,... more
You think of the recent spike in gas prices not as a deterrent to buying a gas-hungry SUV, but as incentive to get the hard-core SUV of your dreams for a great price. The market is still full of choices to satiate your... more
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Posted Yesterday 02:09 PM by Melissa
Just recently, I've "volunteered" to help my younger sister with the responsibility of taking my almost two-year-old nephew to daycare for her in the mornings. This has opened an whole new world of questions about safety,... more
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I enjoyed your article in the May/June 2008 issue, " Time To Play ," by Larry Walton. While I like to read about the new toys available and I liked the pictures, I didn't expect to see this kind of story in a magazine... more
In recent side crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the 2008 Toyota Tacoma earned the highest rating while the Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger, and Nissan Frontier faired "okay" and the and the... more
You think of the recent spike in gas prices not as a deterrent to buying a gas-hungry SUV, but as incentive to get the hard-core SUV of your dreams for a great price. The market is still full of choices to satiate your... more
There are excellent movies that feature trucks prominently in the story line. Truck Trend ran John Pearly Huffman's " Top 10 Truck Movies " in the March/April 2007 issue. As with all lists, there's bound to be... more
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