This real-world testing helps divide the eight soft-roaders into two groups. The Nissan Murano, with a locking center differential, the Lexus RX 330, with adjustable air suspension and a rear-mounted camera good for backing down hills (but not when the sun is low enough to obliterate the view), and the Cadillac SRX, with computer-controlled traction based on steering and gearing, can handle more than bad weather. Tires still are key, though, and the SRX's rubber, which is neither serious for off-road nor serious for pavement performance, can't help it get past deep, loose sand.
All-wheel drive on the remaining five provides no more than severe-weather capability. Most notably, the BMW X3 and the Infiniti FX are heavily biased toward sports-car-style dry-pavement handling. Their advantages over cars are parking-space-spotting ride height, room for mountain bikes, and enhanced traction for damp or snowy pavement.
Dodge Durango Rear Cargo
Styling and Design
Our SUV candidates come in three styling flavors: new-wave sleek, sporty wagon, and traditional upright. The ovoid Infiniti FX, Nissan Murano, Lexus RX 330, and softly boxy BMW X3 typify the first group. Transcending this lively, growing category are the beautifully styled Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne, each with lyrical, zaftig lines and bright brushed-metal or chrome touches that are carlike in tone.
Sporty-wagon vehicles generally have more cargo capacity than the first group, and some offer a small, but handy, third-row bench. These include the Cadillac SRX, Chrysler Pacifica, and Mitsubishi Endeavor. In the case of the SRX, Cadillac is solidifying its defiantly edgy, machine-age Art & Science visual signature. Several editors feel this edgy, spline-line styling is becoming more digestible. Others say the origami look hangs more comfortably on the longer length of the SRX versus the wedgier CTS sedan skeleton. Chrysler Pacifica's zeppelinlike aspect contrasts sharply with the SRX. The Pacifica is a sleek, six-passenger model that might steal driveway spots from premium all-wheel-drive minivans. It looks like a Chrysler van that's been wide-tracked, chopped, and channeled for a zoomy profile, without sacrificing too much interior volume. The Endeavor's look is a cross between the Chrysler's and Cadillac's. With only two seating rows, it's not as long and low-profile as the Pacifica or SRX. One staffer observes that, with its boldly chiseled fender arches, it suggests a leaner, next-gen version of the jaunty Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The traditional-upright models, Rainier, XUV, Durango, and Armada, are large, towing and hauling beasts. They're the sheetmetal equivalent of denim coveralls: honest, tough, and ready for work. Each has a full frame, heavy-duty suspension, and standard or optional V-8 engine. If yanking a trailer while transporting a full complement of passengers and cargo is the game, these are the appropriate tools. Unlike the third-row seats in smaller truck-sporty vehicles, the third row in the Durango and Armada will accommodate large teens and adults. Only the Armada, with its Frank Gehry-esque abstract architectural styling, stretches this buttoned-down paradigm, avoiding a me-too Expedition or Tahoe look.