Forester/X-Trail/Patriot/Outlander - best "offroad"

[cailean]

I am pondering a mid-priced, mid-sized SUV. I am thinking Jap for decent reliability and 1-3 years old. So far my choices seem to include the four mentioned in the title. This would be a quasi family weekend car and I want to do some light green laning and family holidays with it. I appreciate these are not hard core offroaders but I don't want a Defender or Discovery.

I am thinking the X-Trail is best offroad, then either the Patriot or Forester then the Outlander.

The Jeep Patriot is interesting me even though it is not a Jap. I can't find out whether the Patriot has the US Freedom Drive I or II system or another system. Wiki says that the EU version has a system nearer to the FDII version but the PDF UK brochures that I can find just says FDI?

The Patriot is cheapest with a Merc 2.2 diesel engine. My heart says Forester, my head says X-Trail but the Outlander has an extra two (small) seats for little ones.

Any thoughts?
Am I missing any others?
Cheers

Edited by cailean on Monday 11th June 19:42

[cptsideways]

Forester will win hands down, in my experience its the only one with proper 4x4 ie able to properly power the front & rear wheels, the others are fwd with "some" drive to the other end but not a lot (eg not enough when needed)

Not sure what the Jeep has if I'm honest

[cptsideways]

This explains a lot!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO-MuWo0voM&fea...

[cailean]

How about this video, real or advert?
http://www.subaru.com/engineering/all-wheel-drive....

[cailean]

This article suggests the X-Trail is better offroad than the Forester
http://www.caradvice.com.au/99599/subaru-forester-...

[dowahdiddyman]

What do you call `light green laning`
One of the first things to look at if you intend to do any green laning is ground clearence and a proper four wheel drive system.

[cptsideways]

cailean said:

This article suggests the X-Trail is better offroad than the Forester
http://www.caradvice.com.au/99599/subaru-forester-...

The slight giveaway is they did'nt actually test anything! Generic photo's from the manufacturers & text cut & pasted straight from the press pack. Are people really that gullible?

[soda]

I have an old Forester(1997) which gets a fair bit of abuse doing uplifts when mountain biking, it's been up a few mountains and no problems on mud or wet grass. Needs a careful route selection though as ground clearance is crap compared to a proper 4x4.

I've no idea on the type of 4x4 systems fitted in your other choices but if you head down a muddy rutted lane it's all academic if you end up beached.

[billzeebub]

Never been a fan of the XTrail since we hired one for a chaps road trip round France and by the end of the week it was buggered and the engine sounded like a poorly lawn mower! Conversely I have been mega impressed with the 2004 Forester XT my brother has recently acquired for summer camping expeditions. A car of many talents and significant character

Edited by billzeebub on Thursday 14th June 20:48