Comparing Sport/Utility Suvs

What You Really Need To Know About Ground Clearance
While flogging seven of today's top luxury SUVs in our annual Death Valley torture test, we had ample opportunity to judge the practical ground clearance exhibited by each, as we were frequently ensnared by brush, ruts, wash-outs, craggy rocks, and downright ugly terrain. Forget about breaking out a tape measure for "official" ground-clearance specs, we ran the SUVs in the field to see how they really performed over rough surfaces, often with me hanging out a window or crawling under a bumper to watch for what would scrape. Here's how the seven compared.

AM General Hummer: With the best ground clearance of all SUVs in the group, the Hummer could clear a small burro, while effortlessly fording streams laden with boulders, logs, and old prospectors. However, side-to-side clearance was another thing, as the extra-wide Hummer frequently wedged its way through brush and tight canyons thus producing scratches down the sides.

Ford Excursion Limited: Actual ground clearance was good, yet its long wheelbase and porky weight made for ramp breakover angle clearance woes trying to traverse rocks while going up hillsides and over ridges. Yet, for a rig with such mammoth proportions, it did a decent job of conquering ugly rocks on flatter terrain.

GMC Yukon XL: On flat roads, the GMC had no problem straddling most boulders, but as with the Excursion, its long wheelbase and side runningboards hindered rock crawling over ridges and odd surfaces. Although similar in size and length to the Excursion, the GMC seemed to better handle the truly rough terrain.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited: Although its actual ground clearance wasn't outstanding, the Jeep had no problem hauling itself over (without scraping) nasty rock-infested terrain and oilpan-puncturing surfaces. Not only did the short-wheelbase Jeep continually amaze drivers with its four-wheeling and clearance prowess, but it pampered occupants with a plush ride with nary a jiggle.

Land Rover Range Rover 4.6 HSE: Its excellent suspension travel and good ground clearance combined to generate a fantastic off-roading experience. Moreover, when the terrain gets really rough, simply activate the air-ride suspension for a little extra lift (5.3 inches of total ride height adjustability), then lower the suspension afterward for a more stable ride. Neat.

Mercedes-Benz ML430: This SUV is not really meant as an all-out trail-runner, and it showed. Although traction wasn't a problem as we navigated the ML430 over terrain it had no business traversing, the M-B's plethora of protruding spoilers, sporty exhaust, and low-riding stance didn't accommodate serious rock crawling. Its short, stiff chassis frequently had one of the rear tires airborne, which definitely generated more ground clearance, but made for a wobbly ride.

Toyota Land Cruiser: Good overall ground clearance with the exception of a pesky transmission cross-member that scrapes across rocks and brush. However, if you can stand the occasional sound of metal contacting rock, the Land Cruiser does a good job of clawing up ugly terrain
-John Kiewicz