Comparing Sport/Utility Suvs

Yes, Ford's new mammoth Excursion wins the battle of the measuring tape, both inside and out. Plus, it provides Ford's typically well-designed and inviting interior and is a plush highway cruiser-kind of like driving your living room down the interstate. However, the Excursion feels like a big vehicle, and its general floatiness, vague steering, and harsh, choppy ride characteristics at certain speeds on rough or washboard road left me wondering if the everyday cost for those extra cubic feet is really worth it. With the slightly smaller GMC Yukon XL (how strange it seems to call the former Suburban "smaller"), you trade a little volume for a much better-tuned suspension and a vehicle that, from behind the steering wheel, feels smaller than it is. For my tastes, though, that debate is one for Texans and Montanans; the ideal size for me is perhaps the Toyota Land Cruiser, which feels pleasantly roomy inside without the bloated exterior dimensions. Then again, after getting out of the Excursion land yacht, the nimbleness, control, and performance of the Mercedes ML430 made it feel like a Porsche Turbo by comparison, which might just convince me to downgrade the whole size issue in favor of a higher fun factor.-Rik Paul

Reality Check In the off-road carnival that is Death Valley, you've just gotta love the Hummer. As ridiculous as it is in the city (we see plenty of them in Beverly Hills), the big, bad Hummer takes on a wholly purposeful (and pretty darn cool, if I do say so) "bomb them back into the Stone Age" attitude. It's huge beyond reason, slow as a donkey cart, and as ergonomically inefficient as anything designed to government standards could possibly be (which probably also explains the $83,149 pricetag!). It was also the one vehicle everyone clamored to try. All it needs is a 50-caliber machine gun turret in the cargo bed. But in the realm of "real-world" SUVs, it's the Grand Cherokee that best fits my needs. It isn't the biggest nor the most powerful, it won't carry the most people or yank the heaviest trailer, and it certainly isn't the most intimidating to other drivers. But judge them all on performance, handling, off-road prowess, garageability, and value, and it's the JGC for me.-C. Van Tune

To Hell And Back Traveling through Death Valley during the summer is not exactly my idea of a luxury vacation. It is, however, one of the best ways to test sport/utility vehicles. After several days of oppressive heat, and conquering trails that a pack mule would struggle to navigate, I was truly impressed with the off-road capabilities of each vehicle. Driving the Ford Excursion reminded me of piloting a Kenworth big rig. It's giant and uses plenty of roadway, but sure does garner respect from people in mere cars. On the other hand, the Hummer is just plain weird to drive. It seems wider than it is long, but, boy, can it go off-road. Driving it almost made me want to join the Army. The Land Cruiser, Mercedes, and Range Rover feel as much at home scrambling across a river bed as they do cruising Rodeo Drive. Each is nice, but a little too pricey for me. However, the Jeep Grand Cherokee impressed me the most. I like the Yukon better on the highway, but give me anything with a Jeep badge when the pavement turns to dirt and the dirt gives way to rocks the size of Dodge Neons.-Chuck Schifsky