Best affordable comfortable off roader

ColoradoMan · Nov 16, 2017

The patriot I have is getting long in the teeth at least to me and my family. Its been great for the price, but its really not the best off road machine although it is adequate most of the time.
The thing I don't like about it is because of its small tires and low torque it can be a very bumpy rough ride off road.

Is there anything affordable (minimal mods besides a small cheap lift) that can provide something more comfortable off road and still be somewhat reliable to drive in the city?

Is independent suspension really that more comfortable off road than solid axels? It seems hitting a bump on solid axels would make the whole vehicle shake.

Also MPG comes into play for affordability.

Things that come to mind is, 2010+ 4runner, 2012+ wrangler, 2014+ grand cherokee, 2016+ cherokee trailhawk

RossoRacer · Nov 16, 2017

ColoradoMan said:
Things that come to mind is, 2010+ 4runner(joining ISIS are we? Otherwise just kinda common, probably not modded alot anymore, and looks expensive), 2012+ wrangler(kinda small for a family vehicle unless you get the minivan version, which means $$$$), 2014+ grand cherokee(even a lower-end model is gonna be $30k and the WK2 is almost more Cadillac/Land Rover than Jeep), 2016+ cherokee trailhawk(do I even need to say it?)

Hope this helps some. Patriot really is the best mix of the bunch, from what I've seen. Maybe a Libby would be worth checking? Or a Chevy Colorado, or maybe the H3T, but the H3T is a little pricey too, last I checked.

aroundincircles · Nov 16, 2017

Wrangler.

having owned an XJ, and a patriot, the patriot was FAR FAR FAR more comfortable in all situations to my XJ, and I had one of the BEST most comfortable kits on my XJ, and it was far more comfortable than any JK i sat in. BUT if you want something you can take off road reliably, Get a wrangler.

nth256 · Nov 16, 2017

ColoradoMan said:
The patriot I have is getting long in the teeth at least to me and my family. Its been great for the price, but its really not the best off road machine although it is adequate most of the time.
The thing I don't like about it is because of its small tires and low torque it can be a very bumpy rough ride off road.

Is there anything affordable (minimal mods besides a small cheap lift) that can provide something more comfortable off road and still be somewhat reliable to drive in the city?

Is independent suspension really that more comfortable off road than solid axels? It seems hitting a bump on solid axels would make the whole vehicle shake.

Also MPG comes into play for affordability.

Things that come to mind is, 2010+ 4runner, 2012+ wrangler, 2014+ grand cherokee, 2016+ cherokee trailhawk

So, I had to part with the Patriot not long ago. After a long search (and a few months in a borrowed minivan), I landed on a 2012 Grand Cherokee (WK2). I will say that it is probably the most comfortable vehicle i've been in aside from a road-going luxury sedan.

Mine is the low-spec, 2wd trim (shopping used on a budget, you get what you get), but they can be had with a highly competent off-road package.

Gotta have a solid axle? The WK GC's had them up to 2010.

Super comfy, man. And it feels 10x more solid, more well-put-together than the Patriot. Bigger than the Patriot. My only regret is not dumping the Patriot sooner.

I will say, as far as on-road goes, the GC rewards smooth driving. It's not nearly as chuckable as the little Patriot.

ColoradoMan · Nov 16, 2017

aroundincircles said:
Wrangler.

having owned an XJ, and a patriot, the patriot was FAR FAR FAR more comfortable in all situations to my XJ, and I had one of the BEST most comfortable kits on my XJ, and it was far more comfortable than any JK i sat in. BUT if you want something you can take off road reliably, Get a wrangler.

So are you saying even with a fancy lift kit on your XJ or even on a wrangler, It was more bumpy and less comfy than just driving your patriot while off road?

aroundincircles · Nov 16, 2017

ColoradoMan said:
So are you saying even with a fancy lift kit on your XJ or even on a wrangler, It was more bumpy and less comfy than just driving your patriot while off road?

correct.

Now I will say, the best thing I've found to do to is air down my tires significantly.

Both on my XJ and on my patriot, if I ran at street pressure off road, it was a back breaking experience, Dropping to 12psi in oversized tires smoothed things out significantly, but a fully independent suspension is superior to solid axles for off road comfort, but decidedly not as good for off road traction.

BUT if you plan on actually doing stuff off road, get an off road vehicle.

Rosso recommended a colorado. A truck isn't a bad idea. Give you some on road comfort, and some off road capability. and a crew cab will hold you and your kids.

a 4runner is good, but they are expensive and stay expensive.

ColoradoMan · Nov 16, 2017

aroundincircles said:
correct.

Now I will say, the best thing I've found to do to is air down my tires significantly.

Both on my XJ and on my patriot, if I ran at street pressure off road, it was a back breaking experience, Dropping to 12psi in oversized tires smoothed things out significantly, but a fully independent suspension is superior to solid axles for off road comfort, but decidedly not as good for off road traction.

BUT if you plan on actually doing stuff off road, get an off road vehicle.

Rosso recommended a colorado. A truck isn't a bad idea. Give you some on road comfort, and some off road capability. and a crew cab will hold you and your kids.

a 4runner is good, but they are expensive and stay expensive.

If I were to get a grand cherokee or some other off roader that has independent suspension and mod it to have a decent size tire that can be aired down, would that be the best way to go?

Tyler-98-W68 · Nov 16, 2017

Hate to say it but.............Cherokee Trailhawk. Fair amount of them available used now. Very comfortable. ~$100 for a 2" lift throw some slightly larger tires on and you've got a fairly decent offroad vehicle that will do probably 80% of what a wrangler can do but rides better and gets way better gas mileage. Of course i'm biased but before anyone wants to talk **** about them, they better have driven/owned one and not "i read they sucked at xxx"

Send me a PM if you would like some more information

aroundincircles · Nov 16, 2017

ColoradoMan said:
If I were to get a grand cherokee or some other off roader that has independent suspension and mod it to have a decent size tire that can be aired down, would that be the best way to go?

If it was my money, (and it may be soon-ish) I would look for the nicest WJ Money could find. It still has solid axles, but they did an amazing job of making it comfortable, on and off road, you cannot go as extreme (at least not inexpensively) as you can with an XJ or a wrangler, but they offer a huge improvement in comfort.

as far as a WK or WK2, I've known a few people to own them, and it seems that electrical issues are quite common on them.

That would be my biggest worry. Maybe my fears are unfounded, but I personally worry about the reliability, and that's the last thing I want to worry about when off the main path.

ColoradoMan · Nov 16, 2017

aroundincircles said:
If it was my money, (and it may be soon-ish) I would look for the nicest WJ Money could find. It still has solid axles, but they did an amazing job of making it comfortable, on and off road, you cannot go as extreme (at least not inexpensively) as you can with an XJ or a wrangler, but they offer a huge improvement in comfort.

as far as a WK or WK2, I've known a few people to own them, and it seems that electrical issues are quite common on them.

That would be my biggest worry. Maybe my fears are unfounded, but I personally worry about the reliability, and that's the last thing I want to worry about when off the main path.

What about the xterra?

aroundincircles · Nov 17, 2017

ColoradoMan said:
What about the xterra?

Hmmm... I've known a few people with xterras. I wouldn't consider them comfortable or refined, but they can make a pretty good off road vehicle. From those I know who've had them, the v6 is noisy and thirsty, and the interior is lackluster, but that's not a bad thing in a utility truck. But I obviously forgot about it, they have never left an impression on me.

DangerAaron · Nov 20, 2017

nth256 said:
So, I had to part with the Patriot not long ago. After a long search (and a few months in a borrowed minivan), I landed on a 2012 Grand Cherokee (WK2). I will say that it is probably the most comfortable vehicle i've been in aside from a road-going luxury sedan.

Mine is the low-spec, 2wd trim (shopping used on a budget, you get what you get), but they can be had with a highly competent off-road package.

Gotta have a solid axle? The WK GC's had them up to 2010.

Super comfy, man. And it feels 10x more solid, more well-put-together than the Patriot. Bigger than the Patriot. My only regret is not dumping the Patriot sooner.

I will say, as far as on-road goes, the GC rewards smooth driving. It's not nearly as chuckable as the little Patriot.

I own a 2014 Patriot FDii and a 2015 WK2 limited. I purchased both brand new. The 2015 WK2 was literally twice the money that I paid for the Patriot. (Patriot about 24K WK2 about 50K) However, the difference in interior comforts between the two make the Patriot seem like your driving one of the battery powered kid Jeeps.....
The Patriot does OK with it's 2.4, but the WK2 gets better gas mileage with a much more powerful engine. (24 MPG avg in my Patriot vs 26 MPG in my WK2). Has a towing capacity that is actually useful. And, the Grand Cherokee is much more sure footed off road and just superior in every way to the Patriot. If I found a lightly used WK2 for around or under 30K I would jump on it.
If you plan on lift kits or stuff like that, then avoid the air suspension.
While it is not "as chuckable as a little Patriot", it drives great. And like the FDii Patriot a trail rated model gets you a great full time 4WD system with solid skid plates underneath. I have experienced no electrical problems with mine.
I also like the small pickups, but their pricing makes no sense to me. They are usually priced very close to their full size counter-parts. And the newer full size offerings from Ford and Dodge get the same or better gas mileage, with bigger engines, higher towing capacity, larger hauling capacity etc... And if you are looking for good ride quality the small pickups are not going to win out against either a Grand Cherokee or a 4runner. with an empty bed, solid rear axle, and springs to handle hauling you will feel every bridge joint and bump in the road.

bwpakk · Nov 21, 2017

DangerAaron, what kind of mileage do you get in your WK2 around town. More than half my driving is around town, and in my '08 Pat I average around 22(mpg). A lot of my backroad limited use roads I travel I don't get optimum mileage (13 gal tank?), but I can get 26mpg on my drives up north to the cottage. I'm just wondering, as I know the 2.4 is quite thirsty just running above idle in the woods. That might be a consideration for choosing a vehicle also.

ColoradoMan · Nov 21, 2017

DangerAaron said:
I own a 2014 Patriot FDii and a 2015 WK2 limited. I purchased both brand new. The 2015 WK2 was literally twice the money that I paid for the Patriot. (Patriot about 24K WK2 about 50K) However, the difference in interior comforts between the two make the Patriot seem like your driving one of the battery powered kid Jeeps.....
The Patriot does OK with it's 2.4, but the WK2 gets better gas mileage with a much more powerful engine. (24 MPG avg in my Patriot vs 26 MPG in my WK2). Has a towing capacity that is actually useful. And, the Grand Cherokee is much more sure footed off road and just superior in every way to the Patriot. If I found a lightly used WK2 for around or under 30K I would jump on it.
If you plan on lift kits or stuff like that, then avoid the air suspension.
While it is not "as chuckable as a little Patriot", it drives great. And like the FDii Patriot a trail rated model gets you a great full time 4WD system with solid skid plates underneath. I have experienced no electrical problems with mine.
I also like the small pickups, but their pricing makes no sense to me. They are usually priced very close to their full size counter-parts. And the newer full size offerings from Ford and Dodge get the same or better gas mileage, with bigger engines, higher towing capacity, larger hauling capacity etc... And if you are looking for good ride quality the small pickups are not going to win out against either a Grand Cherokee or a 4runner. with an empty bed, solid rear axle, and springs to handle hauling you will feel every bridge joint and bump in the road.

This is what I was looking to hear. I probably will be getting a wk2 for my next off roader. I hear you can put 32in tires on it stock. I hope I can find a diesel, that would be awesome.

DangerAaron · Nov 21, 2017

bwpakk said:
DangerAaron, what kind of mileage do you get in your WK2 around town. More than half my driving is around town, and in my '08 Pat I average around 22(mpg). A lot of my backroad limited use roads I travel I don't get optimum mileage (13 gal tank?), but I can get 26mpg on my drives up north to the cottage. I'm just wondering, as I know the 2.4 is quite thirsty just running above idle in the woods. That might be a consideration for choosing a vehicle also.

Unfortunately I don't pay that close of attention to the MPG as my wife drives the WK2 as her daily driver and I drive the Patriot. What I do know is that when I fill the tank and do the math it usually works out to between 25 and 26 MPG for the tank. Most times she goes over 500 miles between fill ups. On long trips for vacations and stuff I have seen over 27MPG loaded down with us, two dogs, and all that goes with us for a week long beach vacation. Just two weeks ago I even got 19 MPG with the tires aired down to 20PSI driving in the sand on a North Carolina beach. But it has been my personal experience that my WK2 gets better gas mileage in all facets of driving than my FDii Patriot. And, in my opinion, a non trail rated WK2 is still more capable off road than an FDii Patriot simply due to having more power, an actual transfer case, and better suspension.

DangerAaron · Nov 21, 2017

ColoradoMan said:
This is what I was looking to hear. I probably will be getting a wk2 for my next off roader. I hear you can put 32in tires on it stock. I hope I can find a diesel, that would be awesome.

32in tires will fit. The diesels were few and far between on Laredo, and Limited models. Much easier to find on Overland and Summit models. If you are not planning on lifting then the air suspension is a nice option, but if you do envision a lift then stay away from anything with the air suspension. Lifting those gets really expensive, really fast.

There are three basic 4x4 systems on the WK2. The first is Quadra-Trac I which has a single speed transfer case and functions very much like the Patriot system.

Next is the Qaudra-Trac II system. This inproves off road ability with a true two speed transfer case.

Then there is the Quadra-Drive II system that is the same as Quadra-Trac II but adds a limited slip rear differential.

You can tell which system is equipped by looking at the controls in front of the center console. My Limited model came with Quadra-Trac II and has met all of my needs so far with the addition of some all terrain tires.

Jeep Grand Cherokee WK2 - Transfer cases

Tyler-98-W68 · Nov 21, 2017

DangerAaron said:
Unfortunately I don't pay that close of attention to the MPG as my wife drives the WK2 as her daily driver and I drive the Patriot. What I do know is that when I fill the tank and do the math it usually works out to between 25 and 26 MPG for the tank. Most times she goes over 500 miles between fill ups. On long trips for vacations and stuff I have seen over 27MPG loaded down with us, two dogs, and all that goes with us for a week long beach vacation. Just two weeks ago I even got 19 MPG with the tires aired down to 20PSI driving in the sand on a North Carolina beach. But it has been my personal experience that my WK2 gets better gas mileage in all facets of driving than my FDii Patriot. And, in my opinion, a non trail rated WK2 is still more capable off road than an FDii Patriot simply due to having more power, an actual transfer case, and better suspension.

Totally right my Cherokee (Not Grand) gets way better mileage than either of my FDII's ever got. The second you get a low range transfer case is the time you get something more capable than any MK. I wanted a WK2 but for what I wanted in options it was way too much money, so I settled on a Cherokee TH and haven't regretted it at all.

ColoradoMan · Nov 21, 2017

Tyler-98-W68 said:
Totally right my Cherokee (Not Grand) gets way better mileage than either of my FDII's ever got. The second you get a low range transfer case is the time you get something more capable than any MK. I wanted a WK2 but for what I wanted in options it was way too much money, so I settled on a Cherokee TH and haven't regretted it at all.

I also have been seriously thinking of getting a trailhawk cherokee. My problem with them is I'd like to at least get 32 inch tires and I don't believe that is possible even with a lift.

Tyler-98-W68 · Nov 21, 2017

ColoradoMan said:
I also have been seriously thinking of getting a trailhawk cherokee. My problem with them is I'd like to at least get 32 inch tires and I don't believe that is possible even with a lift.

You can get 32's with a $100 Lift and trimming of the pinch weld much like what needs to be done on the Patriot. To be honest though, I run 30.5" tires and the Hazzard sky lift and I would much rather spend money and get sliders than gain another .5" of clearance from tires that require hacking things up.

32" tires doesn't make the vehicle significantly more capable than something with smaller tires, its the drive train that really makes the vehicle great offroad. The selectable rear locker is such a nice feature to have regardless of what people want to say about the cherokee as a whole. Most who bitch have not driven or wheeled one.

Yes it costs more and yes it can't be lifted as much but it can be lifted just as much as the patriot platform so really what is there to bitch about?

ColoradoMan · Nov 22, 2017

Tyler-98-W68 said:
You can get 32's with a $100 Lift and trimming of the pinch weld much like what needs to be done on the Patriot. To be honest though, I run 30.5" tires and the Hazzard sky lift and I would much rather spend money and get sliders than gain another .5" of clearance from tires that require hacking things up.

32" tires doesn't make the vehicle significantly more capable than something with smaller tires, its the drive train that really makes the vehicle great offroad. The selectable rear locker is such a nice feature to have regardless of what people want to say about the cherokee as a whole. Most who bitch have not driven or wheeled one.

Yes it costs more and yes it can't be lifted as much but it can be lifted just as much as the patriot platform so really what is there to bitch about?

Yeah I love how its mostly fwd and the locking diff. I just want the bigger tires because you can air them down more to make them nice and soft off road.

Best affordable comfortable off roader

ColoradoMan

RossoRacer

aroundincircles

nth256

ColoradoMan

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ColoradoMan

Tyler-98-W68

aroundincircles

ColoradoMan

aroundincircles

DangerAaron

bwpakk

ColoradoMan

DangerAaron

DangerAaron

Tyler-98-W68

ColoradoMan

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