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Range Rover
Sport
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Jeep
Cherokee
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Those who seek the everyday practicality of an SUV with no
compromise on style, luxury, or driving dynamics may find the Range Rover Sport
just right. You’ll pay somewhere close to $70k for it (about $20K less than its
larger brother) yet find the same safe, strong, commanding position on the road. And like its brother, the Range Rover Sport
stands apart from other brands in its ability to climb mountains without
dragging its undercarriage on the rocks and safely wade its way across streams. (The Sport is good for fording through 33.5
inches of water.) With full-time
four-wheel drive, an impressive list of standard convenience and safety
features, and optional third-row seating, it’s a nice option between the full-size
Range Rover and smaller Discovery Sport and Evoque cousins. Ours was equipped with the 3.0-liter
turbodiesel V6. Handy features included
a low-traction launch mode for sure-footing on slippery surfaces and Advanced
Tow Assist to guide the driver while backing up with a trailer.
Jeep is a brand that can’t be ignored if you’re looking for
go-anywhere capability; and if it’s a crossover SUV you’re after, you may be
surprised about how far the Jeep Cherokee has come with standard and available
luxuries and improvements in pavement-based performance thanks to front and
rear independent suspensions. All this
is achieved without sacrificing Jeep’s stand-apart capability off-road or its
best-in-class towing capability. The Limited
4x4 model that we drove sheds some of the off-road hardware of the Trailhawk
edition and sits just a notch under the range-topping Overland trim level. Loaded with the optional 3.2-liter V6 engine,
tech and luxury extras, plus Hill Descent Control, Jeep Action Drive II (low
gear range with front and rear axle lock), and Off-Road Suspension, our test model
could be had for just over $40k.
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Subaru
Crosstrek
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If you ever go off-road or just like the assurance of a
vehicle designed to handle extremes, you’ll also want to shop Subaru. Standard
all-wheel drive and 8.7 inches of ground clearance make the Crosstrek a
surprisingly fun hatchback to drive on both paved and dirt roads. The all-new 2018 Crosstrek gets a new Global
Platform, upgraded engine and more refined cabin while continuing to deliver huge
on value and all-weather capability. While some may salivate over the manual
transmission options, the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT)
adds Hill Descent Control, X-Mode (Subaru’s tricky-spot helper that regulates
torque), and individual-wheel braking. It’s
hard to find a vehicle among subcompacts that offers as many standard options.
Subaru’s EyeSight safety features package comes standard on the 2.0 Premium
mid-level trim level and includes emergency braking, lane departure warning and
adaptive cruise control. The top-of-the-line
2.0i Limited adds auto high beams and reverse automatic braking plus a Harman
Kardon audio system, and can still be had for under $25K.
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