X5 off-road prowess (?)

[DinanX5]

Thanks DK - excellent write-up!!

So now we know... the X is no slouch off-road after all.

[JV]

Originally Posted by dksavage

Warning - long!

I am pretty impressed with the off-road capability other than where decent ground clearance is required. Suspect it will perform nicely on sand - save that for another day.

DS

I can attest to the X doing quite well on sand. I drove mine 10 or 12 miles up and down the NC coast, some on hard pack by the Ocean, some on loose and large-grained sand towards the dunes, and she did great. I didn't get the secure feeling I get behind the wheel of my battle-weary '92 Pathfinder 4X4, but I know that will never get stuck in anything I will ever drive it into, and it was my first time with the X

Thanks for the nice words and pics, DS.

JV

[Bill K]

I had a Land Rover Discovery, and I can surely say that on snow covered roads, the X is just as controllable, if not a tad better. I'm a firm believer in having the right tires. I dont mean you have to have snow tires to perform well in the sno, you just have to have a good set of all weather tires. I love the Mich Cross Terrains. If you're out in the snow or mud with low profile, high performance tires, then you should expect to get stuck, no matter what vehicle you have.
True offroad features like a differential lock arent seen as much today with the All Season Traction type drive systems. Even LandRover stopped adding the diff lock because the all season traction basically gets a computer to tell your brakes to do what the diff lock used to do.
The only bad thing about the X is the low ground clearance (relatively speaking) and bottoming out in a snow drift is a possibility that should be noted.
As for you guys with the Cherokees, give me a break! The frame on that junk box will bend if you try any real offroading. I've seen windshields break and doors not close properly from frame bending. Heck, many Jeeps arent even 4 wheel drive.

[Intel55]

Originally Posted by Bill K

As for you guys with the Cherokees, give me a break! The frame on that junk box will bend if you try any real offroading. I've seen windshields break and doors not close properly from frame bending. Heck, many Jeeps arent even 4 wheel drive.

WOW!! You are so confused and so utterly wrong. Next time compare the facts between a Jeep or a Cherokee to an X5 in an offroad situation. The X5 will lose to BOTH in a offroad test.

The X5 will destroy the oters on the road and in terms of quality and numerous other areas, but will lose and lose hard in an offroad test.

[Bill K]

Originally Posted by Intel55

WOW!! You are so confused and so utterly wrong. Next time compare the facts between a Jeep or a Cherokee to an X5 in an offroad situation. The X5 will lose to BOTH in a offroad test.

The X5 will destroy the oters on the road and in terms of quality and numerous other areas, but will lose and lose hard in an offroad test.

I never said the X5 would beat the Cherokee off road. Read it again

[footsurg]

That is an excellent post DS. Love the pics of the X tearing A$$ up that hill!! Not that I would ever need to drive my X on such terrain.....its nice to know that I can if I need to. Be sure to write up a similar eval with pics when you take her in the sand!

Mark

[carlos3679]

Cherokee sucks...go Land Rover!

[cimbro]

I'd like to compare (in real off road or snow situation)the two sistems of traction of the x5: the older and the newer x drive. Has anyone tested both?

[cimbro]

Message for DS: you say that your friends take a video for you: could you post it?
It would be very interesting for us!!

[RuppX5]

BillK, if we are talking about off-road prowess the X5 doesn't compare to any Jeep or Land Rover. We are talking about two completely different animals. Up until recently all Jeeps and Land Rovers use solid axles front and rear. These trucks are much more geared to off-roading than the X5. To be fair to the X5, it isn't intended to be an off-roader.

And just to clarify, Land Rover discontinued putting in a CDL (Center Diff Lock) in 1999 when they came out with the Series 2 Discovery. The reason that they discontinued it is that in the US, people would leave the diff locked on the street and they would destroy the transfer case. Also, the traction control in the Discovery 2 doesn't do anything to help out with front to rear slippage of the driveshafts, only side to side (wheel to wheel). Land Rover only discontinued the CDL here in the states.

While I love the X5, I know its limitations. It stays on the street. My Land Rover gets to see the dirt and rocks.