New Montero Sport 4x4, Fortuner 3.0 4x4 or Sta. Fe 4x4.

[niky]

The Santa Fe is the best diesel SUV in the segment because it is the best on the road.

It has the most refinement, the best engine (small, yet powerful), the best ride and the most comfortable interior (honestly... I'm a FordClubber, and I will readily admit the Everest isn't for everyone).

The advantage of the Montero, Everest, Fortuner et al is the off-road capability... but if you're not climbing Mount Pinatubo any time soon... (and where you'll get clean diesel there to feed the finicky common rail engines in all of these cars... I don't know)... the Santa Fe is the best choice. For off-roading, I'd say it's a toss-up between the Fort and the Everest... I like the Eve's drivetrain and engine better, especially as it has an LSD, but the Fort is a very capable vehicle that sees a lot of off-road action.

I'd say the Captiva and Sorento would come next, but the Sorento's ride is too wallowy for me (see? I don't like all Koreans... ) and the Captiva's handling is just so-so.

Another interesting entry in this market? The Ssangyong Kyron. ( http://bigbigcar.com/ReviewArticle.aspx?id=31 ) It's a Mercedes-based engine and Chassis... comes with ABS, EBD, SRS Airbags and an interior that makes the Japanese (Montero, Everest, Fortuner... the Everest is based on the Mazda B-pickup) ladder-frames look like crap.





The ride isn't half-bad (I'd say it's comparable to the Pajero Fieldmaster, but a little better, with more body control) and the engine is good, though not as powerful as the Toyota 3.0 D4D or the Ford 3.0 TDCi. Still, this car has more refinement than most ladder-frame trucks, a true low-range 4WD option, a punchy engine and a great interior.

Okay... so it looks funny... but so what? You're going to be sitting inside it, anyway...