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How many of those dumb Jap-mobiles will be able to say the same?
Actually, there are decent Japanese small trucks:
* the Land Cruiser FJ40, which is basically a Jeep clone, but is
unfortunately no longer imported to the US
* I've heard that the Nissan X-terra and older Pathfinders are quite
good in rugged conditions
* Mitsubishi Pajeros (not imported) and Monteros (to a lesser extent)
There are probably a few other examples. US and European companies
are putting out their fair share of "soft" SUV's today as well,
some examples being the Volvo XC90, BMW X3/X5, Mercedes ML class
(not to be confused with the Gelendewagon G-class or Unimogs),
Ford Escape - you get the idea. I've heard that the VW Touareg and
Porsche Cayenne are actually surprisingly decent off-road, but who
wants to take a $50k+ machine with nice paint through the bush?
Speaking of Japanese SUV's, as I've said before, the Subaru line
of AWD station wagons is quite rugged, simple, and well thought out.
Not trucks, but something to consider for someone who needs a
slightly more rugged car and cares more about functionality than
about towering over other cars.
-b.
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