Forget just about everything you may know about the original Mercury Mountaineer that was introduced in 1996 as a mechanical companion to the highly successful Ford Explorer. Gone are the former generation’s live rear axle and optional 5.0 liter pushrod V8 replaced this year by a 4 wheel independent suspension and an available aluminum overhead [...]

Every year, it seems, automobile companies strive to make their minivans roomier and more powerful. But in a way, why bother? A minivan is for those who just want that: a small van. If you want a bigger, more powerful van, get a full size model, like GMC Savana. If cargo room is what you [...]

Although the Montero Sport shares its moniker with the slightly larger and more expensive Montero, the two Mitsubishi sport utilities have little more in common than name. the Montero Sport is rooted in the Mighty Max compact pickup truck (no larger imported here), hence the Montero Sport’s tough ladder frame, live axle rear and reasonable [...]

Somewhere along the line, the SUV superseded the van as the king size family vehicle of choice. It was bound to happen, really; American have an inherently short attention span and SUV’s have 4 wheel drive with its promise of dirty fun. But as you are undoubtedly noticed, the only dirt most SUVs see is [...]

The Lincoln Navigator has been a sales phenomenon since its 1998 model year introduction. In the beginning, doubters questioned whether Lincoln’s tradition as a luxury car builder would lead itself to the rough and tumble sport utility vehicle marketplace. Those naysayers were soon silenced as the orders poured in. To company officials, one of the [...]

The full size LX 470 offers all the luxuries of its smaller RX 300 siblings, but is definitely made of sturdier stuff. The LX 470 is built Toyota land Cruiser platform rather than a family sedan chassis, and it’s one comfort encrusted SUV you won’t have to worry about when going off road. The LX470 [...]

There’s no getting around the fact that the Mazda Tribute and the Ford Escape are siblings, and yet Mazda has done a laudable job of infusing its version with the same sporting spirit you’d expect from the company that has given us the Miata. Much of this Mazda character comes from the styling and handling [...]

Le Mans winner and Miata maker Mazda heavily identifies itself as a sports car builder, even labeling their married with children MPV as the minivan with the soul of a sports car. Though last year the response to that claim was lukewarm; the chassis seemed willing, but the powertrain was lackluster. That was last year. [...]

Obsession with technical excellence and a little rivalry with BMW, assures that Mercedes Benz applies is considerable engineering skills to its three piece set of sport utilities that comprises the ML series. Lucky us! This pursuit excellence is easily seen in the basic specifications. Built using tough body on frame construction, the 7 passenger MLs [...]

Whereas most other sport utilities spring from a Beaver Cleaver legacy of hauling kids or towing the boat to Spooky Lake, Mitsubishi’s flagship Montero credenza is crammed with 17 years of Paris-to-Dakar Rally trophies. For the uninitiated, Paris to Dakar is a grueling off road rally run through thousands of miles of Africa’s most punishing [...]