RE: SUV's

[MailAdministratorNYC <Admin@nyc.mitsui.com>]

	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Richard Haroutunian [SMTP:Richard_Haroutunian@inso.com]
	Sent:	Wednesday, August 12, 1998 2:23 PM
	To:	William Elliott
	Cc:	quattro@coimbra.ans.net
	Subject:	re: SUV's

	I agree with most of what you said -- except for this part:

	>> Uh, no.  Most of these are on truck frames and do reasonably
off-road.
	The
	full-size Blazer and Expedition (and older Bronco) are terrific
off-road...
	very strong and limited primarily by size.  Don't be misled by all
the
	bells and
	whistles.   These are real trucks underneath those frills even if
they're
	never
	used as one. <<

	Having driven a1993 Ford Explorer 18,000 miles opn a cross-country
trip (3
	months) -- and a Blazer 3200 miles on a trip from Portland, OR down
to
	Vegas -- through Joshua tree and back to LA (1997) --  through many
	off-road excursions in between -- I can tell you that they do not
'do
	reasonably well' off-road... compared to trucks like the 4Runner
(which I
	took on a 12,000 mile across country trip in 1992)..

	The Explorer and the Blazer absolutely 'suck-wind' off-road -- in my
	opinion.  However, I will give them credit in one are: they are both
great
	long-highway-cruising vehicles -- absolutely no doubt about it.
Much more
	comfortable than the 4Runner on long trips..

	Perhaps the Expedition is better off-road -- through an inside
source
	(mechanic at Ford Dealership) tells me horror stories about those
things.
	The old Blazers and Ford Broncos are in a different class entirely..

	Don't get me wrong -- I have a passion for anything with wheels, and
I can
	usually find one or 2 great things about every vehicle.  I think the
	'bells-and-whistles' are the great things about these (?)->trucks-


	Richard
	87 5KCS TQ
	85 4KS Q
	82 VW Cabrio