Some people say that they do not – and would not - use an expedition vehicle as their daily driver and it would not be wise to choose a car that performs ok in both functions, but excels in neither of them. This might be true, but here in Europe you will not find many families with more than 2 cars, and even with two cars (unless you are single and have the luxury of owning more than one car), usually the husband drives one and the wife the other. This is why an expedition vehicle sometimes has to serve as a first or second car.

Therefore, a lot of people are tempted to buy an off-road vehicle they can use both as a daily driver and an expedition vehicle for off-road holiday trips. However, although an important first step, choosing the right vehicle is not easy. This is why Go4x4.eu has looked into which characteristics you need to look for before taking the decision. We have taken a collection of 4x4’s that are most commonly chosen for this task as well as some “challengers” and put down what we think about each vehicle.  To sum up: those who are willing (or forced) to compromise for whatever reason should find a reasonable write-up to start your search for your personal EEV (“everyday-driver/expedition vehicle”). 

This analysis is targeted at amateur enthusiasts who like to spend their holidays with their own vehicle in countries like Tunisia, Iceland, Morocco, Australia etc. It is not intended to focus on requirements of professionals (i.e. participants in professional rallies or other professional off-road events, as well as people who, due to their job, spent a reasonable amount of time in a special geographical area each year (i.e. doctors in Africa, sheep farmers in remote areas in Iceland etc).

There are 8 basic characteristics that influence your vehicle choice: capacity, reliability, durability, capability, efficiency, after-market support, everyday usability as well as price.

CAPACITY:
The ability to carry weight in the vehicle, as well as the vehicle’s overall size (passenger/storage room). This is measured by payload statistics. 450kg are considered to be the absolute minimum, 650kg or more are ideal.

RELIABILITY/REPAIRABILITY:
The ability of a vehicle to perform over long in rugged terrain without engine, electrical and support system failure due to component malfunction. Should anything happen, spare parts should be easily available in different (remote) parts of the world.  

DURABILITY:
The ability of the vehicle to travel rugged terrain, fully loaded without chassis or drive train failure after years of continual use.

CAPABILITY:
The ability of the vehicle to traverse rocky, muddy, crossed axle terrain including water crossings, severe side slopes, hill climbs and descents.

EFFICIENCY:
Fuel efficiency for increased range and lower travel expenditures; required minimum octane level for gasoline driven 4x4’s (in remote areas, poor quality fuel with only 84 octane is no exception – the lower the initial fuel requirement, the better the engine can cope with the poorer fuel). Moreover, a minimum performance standard of 55 Nm of torque for every 453kg (1000 pounds) of vehicle weight (“GVWR”) is recommended. Other things like minor service interval (poor quality fuel usually shortens the interval for oil changes) and tank size.

AFTER MARKET SUPPORT/MODIFICATION PLATFORM:
The more after-market parts are available for your vehicle, the cheaper and easier it will be to build up your vehicle “expedition” style – if needed, that is. This includes bumpers, roof racks, winches, lifts, tires, snorkels etc.  

EVERYDAY USABILITY:
How does the car perform as a daily driver and/or family vehicle?

PRICE:
Money always plays a role and compromises have to be made. The question is which car offers the best value for your money. The price evaluation is based on European prices.

OVERALL RATING (EEV rating):
Overall combined rating as an expedition vehicle and daily driver.

Below, we have listed some vehicles that might come to your mind when thinking of buying an EEV (“everyday-driver/expedition vehicle”). If not separately mentioned, we are referring our comments to the latest version in stock configuration. We rated each vehicle in every category based on a 5 grade scale (the maximum is 5 stars).

Toyota Land Cruiser V8

CAPACITY: *****
One of the biggest vehicles in this comparison, a decent 720kg payload, whereof 200 kg can be transported on the roof.

RELIABILITY/ REPAIRABILITY:****
Great Toyota reliability, Toyota spare part availability is good all around the world. However, in remote areas the HZJ series is far more common and the new electronic features can pose a problem when it comes to maintenance and repairing.

DURABILITY:*****
This is Toyotas legend and as a legend you will last. A lot of 80-series Land Cruisers are still used as expedition vehicles nowadays, so you should be able to enjoy your new LC for many years to come, even under rough conditions.

CAPABILITY:****
Decent off-road vehicle straight from the lot. 31°/23° approach/departure angle as well as 225 mm ground clearance. and a 24° brake over angle. Top-of-the-line electronics (a.o. “rock crawling” gear etc) enable you to cross almost any hinder in your way.

EFFICIENCY:***
Both the V8 diesel and petrol engine are no fuel savers, however the diesel is the only viable choice – it outperforms its gasoline counterpart regarding performance and is more fuel efficient at the same time. A 93l tank comes standard. The diesel (4,5l  V8, 286hp/650 Nm) scores a very good 108 Nm on the GVWR performance scale. For the petrol version, high 98 octane fuel recommended, however, the latest VVT-engines from Toyota (like from many other manufacturers) are timing the valve opening to match the octane content of the gasoline used. For an engine that should last long, it is still not recommended to drive many thousand kilometres with poor quality petrol far below the recommended octane level.

AFTER MARKET SUPPORT:****
Like with all Toyota 4x4’s, there are plenty of parts available from all major companies.

EVERYDAY USABILITY:*****
It is big, comfortable, safe and provides a certain degree of status without sacrificing off-road capability.

PRICE:**
With 85.000-90.000 Euros, the LC V8 is one of the most expensive vehicles in this comparison. Make up your own mind if it’s worth it or not (we recommend reading the rest of the article to find out).

OVERALL GO4X4.EU-RATING: ***
The Land Cruiser is a legend – and this has its reasons. Even the new model lives up to the expectation and is- due to latest electronics - very capable in rugged terrain for a vehicle of its size. It also does well as a daily driver. However, its extremely high entry price and moderate efficiency prevent it from gaining more stars.

Toyota Land Cruiser HZJ78

CAPACITY: *****
Max. 100kg on the roof rack, decent interior size and an overall payload of 960 (!) kg make it an ideal expedition vehicle.

RELIABILITY/ REPAIRABILITY:*****
It is called “bushtaxi” for a reason. Together with the Land Rover Defender, the HZJ series is the main vehicle used in remote areas of Africa. Not too many electronic features. 

DURABILITY:*****
Once again – it is a Toyota on a proven platform built for expeditions.

CAPABILITY:****
Good off-road vehicle. Good approach angle (36°), two solid axles (leaf springs on the rear), 235 mm running ground clearance, low-range gear, and lockers for all differentials available as an option. A special engine air cooler and a cyclone filter come standard. The large wheel base and relatively low departure angle are slight disadvantages.

EFFICIENCY:****
4,1l V6 1HZ diesel engine developing 131hp and 285Nm (no turbo). As with all vehicles of this weight (2,24t curb weight and 3,2t max.), gas consumption will be high, however it is still acceptable for expeditions due to the diesel engine and a 90l tank. With a GVWR performance rating of 57,6Nm the engine still provides sufficient torque, but this number is among the lowest in this comparison. It won’t be the sportiest drive though.....15.000km service interval.

AFTER MARKET SUPPORT:****
After market support is very strong.
EVERYDAY USABILITY:**
No ABS, no airbags, drum brakes at the rear, two solid axles, 5 meters in length, only 2 doors, 2000 Euros extra for an AC and a 131hp diesel engine without a turbo does not sound like the vehicle you want to have in your garage as a daily driver. At least the HZJ 76 offers 4 doors.

PRICE:****
A well equipped HJZ78 comes in at around 45.000 Euros. That’s a lot if you are mainly going to use it to drive to work in your European home town, as this is definitely not the strong side of the HJZ. However, it is good value for money if you are looking for a classic expedition vehicle.

OVERALL GO4X4.EU-RATING: ****
The HZJ is built for expeditions and would have deserved to earn 5 stars in this category. But as we here at Go4x4.eu want to rate the overall ability of a vehicle to serve both as a daily driver and an expedition vehicle, we cannot give more than four stars. If you ask why, scroll back up a couple of centimetres - you might have missed something under the section “everyday usability”.....

Toyota FJ Cruiser

CAPACITY: ***
With a payload of 578kg, the FJ offers enough capacity for expeditions. Storage room is sufficient, and it is even possible to sleep in it for a couple of nights when flipping the back seats, although it is not very comfortable. The stock roof rack (holds 80 kg) could be better suited for expeditions though....

RELIABILITY/ REPAIRABILITY:****
That great Toyota heritage of reliability. The fact that the FJ is based on the Land Cruiser 120/Prado also comes in handy regarding spare part availability (although the Land Cruiser HZJ series scores best when it comes to spare parts). However, the FJ also features an average amount of electronics, which has to be considered as a minus when it comes to repairing it in remote areas. But it relies less on electronic aids than some competitors below…

DURABILITY:*****
The FJ scores very good. Again, the Toyota reliability as well as the fact that the FJ is based on an established platform with a proven transmission and engine gives the FJ a head start in this category. 

CAPABILITY:****
Good trail performance. The automatic version features part-time 4wd, the manual full-time 4wd (leading to higher fuel consumption). Decent approach/departure angels (34°/30°) and wading depth (700mm), good ground clearance (240mm), a low-range gear and factory differential lockers (centre and rear) make it a decent off-road vehicle.

EFFICIENCY:***
Some might say that the 4,0 V6 (242hp, 378Nm) petrol engine is a disadvantage. In any case, 86 Nm of torque at GVWR (fully loaded) allows for sporty every day driving and give an acceptable range for expeditions. 91 octane gasoline is recommended, but costumers in the States drive it with 89 and 87 octane without a problem. The tank is rather small for a vehicle of this size and holds only 72 liters, but you can push the FJ Cruiser below 10l/100km when going around 90km/h on tarmac. But Toyota, why not offer the FJ with the 3,0l V6 diesel from the Land Cruiser 120/Prado? A (recommended) service interval of only 8000km is not ideal either.

AFTER MARKET SUPPORT:****
After market support grew fast after the arrival of the FJ and, although it has not yet reached the level of the Jeep Wrangler or Land Rover Defender, there are plenty of products around from many famous 4x4 accessory companies.

EVERYDAY USABILITY:****
Big enough to room people and luggage, though the suicide doors in the back might not be ideal for taller people or families – but they look damn good! Fun to drive, one of the sportiest “real” off-road vehicles on the market right now. Rare over here in Europe.

PRICE:****
For 30.000 USD you get a fully equipped FJ in the States. In Europe, you find them for around 40.000 Euros – still an ok deal, we think. But you can get used ones (with barely more than 5000 km on them) already for around 30.000, especially in Germany..

OVERALL GO4X4.EU-RATING: ****
The FJ cruiser is certainly not the ultimate expedition vehicle (range…) – but it is versatile, reliable, very capable off-road and really fun to drive. We think that’s good value for the money!

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon

CAPACITY: ***
The 4-door version Unlimited finally makes the Wrangler a real option as an expedition vehicle. The hard top however is not ideal, as it limits the roof rack options as well as its payload. The overall payload of 575kg is quite ok.

RELIABILITY/ REPAIRABILITY:***
Land Rovers and Toyotas are much more common than Jeeps in remote areas of this globe. Chrysler’s reliability reputation has not been among the highest in the industry lately. The new Wrangler also features more electronic aids compared to its predecessors.

DURABILITY:***
A lot of old Wranglers are still out there. However, they have mainly been used in cities or minor off-road trips. Again, Chrysler reliability is the biggest minus here.

CAPABILITY:*****
It hardly gets any better than this when it comes to stock 4x4 vehicles. With an ever lower ranged gear compared to the Sahara version (picture), standard lockers on all differentials as well as great approach/departure angles (44,4/40,5 degrees), the Rubicon version is the ultimate off-road performance machine among Jeep’s product range. The only slight disadvantage is the large wheel base, and subsequently the low break over angle (20,8 degrees – for comparison, the FJ Cruiser offers 27,4 degrees).

EFFICIENCY:****
No, no, no Jeep. Why not offer a diesel engine in all markets? Ok, the FJ Cruiser also only comes with a petrol engine, but at least it is fun to drive as well. But the (almost ancient) 3,7l Chrysler motor (199hp/315Hm) is among the most boring engines we have ever driven – and still, fuel consumption is quite high (14,6l combined)! With 76 Nm according to the GVWR performance standard, the engine should provide sufficient torque for expedition use. At least they put a larger gas tank in the Wrangler, and this “Jurassic park” engine probably runs on lower octane as well....In some countries, like Germany, you can get your Wrangler with the 410Nm/177hp 2,8CRD engine from the Cherokee, which explains the 4 stars in this category. However there, the Rubicon is only offered in the short version. So you might have to consider importing your Rubicon Unlimited 2,8CRD from another EU country, or even the US, as some countries (like Sweden) don’t even offer any Rubicon version at all.

AFTER MARKET SUPPORT:*****
The Jeep Wrangler has the advantage of a huge after market support, especially in the States. It doesn’t get any better than this….

EVERYDAY USABILITY:***
With 4 doors, the Wrangler finally “grew up”. It is now usable as a daily driver, even if you have a family. The hard-top (soft-top not available for the Rubicon version) seems real fun during summer time, but it is a hassle to get it down and store it while you are out driving in the sun. Apropos driving it – well, sheer driving pleasure it ain’t…

PRICE:****
With 31.000 Dollars it is very competitive in the US. In Europe – if the Rubicon is even taken in by the local Jeep subsidiary –costs soon reach the 45.000 Euro mark and more. Our tip: import a Rubicon from the States as long as the dollar is still weak, it is worth the extra hassle. 

OVERALL GO4X4.EU-RATING: ****
Its off-road capability, the torquy 2,8 CRD diesel and the after market support earn the Wrangler its 4 stars ( the petrol version would definitely not have deserved more than 3 stars!). 4 doors finally make it acceptable as a daily vehicle for families.

Jeep Liberty/Cherokee

CAPACITY: **
Compared to its predecessor in the 80’s and 90’s, today’s Cherokee is a rather compact SUV. 425-530kg payload (depending on the model) is not competitive in this comparison.

RELIABILITY/ REPAIRABILITY:**
As mentioned above, Jeep’s reliability reputation is not the highest. As with most modern SUVs, lots of electronic equipment can be a drawback. Moreover, the new Cherokee is hardly seen in less developed parts of the world and shares the platform and a lot of parts with a Dodge-model (Nitro), not any of its Jeep siblings.

DURABILITY:**
With a payload of only 425-530kg, the new Cherokee is simply not built for long expedition trips. At least Jeep put a solid rear axle in it.

CAPABILITY:**
Enough for occasional off-roading, but hardly a match for other vehicles in this comparison: 28,2°/30° approach/departure angle, 189 mm ground clearance and a 21,7 degree break over angle are simply not good enough. The wading depth is not even listed in the technical specs.

EFFICIENCY:****
If we are talking about the 2,8CRD diesel engine (177hp, 410Nm manual shift and 440Nm automatic shift version), the Cherokee scores 101Nm at GVWR (it weighs in at only 1,8 tons). Thanks to the diesel, it has a decent range, although the 70l tank could be bigger.  

AFTER MARKET SUPPORT:**
Simply not that much when it comes to the latest version, as off-road enthusiasts buy a Wrangler or an older second hand car.

EVERYDAY USABILITY:****
4 doors, optional luxury interior, decent size, low curb weight and a strong diesel – it works fine for most families with up to 4 members.

PRICE:*****
Depending on the version, prices range from around 30.000 to 35.000 Euros, which is quite cheap in this comparison. But you also get a whole lot less…

OVERALL GO4X4.EU-RATING: **
Scoring well in everyday usage, price and efficiency is simply not enough - not the best option when it comes to choosing your EEV.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

CAPACITY: **
Sufficient interior space, but only 540kg payload (automatic only 440kg!). Roof rack comes standard but is not really suited for expeditions.

RELIABILITY/ REPAIRABILITY:**
Again, plenty of electronics and Jeep reliability. Difficult to gain access to spare parts in less developed countries.

DURABILITY:***
This is a luxury SUV and not specifically built for expeditions and it is not comparable to the 80’s and 90’s Cherokees, which are often used as second hand off-road vehicles in 4x4 trials around the globe.

CAPABILITY:***
Solid rear axle, hill descent control , low-range gear (2,7:1), approach/departure angle of 23,3° and 27,1°  respectively. However, a 20,8 degrees break over angle and a running ground clearance of 209 mm are far from top-class in this comparison. No diff lockers, instead the electronically steered “QuadTrac II” AWD-system.

EFFICIENCY:****
The 3,0CRD V6 diesel engine is the only viable choice (other options are the 5,7l and 6,1l HEMI engines). There are 2 versions available, the Laredo (180hp and 450Nm) and Overland (218hp and 510Nm). With a GVWR rating of 83,3 Nm (manual version with a curb weight of 2210kg), the Laredo is more than sufficient. The 80l tank gives a decent range.

AFTER MARKET SUPPORT:**
As the Grand Cherokee is marketed as a luxury SUV, only the basic equipment is available from some big suppliers.

EVERYDAY USABILITY:*****
With its size, powerful diesel engine, luxury features and on-road comfort, the Grand Cherokee scores 5 stars in this category.

PRICE:***
Depending on the country of purchase, around 45.000 Euros have to be transferred to Jeep. Not that much for its size, but still a little too much for what you get when what you want is an EEV.

OVERALL GO4X4.EU-RATING: **
The Grand Cherokee is simply not designed for long adventurous trips in the remote wilderness – only those who don’t travel any further than the local farm or forest will be happy with the Grand Cherokee when it comes to off-road capability and durability – not enough for a real EEV.  

Jeep Commander

CAPACITY: ***
490-585kg payload (depending on optional equipment) is rather low for a 7-seater. Big interior, roof rack comes standard.  

RELIABILITY/ REPAIRABILITY:**
Chrysler reliability, the novelty of the model within Jeep’s product range and electronic aids are factors to consider. Spare part availability is also not granted around the globe.

DURABILITY:***
Similar to the Grand Cherokee, it is not built for expedition use. Moreover, it is a rather new, unproven model in the Jeep range.

CAPABILITY:***
Features the same AWD system as the Grand Cherokee, however better approach/departure angels (34°/27°) but less ground clearance (only 18 cm!) and 20 cm break over angle.

EFFICIENCY:****
Shares the engine with the Grand Cherokee (3,0CRD diesel), but only the 218hp/510Nm version is available for the Commander. With a GVWR rating of about 83Nm and a 77l tank, this diesel engine is a reasonable and strong power source for a whole range of applications.

AFTER MARKET SUPPORT:**
We haven’t seen much so far, some of the standard Jeep aftermarket items might fit though…

EVERYDAY USABILITY:*****
Similar to the Grand Cherokee, everyday usability is very high.

PRICE:***
The Grand Cherokee and Commander are similarly priced, ranging between 42.00-50.000 Euros depending on the country.

OVERALL GO4X4.EU-RATING: **
Basically, the Commander is a 7-seater Grand Cherokee, which sometimes performs better in one category and a little worse in another.