off roading do you do? Back in 1996, the Blizzard of that January was terrible in New York City. I lived there back then. I had a Pontiac LeMans (gift from my mother, really!) and my car was not allowed to get on the streets because of weather conditions. Not that I could get it from under the snow anyway! But at the end of that year, I bought my 1997 RAV4, just so I could used it any time I wanted! I had a blast every time it snowed, going around all over (even my boss knew that if it was snowing I was not going to work because I would be going around with my RAV4). But for real, I actually never went off-roading... It was just in New York, traveling down to Washington, but never really trying it off the road. How about you? How often do you actually take your SUV off the road?

When I was younger all i ever really did was off-road. I grew up in a small mountain-town called Fruitvale, British Columbia, near the Washington State border. Very rugged and very wild.

Although I have never owned a souped-up muscle 4x4, I have alot of experience off-roading. Combined with my military mountain operations training I think I do pretty well actually.

I've had my 4Runner in some precarious situations, and my old Suzuki Samurai, and our old '72 Chevy 3/4 Ton 4x4.

LoL ! I just remembered one time we were performing some demolitions on Red Mountain and I drove the explosives truck down with the blasting caps between my legs because you can't carry them with the main-charges in the back. My balls have still never forgive me....ROFL ROFL !!!!

Pongo! I guess that driving with the explosives would've been very much off-off roading if those things would've exploded! Good thing you got the whole "package" disarmed. I have never lived near a place where I could go off roading, and when I was young, we went to places like that, but not with a 4x4 vehicle! I hated those trips. I've always been more of a city person, but If I had my RAV back then, most likely I would've loved those trips!

We had an SUV about a year ago - had it for a few years - and never took it off road a single sime. lol. Didn't even turn the 4 wheel drive on. Today, I think they're more of a status symbol (or like us, a carting device for our kids, since my husband refused to drive a minivan). Then again, I have a friend with one, and they take it muddin' all the time!

I use mine a lot for offroading because we hunt and fish. that said, we do keep one old Land Rover equipped pretty much for that alone and it's trashed, but boy does it work for us.

That's me Vicki! I have one that it used only to transport me, my SO and our fishing stuff to whatever fishing nook we have found. It's a wreck, it spells funny but it gets us there and back!

LOL ...there are just somethings you don't do with a half way decent SUV ...that's why you have a junker as a back up! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/460.gif)

The sad fact is that most SUV owners almost never take their SUVs off-road. Thats why crossovers are so popular. They get you many of the advantages of an SUV with the fuel economy and smooth ride of a car.