The Chevrolet Silverado- Perfect for the Trail
The Chevrolet Silverado comes in two main flavors a rear wheel drive vehicle which is good for those that stay on the roads and live in areas with little snow and the four wheel drive option which is good for the rest of us.  In addition, there are plenty of other configurations including engine size- a choice of a wide variety of engines, however they all fall into either a V6 or V8 config.  In addition, there are choices of interior configurations including a standard cab, crew cab and extended cab.

A Variety of Engines
The Chevrolet Silverado offers a wide variety of engines ranging from a V6 4.3 liter, to a V8 4.8 liter, to a V8 5.3 liter and a the largest engine offered- a V8 6.0 liter.  As far as price goes, there is a Chevy Silverado that will fit into everyone’s budget.  For instance the Silverado with a V6 rear wheel drive and a 78.7 inch bed can be had for under $18K.  For those with a big budget, the top of the line Silverado LTZ offers a 6.0 liter V8 and all wheel drive for about 38K.

Some things to Keep in Mind When Purchasing a Roof Rack

The good news that not only are there usually plenty of OEM roof racks available from your SUV or Truck dealer made to fit your vehicle perfectly, there are also a wide range of aftermarket roof racks available as well that many times are superior to the manufacturers.  First off one of the most important considerations is fit and weight accommodation.  Obviously some models will need extra care when choosing a roof rack due to weight restraints, however most 4×4 roof racks could easily support 500 pounds or more.

In addition, since your vehicle and roof rack will be outside and vulnerable to the elements, its important to choose a roof rack that has been rust treated.  Many roof racks are usually made with sturdy ¾ inch tubular steel and powder coated for very good protection.  Finally price is an obvious consideration.  While you may want to forgo very cheap models, you will be surprised to find some very good deals, especially from after market suppliers.

For ultimate practicality and transportation efficiency, you can’t go wrong with a truck or SUV roof rack.

Mitsubishi Club Cab Specs
First off, it should be noted that the Mitsubishi Club Cab shares a production line with the Mercedes C Class line, so expect some of the extra quality to be present in this vehicle as well.  The configuration of this vehicle is a pick up truck with a decent club cab for extra space and a bed with about 6 feet of room.  The Club Cab is a decent hauler and can haul up to 2,063 pounds in the bed with no problems.

There are three trims available, two that come with turbo diesels and one with a V6 gas engine.  Two of the models are 2×4 and one 4×4 model.  It should be noted that the 4×4 model has the 3.2 turbo diesel and the other two models offering the 2×4 offer a 2.5 liter engine.  While the Mitsubishi Club Cab is a relatively small pick up it is perfect for many.  With decent fuel economy and a price that fits most budgets, for those looking for a very capable club cab performer, the Mitsubishi Club Cab definitely delivers.

Plenty of Trims to Choose From
First off, you will be pleased to know that the 2009 Ford Explorer Sport Trac comes in a wide varieties of trims to fit almost anyone’s budget and needs.  The list starts with the Explorer XLS with a 4.0 liter and continues through the XLS Sport Trac, XLT, XLT Sport, NBX, Explorer Eddie Bauer and Limited edition.  Some of these models offer a peppier 4.6 liter engine.

Choice of Engines
With 7 trim levels for the Sport Trac there is only a choice of two engines as stated above.  You can choose the 4.0 liter 12 valve SOHC V6 that has an output of 210 horsepower or a 4.6 liter 16 valve SOHC V8 which produces 239 horsepower and 282 lbs of torque.

The interior of the Sport Trac is quite comfortable and offers seating for 5.  It also includes many of the traditional comforts and as you move up in the trim level, you can expect definitely luxuries. Regarding pricing, the Sport Trac has a wide range between the standard XLS to the Limited.  The base price starts at a respectable $27K and continues to about $37K, making it quite a contender for most budgets.

Land Rover LR3
Land Rover has an impeccable reputation in the off road world.  If you are driving across the desert, through the Amazon or through the trails in America, the Land Rover will be the loyal soldier that one can rely on.  The Land Rover has a lot going for it including a decent ground clearance of 9.5 inches which makes it easy to crawl over rocks and logs.  It also include traction control settings perfect for switching between road and rock and a terrific Terrain Response feature to safely maximize your off road fun.

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4×4
For most off road enthusiasts nothing beats a Jeep and the Rubicon 4×4 definitely doesn’t disappoint.  The Rubicon offers a ground clearance of 10.2 inches with an approach angle of 44.3 degrees and a departure angle of 40.4 degrees that makes it pretty easy to overcome a wide range of obstacles found in almost any off road trail.  The Rubicon comes with a V6 engine with plenty of power.  It should also be noted that the Rubicon is way less expensive than many SUV’s and the aftermarket is incredible- making it easy and affordable to customize your Jeep.

The 2009 4×4 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 comes in 4 different trim levels:  the LS, LT1, LTZ and LT2.  It should be noted that all trim models have similar engine and towing specs.  You will find on all 4 trims a 5.3 liter V8 engine that produces a healthy 315 horsepower and 338 lbs of torque.  All four trim levels also can haul a payload of 1,433 pounds with a maximum capacity of 5,500 lbs.  It should be noted that the gross weight of this truck for all trims is a hefty 7,200 lbs. With a decent payload, you can expect to get a lot of functionality out of this truck either on or off road.

Plenty of Seating Inside
The 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 4×4 offers plenty of room inside.  In fact, the LS version sits up to 6 and the other three trims offer seating for 5, but whether you use this truck for work or play, you will have enough room inside to carry around your friends or family.  As far as gas mileage goes, the 2009 Chevy Avalanche 4×4 gets a respectable 20 mph highway and 14 city.  Budget wise, the Avalanche can vary by a wide margin.  In fact, depending on trims and features, you can spend either in the low 30’s or mid 40’s for this vehicle.  However, all in all, the 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche is definitely a respectable truck with plenty of functionality.

It’s a great vehicle, good looking, strong, with solid interiors and impressive performances, don’t you think?

Lexus GS450H
For those looking for a hybrid SUV, but don’t want to give up on luxury, the Lexus GS450H may look attractive.  After all, the exterior is sophisticated and the interior is filled with breathless luxuries.  Unfortunately, the one reason many people purchase a hybrid (fuel economy) comes up short.  For instance, compared to a gasoline Lexus GS 450 you only get about 3 more miles to the gallon driving the hybrid around.  Add in the extra cost to purchase and maintain the vehicle and you actually lose in the end (by about $5,500).  All in all the Lexus GS 450H while socially responsible is not really practical even for very wealthy drivers.

Toyota Highlander Hybrid
The Toyota Highlander has an excellent past and is one of the best 4×4 vehicles ever to hit the trails, however it’s hybrid version leaves little to the imagination and is not quite the most economical.  While Toyota does get points for trying to put a hybrid engine into a behemoth size SUV, ultimately, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid fails to be economical or practical.  With an average fuel economy of 24 mpg, you don’t save enough on fuel efficiency to make up for the extra cost of the hybrid technology.  The Toyota Highlander Hybrid has a sticker price of $43,835, ultimately realizing a loss of about $1,250 over a five year period.

Check out what these guys are able to do to the Porsche Cayenne.

Good stuff isn’t it?

Lift suspension trucks started with off-roaders modifying their truck and jeep suspensions. Originally off road enthusiasts used simple techniques to raise their axle blocks or added numerous leafs to lift their truck, today, the lift suspension truck has become extremely complex and intricate

While truck and off road vehicle manufacturers have added numerous innovations to their suspensions over the last few decades, for true performance, the only place to get high quality lift suspension kits are usually through aftermarket retailers.

Lift suspension trucks can offer you many benefits including a higher and more attractive stance, better performance off road and the ability to tow or carry heavier loads in the truck bed.

There are many ways to lift your truck’s suspension. The easiest is to install high performance shocks and add brackets. This strategy is both effective at raising your truck’s height and quite affordable. Other methods include a more costlier and technical approach of removing the stock suspension and instead installing air bags. The most radical approach is to install a body and suspension lift kit- in effect making your truck a monster truck.

If your goal is to improve your truck’s height and make it look more radical, performance shocks and extra brackets will usually do the trick, however if you want your vehicle to perform well off road then a lift kit is the way to go. Expect a good lift kit to handle bumps well, improve clearance and improve stability.

Obviously you can spend close to a thousand dollars or over ten thousand dollars on a truck lift kit. The more you spend, usually the more technical and higher quality the components will be. Most vehicles will also require professional installation.