I test drove the Wrangler Unlimited rubicon, and a FJ. Wrangler was actually really quiet(hardtop) and comfy on the freeway, and man it had steering like a freakin' miata! But like I said, it was a DOG getting up on the freeway, and kept hunting for gears on highway(auto). The FJ was really nice, and ran really well, but my wife and I didn't like the rear doors/seat (kid on the way!) I also didn't like that a V8 wasn't offered in either. I wasn't even considering an H3 until the Alpha, then I pulled the trigger!

 

I beleive this is a hard question and you can state all kinds of facts. But I have wheeled many a times with Rubis in my Disco and ended up pulling them an aweful lot. Up hills, out of holes and over things. As a matter of fact I was so dissapointed with the Rubi that I was shocked how poor it performed. I would say you need to make a point for the Disco as mentioned earlier with mods. I dont believe it needs that many mods as i think a good set of shoes and she is very very note worthy. With that being said I was doing Caney Fork in the Smokies a year ago in my modified Disco and I ended up having to do a climb about five times as i couldnt make it. There was a stock LR-3 there that made it the first try. With that being said I do believe in my humble opinion that a aweful lot depends on the driver and their experience. A driver that knows what they are doing can make a vehicle perform better than someone with a machine that doesnt have the knowledge or experience. The Rubis I wheeled with were driven by inexperienced drivers and I would have to beleive that was the case of why they performed like they did. With my limited H-3 wheeling in PA a few months ago I think you can make a case for the off road prowness of the H-3 as being one of the best off the shelf. But many of the vehicles mentioned can do one thing better than the other and many have strengths and weaknesses.

 

A disco outwheeled a rubi....HAHA... if you outwheeled a real rubi then the drivers of said rubi shouln't be allowed to ever wheel again!!! then again the disco does have electronic hill decent

 

I guess those Rubi owners were trying to make up with equipment what they, uh, lacked in ability. Sorta like offroading Viagra?

 

or sorta like the discovery...electronic hill decent..more electronic crap that takes the wheeling out of wheeling..just a point and shoot grocery getter. Funny thing is that car and driver (who LOVES ANY IMPORT over american made) has this on the article about the disco

Rivals to the Discovery included the Ford Explorer, Acura MDX, Lexus RX 300, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, and Infiniti QX4.


now is it REALLY in the hummer or rubi's class????? For a driver with average skill....NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!

 

Tested the FJ and the Wrangler Unlimited when I tested the H3.

The FJ rides very well on the road, and the power was nice. The thing I didn't like was the interior, which looked like a Walt Disney version of a tank, and the funky double door thing.

The Wrangler was definitely the worst of the three on road in my opinion, but they have improved it a lot from earlier versions. The hard top seemed quieter than older models, but still made more noise than a normal SUV at freeway speeds.

The thing to remember is that vehicles are tools, not extentions of our ***** . . . pick the one that completes the task at hand in the best manner and you will be happiest with it in the long run.

 

 

I was tryiing to be the nice new guy and be non-confrontational. Your Rubi that your so in love with wasreally weak ever time I wheeled with them. I was dissappointed as I too owned Jeeps in the past and liked them. If you had read the post before you jumped on your Jeep wagon you would have seen I said a modified Disco,not a LR-3. And since I read most of your posts and learn and listen a lot I would think that just because some fellow shows up to the dance in aJeep that means absolutley nothing if you were doing any wheeling besides jumping some puddles. Anyone and I do mean anyone that does wheel and knows what they are talking about would be the first to tell you that all these vehicles are pretty darn good and like I said in my post a stock LR-3 went up a incline withobstacles thatI was unable to because I was not driving and approaching the obstacles and hill properly as I was shown. You see I am not that great off road and only have 10 years or so of experience.So again if you think that your Jeep can do it all and the drivers skills matter none then I would suggest you dont get off road too much and maybe like the post read after its not all the stuff you have all the time its what you do with what you have that also matters.And I dont pay too much attention to magagzines and the hoopla there. Car and Driver also named the LR3 the SUV of the year two years ago and today I seen the H2 SUT named second best truck in a publication.

And to answer your last question about same class, my answer is the Disco ( the Series I or II)yes, no questions about it for a driver with beginners, average, or advanced skills. I am not versed enough in theLR3 but for your average consumer it is incredible out of the box.A modified Diso as I stated in my post is a formidable foe and very capable and in my opinion possibly as good as the Hummer and Jeep and that is where the drivers skill level comes into play as I was trying to say.

 

I noticed this has pulled allot ofstingsrelated tobrand loyalty. But I believe you should keep the comparisons within the class of vehicle and exclude modifications and if you do that the only one that gives the H3 a run for the "Money" is the LR3 which actully has better capabilities in certain areas.JMO

 

Not one mention of the Xterra? Either people here are so hung up on brand loyalty/rivalries or they just don't wheel with enough different types of rigs. I've wheeled the Rubicon and Moab with a near stock Xterra and was very impressed with it. Granted there was a very good driver behind the wheel but it still performed well. And it won 4-Wheeler of the Year from one of the mags not too long ago.

My list of competitors in order:

Rubicon Unlimited (two door is out of H3's league IMO)
FJC
Xterra
LR3

This is weighted more towards capability than on-road performance and interior features.