A new breed of SUV

Endeavor looks like off-road vehicles from the competition

A few years ago, like many of you, I bought a mountain bike. Several of my friends already had one. I had been coveting those big-tired, macho looking machines for some time because their technology was very appealing. Front and rear suspension, 21 gears and a light alloy frame.

But it was the idea of gliding through the woods on a dirt trail, going where no normal man had gone before, which finally won me over. So when I found a very fancy leftover model for about one fourth of the ridiculous original asking price, I bought it. After six years of ownership I have a destroyed helmet, numerous sprains and bruises and a scratched and battered bicycle ... all in about five miles off-road riding! The rest of the hundreds of miles on that bike were mostly on the serene Cape La Croix Trail -- without a scratch I might add.

And so it is the typical SUV. Ninety-five percent never go off-road. And those that do are driven off-road only about 1 percent of the time! That's why manufacturers like Mitsubishi and others are bringing to the market vehicles like the new 2004 Endeavor. While they look like an SUV, and they can surely leave the pavement far behind, these all-wheel drive vehicles are not intended for serious rock climbing and stream fording, because they do not have the necessary equipment.

Notice I said "all-wheel drive." That's not the same as true four-wheel, in which all the wheels can be directly connected to the engine via gears, transfer cases, locking differentials and transmissions so power can flow to all four wheels simultaneously. Couple that with high ground clearance, modified suspension, skid plates on the vulnerable underbelly, knobby tires and a Geiger counter and you're ready to go prospecting. But a full-blown, truck-type SUV is a heavy, bulky vehicle usually equipped with a thirsty V-8 engine. We're talking maybe 14 miles per Arab gallon of gas --fine for Osama, but not too good for your momma.

All-wheel drive vehicles take a different approach. The Endeavor and its competition like the Honda Pilot, Buick Rendezvous and Nissan's Murano, are noticeably lighter and more agile, because they use unit-body construction rather than a truck-type ladder frame. And their mechanical underpinnings are different, too. Look under the hood of the Endeavor and you'll see a thrifty V-6 engine sitting sideways, as in most midsize front-wheel drive cars. This is a front-wheel drive SUV! But when its front wheels lose traction, as when going up a snow or mud-covered hill, power is also directed to the rear wheels through a fluid coupling, thus the term "all wheel drive."

So what you get with the Endeavor is a fuel-efficient SUV that is easier to purchase and considerably better riding and more agile than a truck-type SUV, but gives up some off-road capability. Did I say "better riding?" Better change that to "excellent riding." I think you will be pleasantly surprised. On a 20-mile jaunt over gravel, potholed roads in the Shawnee Forest east of McClure, Ill., the Endeavor was an absolute pleasure. Even those jitterbugging washboard sections didn't faze it!

The Endeavor's styling is another stand out feature. Dominated by high, angular fender flares, the openings are huge compared to the standard 17-inch tires. It doesn't look like any other SUV out there. We included a "parking lot test" to see how the vehicle compares to others in the parking lot, and my wife, who definitely knows about these things, thought the Endeavor was the best-looking SUV there. "What do you like about it -- the crisp lines?" I asked. "The color," she said.

Cargo capacity behind the front seat is slightly less than the Toyota Highlander, and considerably less than the Honda Pilot. But it will still carry a 4-by-8 sheet of plywood. Front legroom is good. The driver's seat with standard adjustable lumbar support is comfortable and well bolstered. Rear legroom is also very good, and the rear seat is quite comfortable, and has a center armrest with two cupholders. Ingress and egress is especially good, with wide door openings. The step-in is low, which is one of the advantages of a car-based unibody frame. Another is price. The leather-seated beauty I tested listed for a tad over $34,000 and carries a financing package of zero percent for five years.

If all your wheels are driving you toward a different-looking, excellent-driving, comfortable SUV, this might be it. You can purchase a new 2004 Endeavor from Soskin Mitsubishi on Siemers Drive. Your mountain bike will look great hanging off the back of it. Don't forget your helmet.

Steve Robertson of Robertson's Creative Photography is a car enthusiast and former staff writer/photographer for the Southeast Missourian.