Which vehicle?

[dhatcher]

This is less of a question about a specific modification as it is about, what vehicle to go with. My wife, 10 month old and I just completed our very first off roading trip. We took our 2012 Xterra pro-4x out on Corral Hollow Trail on Saturday and had a great time.

That being said, we kind of realized my wife is a bit tight on space in the back seat (she likes to sit along side our daughter and keep her company) and we were thinking to get something just a little roomier. I wanted to get something we could easily upgrade and maybe run 35" tires on. Our xterra currently has 33" tires and they're pretty nice but, i've seen it said for some trails 35" tires are recommended.

We looked at the new 4runners and really liked them but, my understanding is it takes significant amounts of work to even think about putting 35 inch tires on. We also looked at the jeep rubicon and it appeared to have about the same amount of room as our xterra, so can't really justify buying that.

Anyone have any recommendation for vehicles that I might not have thought of? Not opposed to something older, just would like to get a little more interior space and be able to run larger'ish tires.

 

[NatersXJ6]

I would work on breaking the "sit with kid" habit. In a year or so, she will stop doing that, and you will have dropped a ton of coin on something you already had.

 

[xlcaferacer]

I agree with the post above. Although I am a Toyota guy, I say stick with the rig you have. They are good trucks. Although I recently stepped up to 35's on my rig I wouldn't recommend it to most. It opens up a whole new can of expensive worms. You wil need to re-gear your axles on top of the work that it takes to actually make the tires fit.
I have gone a lot of places on 33's that I didn't think was possible. Just invest in a solid pair of rock sliders for the sides and some under carriage skid plating and you will be surprised at what you can slide over.
However; if you liked the 4Runner and have the $$$ to make it happen, go for it. There is a much bigger world of aftermarket support for these rigs than there is for your Xterra.
Again, you will be amazed at where you can go with 33's and some armor underneath. I say stick with what you have and make it work for you.