OP,
The current gen 4runner, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Cherokee (going a little smaller than the other 2) would be good choices. I would stay away from anything Land Rover, especially if out of warranty....they're awesome when they work, but they tend to have issues.
The 4runner (I assume you meant 5th gen) interior is not cheap. You can get trims with leather, heated seats, ect. but even the base trims have decent interior quality...they're perhaps spartan, but I wouldn't call it cheap or bad by any means. The 4runner will give you decent ride comfort with its IFS, but will still have plenty of prowess to tackle rough roads (especially if you get a Trail edition with a locker). Jeep Grand Cherokee or Jeep Cherokee would perhaps make sense if you want something a little less offroad worthy but more refined on road; that said they should work just fine in stock form to get you down most roads you might encounter. I can't attest to their reliability over the long term, but I've got to believe they're more reliable than a Land Rover. The 3.0L EcoDiesel in the Grand Cherokee will be great for fuel economy, if you're willing to pay a premium for the engine itself.
Excluding the Wrangler (which you didn't seem interested in due to ride quality), the only other modern SUV I can think of is the outgoing Nissan Xterra...it's a bit smaller than the 4runner, and the early model years had some issues, but it's definitely well-liked by many in the offroading/overlanding community.
The current gen 4runner, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Cherokee (going a little smaller than the other 2) would be good choices. I would stay away from anything Land Rover, especially if out of warranty....they're awesome when they work, but they tend to have issues.
The 4runner (I assume you meant 5th gen) interior is not cheap. You can get trims with leather, heated seats, ect. but even the base trims have decent interior quality...they're perhaps spartan, but I wouldn't call it cheap or bad by any means. The 4runner will give you decent ride comfort with its IFS, but will still have plenty of prowess to tackle rough roads (especially if you get a Trail edition with a locker). Jeep Grand Cherokee or Jeep Cherokee would perhaps make sense if you want something a little less offroad worthy but more refined on road; that said they should work just fine in stock form to get you down most roads you might encounter. I can't attest to their reliability over the long term, but I've got to believe they're more reliable than a Land Rover. The 3.0L EcoDiesel in the Grand Cherokee will be great for fuel economy, if you're willing to pay a premium for the engine itself.
Excluding the Wrangler (which you didn't seem interested in due to ride quality), the only other modern SUV I can think of is the outgoing Nissan Xterra...it's a bit smaller than the 4runner, and the early model years had some issues, but it's definitely well-liked by many in the offroading/overlanding community.
