Useful. On the basis of many positive press reviews I was about to buy a used Nissan X-trail. On further investigation after reading this item it became clear that many owners have been hit by expensive engine and intercooler problems. Time to look at a Honda!

Jeep Wrangler not even mentioned?

Do you think that the warranty claims may be due to how the vehicle is being used? Perhaps the VW has more warranty claims than the CRV because it is being used more aggressively than the CRV! Everybody *KNOWS* that the CRV is the least capable 4X4 on the market and that it barely can make it down a gravel road without slipping all over the place! For this reason, the majority of the CRVs on the road today rarely leave the road and as such, never see the kind of abuse that most other 4X4s enjoy! And since it is obvious that the VW is a highly capable, perhaps these people use the VW in a more aggressive manner which causes more issues to surface. Case in point. The VW has a 7,716 pound towing capacity. This is *MORE* than the Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford Explorer and even the Chevy TrailBlazer! By comparison, the CRV can only tow 1,500 pounds. (older CRVs could only tow 1,000 lbs). This alone tells you the market being targeted by the vehicle manufacturers. Ed

I Understand that the Honda CRV has the best reliability. From Experience however I would not choose to drive it anywhere more Offroad than a Grassy kerb. I will stick to my \"Always reliable\" landrover Disco 3 which will get me where I need to go.

Well that\'s disappointing. Every vehicle on this list is a car-based all-wheel drive grocery getter. There\'s not one real 4x4 here.

not true, my crv blasts through anything the harsh Norweigen winter throws at it, runs to the cabins twice a month (uncleared road, often 40cm of fresh snow), dirt roads, everything. its not an \"offroad\" king like a LC or Disco, but certainly able to keep up with everything else in the snow and dirt tracks. if your looking for a rock crawler, buy a defender. the CRV\'s are certainly more than shopping carts if you drive them correctly and get a feel for them! they are the most sold car in Norway (in their class), this should tell you something..

Bogus results as Warranty Direct only collects data on the cars for which it has issued an extended warranty and this is not going to be representative of the car population as a whole. Much more accurate and reliable information is available from Consumer Reports which actually surveys all the owners of vehicles and then reports on the repairs by car make, year, and system.
A particular car may have had a high rate of electrical problems in 2004, 2005, and 2006, and then the manufacturer addressed the problem and the car is fine with the 2007 and later production. When buying a new or used car this is a much more accurate way to access the likelihood of having a vehicle break down or need expensive repairs.
As for \"real 4x4\" what you mean is a vehicle that is suited for off road use and that means a vehicle with limited slip or locking differentials and a lot of ground clearance. Few 4x4 vehicles have this and in many cases as with locking differentials it is not even available as a factory option for most models sold today. Then it becomes a case of choosing between a make and model with the locking differential and the overall reliability of the vehicle. A locking differential and great ground clearance do not mean much if you have a dead vehicle 25 miles up a bad road and have to walk out and then get a tow truck to go back for it. After driving 4x4\'s off road for the past 40 years and owning ones from Willys, Dodge, Chevy, Ford, Honda, Nissan, Suzuki, and Toyota, the only vehicles I would trust to always get me home are the ones made by Toyota.

There is one full frame 4X4 on the \"Best\" list and its the only vehicle you see in places where there are no repair facilities like: the Lybian war zone, the Serengetti, Namibia, Afganistan, Pakistan, Columbia, Brazil\'s rainforest, the South African Bush velt.
ITS THE TOYOTA LAND CRUISER, THE BEST 4X4 EVER BUILT!

Amen Greg and Calson. I have had many many cars and trucks and if you are looking for off road capability and reliability its TOYOTA LAND CRUISER all the way. My old FJ would go almost anywhere, as well as my land cruisers and lexus LX470. Never have done anything but scheduled maintenance to any of them after hundreds of thousands of miles. That said, I would probably rather feed the CRV at the gas pump! ha ha.

I doubt very much that VW Touareg owners ever go off road unless they end up on the front lawn after having had to much to drink. The Land Rovers are in the same category and I see people at the car washes with these vehicles pointing out every spec of dirt to the people doing the final detailing as heaven forbid their 4x4 is not spotless. No way are these 4x4 users going to take their spotless cars where they might get dirty or have the paint scratched.
GM when it owned Hummer had special rallies around the USA to get owners out on offroad recreastion areas so that the owners of these vehicles would have one off road experience to brag about. Could not believe how many of the owners were grandparents who wanted to look hip to their grand kids. Most of the owners did not know how to shift into 4WD much less how to lock the differentials.
With a 4WD vehicle there is a lot more to break and few manufacturers take the trouble of a company like Toyota to sweat all the details to keep their vehicles running even when taken off road. Go underneath a Toyota and you will see shielding that is absent on every Ford, GM, and Dodge 4x4, and no doubt the VW and BMW 4WD autos as well.
The Land Cruiser is the ultimate off road machine and used ones are still the most expensive used 4WD vehicles to buy in Central and South America. The sellers don\'t even bother to list the odometer reading and no one cares. But having had multiple solid front axle 4x4 trucks and Willys wagons over the past 30 years I much prefer IFS which unless you really are crossing rivers in the way out back is just as reliable and performs every bit as well and provides a much smoother ride for me and my passenger.