On location, hunting for dinosaurs! While waiting for a massive Sauropod to wander across the barren...
Vehicle Tests > 4WD Comparison: Mid-sized diesel wagons
4WD Comparison: Mid-sized diesel wagons
Issue: December 2008
Words by Fraser Stronach Photos by Mark Bean
Three turbo diesel wagons. Three different countries of origin. Three very different vehicles. But which is best?
Last month we looked at a diverse range of mid-sized petrol 4WD wagons, all with auto gearboxes and all with a fair degree of off road ability. This month it's the turn of their turbo-diesel stablemates, with the Jeep Cherokee (in Sport spec), the Kia Sorento (EX spec) and the Nissan Pathfinder (ST-L) all going around again.
So what do these three have in common?
First up, they are all powered by four-cylinder, common-rail, turbo diesels that range in capacity from 2.5-litres to 2.8-litres and with claimed power outputs in the 125 to 130kW range. All four also have 5-speed 'tip-shift' automatic gearboxes and dual-range gearing.
Where they differ is in chassis and suspension design, seating, and in price with over $10,000 separating the least expensive (the Kia) from the most expensive (the Nissan) in the spec levels seen here.
Kia Sorento CRDi EX
The Kia Sorento first appeared on these shores in 2003 but the 2.5-litre turbo diesel engine didn't arrive until 2007 when this quiet achieving Korean received a major makeover.
The engine in question is a modern twin-cam, 16-valve design that employs common-rail injection and a variable geometry turbocharger. The power and torque outputs make for familiar reading for those versed in the ways of turbo diesels with a modest 125kW (at 3800rpm) backed by a solid 392Nm of torque that's already on tap at a very accessible 2000rpm.
Backing the engine is a modern 5-speed tip-shift automatic gearbox and an old-school part-time 4WD system, the only traditional part-time system among the three contestants here.
On the road the Sorento offers a relaxed and fuss-free driving experience thanks to the strong low-rpm torque and a happy marriage between engine and gearbox. The CRDi is still no tearaway performer and falls short of the assertive Jeep when the throttle is pressed to the firewall but it is still punchier than the Nissan. It's reasonably refined too - once on the move - with little diesel clatter finding its way to the cabin despite the fact the engine is noisy at idle. The Sorento also proved the most economical on test (12.0L/100km) although the official ADR figure (9.4L/100km) has it line-ball with the Cherokee. Either way an impressive result given the Korean offering is some 136kg heavier than the smaller and lighter American vehicle.
The Sorento's star starts to fade a little when it's on road dynamics are added into the mix. This is not a bad-handling vehicle, but it's also not one that impresses too much either. The steering lacks precision and communication, and the suspension, not helped by the live rear axle, becomes flustered on poorer quality roads and at higher speeds. The part-time 4WD system also presents a compromise on loosely surfaced or otherwise slippery dirt roads. If you select 4WD in an effort to gain better traction or stability, the electronic stability control is disabled. So while you gain the benefit of 4WD, you lose the electronic 'safety net'.
On a more positive note, the softly sprung and lightly damped suspension offers a compliant and cosseting ride at slower speeds, both on bumpy urban roads and on rough trails. Off road, the live axle at the rear and the double wishbone front suspension also provide surprisingly good wheel travel to the point where the Sorento makes the best fist of things on rutted and loose trails. More ground clearance and deeper low-range gearing would both be welcome, but the same can be said for the Jeep.
The Sorento continues to impress in terms of its cabin and equipment. It offers comfortable front seats, the roomiest rear seat of the three vehicles here and a decent load space that's bigger than the Jeep's while still falling short of the Nissan.
The EX, as tested here, is the mid-spec model in the Sorento range. The base spec LX (manual gearbox, and no traction or stability control) is some $4500 cheaper again while the EX-L that adds leather, side and curtain air bags, sunroof and more is $5000 more expensive.
Jeep Cherokee Sport CRD
The KK model Cherokee arrived in Australia earlier this year and while based heavily on the KJ Cherokee (late 2001) it bought more aggressive square-edged styling and a new 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine, among other things.
As with the two other engines here, the Cherokee's four-cylinder CRD is a modern design with a twin-cam 16-valve cylinder head, high-pressure common rail injection, and a variable geometry turbocharger. With a claimed 130kW of power (at 3800rpm) and 460Nm of torque (at 2000rpm) it's the strongest engine here in these two critical measures. It also enjoys the benefit of powering the lightest and smallest of our three combatants so there's no surprise to find that it's the clear performance leader by a good margin.
Not only is the performance, in typical turbo diesel style, easy and effortless, it goes one better and is actually quite spirited in the manner that it responds to the throttle. Helping the engine give its best is a five-speed auto (the only gearbox option) that's arguably the most effective here. The Cherokee's 'box is not only a tad sharper and more decisive, but its side-to-side tip-shift control is more easily accessed than the parallel-gate, fore-and-aft tip-shifts of the other two.
Despite its power, torque and weight advantage, the Cherokee's 12.3 L/100km still fell a tad short of the Sorento's on-test economy although both achieve 9.4L/100km in the official ADR tests. Of note here is the fact that the Cherokee has a 70-litre fuel capacity while both the other two have 80-litre tanks.
The Cherokee's on-road demeanour is characterised by flat handling and a well-balanced feel. The steering however isn't as sharp as it could be and the suspension, although much better controlled than that of the too-soft and under-damped Sorento, isn't all that happy on poorer quality roads. Like the Sorento, the rear live axle isn't the recipe for handling excellence when the road surface deteriorates.
The Cherokee does however have a dynamic advantage over the Sorento thanks to its 4WD system that allows the choice of rear-wheel drive, or full-time auto-proportioning 4WD that can be used on high-traction surfaces thanks to the fact that the system has a clutch-pack 'centre differential'. This means that you can use 4WD on any road surface and using the same won't disable the electronic stability control.
Off road, the Cherokee is a mixed bag despite the pedigree of its name. Certainly the clearance could be better, even though the approach and departure angles are good. And while the rear axle offers good wheel travel, the front doesn't which has the traction control working overtime on rutted and loosely surfaced trails. Add in the fact that the Cherokee has the most road-orientated tyres of the three vehicles here and the end result is that it struggles on terrain that the Sorento will more easily take in its stride. The Cherokee is however more capable than the Pathfinder, but more on that later.
read on below advertisement
Being the smallest vehicle here it's no surprise that the Cherokee lacks the load space and the rear-seat room of the other two. Up front it's also tighter than the other two but more annoying is the odd pedal position that has the brake placed much higher than the throttle.
The Cherokee CRD comes in two models, the Sport, as tested here and the more luxurious (leather, electric seat adjust, 18-inch alloys, premium sound etc) Limited model that adds $6000.
Nissan Pathfinder ST-L TD
In many respects the Pathfinder is the odd man out in this comparison. It's more expensive than the other two, it's bigger and heavier, it seats seven rather than five, and it betters the others in towing capacity and payload.
But then again, it has an engine that's similar in specification and all three vehicles are officially classified as 'Medium SUVs'.
With a claimed power figure of 126kW and maximum torque pegged at 403Nm the Nissan's 2.5-litre common-rail turbo diesel has similar 'numbers' to the Sorento but falls short of what the bigger engine in the Jeep claims. The Nissan also has more weight to haul around and of these three has the poorest power-to weight ratio.
On the road this sees the Pathfinder trailing the other two, not only in side-by-side performance but more importantly in the way that it feels. On flat, easy roads, or in less demanding conditions, the Nissan has the effortless and relaxed gait of a modern turbo diesel but it doesn't take much - hilly country, give-and-take-roads, head winds etc - for the engine to start to feel like its working hard. Most noticeable is the way the auto's torque converter fidgets between being locked and unlocked and the box's general willingness to change down to a lower gear and have the engine revving harder than is the norm for most turbo diesels which are generally happy on the south side of 3000rpm.
This is something we noted before and we have often said that the Pathfinder's 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel doesn't feel 403Nm strong. We have also noted that this engine works better with the optional six-speed manual, rather than the five-speed auto.
Our on-test fuel consumption figure (a thirsty 15.1L/100km) certainly showed the Pathfinder in a bad light and even the official ADR figure of 10.5 L/100km is pretty ordinary by turbo-diesel standards.
Better news for the Pathfinder in terms of its on-road handling where its well-sorted fully independent suspension and sharp steering deliver a dynamic experience that's well above the other two. Even with its extra weight it's more responsive and more rewarding to drive. It feels more nimble but, at the same time, more stable.
On the down side the ride is on the firm side especially at slow speeds and most noticeably on rocky trails. Put this down to the fact that the Pathfinder's suspension is not only firmly sprung but the travel is also reasonably restricted and certainly shorter than the Jeep or Sorento, especially at the rear.
The short-travel suspension does the Nissan no favours off road where it will readily lift a wheel or two and the electronic traction control has to work hard to maintain forward progress. Countering this, the Nissan has more ground clearance than the other two, the deepest low-range reduction and the most commanding driving position.
In this company, the Nissan's stand out feature is its roomy, comfortable and versatile cabin that seats seven. It has by far the biggest load space but the second-row seat lacks the room of the Sorento.
Available in three spec levels and with the option of a six-speed manual in the two lower spec levels, the turbo-diesel Pathfinder's prices range from $45,990 for the manual ST to $60,490 for the luxuriously equipped auto-only Ti.
Sum Up
You can mount an argument to buy anyone of these three vehicles: the Nissan for its space, seating, and on-road dynamics, the Kia for its all-round value, and the Jeep for its performance.
But against the Nissan is its price, its mediocre off-road ability, the ordinary performance and poor economy of its turbo diesel engine, the fact that the diesel isn't all that happy with the auto 'box.
Provided you don't want the extra space and seating of the Pathfinder, the Kia and the Jeep offer better value for money, especially so the Kia. What lets the Korean down is its lacklustre on-road dynamics. If you are a 'driver' then you need to send your Sorento off to the suspension hospital for transplant or two. New dampers would help but it probably needs both springs and dampers. Otherwise it does everything well.
No such need for any urgent surgery with the Cherokee. In turbo-diesel guise it's a far more compelling vehicle than its V6 petrol counterpart even given the annoying pedal positioning and the lack of off-road ground clearance.
Either way, it's a close call between Sorento but for us the Cherokee has its nose in front.
Petrol or diesel?
Last month we looked at the petrol variants of these three diesels. Here's a quick run down of how these three diesels compare to their petrol counterparts:
Kia Sorento: The turbo-diesel Sorento comes at a $3000 premium over the petrol V6 when comparing automatic with automatic. But in base spec, where the diesel comes as a manual, there's only a $1000 price difference. Countering this price difference, the petrol V6 will use around 20 to 25 percent more fuel in real world conditions and works harder in the process, as it can't match the low rpm torque of the diesel. Still, the petrol isn't a bad vehicle so the call is close although we would still opt for the diesel.
Jeep Cherokee: Despite the $4000 price premium of the diesel over the petrol, this is an easy call and it's diesel all the way. Put this down to the fact that the diesel engine is a modern design and it's mated to a five-speed auto while the 3.7-litre petrol V6 is an old design further hamstrung by an clunky four-speed auto. You can count on the petrol Cherokee using some 30 percent more fuel than the diesel and being down on real-world performance.
Nissan Pathfinder: Pricing for the petrol and diesel variants of the Pathfinder is identical. As outlined above, the turbo diesel doesn't mate all that well with the auto box so if you want a diesel go with the manual. Alternately, the petrol engine is an absolute ripper (also best with the manual box) despite the fact that it can be thirsty. Of the three vehicles here, the Pathfinder presents the most compelling reason to buy the petrol rather than the diesel.
Words by Fraser Stronach Photos by Mark Bean
Three turbo diesel wagons. Three different countries of origin. Three very different vehicles. But which is best?
Last month we looked at a diverse range of mid-sized petrol 4WD wagons, all with auto gearboxes and all with a fair degree of off road ability. This month it's the turn of their turbo-diesel stablemates, with the Jeep Cherokee (in Sport spec), the Kia Sorento (EX spec) and the Nissan Pathfinder (ST-L) all going around again.
So what do these three have in common?
First up, they are all powered by four-cylinder, common-rail, turbo diesels that range in capacity from 2.5-litres to 2.8-litres and with claimed power outputs in the 125 to 130kW range. All four also have 5-speed 'tip-shift' automatic gearboxes and dual-range gearing.
Where they differ is in chassis and suspension design, seating, and in price with over $10,000 separating the least expensive (the Kia) from the most expensive (the Nissan) in the spec levels seen here.
Kia Sorento CRDi EX
The Kia Sorento first appeared on these shores in 2003 but the 2.5-litre turbo diesel engine didn't arrive until 2007 when this quiet achieving Korean received a major makeover.
The engine in question is a modern twin-cam, 16-valve design that employs common-rail injection and a variable geometry turbocharger. The power and torque outputs make for familiar reading for those versed in the ways of turbo diesels with a modest 125kW (at 3800rpm) backed by a solid 392Nm of torque that's already on tap at a very accessible 2000rpm.
Backing the engine is a modern 5-speed tip-shift automatic gearbox and an old-school part-time 4WD system, the only traditional part-time system among the three contestants here.
On the road the Sorento offers a relaxed and fuss-free driving experience thanks to the strong low-rpm torque and a happy marriage between engine and gearbox. The CRDi is still no tearaway performer and falls short of the assertive Jeep when the throttle is pressed to the firewall but it is still punchier than the Nissan. It's reasonably refined too - once on the move - with little diesel clatter finding its way to the cabin despite the fact the engine is noisy at idle. The Sorento also proved the most economical on test (12.0L/100km) although the official ADR figure (9.4L/100km) has it line-ball with the Cherokee. Either way an impressive result given the Korean offering is some 136kg heavier than the smaller and lighter American vehicle.
The Sorento's star starts to fade a little when it's on road dynamics are added into the mix. This is not a bad-handling vehicle, but it's also not one that impresses too much either. The steering lacks precision and communication, and the suspension, not helped by the live rear axle, becomes flustered on poorer quality roads and at higher speeds. The part-time 4WD system also presents a compromise on loosely surfaced or otherwise slippery dirt roads. If you select 4WD in an effort to gain better traction or stability, the electronic stability control is disabled. So while you gain the benefit of 4WD, you lose the electronic 'safety net'.
On a more positive note, the softly sprung and lightly damped suspension offers a compliant and cosseting ride at slower speeds, both on bumpy urban roads and on rough trails. Off road, the live axle at the rear and the double wishbone front suspension also provide surprisingly good wheel travel to the point where the Sorento makes the best fist of things on rutted and loose trails. More ground clearance and deeper low-range gearing would both be welcome, but the same can be said for the Jeep.
The Sorento continues to impress in terms of its cabin and equipment. It offers comfortable front seats, the roomiest rear seat of the three vehicles here and a decent load space that's bigger than the Jeep's while still falling short of the Nissan.
The EX, as tested here, is the mid-spec model in the Sorento range. The base spec LX (manual gearbox, and no traction or stability control) is some $4500 cheaper again while the EX-L that adds leather, side and curtain air bags, sunroof and more is $5000 more expensive.
Jeep Cherokee Sport CRD
The KK model Cherokee arrived in Australia earlier this year and while based heavily on the KJ Cherokee (late 2001) it bought more aggressive square-edged styling and a new 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine, among other things.
As with the two other engines here, the Cherokee's four-cylinder CRD is a modern design with a twin-cam 16-valve cylinder head, high-pressure common rail injection, and a variable geometry turbocharger. With a claimed 130kW of power (at 3800rpm) and 460Nm of torque (at 2000rpm) it's the strongest engine here in these two critical measures. It also enjoys the benefit of powering the lightest and smallest of our three combatants so there's no surprise to find that it's the clear performance leader by a good margin.
Not only is the performance, in typical turbo diesel style, easy and effortless, it goes one better and is actually quite spirited in the manner that it responds to the throttle. Helping the engine give its best is a five-speed auto (the only gearbox option) that's arguably the most effective here. The Cherokee's 'box is not only a tad sharper and more decisive, but its side-to-side tip-shift control is more easily accessed than the parallel-gate, fore-and-aft tip-shifts of the other two.
Despite its power, torque and weight advantage, the Cherokee's 12.3 L/100km still fell a tad short of the Sorento's on-test economy although both achieve 9.4L/100km in the official ADR tests. Of note here is the fact that the Cherokee has a 70-litre fuel capacity while both the other two have 80-litre tanks.
The Cherokee's on-road demeanour is characterised by flat handling and a well-balanced feel. The steering however isn't as sharp as it could be and the suspension, although much better controlled than that of the too-soft and under-damped Sorento, isn't all that happy on poorer quality roads. Like the Sorento, the rear live axle isn't the recipe for handling excellence when the road surface deteriorates.
The Cherokee does however have a dynamic advantage over the Sorento thanks to its 4WD system that allows the choice of rear-wheel drive, or full-time auto-proportioning 4WD that can be used on high-traction surfaces thanks to the fact that the system has a clutch-pack 'centre differential'. This means that you can use 4WD on any road surface and using the same won't disable the electronic stability control.
Off road, the Cherokee is a mixed bag despite the pedigree of its name. Certainly the clearance could be better, even though the approach and departure angles are good. And while the rear axle offers good wheel travel, the front doesn't which has the traction control working overtime on rutted and loosely surfaced trails. Add in the fact that the Cherokee has the most road-orientated tyres of the three vehicles here and the end result is that it struggles on terrain that the Sorento will more easily take in its stride. The Cherokee is however more capable than the Pathfinder, but more on that later.
read on below advertisement
Being the smallest vehicle here it's no surprise that the Cherokee lacks the load space and the rear-seat room of the other two. Up front it's also tighter than the other two but more annoying is the odd pedal position that has the brake placed much higher than the throttle.
The Cherokee CRD comes in two models, the Sport, as tested here and the more luxurious (leather, electric seat adjust, 18-inch alloys, premium sound etc) Limited model that adds $6000.
Nissan Pathfinder ST-L TD
In many respects the Pathfinder is the odd man out in this comparison. It's more expensive than the other two, it's bigger and heavier, it seats seven rather than five, and it betters the others in towing capacity and payload.
But then again, it has an engine that's similar in specification and all three vehicles are officially classified as 'Medium SUVs'.
With a claimed power figure of 126kW and maximum torque pegged at 403Nm the Nissan's 2.5-litre common-rail turbo diesel has similar 'numbers' to the Sorento but falls short of what the bigger engine in the Jeep claims. The Nissan also has more weight to haul around and of these three has the poorest power-to weight ratio.
On the road this sees the Pathfinder trailing the other two, not only in side-by-side performance but more importantly in the way that it feels. On flat, easy roads, or in less demanding conditions, the Nissan has the effortless and relaxed gait of a modern turbo diesel but it doesn't take much - hilly country, give-and-take-roads, head winds etc - for the engine to start to feel like its working hard. Most noticeable is the way the auto's torque converter fidgets between being locked and unlocked and the box's general willingness to change down to a lower gear and have the engine revving harder than is the norm for most turbo diesels which are generally happy on the south side of 3000rpm.
This is something we noted before and we have often said that the Pathfinder's 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel doesn't feel 403Nm strong. We have also noted that this engine works better with the optional six-speed manual, rather than the five-speed auto.
Our on-test fuel consumption figure (a thirsty 15.1L/100km) certainly showed the Pathfinder in a bad light and even the official ADR figure of 10.5 L/100km is pretty ordinary by turbo-diesel standards.
Better news for the Pathfinder in terms of its on-road handling where its well-sorted fully independent suspension and sharp steering deliver a dynamic experience that's well above the other two. Even with its extra weight it's more responsive and more rewarding to drive. It feels more nimble but, at the same time, more stable.
On the down side the ride is on the firm side especially at slow speeds and most noticeably on rocky trails. Put this down to the fact that the Pathfinder's suspension is not only firmly sprung but the travel is also reasonably restricted and certainly shorter than the Jeep or Sorento, especially at the rear.
The short-travel suspension does the Nissan no favours off road where it will readily lift a wheel or two and the electronic traction control has to work hard to maintain forward progress. Countering this, the Nissan has more ground clearance than the other two, the deepest low-range reduction and the most commanding driving position.
In this company, the Nissan's stand out feature is its roomy, comfortable and versatile cabin that seats seven. It has by far the biggest load space but the second-row seat lacks the room of the Sorento.
Available in three spec levels and with the option of a six-speed manual in the two lower spec levels, the turbo-diesel Pathfinder's prices range from $45,990 for the manual ST to $60,490 for the luxuriously equipped auto-only Ti.
Sum Up
You can mount an argument to buy anyone of these three vehicles: the Nissan for its space, seating, and on-road dynamics, the Kia for its all-round value, and the Jeep for its performance.
But against the Nissan is its price, its mediocre off-road ability, the ordinary performance and poor economy of its turbo diesel engine, the fact that the diesel isn't all that happy with the auto 'box.
Provided you don't want the extra space and seating of the Pathfinder, the Kia and the Jeep offer better value for money, especially so the Kia. What lets the Korean down is its lacklustre on-road dynamics. If you are a 'driver' then you need to send your Sorento off to the suspension hospital for transplant or two. New dampers would help but it probably needs both springs and dampers. Otherwise it does everything well.
No such need for any urgent surgery with the Cherokee. In turbo-diesel guise it's a far more compelling vehicle than its V6 petrol counterpart even given the annoying pedal positioning and the lack of off-road ground clearance.
Either way, it's a close call between Sorento but for us the Cherokee has its nose in front.
Petrol or diesel?
Last month we looked at the petrol variants of these three diesels. Here's a quick run down of how these three diesels compare to their petrol counterparts:
Kia Sorento: The turbo-diesel Sorento comes at a $3000 premium over the petrol V6 when comparing automatic with automatic. But in base spec, where the diesel comes as a manual, there's only a $1000 price difference. Countering this price difference, the petrol V6 will use around 20 to 25 percent more fuel in real world conditions and works harder in the process, as it can't match the low rpm torque of the diesel. Still, the petrol isn't a bad vehicle so the call is close although we would still opt for the diesel.
Jeep Cherokee: Despite the $4000 price premium of the diesel over the petrol, this is an easy call and it's diesel all the way. Put this down to the fact that the diesel engine is a modern design and it's mated to a five-speed auto while the 3.7-litre petrol V6 is an old design further hamstrung by an clunky four-speed auto. You can count on the petrol Cherokee using some 30 percent more fuel than the diesel and being down on real-world performance.
Nissan Pathfinder: Pricing for the petrol and diesel variants of the Pathfinder is identical. As outlined above, the turbo diesel doesn't mate all that well with the auto box so if you want a diesel go with the manual. Alternately, the petrol engine is an absolute ripper (also best with the manual box) despite the fact that it can be thirsty. Of the three vehicles here, the Pathfinder presents the most compelling reason to buy the petrol rather than the diesel.