Hello everyone, new member here. There are so many useful posts and I have really enjoyed reading them all. I am in the market for a 4x4 SUV to go camping, trail driving to wadis, up and down mountain roads (like Jabal Akhdar in Oman), and the odd desert camping trip / dune bash (not too extreme, just going up and over dunes mainly for movement from Point A to Point B across the desert. By the way, I have another car for daily driving which I enjoy, but it is a sports car, low to the ground, so I am looking for something that will offer something different.
My shortlist so far are the Toyota Prado (v6), Nissan Patrol Y61, Nissan Patrol Y62, Toyota Land Cruiser. I also heard that the Fortuner (v6) was good, but the newest generation does not have full time 4 wheel drive - will this be problematic? I was very interested in purchasing a Land Rover Discovery Sport, but after reading this forum I got discouraged as many people said it is not a true 4x4 due to lack of low range gearing and transfer case.
My question is, I would love to hear people's opinions on my shortlist - the best combination of comfort for a long range trip, and then off-road ability as well. I am attracted by the Prado for example due to its large fuel tank (150L), are there other cars with large fuel tanks as well? I also heard that although the Patrol is super popular, it isn't necessarily the best offroad car on sand due to its great weight. Is the 320HP V8 engine enough power for such a large car, or do I need to go for the 400HP VVEL DIG engine in the LE Platinum?
Would be grateful for all your help!