Are there any Unibody trucks/SUV models that are not complete junk?

I was thinking about this the other day as I read chrysler was thinking of going unibody with wranglers and it made me cringe.

 

The Range Rover and Range Rover Sport are both "unibody". While it's debatable whether or not they're "junk", if one considers them junk it's not due to the fact they're unibody.

 

Not my cup of tea but I think the MB GL are pretty good, and they're unibody. What is you criteria for "junk"?

 

A unibody might make certain modifications more difficult for the extreme builder. The average person (probably 85-90% of owners) would have no clue.

Lots of folks here wouldn't care as long as they could get their level lift, wheel spacers and plasti dip to still work.

 

Yeah I like some of the old school Land rovers but that is about it. Body on frame is the clear victor in most 4x4 instances especially wrecks imo

 

Nailed it. They'll make a lot of people upset turning the Wranglers unibody I think.

 

What's unibody mean anyway. And why do most people hate it?

 

The old Jeep XJs were unibody. Those that wheeled 'em found they developed stress fractures where the windshield pillars met the roof.

 

Unibody means the frame and body are one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_frame

 

Basically they are designed without a frame. Everything just mounts the body.

Heavy builders/modders don't like it because most everything stems from the frame. Hard to make bodies handle some of the designs/mods without failing.

 

The body mounts offer that little float?

 

Whenever we go wheeling with cherokees and they like rub a tree or something into their door "uh oh, you bent your frame!"

 

I always hated getting my old XJ on 2 wheels, all katty-corner like. A little voice in my head kept saying "That creaking noise is the noise of your pillars slowly cracking." Other than that, it was quite the capable little 4-door wheeler. I miss the ol' 4.0l. Damn thing will run forever.

 

Okay after that clarification I think a better title would have been, "Are there any Unibody trucks/SUV that are capable going off road?" From a 4x4 POV, yes body on frame trucks and SUV are significantly better at going off-road. The wrangler just needs to stay body on frame with solid axles on both ends. If customers want a softer more luxurious 4x4 get the dang Jeep Grand Cherokee, I don't understand why Chrysler and or Fiat CEO's insist on making the wrangler softer, and more luxurious in order to have a "broader appeal'.

 

Oh yeah, pretty good for budget builds. You can find them all over junkyards. Can't tell you how many people I've seen get one from the junkyard, wheel it and beat it to death for the year, then fetch a new one and switch everything over and repeat lol

 

Unibody just makes the rig easier and cheaper to make. Generally SUVs/trucks that are unibody are pretty disposable. Whats his face designed at chrysler the grand cherokee with superficial appeal and cost effectivness being the main goal. I think the 4runner is the last real mid sized SUV they make?

 

4Runner does not equal unibody and that's why I chose it when my DD need changed to an SUV. I also like the Lexus GX & LX. I'd take a Land Cruiser in a heartbeat & wouldn't mind a lifted Sequoia. All body on frame vehicles.

Of course even some TW folks compare any or all those vehicles to mini vans which, IMO, reflects a lack of knowledge.

But, my take, no...very few good, reliable & rugged unibody SUVs.

If not for a need to tow, I would consider a Highlander Limited AWD and a few others.

I also like the fact that Audi, BMW, Mercedes & Fiat offer some of their SUV products with diesel power but, I have serious doubts about their reliability & longer term cost of ownership.

I expect and believe unibody is the trend of the (at least near) future unless a good alternate power source becomes available. Tightening government restrictions regarding emissions and MPG (the two pretty much go hand in hand) will cause manufactures to seek lighter weight for improved fleet MPG numbers at the lowest unit cost. In general, unibodies weigh less than equivalent size body on frame vehicles. With most manufactures driving towards flexable modular style platforms, converting a unibody car to a unibody SUV provides efficiencies of scale. More of the Honda Fit/Honda HR-V, Honda Civic/Honda CR-V type shared basic platforms...

 

It will be after the Xterra is discontinued after the 2015 model year.

 

What's that?