I've already posted in Show and Tell and just wanted to make an official introduction. Bought my Red Brawn SE 4x4 just this past week and I'm totally in love with it already. I've only had one "SUV" before and that was a Mazda Tribute which handled itself quite well in the NYC snow. Otherwise, it's been small, sporty Japanese cars (Mitsu Eclipse GSX and Subie WRX). I decided that since I play drums and occasionally need to haul gear, I wanted something with a little space. I also didn't want to settle for a minivan, a crossover or a mini-suv like a CRV or RAV4. Also, watching shows on Spike like Trucks! and Xtreme 4x4 got me interested in trucks that have some sort of off-road capability. For me, this was narrowed down to the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, FJ Cruiser or the Xterra. The Jeep is a little too utilitarian for me and doesn't look like it's much of a gear hauler so I skipped it altogether. After looking at the FJ, the poor outward visibility and the fact that the cargo floor doesn't fold completely flat made my decision clear. That and the fact that I think the novelty of the design would wear off on me after a little while.

I was able to find an 07 SE 4x4 with relatively low miles (compared to what I've seen out there) in showroom condition. She's my everyday car and since I take public transportation to work, doesn't get driven too much. After I put a few miles on her, I may do some wheelin, but until then, I'm enjoying the decent ride and the power out of the 4.0L V6. I'm also a geek so I love all the cool features like the rear bumper step, the beefy looking tubular roof rack, the gear box in the roof rack and the utili-rack in the cargo area. I've already got my eye on some accessories so we'll see where this takes me.

congrats on the new purchase, sounds like the X was the right choice.....

Welcome !!