Unsung hero.

The XL7 should be considered if you're not rich, if you have a young family, if you want true off-road or rough-road capability, if you want the reliability of a Japanese import, and decent gas mileage for this kind of vehicle.

If you drive on roads, you should use a car, minivan. If you deal with snow on roads, get a car-based SUV. But if you want actual off road capability, the XL7 is a good option.

The primary factor in considering this vehicle should be the 7-passenger (six, practically speaking) seating. We have two young children. When guests or grandparents or friends need a ride, we can't put more than four in a car or typical SUV, so it means an extra vehicle goes along. With the XL7, everyone goes together. But don't plan on taking any luggage. The third row is absolutely perfect for us. It fits our kids just fine, and we don't need it everyday. So we just fold it down and have lots of luggage space. This is what we were looking for.

We live in the mountains. There are many recreational roads that we feared to take our Subaru Outback on. There is a significantly more stable feel to the XL7 on rough gravel or trails than with the Outback (no big revelation, but worth comparing). Yet on the highway, the XL7 rides smoothly and corners fine. I don't miss the more car-like, lighter feel of the Outback. Now, we're not daily off-roaders either. There are Jeeps and Land Rovers that do better. For us, it's just right.

It's horsepower is more than adequate to pass or to climb a hill, with four adults and two kids. If you need 260 horsepower and automatic hairdressing services in your headrest, please look for one of the vehicles that cost twice as much or more. The Suzuki is very affordable, and that was also a consideration for a one-income family not interested in debt.

The rear air and heat works well, the seats are comfortable, the stereo is good, the instruments are well laid out, wind noise is not an issue, and visibility is great.

It has more than met our expectations so far.