And let me tell you, at under $34K the fully-loaded Grand Vitara doesn't leave much on the table compared to much more

At under $34K the fully-loaded Grand Vitara doesn't leave much on the table compared to much more expensive premium variants. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

expensive premium variants. A good example would be Land Rover's Freelander, which starts out more expensive than the GV with a lot fewer features, less appealing interior quality and no low gearing, meaning extremely light-duty off-road capability only. Load up the Freelander so that it's equipped almost as well as the Grand Vitara and the price climbs to $42,500. So, the smart money is on the Suzuki, which also delivers better reliability according to third party researchers such as J. D. Power and Associates, and there will be enough left over to buy a couple of Suzuki DR-Z250 dirt bikes and a trailer to pull them on (or a QuadSport Z400 ATV with even more money left over to buy a Suzuki DF250 outboard motor for your speedboat, if dirt bikes aren't your thing) - the Grand Vitara can tow up to 1,260 kilos (3,000 pounds) by the way, which makes it more than capable of such loads.

By the way, now that I'm on the subject of towing the top-line Grand Vitara with four-mode four-wheel drive can also be towed quite easily by a larger

Those who want true 4x4 capability need to move up to the JLX-Leather model, which features almost every available option including the four-mode, full-time, dual-range four-wheel drive system. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

vehicle, such as an RV, due to a neutral mode that reduces driveline wear, and doesn't accumulate odometer mileage during the process.

I mentioned that the GV comes equipped with off-road capable four-wheel drive, but this isn't entirely true. What I mean is that JA, JX and JLX models feature a full-time four-wheel drive system without a low gearing ratio, ideal for those who have no intention of tackling the wild unknown and therefore shouldn't have to pay a premium to never use such a system. Those who want it all need to move up to the JLX-Leather model, which features almost every available option including the four-mode, full-time, dual-range four-wheel drive system. This may not be good news to those who want to go off-roading on an extremely tight budget, but to be fair to Suzuki even this top-tier Grand Vitara is hardly expensive all things considered.