gravel road vehicle?

I've asked a lot of car guys this question and I've never found a good answer. I want a cheap fun vehicle to bomb down gravel roads and go camping in. It has to be comfortable, fit a reasonable amount of gear, my wife, and our 40lb dog. 

We aren't going to places with 4x4 and high clearance signs. We just need to travel down moderately washboarded gravel almost exclusively, for hours on end. Our budget is around 5-10k which is sort of along the lines of 5k could need some wrenching but 10k better be pretty solid. I am willing to put aftermarket suspension in. 

Right off the bat, some vehicles I've ruled out. 4runner, yes I've had one before, the toyota tax is insane right now. Wrangler, same deal. Full size pickup truck, I'm not sure why this get's thrown out there but I've driven my fair share and they don't ride well over washboard. Every late model F-150 I've driven in gravel likes to crab walk the rear end into the ditch everytime there's a camber in the road. I've also had a ram rebel, the wheels had so much unsprung weight that sort of shuddered itself down the road but wasn't exactly confidence inspiring. And we really don't need something that big. 

So should I look for? Solid axle in the rear? I'm not sure if that's really a plus because of the unsprung weight and axle tramp, remember we aren't rock crawling. Body on frame? There's the loss in stiffness but the added benefit of  the extra isolation of body mounts. Something with small brakes so I can squeeze the biggest tire on a 15" wheel and air down? 

I'm thinking the answer is something like a subaru forester, but these seem kind of cheaply made. I don't want to listen to a dash flutter and vibrate like a banjo string for hours on end. I'm imagining a long wheelbase, wagon type thing with loads of travel and but super solid interior. What say you GRM smarties? 

In reply to twowheeled :

I can tell you the most fun vehicles I've gone bombing down gravel roads in were a 4cyl/manual foxbody Mustang notch, and a Chevette, but I'm not sure either would be much fun after several hours of it, especially hauling a wife, dog & gear along. 

If your main concern is something that will handle the washboard stuff, then I think you might want to look at some of the more popular rally vehicles that have readily available & developed suspensions for them. So, yeah, Subaru would probably be at the top of the list. 

XJ

Big enough (for dog), while still being solid enough and soft enough...

off road Lexus LS400

Or, the GRM Gambler 500 Riviera that i believe is currently for sale.

P71 Crown Vic, I had one over a decade ago and drove it done plenty of trails when I lived in Arizona.

I would think something with a long wheel base, a bit of ground clearance and independent suspension would be ideal.

I wouldn't discount the Subaru but I might check out an Outback too - I find mine to be a very comfortable place to sit . 

Large comfy sedans with plenty of suspension travel and a long wheelbase.

Subaru Outback.  Replace the head gaskets, put up with the fact that it's a complete POS, and enjoy!

I'll second the "big comfy sedan" suggestion. My Riviera (pictured above, and always for sale) rides way better on washboard than any truck or SUV I've ever owned. 

Subaru will give you the traction and handling you are hoping for, a heavier sedan or SUV will give you the ride you are hoping for. 
 

How about softer springs on a heavier vehicle?  You are right about trucks and washboard roads, but that's because they are built to haul loads. Maybe softer springs with more travel would help?

Longer wheelbase, softly sprung, independent suspension on all four corners..........Subarus, lifted sedans, or ignore all that and do this.....

Tom Suddard said:

I'll second the "big comfy sedan" suggestion. My Riviera (pictured above, and always for sale) rides way better on washboard than any truck or SUV I've ever owned. 

Find a Post 1995 Jaguar XJ6.  Once Ford's money improved the quality control it's an amazingly strong car. 
  It doesn't have the classic good looks of the earlier Sir William Lyons designed ones but it was on top of the reliability charts.  That in line six is decently thrifty on fuel.  The ride is shockingly good over rough terrain.  Replace the shock absorbers with Bilstiens and make sure all the suspension rubber is in good shape.
 That sort of driving will be abusive to any car so regular grease jobs will be needed.  Maybe twice monthly.  The rear suspension rides on needle bearings and neglected can be a source of sloppy suspension. 
The  good news is  you can drop the rear suspension in less than an hour and have easy access to work on everything. 
     Big trunk. Lots of comfortable room, plenty of power, low cost. Etc 

I live on a gravel road so.... anything in my garage? 
 

the 2 most fun cars I had on gravel were my 89 9C1 caprice and my 02 elantra sedan. The caprice would power slide all day long and was easily the most catchable vehicle I've ever driven. The elantra would lift off oversteer into the corner and come out in a great 4 wheel drift. Every. Damn. Time. For those tight corners the drum brakes and ebrake handled. 

Definitley the large comfy sedan.  My Jeep (solid axles front and rear) is fun to hoon around on dirt / gravel roads, but honestly, it's not comfortable to drive when not hooning.  It's skittish, vibrates on the gravel, etc.  The E38 is worlds better to drive on a dirt road.  Much more comfortable, much better grip, less twitchy in a drift with the longer wheelbase, etc.  It's got plenty of suspension travel (less than the Jeep, but it has a bit more up-travel) and between softer springs and far less unsprung weight, the suspension does its job better on rough surfaces at speed. 

Square body Blazer. Or a Tahoe if you are a weenie. 

The offroad park where NTX rallycross meets has mixed dirt and gravel.  I drive down the gravel part in this a lot faster than most people do with no worries.

You want lots of suspension travel, fresh shocks / struts, and a car you really don't worry about much. 

XJ Cherokee. 31" tires @ 20 psi. Fox 2.0 shocks. It's a better ride than anything I have ever run a gravel road with. 

Volvo 245 

If you don't need 4x4 ground clearance, avoid having a truck.  Trucks have a lot of compromises you don't need to make.

any more suggestions on a particular sedan to add to the test drive list? We have a lexus IS250 AWD in our fleet with fresh KYB's and 205/65/16's but it cannot do washboard. We tried once, what was a quiet sedan immediately felt like being inside a washing machine. 

A Chrysler mini van would probably be the right choice. There are so many around you'd get to pick one with exactly what you want, and you cannot beat it for carrying your dog and gear. It might not push your buttons style-wise, but it's practical and cheap. 

AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:

The offroad park where NTX rallycross meets has mixed dirt and gravel.  I drive down the gravel part in this a lot faster than most people do with no worries.

Keeping it in 2nd gear mostly, for a sanity check.  I've seen 60 going the other direction... in a Volvo S40, on BFG Comp2s.  It flew very well over the crests and the ABS was helpful, not intrusive, when braking in to a corner

I really like the LS400 idea. Should be very quiet and solidly built inside. Independent suspension all around for low unsprung weight. Reliable. 

Run_Away said:

I really like the LS400 idea. Should be very quiet and solidly built inside. Independent suspension all around for low unsprung weight. Reliable. 

However, the Lexus lacks a factory limited slip diff (if that matters.)  But, if you move to any year Infiniti Q45, they all came with limited slip as standard equipment.

For this case, the under loved (smaller V8 than other years) but reliable Gen2 Q45 might be great. Just avoid the Anniversary Special model due to its needlessly complex hydraulic suspension. 

The answer is Road master/Caprice/etc wagon. Your budget should let you find a nice one. You get durable frame and running gear with a comfy ride. The wagon body will have more than enough room for camping and doggy things.

I have one and use it for exactly the things you describe. It’s pretty much perfect.