I recently sold a Trailblazer that I had since new. It was 4x4, got decent milage and NEVER, EVER had a problem. I had the gauges act up once and had them repaired for $100 and that was the only expense besides normal servicing, which I followed the factory recommendations. It has HI and LO 4-wheel drive, which would probably be essential to a serious bug out vehicle. I kept it 8 years and 90,000 miles, flawless.

Many of the SUV's on the market today do not have hi/lo 4-wheel drive and are at a disadvantage. Most SUV's have evolved into pricey station wagons and may have AWD that is decent for snow over a paved road. Very few have good ground clearance, which was the one fault I had with the Trailblazer. Many of the vehicles others have mentioned do not have hi/lo 4-wheel and some are auto AWD which means you have to spin a wheel to engage other drive wheels, undesireable in most snow and off road situations.

I have wanted a Jeep since I was a small kid and finally bought one in July, a 2012 Wrangler Unlimited. It has good space inside, which to me was important. A pickup will have more space but is it secure space? One issue I have always had with pickups is the lack of rear wheel traction when really needed. They work well when loaded but on any slippery surface the rear is very squirrely when the bed is empty. So a Jeep 4-door Wrangler was my choice and I will see how it holds up over time. I am always a believer that maintaining the vehicle is critical to it's long-term performance and I am pre-paid for 5 years on that.

I am hoping that the new Jeep has more reliablity than some previous ones. The engines have always been weak and ancient designs. The 2012 has a totally modern V6 with 285 Horsepower and it should be much better than the last engine which had 202hp. So far my Jeep has gotten an average of 18.8 mpg, mostly in the city. Not bad for a 4-wheel drive that is as aerodynamic as a large brick.

I have plenty of ground clearance and heavy-duty tires as well. I am also amazed at all of the bolt right on accessories available for the Jeeps and most are not too expensive.

I also like the Toyota FJ Cruiser and the Nissan Exterra, both are well made, have a good drive train and excellent ground clearance. Lots of used ones around but many are 2-wheel drive, which is surprising to me. Most of the new 4x4's that are hi/lo 4-wheel drive, have good ground clearance and some cargo capacity are pretty pricey but only about as much as a well equipped mid-size car.

I recommend testing some out and seeing what fits your needs and budget. I would not recommend any without true 4-wheel drive and hi/lo transfer case is a must in my book too. Few today come that way, probably to keep the price down.