Amen to that- I'd rather take the time to clear or route around an obstical than try to climb it. Even on foot. Unless you know exactly what is on the other side, and under what is visable, then there are too many risks. Better to loose time now than to have the vehicle get hung up or crippled.

Yeah, over here the "hillbillys" (guys who go out with their street worthy 4WDs and hit the mud track) prefer their Land Rovers and Landcruisers". These are the same ducks that think my choice for an SUV is something only "Texans and Wankers" would own. Guess it's a good thing I am from Texas then (heh heh).

I had to laugh when those same Land Rover owners spent the better part of the day pulling their rear axle after they blew up the differential trying to climb a hill.

Now the real bushmen like the bigger rigs, and like Ironraven alluded to, they prefer to put big tanks on so they can drive for a couple days between stations (ranches) without having to worry about fuel. The other thing these guys pack is a big toolbox and spare parts.

In my opinion, the Austrian made PINZGAUER is one of the best "Suv's" out there. It won't win any beauty contest, but it'll go pretty much anywhere you want it to.

PINZGAUER INFO PAGE

If we're looking at Military SUV category, the Wolf gets my nod.

http://www.rafael.co.il/marketing/area.aspx?FolderID=185&docID=986

check the pdf for more details

I still vote for the Jeep Liberty, but I'll admit a Subaru is nothing to be sneezed at. I have a few friends with lightly modified Subaru cars which do amazingly well offroad. Of course the fact that they are not too worried about body damage helps a lot. Then again in a Bug out situation scratched paint and small dents will probably be the least of your worries.

The Subarus always invite my Jeep to go along with so I can pull them out when they get stuck

Mad Max was the first thing that popped into my mind when I saw that picture...

You need to define your priorities a bit better before a question like this can be properly answered.

First of all, as ironraven suggested, think about where you are and what emergencies you are likely to face that would require you to use a vehicle. As I'm in New Jersey as well, I can understand the requirements. New Jersey is a problematic place.

If you live at the shore, the most likely emergency is a hurricane.
If you live along the upper Delaware River, your most likely emergency is a flood.
If you live in the NYC metro area, well, good luck with that...it could be anything from urban chaos to an earthquake (you do know about the Hudson River Fault, right?) to another major terrorist attack.

The next thing you want to think about is, if the emergency requires you to relocate, where are you going? The most annoying thing about New Jersey when considering extended evacuation routes is that it's a peninsula. If you live in South Jersey, your only means of escape south of Trenton are the Delaware Memorial, Commodore Barry, Walt Whitman, Ben Franklin, Betsy Ross, Tacony-Palmyra, Burlington-Bristol and NJ-PA Turnpike bridges, all of which are likely to be either severely congested and/or closed in the event of emergency. Of course, you might want to consider a marine or aerial mode of transportation, if it's within your means.

Even farther north, your only options out of New Jersey are generally smallish bridges (other than Interstates 78 and 80), or heading into and through the most urbanized area in the entire country. And let's not forget that a vast portion of the Pine Barrens is taken up with major military installations like Fort Dix, McGuire Air Force Base, Fort Monmouth, Earle Naval Weapons Depot, and the FCC Tech Center outside of Atlantic City (NAAFEC, if you remember that far back). All of these places are potential high-value targets in some scenarios. They might also be high-value refuges!

The bottom line is, the only overland escape routes from New Jersey are on the border of New York State in the far north, of which a large portion is hilly to mountainous terrain that you have to consider and/or negotiate. So, for the vast majority of New Jerseyans, evacuation is likely to be a short trip.

The next thing you need to consider is, what are you planning on moving? First of all, do you have kids and pets? How many? What ages? The Jeep Wrangler is probably the most capable and most customizable off-road vehicle that most people can manage to obtain, but it's quite small. It really can only carry gear for two adults, given it's size, though it does have many advantages. Even the new TK version and the Unlimited versions don't have very much space at all, so carrying enough gear to support two adults and two children is going to be difficult, let alone pets.

As for the choices you listed, forget about all of them. They simply don't have the capacity or durability you want in an emergency vehicle. Those types of cute-utes are great as city cars and commuters, but they just don't have the goods when the going gets rough. The best thing overall is probably a traditional ladder-frame truck with solid axles front and rear, sized to fit your cargo needs.

The best choice for someone who needs that much space is probably a full-size pickup with an extended cab, or an equivalent SUV, like a GMC/Chevy Suburban or Ford Excursion, or optionally the silghtly smaller full-size Bronco or Blazer (one of the older ones that still have solid axles both front and rear). Of course, the larger vehicles will have problems with "breakover angle", but in most of New Jersey, that's unlikely to be much of a problem, as flat as most of it is. Even farther north, you're going to be limited mostly to the roads, anyway.

Another thing you need to think about is availability to you in an emergency. If the vehicle isn't accessible when you need it, it's worthless. All of the vehicles I mention here are going to, at best, get about 15 miles per gallon (excepting diesel versions, where you can probably expect 20-25), when driven as everyday transportation. Not the easiest thing to live with on a daily basis. You could also have a small car for commuting, but then if you're too far away to get the truck when the emergency happens, you might as well not have it at all.

Other than a truck then, your best option is probably an all-wheel drive station wagon. Which brings up another point about 4WD v. AWD. The typical part-time 4WD systems in trucks are really only meant for off-road use. Some trucks have full-time or full-time/part-time systems, but they are generally not as strong. Car AWD systems are really only meant for on-road use, but they are awesome in bad weather conditions. The best of them are the TorSen-based systems in many (but not all) Audi and VW cars, as they require no engagement mechanisms that can break. Not that others aren't capable, but those are arguably the best, and a similar system is used in the military HMMWV and Hummer H1 (though these trucks are massive, thirsty, and expensive).

You may also want to consider the installation of a gear-driven limited slip differential (similar to the TorSen system). Some cars come with these already, others can have them retro-fitted. Trucks may have limited-slip or locking differentials (or even limited-slip and locking, as in the Wrangler Rubicon). All of these things help with traction.

You won't have as much ground clearance with a station wagon (excepting the Volvo XC70 and the like), but more than likely, you'll be on road anyway, so you just have to decide which trade-offs are more attractive to you. The Subarus that others have suggested aren't bad. Subaru has a long history of all-wheel drive rally racing, and that translates to their cars.

The best option, if you are a single person and are willing to travel light, is to get a good dual-purpose motorcycle, like the venerable Kawasaki KLR650. It will go almost anywhere under almost any circumstances, and can easily bypass obstacles that will block a four-wheeled vehicle of any type.

Whatever you decide to drive or ride, keep your vehicles in a well-maintained state, make sure you never go home with less than a half tank of gas, and keep a couple of gas cans filled with stabilized fuel where you can get to them. If you're planning on including any off-road capability, make sure you take a course or two in off-road driving and recovery.

One of these days, I'm going to investigate the possibility of setting up a lifted, 4WD cargo van...:)

One last option you might want to think about is a small trailer. I'm looking into teardrop trailers right now that can be converted to a motorcycle carrier or a shelter, as the need arises. Something like that might take the cargo burden off your everyday vehicle, is light enough for even a passenger car to tow, and can be kept stocked with gear ready to bug out. They can even be built rugged enough for off-road use, and there are also even smaller trailers specifically designed to pull gear over rugged terrain.

The best of British - the Land Rover LR2 - I don't know much about American SUVs but all Landrovers can be used off road. You actually might be surprised just how many SUVs can't.
The Italian Lady I'm afraid does'nt come as the standard passenger equipment on Video 10

I have a CRV, it is a great snow and ice car. The AWD gives better
traction than the 4wd as it sends the power to the non-slipping wheels. This is why so many folks are recommending the limited
slip diff on the trucks. I had a chevy truck with limited slip
differential, but it worked only when moving. If you were already
stuck it was no help.

Another plus for the CRV is it is one of the few cars with front and back independent suspension which gives even better grip.

For any smaller car, a Thule box, Yakima box etc. on top gives tremendous extra space. Stuff like extra gas etc. is out of the passenger compartment too.

The main drawbacks I see to the new CR-V's, Subaru's etc is lack of
a low range and you can only run cable chains. But I feel a lot safer on icy roads than when I am driving my 4wd pickup or the
Ford explorer. Offroad the pickup is my choice. A double set of
really big chains will get you anywhere short of where a Unimog
will get you. http://www.offroad-trailer.com/readride/tommy-unimog.jpg

My Dad did budgeting for the US Forest Service in Washington State. Here was the list of durability of their vehicals (Trucks
and SUV's), with
most durable first.
Toyota
Nissan
Chevy
Ford/Mazda
Jeep
Dodge

This Sportsmobile 4x4 Ultimate Adventure Vehicle would be a pretty sweet survival SUV.