Crystal ball sees all

I know it's Friday night , but even without ink a hol I've had a revelation. (Yup, I'm slow). For most of us, big 4wds are on the way out. Petrol, pollution and politicians. Basically they appear to be becoming so popular that the &^&^ in Parliament will tax em out of existance, like anything else I enjoy. They will become like fuel subsidies, not availiable to the average person.

So, having finally caught up with the horrors of modern /future 4wding, which "pretend" 4wds are your favourites and why ? Is there anything...anything at all that comes close to a "real" (read Nissan or Landcruiser) in terms of serious 4wding ? (Oh boy...now I'm in for it :)

There's a whole new generation of vehicles out there that I know absolutely nothing about. Surely they don't all rust or fold up on corregations ? I mean a certain gentleman from this forums better half has an X Trail ..they can't be all that bad...can they?
Will anything carry enough gear for the Simpson, Cape etc for a couple of people ?

Or am I in la la land ? Help me out here Gals and guys, I don't want to start a "mine is bigger/better than yours" but would appreciate your informed comments.
Cheers