(FORTUNE Small Business) – Like Swiss Army knives or chronometer watches, the sport utility vehicle is a masterpiece of overengineering and aspirational marketing. Few people really need all those serrated saw blades and dual-function dials, but they love to feel as if they do. Ditto with the SUV. Most drivers spend little time making tire tracks in the desert or motoring through mountain streams. But when you climb into an SUV and engage the four-wheel drive, you get to feel like Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider's Lara Croft, depending on your sex, as you negotiate the speed bumps and potholes on your way to the mall.

These fantasies have become so anchored in the American psyche that SUVs have been the fastest-growing automotive category since 1991, and they show no sign of slowing down. Two new offerings from Europe represent the full range of what you can get these days. At the extreme end is the Hummer-like Mercedes-Benz G500, which may be the most outrageous consumer vehicle on the planet. It was designed for the German army two decades ago, and with its hulking stance and boxy shape, it looks as if it just got finished with NATO exercises. For some buyers, that rugged appearance makes it even more coveted. Radio host Don Imus talks on his show about how much he loves his G500, and I've seen chauffeurs waiting in them outside exclusive boutiques on Madison Avenue. Price and rarity are part of the desirability equation, of course, and by those measures the G500 leaves other SUVs in the dust: Only about 1,200 will be sold in the U.S. this year, at a steep $72,500 a pop.

But for those of us who actually have to drive the vehicles we own, the G500 makes few concessions to personal comfort. The heavy steering wheel and stiff accelerator pedal, which make motoring easier in the back country, are murder to manipulate in town. Cruising on the highway is almost as challenging, because the enormous weight and bricklike aerodynamics make the G500 noisy and sluggish. Plus it sucks gas at a prodigious rate. After spending a weekend behind the wheel, I was exhausted.

If the G500 is the heavy artillery of SUVs, think of the Land Rover Freelander as the light infantry. The Freelander looks as rugged as a sheepskin coat, with a massive front end, thick protective trim, and a sturdy roof rack. Inside, the pebbled plastic dashboard exudes purposefulness, while the backwards window switches remind you that this vehicle was built in a country--Britain--where people still drive on the left. Though not terribly speedy, the $30,000 Freelander handles like a European road car and rides with unexpected smoothness. It's the first Land Rover that feels equally at home on the road and off.

As you might guess from the surprisingly low price, the Freelander is not a big vehicle. The second row of seats is cramped, and the storage space in the rear is minuscule. In fact, other mini-SUVs, such as the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Ford Escape, all deliver more space and speed, and cost less. But then again, nobody buys a Land Rover because it's practical. People want that British heritage and safari-tested toughness, and the Freelander delivers in both categories. Even better, you won't see one coming around every corner--only about 20,000 are headed to North America this year. This is an SUV you can actually drive and still satisfy that inner adventurer in us all.