New Hampshire Driving: Kancamagus Foliage, Lake Winnipesaukee Boats and Ski Weekends

The Kancamagus Highway, Route 112, crosses the White Mountains between Lincoln and Conway. It is a slow road with curves, grades and plenty of pull-offs, and on peak foliage weekends it moves at the pace of the car in front. Traffic, not performance, is the main challenge, so comfort and visibility count for more than horsepower. The Grand Cherokee is a natural fit. Jeep lists a 293-hp 3.6-liter V6 and a 324-hp turbo four, with up to 21 city and 26 highway, from $39,730 before destination.

The same logic applies to the Cherokee hybrid, which makes 210 hp combined and lists up to 37 mpg combined, so a day of crawling through leaf-peeping traffic will not drain the tank. Fall also brings early frost on shaded mountain roads, so all-wheel or four-wheel drive and decent tires make sense even before the first snow. Mountain weather changes quickly, and passes and notches can close without much notice. Check NHDOT road conditions and the White Mountain National Forest before you leave.

Lake Winnipesaukee is dotted with islands, and boat ownership is part of summer life from Meredith to Wolfeboro. The towing question is simple: what does your boat, trailer and gear weigh, and what does the tow vehicle allow? The Durango is rated for 7,200 pounds in GT AWD HEMI V8 form and 8,700 pounds with Tow 'n Go. The Grand Cherokee is rated up to 6,200 pounds. The Gladiator reaches 7,700 pounds on a Sport with the 4.10 axle, though Rubicon and Rubicon X are rated for 7,000.

For heavier pontoons and cabin cruisers, a Ram 1500 with the 5.7-liter HEMI eTorque is rated for up to 11,370 pounds, and the Hurricane-equipped Ram 1500 for up to 11,530. Those are maximums in specific configurations, so the number on the door sticker and in the owner's manual for the exact truck is what counts. Ramp days can be steep and slick, so four-wheel drive is helpful, and rinsing off lake water and road salt keeps the hitch and brake lines in good shape.

Southern New Hampshire is a commuter state. Nashua, Salem and Manchester residents drive I-93 and Route 3 toward Boston or Route 101 and I-95 toward the Seacoast, and Portsmouth and Dover workers cross into Maine on the Memorial Bridge and the Piscataqua River crossings. Mileage adds up quickly on these routes, and fuel economy is the first thing to compare. The Compass is rated 21 city and 29 highway with a 200-hp turbo four, from $29,990, with 4x4 standard on every trim.

Downtown Portsmouth is old, with narrow streets and limited parking, so shorter vehicles are easier to live with there. Jeep lists the Compass at 173.4 inches long. Drivers who want a quicker, lower car for the highway can look at the Charger, which starts at $49,995 with all-wheel drive standard and a 420-hp 3.0-liter twin-turbo six on the R/T. Its 17 city and 26 highway rating is the cost of that performance. For highway miles with the family, the Pacifica rates 19 city and 28 highway in front-drive form.

Ski traffic follows a fixed pattern: northbound on Friday, southbound on Sunday afternoon, with I-93 and the roads into Lincoln and Franconia backing up on the way. Plan for snow tires, a roof box or hitch-mounted carrier, and a vehicle where passengers can sit comfortably for a few hours. The Pacifica lists 140.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats folded, and all-wheel drive is available on select trims, with 17 city and 25 highway ratings. The Durango lists 85.1 cubic feet with the seats folded and standard all-wheel drive.

If you are driving skis, boots and a crowd of friends, the Grand Cherokee L gives 84.6 cubic feet behind the first row and seats six or seven. For two people and a few bags, the Compass lists 59.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. Winter surfaces in the mountains change hour to hour, from packed snow to bare, salted pavement, so a vehicle with several drive modes helps. Jeep lists Snow drive modes on several models, and the Charger R/T includes a Snow mode as well.

New Hampshire has a long list of rural roads in Concord, the Lakes Region and the North Country, and spring brings frost heaves that can jolt a stiff-riding truck. Ground clearance and tire sidewall height matter for ride quality as much as for reaching a trailhead. The Wrangler lists up to 12.9 inches of ground clearance and the Ram 2500 Power Wagon up to 14.2 inches. Landscapers, builders and plow operators are the usual heavy users of these roads.

The Ram 1500 starts at $42,575 and offers payload of up to 2,340 pounds with the 3.6-liter V6 eTorque. Ram lists the 2500 at up to 4,580 pounds of payload with the HEMI and the Payload Upgrade Package, and up to 17,740 pounds of towing, though those ratings are preliminary. For higher-volume work trucks, the 3500 lists up to 7,580 pounds of payload. Match the truck to the load you actually carry, because over-specifying a heavy-duty truck means a stiffer ride and worse fuel economy for every other mile.