Posted: 1/11/2004 4:26:41 AM EDT
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I was hoping I could get some input from you guys who are experienced. I'm thinking about getting a 4wd vehicle, probably used. Not a monster truck sized thing, but something mechanically reliable. Some preliminary thoughts before beginning shopping: - Jeep Cherokee w/ 4.0 L engine. One of hte main points here is that many haven't been abused. They've served as Yuppiemobiles and thus haven't been abused/beaten off road. Back around '90 I had one and liked it. - As mentioned above, the main concern is mechanical reliability. - I'm open to pickup truck suggestions, too, as long as the cab is comfortable. (I had an old Mazda B2000 and when you got me, my wife, and our 4 y/o daughter in there we made sardines in a can look like hermits). - IMO, most manufacturers are putting out decent quality products. Rather than start a "What's best- Ford, Chevy, or Dodge?" debate, let me know if you've heard or seen bona fide trends of problems with a particular brand or vehicle. Anything else you think is important would be appreciated. Thanx. |
| Ford Explorers have a reputation of longevity. My buddy has a 91 with 215,000 on it. He has had normal maintenance issues, but nothing crazy. This is with the 4.o v6 and a 5speed tranny. I have heard there are some issues with the auto tranny. The motor does seem to be very good however. |
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Dodge Ram, PT 4wd, not the push button, I had aBLaser that when it was adeep snow, you could not get the 4wd to catch. Friend had a Jeep with it also, same thing. I like Power, you need torque to get out of being stuck. I like the security of grabbing hte lever and pulling. |
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I've got a '94 Suburban with 220k miles on it... The engine (454) has never been out of it, or even opened up for that matter... I put a timing chain & gears on it last year, thinking it was time, but they actualled were fine after I got it apart...Never had a "breakage" issue with the truck. Other than oil changes and typical wear items (brakes/tune-up), the truck has been good to me... I also have a '96 Nissan 4x4 P/U... After doing some reading on the Nissan forums, I've come to learn that there are V-8 engine conversions available that use the factory transfer case and driveline... Apparently, the Nissan Hardbody is a pretty rugged truck...Slow...but rugged. I have heard good things about the Jeep Cherokee...I know a couple guys that have them, and they are quite happy with them... |
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Quoted: Your right about the Cherokee's, They are a good source of second hand 4wd's.They were designed as a 4wd and not a shopping cart like most suv's. They are cheap too. Good points. However, there are some bad points (this is for the standard cherokee, not the grand cherokee), is that they are parts bin. Thus even a singly year run will have 2 or 3 different versions of the same engine. It will drive you nuts buying parts for it. You will memorize the VIN number to ensure you get the right starter/alternator, etc when you need to do repair. For that reason I avoided one several years ago. However, get a good one, and maintain it well, and it is a bulletproof vehicle. Personally I drive a 4WD tundra. Was looking at the tacoma's and on a lark test drove this and it was all over. Drives great, gets me and my motorcycle into all kinds of nasty areas for my true recreation (dirt biking). Not really a rock crawler, but a great truck for my uses. Geoff |
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After hearing how bulletproof Ford's 300 I6 4.9L engine was I bought an '89 F150. Whoever had the truck before me beat the piss out of it. The shifter pins were wallowed out, the tires were bald and the truck had battle scars. I loved it. 7 main bearings on the bottom, a longer crank than V8s make for excellent torque and a thus far bulletproof engine for me. The drivetrain needs some work but it's been a great truck so far. [img]http://photos.ar15.com/WS_Content/ImageGallery/Attachments/DownloadAttach.asp?sAccountUnq=11365&iGalleryUnq=878&iImageUnq=21521[/img] |
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I wrestled with the same thing until fairly recently. Finally found a '95 Tacoma with extended cab, 4x4, 4cyl with only 60,000 miles. Bought it back in September. Will keep it forever. I realized really quick that the used pickup market is strong. The online pricing services (Edmunds, Kelly) greatly undervalue the market. My research led me to conclude that in the compact pickup market the Toyotas were the best built and longest lasting, with Nissan in second. The prices for Toyotas reflect this as well...you will pay considerably more for a Toyota than a comprable Nissan...they hold their value exceptionally well. I would have bought a Nissan had I found one I liked, but in the back of my mind I wanted a Toyota. It seems like there's practically a cult following of these trucks. |
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I'm thinking about a Jeep Cherokee 4X4 with the 4.0 Inline six. Now that I have a family, we need more room than my wrangler affords us during our excursions. This is a slightly modified Cherokee... [img]http://www.off-road.com/jeep/cherokee/2001/06_jun/feature_rig/jeepnuts097.jpg[/img] |
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- No mudbogging. - No extreme rock crawling. Just a daily driver with basic off-road capability, along with getting me where I need to go in case of snow (if I move back north one day). Mild SHTF capabilities to get out of Dodge if necessary. Thanks for the input. I appreciate it. |
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Quoted: - No mudbogging. - No extreme rock crawling. Just a daily driver with basic off-road capability, along with getting me where I need to go in case of snow (if I move back north one day). Mild SHTF capabilities to get out of Dodge if necessary. Thanks for the input. I appreciate it. The next decision is if you want an open bed or not. If so, there are tons of pickups to choose from. If not (and you don't want a cap either) what you want sounds exactly what I wanted, and I bought a Jeep Liberty. Had excellent luck with it so far. The hardcore rock crawlers scoff, but it is a great vehicle. Mid-sized, though. You can get the option of full-time 4wd, which is outstandign for on-road travel where you have frequent changes in surface traction. Saves havign to shit in and out of 4wd every 5 minutes. |