Let's say, you're in Seattle right now, 8" snow on the ground, the real danger is being on the road with inexperienced drivers........what's your best choice for a used 4wd/SUV less than $10,000 that goes when others don't? r in s.

Interesting post Ray. Might look for a used Jeep Liberty CRD. They're diesel and will go anywhere. Depending on which transfer case is installed you can have full time 4x4, part time 4x4 and of course 2 WD/4WD low. Very neat vehicles. 20ish MPG around town and 28ish on the highway. The last year they made the CRD was either 2006 or 2007.

Ken....

Ray, I agree with Heat but only if this is going to be your main driver. If you are going to use this only during weather or driving conditions when you need 4WD then I would advise getting the biggest hungriest 4X4 you can buy cheap. The thirstier models should be found at much lower prices than their more effecient siblings. The savings in purchase price will buy a lot of gas and the size will help with crash safety. Remember though, price alone should not be the final factor of buying a used truck, make sure it has some decent service left in the mechanical end of it.

quote:

Originally posted by Luckyducker:
Ray, I agree with Heat but only if this is going to be your main driver. If you are going to use this only during weather or driving conditions when you need 4WD then I would advise getting the biggest hungriest 4X4 you can buy cheap. The thirstier models should be found at much lower prices than their more effecient siblings. The savings in purchase price will buy a lot of gas and the size will help with crash safety.

Good advice. I bought a used 2005 EXCURSION LIMITED for around $18K (and a trade in. A '99 Expedition 4x4) with a V-10 and about 43K miles on it. (See post here elsewhere) and went through the same snow except in rural area where snowfall was 14" or so. At a little over 7000 pounds GVW, the thing was virtually unstoppable.

I am also doing my bit for the environment as the previous owner put 20,000 miles per year on it. Since this is not my daily driver, I use it for sport and utility only, and only have put about 5K miles on it this year. Should last forever.

Mileage is 17/12, but I saved about $35,000 over cost of the vehicle new. This should buy a lot of fuel as suggested. Incidentally, the previous owner traded it in on a bigger pickup.

Price wise, earlier ones with lots of miles will approach your price range, but a little more investment will buy a lot of miles.

96-97 Land Cruiser FJ80 would be tip top. Front and rear locking diffs and your hard to stop with a durable in line 6. Probably not a puller but a practicle, comfortable SUV. I would expect around 15 MPG though. Not the best, but not the worst either.

quote:

Originally posted by Cockerman77:
96-97 Land Cruiser FJ80 would be tip top. Front and rear locking diffs and your hard to stop with a durable in line 6. Probably not a puller but a practicle, comfortable SUV. I would expect around 15 MPG though. Not the best, but not the worst either.

Problem over here has more to do with exchange rates, duties, customs, freight, etc. Not a bad rig, but incindentals put this puppy in the fit for a king price category. In fact doesn't your head of state operate one?

I understand about your 96-97 idea, but what about reliability at that point. My 2005 Ford Excursion is absolutely rock solid and perfect with just of 40K miles on it and cost me about $18,000 before tax and license. Original price about L25000, now down to about half that. V-10 gas with 17mpg on motor way, 10mpg local.

Watch TOP GEAR on BBCA, one of my favorite shows. They towed a fox skin for hunters and nearly won.

Saw another show on custom Rover Storm. Price out of site on that one I'm afraid. Reportedly sent a number of them to UAE. Very cool, again fit for a king!

quote:

Originally posted by Cockerman77:
96-97 Land Cruiser FJ80 would be tip top. Front and rear locking diffs and your hard to stop with a durable in line 6. Probably not a puller but a practicle, comfortable SUV. I would expect around 15 MPG though. Not the best, but not the worst either.

Personally I would rather have the FJ80 any day of the week. In the 96-97 all depretiation has happened. The value of your Excursion to continue to fall. The FJ is a much better put together vechicle in my book.

+1 Cockerman77

ddj

8" of snow isn't much, any real suv, i,e. truck based can handle that with ease. And the idiots on the road, well no matter how good you are, they can pull out in front of you or plow into you.

Early 90's toyota 4-runners can be had pretty cheap, and are pretty bullet proof. If it gets taken out by some knuckle head, you're only out $2-3k.

FJ-80's are pretty much it for real suv's. If I hadn't needed to haul a boat, I would have gotten an FJ-80 instead of my 3/4 ton truck. I still wished I'd gotten and FJ, though a Pinzgauer would be interesting.

I've never given any thoughts to the FJ80 but I'm intrigued. I'll be making a purchasing decision for a daily driver/hunting rig in July. What other vehicles would be recommended?

quote:

Originally posted by Paul H:
8" of snow isn't much, any real suv, i,e. truck based can handle that with ease. And the idiots on the road, well no matter how good you are, they can pull out in front of you or plow into you.

Seattle is very hilly, and it rains 90% of the winter. Let me tell you that until recently 8" of snow (Huh, even 2" was a major problem here!)

If they don't plow the snow and we get much more high centering on drifts is a problem, and can stop you if sliding down hills doesn't.

If you want a dedicated off road rig, the FJ-80 is about as good as it gets. But, it would suck for a daily driver as it is awd, and gets terrible mileage, in the low teens. If you do get one, make sure its the deluxe model with locking diffs front and rear.

It's true they are all wheel drive. But they are a super comfortable, and one of the most capable stock rigs you can find in my humble opinion. Excellent advise on finding one with the locking diffs. I would also try and find a 96-97 as they are OBD II compatible. They do have a history of chuckin' headgaskets however, and servicing the front birfields can get a little on the spendy side.

On the highway, locking diffs don't mean squat. Even off-road, in slippery conditions, they can cause more problems than they can cure.
The pre-Liberty Jeep Cherokees are cheap and work fine but you have to be willing to pull on a lever to engage the fourwheel drive.
Ford Explorers of late 90's vintage are cheap and are fine highway rigs and not terrible off-road.
I don't necessarily subscribe to the "bigger is better" theory but many do. Over the last forty-something years, I've driven through snow with all kinds of vehicles; sometimes in horrendous conditions. I even travelled through the Rockies in snow on a motorcycle and stayed upright though hypothermic! Any of the SUV's sold in the last twenty years would have made these trips almost too easy. Regards, Bill.

Well, for a little common sense check, here are some pointers. Big gas hogs like the excursion and the land cruiser are not cool in Seattle, people look at you funny, you feel funny, especially if you are overweight.

I am guessing that you are more interested in stuff like cherokees, or 4-runners, and whichever car lot you go to I bet there will be plenty of salesmen to "help" you.
Can't go wrong with either rig, but the 4-runner will keep it's resale value better.

FJ-80s with the straight six or v-8 get about 10-12 mpg, pulling stuff or not, they get the same mileage. Your neighbors would hang you. Them big rigs like the excursion and suburban are a bitch to turn around on dead-end logging roads.

I have a 4-runner and I like it.

Eric

The older 4runners can be had for 1/2 your budget or less and do very well off road. My son-in-laws is now heavily modified but when stock with a decent locker it went just about everywhere the quads did on Colorado Elk hunts with lots of snow and mud. Here is one in your neck of the woods.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/1115279267.html