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[JL]

Had a Jeep grand cherokee for a long time. things just like to fall apart on that thing. I now have a tacoma. So far so good but Ive only had it for a few months. It is nice to be able to stick the boat in the bed

[scotkemp]

good points marmont ill agree with a bit i must have good luck ten years 2 wranglers only 300$ in repairs other than maintenance

[Matt]

Hey now, Barbie was probably one of the more durable pieces of plastic ever found in a Jeep  haha

There are 4Runners out there in decent shape for $3-4K (pickups are usually more like $4-5K+ for a decent one).  That would leave you enough cash to pick up a set of tires which arguably is just as, or more important than vehicle selection when trying to keep a vehicle on the road on ice.  You have two decent choices here- a good winter-rated all terrain tire (ie: BFG TA/KO all terrain) or a true winter tire (ie: Nokian Hakkapeletia sp?).  I haven't had issues running all-terrains, but in a couple cases, it certainly would have been nice to have true snow tires when faced with black ice.

[master-bait]

Do yourself a favour and put the Sidekick/Tracker on your short list. These vehicles are bomb proof. The downfalls are they ride like a truck and you probably won't be doing much sleeping in it (unless you are under 5' tall ). Oh, and your clearance isn't what you are going to get with most Jeeps or Toyotas - but you would be suprised were these little guys can sneak into. Fuel economy should be
in the neibourhood of 28 to 30 mpg city or highway. Good in snow, can carry 4 adults with gear although a little cramped, and won't leave you on the side of the road. Can't say enough about these trucks. Have a look for yourself to see if it fits your application.

Toyotas are hard to beat but Sidekicks and Trackers are little gems that shouldn't be overlooked....

Just another note: Cost of repairs is always a topic that comes up when comparing vehicles. This is my opinion - I have worked in the
auto repair field for quite a few years - cost's of maintaining a vehicle go up with frequency of repairs required. You will replace many parts on a Jeep and few on a Toyota/Suzuki.

[yakideath12]

from all the opinions, I better go test drive those cars. Also, I didnt mention that its only for winter term. Other than winter time(steelhead season), I might not drive

[Matt]

Didn't the drop the Blazer because of reliability issues as well as horrible gas mileage?  The 4.3L motor itself was quite reliable IIRC (enough so that its a common crate engine for Toyota buggies), but everything else was kind of junky.  '90's GM products aren't known for reliability.

You'd be taking a fairly big risk taking a shifty truck out fishing in winter.  Fishing inherently takes you to more remote roads away from immediate help.  How much do you want to get stranded overnight on a remote road in damp -15*C during a cold snap like last year because your truck left your stranded?  Not an option for me, so I bought the most reliable rig I could afford for $5K.  It has never let me down.

[Bone]

Suzukis and trackers are awesome and cheap. Too much traction in the snow and mud. I had a 91 for four years and only got rid of it because it was a rust bucket beater and didn't want to spend money on a new clutch. Bought it for 3 grand and sold it for $650. Only thing you need to watch out for is the CPUs are crazy expensive to replace. But all together a fun little fishing car and easy on gas.

[Matt]

Coho, you'd be correct with your assumption that the chains in an inch of powder had a lot to do with an icy off camber road beside a frozen river.  My comment was hardly a personal affront, just I would reconsider calling a '90's GM truck reliable, 4.3L or not.  You don't see many still around do you relative to plethora sold.  I'll bet its a fun truck, with a powerful engine great, but maybe not the best choice for a reliable winter fishing truck when the buyer is looking for a low-repair-budget truck.

I'll bet the upper Chilliwack feels pretty remote when you get back to the truck after dark in the snow, last one off the road that night.

The Tracker is pretty reliable from what I've heard, if its big enough, it might not be a bad choice either.  Finding used parts might be a little tougher than more common trucks, but chances are that you won't need to make many repairs antways.

[DBM]

Here's my take.   

Cherokees are cheap to buy and the drivetrain is strong on the 91's and up, but everything else on it will fall apart. - I own one and don't recommend it.
Toyota pickup or 4runners are very reliable but expensive to purchase and hold their value.  Watch out for timing chain, headgasket, and frame rust issues.  If I had 5-8 grand to spend this is what I'd get.
Suzuki Samurai - uncomfortable, loud, overpriced, but easy to work on and incredible offroad stock. - not recommended unless you're an offroader (I own one)
Suzuki Sidekick - inexpensive to purchase , easy to repair (unless the computer goes), suprisingly good offroad, pretty good fuel economy, and alot more suitable than a samurai for a daily driver.  The downside is you'll look like a chick driving one.

If you're looking for an inexpensive daily driver I'd search for a good sidekick or Toyota Pickup/4runner.

[bateman]

i am thinking of downsizing my vehicle and was thinking of the honda crv but the toyota 4runner seems to be a good choice too. why not buy a smaller suv? is the all wheel drive not that good?

[yakideath12]

i am thinking of downsizing my vehicle and was thinking of the honda crv but the toyota 4runner seems to be a good choice too. why not buy a smaller suv? is the all wheel drive not that good?

Couple years ago, I had a  AWD SUV, it was fine but AWD isnt good much as 4wd

[Brian]

Suzuki Sidekick - inexpensive to purchase , easy to repair (unless the computer goes), suprisingly good offroad, pretty good fuel economy, and alot more suitable than a samurai for a daily driver.  The downside is you'll look like a chick driving one.

If you're looking for an inexpensive daily driver I'd search for a good sidekick or Toyota Pickup/4runner.

...when the computer fails, it's a $300 repair but you have to know how to diagnose and then where to take the ECM for repairs.

If you drop the box at the dealership they will ding you about $500 and have it back to you in a week.

Stick to unmodified vehicles if you want reliability and ease of repairs.  Definately get snow tires if you're doing mostly road driving, or BFG A/T for dirt roads and whatnot.  We drove my friend's impreza with snowtires on many many trips.  Nothing that we couldn't get to as long as we had a shovel.

[prairiefire]

Anyone have any experience with a Mitsubishi Delica? I see lots on the road around here. They are 4 wheel drive and diesel to boot. I currently have a 2002 GMC Jimmy 4-door 4x4 Auto 4.3l V6 and was thinking of changing it. Would I be better off upgrading the Jimmy a bit (Tires, Shocks, Lift Kit, Tow Package)?

[scotkemp]

go test drive a couple and get a bcaa inspection they cot 100$ and trust me only buy a stock vehicle

[Matt]

Good call scottkemp on buying a stock truck- buying someone else's hack job is a nightmare.  I found a lot of people selling their trucks no longer have insurance and prefer if BCAA came around to their place.  I've found the mobile inspections to be second rate at best.  They missed a lot of stuff.  I find a certified shop with a hoist does a better job.  Not sure if its BCAA or just the conditions and tools they have while inspecting the vehicle outdoors, but neither time I've done that has it worked out well.

Stuff I've found to be aware of on 4Runners (and Toyota trucks, where applicable) are:

• 3.0L V6.  First, the head gaskets.  They are not a strong point with this engine due to the exhaust manifold design radiates heat and cooks the headgasket.  The HG is a big job on that engine as the engine bay is cramped.  Next the gas milage on the V6 is bad.  All round the 4 cyl is a better engine if a little less powerful
• power back window motor.  Ideally, find one that is still strong
• As with most other vehicles, out of province 4RUnners are often rusty.  The Toyota body will exhibit a lot of rust, but that's purely aesthetic.  The frame rusts at the same rate as any other vehicle, but is about 4x as much metal as say a Ford Ranger (just because I spent time under a Ford Ranger) per foot of frame, frame rust, while seldom structural due to the beefiness of the frame,  does make it tougher to work on, if you ever needed work done
• If steering feels vague during the test drive, its probably the idler arm bushing ($2 at dealership, 15min install)
• check the timing chain (if you look at a 22RE 4cyl) has been done in the last 100K, if it does break, it can wipe out the motor.  It very seldom breaks if they've been replaced in the last 100k.  If the motor has a loud metallic ticking, it is likely the chain slapping, meaning that the plastic guides are past they're 100k lifespan and have broken.  At this point the engine need the chain and guides replaced.

Honestly can't think of anything else worthy of mention.