Advice on finding the right adventure vehicle sub $5000

[Rickbfried]

Not the macho-est of vehicles, but we got a 2000 Mercury Mountaineer with AWD with 120,000 on it four years ago for 3k from a Mercedes dealer who took it in on trade. 35,000 miles later and 30 plus trips to Baja. We put tires, brakes (in Baja, great story) water pump and fuel pump. Go cheap, don't listen to everyone telling you to spend tons of money, take your time and leave a little for repairs. The other thought is go domestic, it can be fixed anywhere!

 

[LR Max]

X whatever on what everyone said.

You can find 4 Runners in the 96~97 range for roughly $5k. A couple built ones are going for $7k. That in itself is worth it, already has all the crap on it. Because really, tires (new) are gonna be like, over $1k and then bumpers is another $1k. Anything after that, you are doing good.

Izuzu Trooper. Good trucks. LSD rear, but still will get the job done.

X whatever on an Explorer. I think the 3rd Gen ones have traction control. Rumor has it that Ford stole the traction control from rover when they left. So it could be kin to the Disco 2 traction control. Pretty good for the generation.

Speaking of which, the Mercedes Benz M class (the car from Jurassic Park). There is a local guy that wheels one and it is pretty awesome. Has traction control on all four corners. Works pretty good, assuming you are gonna keep it fairly stock. Also its a Merc...

Montero, solid.

Chevy Trailblazer. I mean, really, chevy and Ford both make great SUVs. You can find em with a V8 engine, they've got low range, and rear auto locker (G80) was an option. None of them have EVER been off road. Parts are cheap. And they'll last forever. Some guy here took his out west a few years ago. Kinda jealous because they cruised pretty much the entire US super easy and comfortably. That truck did them a solid on that trip. Its got plenty of room, big boy drivetrain, but compact enough body.

You can find 80 series cruisers in your price range. Might need some work.

 

[danfromsyr]

Snow, yeah we get snow.. going north in 10-15mi increments nets you 6-12" more snow each time.
my Astro was previously owned by a guy who towed a snowmobile trailer to the Tug Plateau (look up tug hill snow for those who aren't familiar)
they don't measure snow in feet up there, they jut say.. it's snowing..
the Diff, it's the firebird/olds LSD that a guy sells on fleabay.. an Eaton Posi LSD I believe.
this seller.. http://www.ebay.com/sch/mrboss429r/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=
paid $160 for it then had a axle shop set the rear end up for another $125, we did rear brakes and upgraded S10 HD springs at the same time.
/hijack off.

I spent quite bit of time near and north of you all along Lake Ontario and the the '97 Safari AWD was perfect for that. Can't say I miss the snow and ice for half the year though.

What limited slip are you running in the rear?

 

[Ducky's Dad]

Maybe a Honda Passport or the Acura version? I think they were available with lockers. A friend has one and it is his hunting/fishing truck, goes just about everywhere and tows a decent sized boat on occasion.

 

[BEG]

I vote for Montero. Not sure what kind of repair bills your father had that were higher than any other Japanese SUV of the era since there's relatively little that goes wrong with them. The only things I can think of are the timing belt/ water pump which is a maintenance item and the valve seals which tend to cause the engine to smoke a bit. Otherwise, they tick all your boxes. The 95-99 models are a good blend of capability (super-select 4wd, factory rear air locker, 5klbs tow capacity), ruggedness (body on boxed ladder frame, 9.5" rear with 3rd member, 8" front, roof gutters, tailgate mounted spare) and comfort (leather, heated seats, room for 7) at a much lower price and higher MPGs than a comparable Land Cruiser. The '01-'06 models trade some ruggedness (monocoque, IRS) for on-road comfort and off-road speed but are quite capable in their own right ('03 and up especially with the bigger V6 and killer traction control).

 

[Happy Joe]

we just had 3 feet of snow and would like to be able to go out without thinking twice.

I see a lot of recommendations of vehicles that would, probably, not do even a couple of feet of snow, IMO.
Once you start pushing snow with the front suspension or bumper its usually a matter of feet before you are stuck (the exception being some types of very light powder snow).
To go in snow that is feet deep you normally have to be able to float on top; which takes knobby or paddle tires and much horsepower/throttle and rpm (and a light vehicle). Since towing capacity is severely limited by a light vehicle these requirements conflict.

For a number of years we used to hope for big snow in the mountains to go snow wheeling, off road. Chains and a heavy vehicle can work to a point but they can be stopped when pushing (especially heavy wet) snow (and leaving headlight prints in it, if the grill doesn't cave in). If you can achieve flotation you are fine until you have to stop at which point you are high centered if you can't find a place where the ground can be reached by the tires.

It should be noted that while floating a vehicle over snow, control is often so minimal that I would not try nor recommend it on city streets/populated areas.

We had the best results, off road, in very deep snow using sub 4000 pound vehicles and relatively wide aggressive mud tires (14 to 16 inch wide boggers work well but tend to ski sideways on side hills), 12.50 (section width mud tires at low air pressures) can also work (normally poor on slippery streets) on vehicles with enhanced engines (200+ minimum horsepower and 4,000 to 6,000+ rpm range)... high tire speed seems to be key.

Enjoy!

 

[p nut]

Maybe a Honda Passport or the Acura version? I think they were available with lockers. A friend has one and it is his hunting/fishing truck, goes just about everywhere and tows a decent sized boat on occasion.

Nope, no locker. Just Honda's version of LSD, basically.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Nothing - as long as it has a lift and some decent sized tires on it...

View attachment 327156

(not mine but see it all the time locally)

.
Was that purchased from a government agency or is that color scheme someone's idea of "National Forest Camouflage?"

 

[Ducky's Dad]

Nope, no locker. Just Honda's version of LSD, basically.

This review says some of the Pilots came with electric locker in the rear:

power was directed only to Honda's all-wheel-drive system, Variable Torque Management 4WD, which features an electronically locking rear differential. Most 4WD systems send power to the front wheels and shift it rearward when slippage occurs up front. Honda's system, however, also sends some of the power to the rear wheels whenever the driver accelerates. In addition, the driver, via a push-button differential lock, can at any time send 50% of the available power to the rear wheels.

http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/2006-Honda-Pilot-Overview-c3843

 

[p nut]

I think the "differential" they're talking about is the center diff, not rear. The rear does not lock.

 

[datsun72]

wow, thank you everyone for the responses.

My dads 01 Montero XLS went through a hydraulic brake booster assembly which was not cheap. We received a good discount as we have a buddy at the dealership. While it's a great vehicle, I can't get over that engine. It's very weak and needs atleast another 75-100 horses.

I like the suggestion made by Vistacruiser of the V8 WJ. I was reading up on the quadradrive system and it looks real robust, also the 6500lb towing capacity will do for my needs.

I can remove the rear locker from my list if there is atleast a rear LSD and a center diff I would be good with it. When I start off roading i'll consider a locker for the front and rear. I don't see the point of having a open front diff and a open rear diff and then being coupled with a locking center diff, I might possibly get 1 wheel to get me out of a jam? Someone correct me if my thoughts are wrong.

 

[calicamper]

wow, thank you everyone for the responses.

My dads 01 Montero XLS went through a hydraulic brake booster assembly which was not cheap. We received a good discount as we have a buddy at the dealership. While it's a great vehicle, I can't get over that engine. It's very weak and needs atleast another 75-100 horses.

I like the suggestion made by Vistacruiser of the V8 WJ. I was reading up on the quadradrive system and it looks real robust, also the 6500lb towing capacity will do for my needs.

I can remove the rear locker from my list if there is atleast a rear LSD and a center diff I would be good with it. When I start off roading i'll consider a locker for the front and rear. I don't see the point of having a open front diff and a open rear diff and then being coupled with a locking center diff, I might possibly get 1 wheel to get me out of a jam? Someone correct me if my thoughts are wrong.

Stack rocks get traction devices etc. 99% of the Land Cruisers sold here had open diffs and center locker. Just means you need to pay closer attention to off camber spots where opposite tires might lift.

 

[Swank Force One]

$1k over your budget got me this in my driveway, including a plane ticket to, and gas from the other side of the country. Large. Reliable. Great shape. Luxurious. Have towed 5k+ with it with zero complaint. I haven't driven an 01-02 XLS, but i imagine it feels slow because it's carry-over motor/trans from previous gen. 03-06 adds another gear and a few more horsies, shifted lower in the rev range. Would more power be good? Always. Is it necessary? Nope. Has plenty of power. Had no problems passing at 10,000' of elevation and higher, and this is without regearing to suit for the tires it runs.

I hesitate to recommend these because i'd prefer they stay super cheap as long as people continue to overlook them.

More Montero by concealer404, on Flickr

 

[datsun72]

Which SUV's have a rear LSD and center lock differential?

 

[BEG]

Which SUV's have a rear LSD and center lock differential?

'01-'02 Montero XLS