Hi All,

It is time for me to get a new used 4wd car. I
like the Toyota Highlander and somewhat fond of the
Honda CRV.

Problem: the resale value on Toyota and Honda is
through the roof. I can not afford them.

Is there another 4wd manufacturer that is similarly
long lived as the Toyota Highlander and Honda CRV
WITHOUT the extremely high resale problem? (Problem
for the buyer; benefit for the seller.)

Many thanks,
-T

On Feb 22, 7:02*pm, ToddAndMargo <ToddAndMa... (AT) NoSpam (DOT) verizon.net>
wrote:
Highlanders. You can learn more about them from
wwww.landroversonly.com/forums and sees whey are about.

Used D1s are going dirt cheap for as low as $1500.

ToddAndMargo wrote:
Subaru, but they tend to be love em or hate em vehicles.

Both of the ones you mention are crossovers, aka glorified mini-vans
rather than real 4wd vehicles. The Subie will go places neither of
those will go. The Mitsubishi Montero Sport and Isuzu Trooper tend to
be a bit less expensive, but both of those are far more trucklike, being
real 4wd than either the Highlander or CRV. If you are looking for a
real 4x4, the Jeep Cherokee or even Grand Cherokees tend to be a lot
cheaper used. The problem is finding a good used one that hasnt been
pounded to death and not overly taken care of--and both are a bit hard
core for most folks. A used Audi will also go pretty much any where
the CRV or Highlander will go as long as it has enough ground clearance,
and is far safer on road than the CRV in particular.

Adam Kb2jpd FDNY*EMSC Owner 1996 NAS D1 wrote:

The Land Rovers can be an even bigger gamble than a used Jeep
Cherokee/Grand. Plus the repairs are done by dealers that serve wine
and cheese...

On Feb 23, 10:08*pm, Lon <lon.stow... (AT) comcast (DOT) net> wrote:
Any used vehicle or 4x4 will be a gamble without a proper education of
what to look for, a proper mechanic familiar with the vehicle you are
interested in. Dumb-ass remarks like that above won't help this
individual in his or her search of a good 4x4. Many Land Rovers are
out in the street (70% is still out there running) not by dealers but
by independent mechanics and self educated owners who learnt what to
do to their valuable 4x4 e investments.

Joining websites such as www.landroversonly.com can only help to
solidify that posters choice in what kind of used 4x4 he or she
desires. Sly quips like wine and cheese dealers dont help.

Adam Kb2jpd FDNY*EMSC Owner 1996 NAS D1 wrote:
Lets just say that as much as the Grand Cherokee has a reputation for
being somewhat less than reliable, on average, it is a miracle of
reliability compared to the lean years of the Rover clan. Yes, some
of them run very well and have good mechanics available at modest
prices. So do a few Grand Cherokees, of which I own a rather oddly
reliable and high mileage example. *Neither* of those two would be
something I would recommend for the casual shopper new to the 4x4 scene,
and in particular not to someone apparently interested in the crossovers
like the Highlander or CRV. A new Rover LR2 would be a different
kettle of fish.

Lon wrote:

Thank you! I will avoid the Jeep. (I have heard that you have
to buy one for you and one for your mechanic. And, occasionally,
swap them.) I will look at the Subaru too.

-T

ToddAndMargo wrote:
The Cherokee was the good one. It ran from the early 80's to a couple
years back and go pretty much forever. Ours always got over 24 mpg
highway, so they aren't too bad on fuel for a 4x4.

Ours was still running very strong at 325K km when I had to retire it
for rust issues. It was an 88 and was offroaded on a pretty regular
basis. It needed very little except regular maintenance or things we
broke 'playing'. We owned it for close to ten years. Unfortunately the
rust belt got it.

Off road it was 'very' capable. My wife and I were sitting by a river
in the Deep Canadian Bush having a picnic after running some trails to
have ATV's show up all pumped about 'making' the trail... Until they
saw us sitting there, LOL! A couple of them actually went looking for
the 'other' way we must have come in.

The Cherokee might be more than you need though, it is fairly large.

There are lots of photos of Cherokees out 'playing' in the bush in the
photo albums in my sig line link. Grands also.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
'New' frame in the works for '08. Some Canadian Bush Trip and Build
Photos: http://mikeromainjeeptrips.shutterfly.com

ToddAndMargo wrote:
Don't get me wrong, I own a Grand Cherokee and wouldn't trade it for
anything. However, a genuine 4wd will have some extra hardware that
tends to be heavy and takes extra care and maintenance if your goal is
to get back on road after being off.

What do you want this thing for?

I've taken a '66 MGB on some of the trails around Moab that jeepers are
so proud of. Takes careful wheel placement and a spare muffler or two,
but there really aren't that many places a hard core 4x4 can go that an
Audi with oversized tires can't get in and out of. If you are not that
interested in true no-trail off roading, the genuine machines that can
handle that do have compromises in on-road performance that some folks
don't care for.

Another vehicle just a tad larger than the CRV is the Suzuki crossover.
And if you are looking for a true 4x4, Nissan, Isuzu, and Mitsubishi
have a few that are available used.

Lon wrote:

Mainly to drive around to customer sites. Three or
four a day. I wanted something comfortable to drive
(not truck like) so that I would not be exhausted
when I arrived. Reasonable gas mileage would be
nice too.

The reason for the 4wd is 1) to cope with the
winter snow (typically 2 to 8") and 2) the occasional
fishing hole at the end of an unimproved dirt
road (they get the fish hatchery trucks down
these roads, so they can't be all that bad).

Thank you for the tips!

-T