[gotone]

Hey folks, I am in the market for an SUV, but am pretty particular about what my needs are. Didn't know if any of you could recomend a SUV and maybe even a place that would have it...I am from the sports car world and know nothing about SUV's.

What I am looking for is:
1. SUV (Not wagon) that can drive in a sloped snow driveway in our get away house in new mexico mountains and have room for two guests and our two medium size dogs in the rear. (750 miles away)
2. under 11k price tag
3. around 50k or so on the miles (I need reliable)
4. relatively inexpensive to fix
5. can use as a daily commuter if i need (30 miles a day)
6. 4 wheel drive or AWD to get into our driveway when it snows...

I looked at Land Rover's and thought, man, I can get a LAND ROVER for under 10k with less than 60k on the clock!!! That is awesome...except when you read all the reviews and they ALL say unreliable and expensive...so now I am apealing to you folks for help after that dissapointment

Anyway, I might be asking for the moon here, but surely there has to be something out there.

Thanks in advance folks!

Ryan

 

[mcoupe]

Check your local Carmax store. I am a huge fan of buying from them (used cars/SUV).

Your price range is low so you do not want to take any chances!

 

[Green Ghost]

My .02
If going new..
To me these are two of the best and the cheapest

1 Nissan Xterra
2 Jeep Wrangler

The Jeep is better off road but the Nissan has more HP, better gas mileage, and drives better.

If you want to spend more $ then the Toyoda 4 Runner is also vary good.

There are a few other Jeeps too, but I don’t like the back seats of the other Jeeps. The back seats are torture to sit in for even 1 mile.

The ultimate SUV is the Mercedes Benz G but it has a price tag. Other wise most so-called SUV nowadays are just raised FWD wagons, not a real SUV/truck under the skin.

And to me the Range Rover is not worth the $. Why spend that much $ on something you are going to off road. Get a cheap off roader and a nice car, or a few things for the Lotus.

 

[goofygrin]

My BIL has an 06 4x4 Xterra with the Offroad package. It is a GREAT vehicle and it was very capable when he lived in Colorado and we took it all over the front range. But I think it's likely out of your price range.

My business partner's dad lives in Angelfire and they have to be able to get into their neighborhood which is uphill and never plowed. They have a 4x4 Navigator and it does it in style. Maybe a used 4x4 Expedition, Tahoe or Suburban is the way to go?

 

[JohnnyQuik]

I'd look at a 2005 or so Explorer. They're a body on frame truck-based SUV available with either a full-time 4WD system with two speed transfer case or an AWD system. Parts and labor are cheap for repairs and mine's been rock solid reliable with only two trips to the dealer since new. I've driven in up to a foot of snow to my get away spot in the NC mountains without issue (with 32" all-terrain tires) and it does pretty decently offroad as well.

 

[charliex]

should be able to get a 04/03 toyota sequoia 4wd for around that.

 

[nvrblu]

I have a '95 Toyota Landcruiser (not for sale). I consider it still very reliable at 190K miles. That generation of Landcruiser has sturdier suspension than the subsequent generation.

You might find a good one in your price range.

Repair costs will be a little above average, but it is reliable and may not need as many repairs as other vehicles.

One drawback is that it gets about 15 mpg.

How about a Subaru or Volvo?

 

[Exigent]

My Land Rover has been totally reliable. I've owned it since November, 2004. It's also For Sale. See my sig. below.

 

[nvrblu]

... Or... perhaps a Pinzgauer. I've see a variety of these in Arizona. Maybe 4 or 5 a year.

This one should be able to handle any driveway...

 

[Exigest]

I really like the Toyota Rav4. You can get 2003 models pretty reasonably. The Honda CRV is also a great little SUV. Oh, don't forget the Subaru Forester.

 

[petroboy]

Or this one, if you're planning a party bus tour to Alaska's North Slope for 16 of your friends.

But really, I've had two used Explorers (1997 & 2002). We bought the 2002 a a 4WD to drive in Alaska and it worked beautifully. We have about 90k on it now and have had no troubles at all, including a 5000-mile road trip from Anchorage to Dallas.

At first, I tried very hard not to buy an Explorer because they seemed so boring. But, after driving a number of alternatives, we came back to it as the best all-round option. We did need six seats, though, so that limited us to the non-mini SUVs.

 

[kverges]

you are in Austin and you NEED AWD for SNOW?????????????

 

[Green Ghost]

Sorry I reread your OP and I see your price wish.
The only thing I can think of is a Hyundai Santa Fe v6, and I forget how far to go back before you get to the years you don’t want.

RAV 4s suck.

A 2 to maybe 4 year old Xterra is what I would aim at.

 

[mrcarcrazy]

Personally I'm a fan of Jap. cars....they just typically work better...so I'd go Xterra, or if you can find a Toyota you can afford....If not Explorer is a good solid vehicle.

 

[chris heath]

i bought my 2000 chevy suburban for $6500 and love it. 4 wheel drive. it has automatic leveling. decent gas about 18 city. you can remove the third row seat if you like. i have mine in and i still have room for 2 pitbulls.

 

[EliseSC]

I have a Mercedes-Benz ML430 with 170k miles on it and nothing has ever broken on it. It's been one of the most reliable vehicles I've ever owned and I drive it hard off road at least a dozen times a year on fishing, hunting and camping trips. It also has one of the best safety ratings for SUV's. Mercedes service isn't cheap, of course, but I've been happy with mine. You might want to look at the ML320 (3.2L V6 version of the ML) provided it's been taken care of.

 

[Morty]

My 2003 Mitsubishi Montero (full size not sport) fits your description. I am on my second one and would buy one again if I needed a new SUV

 

[nvrblu]

I have a Mercedes-Benz ML430 with 170k miles on it and nothing has ever broken on it. It's been one of the most reliable vehicles I've ever owned ....

One of my friends had one of these. Then, around 4 am one morning, he was awakened by the sound of his tires exploding. He was fortunate that he parked it in the driveway the night before instead of his garage.

There was a problem on quite a few of these where brake fluid could leak onto wiring that could eventually lead to self-ignition.... yeah, his ML caught on fire hours after last being driven.

Mercedes had a recall on this issue. He replaced his ML with a Lancer Evolution.

 

[Flash G]

I looked at Land Rover's and thought, man, I can get a LAND ROVER for under 10k with less than 60k on the clock!!! That is awesome...except when you read all the reviews and they ALL say unreliable and expensive...so now I am apealing to you folks for help after that dissapointment

Trust me... you don't want an "out of warranty" Land Rover. I made the mistake of keeping my last Range Rover after the warranty ran out. I paid for it dearly.


.

 

[gotone]

Sounding more and more like a Jeep Liberty right now...seems to be a great value for the money spent....