Owners of Toyota 4runner/rav4

[Spikedriver]

There's another vehicle that deserves consideration here, actually two more. If we're looking at 10 year old vehicles, the Nissan Pathfinder and especially the Nissan Xterra deserve a mention. They're more rugged than any unibody framed vehicle and the Xterra is well known for having a great 4x4 capability. The reliability is just a step below Toyota and the price will be cheaper. I wouldn't be afraid of an Xterra at all...

 

[200years2late]

Hahaha that's awesome! I do like the space on the Subaru's but usually I sleep outside although being able to sleep inside would be nice for stopping in a city on a road trip.

That looks like beautiful weather too how much salt does your area use on roads?

They put just enough salt in the sand so that the sand won't freeze and not come out of the spreaders.
I prefer to sleep outside under the stars too. But I'd rather sleep in a vehicle than a tent when it's rainy and windy. I don't like dealing with a wet tent. I'm thinking I could take out the passenger seat for road trips and that would give me the room to sleep.
I too have never spent more that $2,000 on a vehicle and I've gone anywhere I wanted to. There's not much that I couldn't fix with the tools that I carry.

 

[BadgerLandHunter]

Honestly, most cars are pretty reliable now. In 2012 I bought a 2001 Buick Century with 125k on it for $2300. I had it until 2016 and put 87k on it, only fixing the catalytic converter besides normal maintenance. At the end the interior was coming apart and the switches and buttons were quitting, but it still ran ok.

I loved the ride I had with my old buick. I loved the space and room but my model had the notorious series 2 1800 engine and at the end it enjoyed drinking oil. My favorite of my used vehicles this far though. It was more than the head gasket when I sent it to the grave the rear main seal was leaking and my newer struts were bad again ect. The thing looked like a "grandma" car but boy was she fun to drive.

Good point now most are reliable. A coworker pointed out the obvious to he said if you don't like the look don't get it no matter the reliability. He said he forked over money for a new ride and said he wish he never did because whenever he saw it he thought it wasn't good looking. Lol.

Used vehicle I'll put up with a silver paint job and ugly look but if I'm getting a loan and paying a lot of money for I want it to look decent at least. Lol.

 

[BadgerLandHunter]

There's another vehicle that deserves consideration here, actually two more. If we're looking at 10 year old vehicles, the Nissan Pathfinder and especially the Nissan Xterra deserve a mention. They're more rugged than any unibody framed vehicle and the Xterra is well known for having a great 4x4 capability. The reliability is just a step below Toyota and the price will be cheaper. I wouldn't be afraid of an Xterra at all...

Ok well now I'm leaning toward a newer year so the rust is less but haven't made up my mind yet so thanks for the suggestions!
I did test drive the rav4 and crv both less than 5 years old. I need to try the rav4 again I think the seats might be small for my back and spine. (I'm 6'3") although after I reclined it it helped.

The CRV was my favorite as far as feeling bigger. However I HATE the electric steering wheel thing. I want to feel the road and feel alignment shaking in the wheel or whatever. Also the acceleration was a bit slower than rav4. (Be it the CRV had 100+ fewer horse)

I hated how the new tranny felt on the Subaru. Plus it lacked the acceleration of the little SUVs but it did have an awesome roomy interior. Price was too high for me though with the amount of miles.

I read online to take all used cars to a shop and have them run a diagnostic scan yeah it may be $75 but it's cheaper than fixing issues later. I agree.

 

[Spikedriver]

I loved the ride I had with my old buick. I loved the space and room but my model had the notorious series 2 1800 engine and at the end it enjoyed drinking oil. My favorite of my used vehicles this far though. It was more than the head gasket when I sent it to the grave the rear main seal was leaking and my newer struts were bad again ect. The thing looked like a "grandma" car but boy was she fun to drive.

Good point now most are reliable. A coworker pointed out the obvious to he said if you don't like the look don't get it no matter the reliability. He said he forked over money for a new ride and said he wish he never did because whenever he saw it he thought it wasn't good looking. Lol.

Used vehicle I'll put up with a silver paint job and ugly look but if I'm getting a loan and paying a lot of money for I want it to look decent at least. Lol.

I also had a 2005 Buick LeSabre that I paid $6800 for in 2014. I put half down and paid it off in 2 years. Got it with 123k on it. It was a fantastic car for all the long trips I took for work. Got 27-28 mpg on the interstate at 80mph and was super comfortable. But, like most GM cars from that time, it had lots of little problems. Sensors would fail, electronics would quit. The back breaker was when the air bag rear suspension started leaking air. To replace both sides would have been close to 4k dollars. I got rid of it with 184 k miles on it.

Like you, I'm looking for a 4wd now, but for a truck. If I can swing it I want to buy brand new. I want to have the vehicle for at least 10 years with little to no major maintenance. I've found that AWD doesn't really cut it when the frost comes out of the gravel roads. I need the clearance and all 4 wheels pulling. And I find that having a truck bed is vital.

 

[BadgerLandHunter]

They put just enough salt in the sand so that the sand won't freeze and not come out of the spreaders.
I prefer to sleep outside under the stars too. But I'd rather sleep in a vehicle than a tent when it's rainy and windy. I don't like dealing with a wet tent. I'm thinking I could take out the passenger seat for road trips and that would give me the room to sleep.
I too have never spent more that $2,000 on a vehicle and I've gone anywhere I wanted to. There's not much that I couldn't fix with the tools that I carry.

See and that is awesome! My dad is a self taught mechanic and mechanically inclined. Grew up poor and needed to fix his vehicles rather than pay for it. He has taught all of us and helped us with ours.

Yeah and I do look ahead. I love the coldest days but those usually are the calmest. I try to avoid bad weather although I have a tarp I bring incase it rains. I stay dry but the ground would be mucky.

That's how I camp now with my Pontiac lol. I remove the passenger seat and load it up to the windows with my gear. Hahahaha

 

[BadgerLandHunter]

I also had a 2005 Buick LeSabre that I paid $6800 for in 2014. I put half down and paid it off in 2 years. Got it with 123k on it. It was a fantastic car for all the long trips I took for work. Got 27-28 mpg on the interstate at 80mph and was super comfortable. But, like most GM cars from that time, it had lots of little problems. Sensors would fail, electronics would quit. The back breaker was when the air bag rear suspension started leaking air. To replace both sides would have been close to 4k dollars. I got rid of it with 184 k miles on it.

Like you, I'm looking for a 4wd now, but for a truck. If I can swing it I want to buy brand new. I want to have the vehicle for at least 10 years with little to no major maintenance. I've found that AWD doesn't really cut it when the frost comes out of the gravel roads. I need the clearance and all 4 wheels pulling. And I find that having a truck bed is vital.

Wow lol my 90s buick got 22 mpg combined for me but once on a camping trip north all interstate it got 26 mpg lol.

Yeah some tell me just to buy a truck but I rather have an SUV. Sure I could get a cap for the truck and love the 8' bed my trusty rusty has but I don't have anything that needs a truck and can't justify the lower mpg if I'm not hauling much. Heck I used my Pontiac to carry my 2x4s for my rabbit hutch build. Lowered the back seat and put it through the trunk, back seat, between front seats and touching the windshield. Did it look goofy definitely but it worked. The truck was nice and necessary for the 4'x8' plywood though.
Yeah when you need a truck an SUV won't cut it.

 

[PopPopT]

Yeah when you need a truck an SUV won't cut it.

Unfortunately, no matter what vehicle I ultimately buy, I need the other one, too. If I bought a putz-around, I'll need a heavy truck. If I bought a heavy truck, I'll need a putz-around. One possibility is to buy one of each. Kinda did that. Subaru Forester, great putz-around, definitely NOT a truck. F350 crew cab dually, definitely NOT a putz-around but can haul anything I've thrown at it.

 

[BadgerLandHunter]

Unfortunately, no matter what vehicle I ultimately buy, I need the other one, too. If I bought a putz-around, I'll need a heavy truck. If I bought a heavy truck, I'll need a putz-around. One possibility is to buy one of each. Kinda did that. Subaru Forester, great putz-around, definitely NOT a truck. F350 crew cab dually, definitely NOT a putz-around but can haul anything I've thrown at it.

Exactly. That's why I currently still keep my trusty rusty truck around and my Pontiac. Truck is lighter duty but used it to move and my car is my daily driver.

I like the space in the Subaru Forester there is no doubt about that with them.