best car-based 4x4 for light offroad/snow? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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best car-based 4x4 for light offroad/snow?

RiverRat

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Joined
February 25, 2002
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City, State
San Diego, Ca
Year, Model & Trim Level
1996 V8 Ranger 4x4
I'd like to get some opinions on a car based 4x4 for light offroading, snow, sand, good mpg. A station wagon. Subaru, toyota tercel, honda civic, any other ideas? I have seen all wheel drive civics and tercels. I don't have any experience with subarus. I'm looking for something used and about 10-15 years old.
 



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look at the suzuki samuri or the older suzuki suidekick trackers =) they are prety good in the snow from what i have heard
 






Why do you want something so old? Any Subaru is AWD and great in the snow. You can probably pick up an older Rav4 or Kia Sportage for pretty cheap now. But yeah, a Suzuki Sidekick would be pretty cheap too... but its a Suzuki so reliability is up in the air
 






Any Audi with Quattro or VW with 4Motion.
 






Dont get a Subaru if ite pre 95 I say, maintenece nightmare! It can be anyways....especially the turbo's.

The best: Porcshe Cyenne :)

hahahaha

Whats your price range?
 






Didnt VW just come out with the 4 motion not very long ago? He wants something 10-15 years old. Also I dont think there are any Civic AWD...Id say Subaru or a Quattro Audi....
 












My buddy has one of those old subaru station wagons i think its a legend or legacy or something stupid like that, but man when we got a heavy snowfall 2 years back we had SO MUCH FUN. He loves rallying so we were out all night testing his car out. Altho a LOT of it is driver experience, we made it up hills that grand cherokees and blazers were stuck on(no ex's in sight tho:) )
 






Originally posted by 410Fortune
Dont get a Subaru if ite pre 95 I say, maintenece nightmare! It can be anyways....especially the turbo's.

The best: Porcshe Cyenne :)

hahahaha

Whats your price range?

Well, its just an idea right now. I am planning on spending around $1000 or less and fix it up.

I looked at the 87 toyota tercel and it is one ugly car :eek:

The 1990 civic awd wagon would be perfect. The ones I have seen are going for 2500-4000. and are hard to find. If I can find one cheap/high mileage I might go for that. Plus I know there is a big aftermarket for civics.

I like the trackers but they seem to be even more expensive and less fuel economy.
 






My wife had a 94 Subaru Legacy touring wagon when we got mairried. I think it got like 25-30 MPG on the interstate. But it was a pretty good car. I had to replace a few parts the last year we had it, but nothing to major. It was not a turbo, but ran pretty good. The AWD worked great in the snow, and it rode good on the road.
 






My girl drives a 93 Subaru legacy and I would not touch that car with a ten foot pole. That thing only has 120K miles and it is already in the "blah" condition, heck- I thought it was an 80's Subaru. Normally she drives an '87 Land Cruiser. Normally I'm not big on yotas but I have grown pretty attached to that truck...or maybe it's the driver to whom I'm attached...:D
Get a BII!
 






For $1000 you can get a mid 80's Subaru
Some of them had Low range even, but be warned the maintenece on them can be a *****.

Its like buying an old VW Rabbit, some of them just go and go and go, and every once in a while you get one that wont go 10' without needing a new head gasket or timing chain. The mid late 80's Subaru's have a great 2wd,4wd system, but they will need CV joints, head gaskets, etc etc typical stuff for somethign with high miles.
I had a 89 legacy GL-10 Turbo wagon for a few years. WHen it was running that thing was a mean beast, it would go anywhere! BUT it went through 4 sets of head, 3 turbos, cv joints, exhaust, etc etc etc...My friend had the same car with the same problems.

If you want something that is great in the snow for $1000, I second that, get a BII :)

Or how about an AMC Eagle?? :)
Thats a great CARuck as I call them...you can work on it like it was a CJ.
the old Subaru Brat was a pretty good car too, also easyt to keep running, as long as you dont get a lemon...
 






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