Good, used, cheap 4x4 SUV?
 

I need to pick up a cheap SUV 4x4 to leave at the place in Montana. No real requirements other than 4x4. I'm thinking something like a 1998 Explorer. They can be had with 100K miles in great shape for around $5K or less. Anything else I should be looking at?

Jeep Wrangler?
Toyota Pickup?
Ford F150?

Just throwing out some ideas...

Mid to late 90's Toyota 4 Runner?

Jeep Cherokee is another good option.

Want to avoid a truck. They are worthless in the snow and mud without weight in the back. 4Runners are too small. Cherokee might work. Are they as reliable as Explorers?

So I guess you do have "requirements other than 4x4". ;)

I put 260 lbs. of snow in the back of my RWD Silverado when it snows that I build a wood frame for the bed to keep in over the rear axle. I've never had a problem. Yes, I realize you see more snow, but $40 of sand and wood will fix the weight imbalance in a truck.

Jeep Cherokee older ones are very reliable late 90's were good. S-10 Blazers 96-99 were good rigs.

Jeep Cherokee (Sport or Classic), not Grand Cherokee. Private Party 2001 goes for about $6K

An early nineties landcruiser would be my choice.

is a used subaru forester too small?

Those (non-Grand) Cherokees with the 190HP in-line 6 are pretty much bullet-proof.

you know what? curtegerer is on to something. the same can be said about the chevy trailblazer, or gmc envoy. that straight six, rocks.

I had a 1999 Explorer XLT 4wd. IIRC you could not choose 4wd high or low as it was more of an automatic AWD system. I really didn't care for the lack of control. The older Explorers did have this capability and the newer examples (2001+) have rear end issues.
If going for an older Explorer check to see if it has the plastic intake manifold which is prone to cracking and expensive to replace.

Discovery? Mine was a great truck- amazing in the snow. Shoulda kept it.

My daily driven Ford Expedition (99) does well in the snow, carries everything I need including my three kids, and has been reliable. I bet my car is worth something like $6500.
Troy

If you go the explorer route, get a V8. The 6's suck in the mountains and barely have enough torque to plow thru the snow.

I've had Ford SUV's since '92. Never any engine trouble and most of them for over 200,000 miles. Had to replace 1 tranny, 1 transfer case, wheel bearings, lots of brakes and couple of 02 sensors - thats about it for parts that failed prematurely over the course of 4 vehicles.

If you park the truck alot, I would be tempted to use a battery disconnect in lieu of a smart charger. Keep a good charger close by. I've not had much luck with batteries lately. Replaced 3 Interstates in the last 3-4 months.

Would modern electronics have a problem with disconnecting the battery frequently?
Will the computer have to acclimate every time?

cherokee (as said, non-grand) is by FAR your best option at that price level though i don't think it's any bigger than a 4runner. the 6 is a good motor.

Agree 100%. Gas mileage sucks too...the V8 is the same or better.

I had a Mitsubishi Montero Limited (not the smaller sport) that was awesome - Had the lockable transfer case (manual) would claw out of anything. Comfortable interior - could seat seven in a pinch. Not many of them around - but pretty bulletproof for the 140,000 miles I put on mine.

I bought a used '98 Toyota 4Runner with about 50k on it. It HAS BEEN the best car I've EVER owned and it STILL IS! This thing was loaded to the max upon delivery. 5-6 years later and with 98k on it and all I've done so far is replace the tires. Everytime I have it checked it only needs the brakes adjusted and cleaned for $20 bucks. That's it. I've never had a car go this long with out ANY real service. They (Toyota) sais t's due for a timing chain for $300. I'll get around to it but it runs awesome!

EDIT: Oh I just saw that you said 4Runners are 'to small' but an Cherokee or Explorer is ok. 4Runner is acutally so close or bigger according to KBB, so good luck with that. You might pay a little more but it won't be noticeable and the return will out weigh the cost difference. It'll be worth more in a few years and it'll be cheaper to maintain.

http://www.kbb.com/kbb/CompareCars/Report.aspx?CompareCarsVehicleIds=7093-6690-6491&CompareCarsSelectionHistory=&SelectedTabIndex =3

Buddy,........ ah forget it, your budget is too low.
;)