Poll: which used SUV would you get?

[bull]

I'm in the market for a used SUV because our Chrysler minivan has pretty much exceeded its useful life. Ford and GM are not options for me. I want kind of a mid-sized 4X4 SUV as you can tell from the choices I listed, not a Liberty or Kia Rio or anything little like that. I don't want to spend much either, in fact whatever I buy will probably run between $4k-$8k so it's probably going to have more than 100K miles on it. I don't believe there are many Durangos in that price range either, and I'm not all that convinced they are really worth owning anyway.

We are a family of four that often has to haul at least one extra kid around so we need it to be at least a five-passenger vehicle.

[Brock Samson]

personally i'd do the GC they come with the late v-8s too.. 
the De Rangos baised onna pick up truck... not so off road capable...
but that's just me.. imo.

[Charger_Fan]

I voted Durrango, but only if it's the previous body style.
For the money, it'll be hard to get a clean vehicle with under a 100 grand on the clock. The closer you get to the 8K range, the lower the mileage will be, of course. I'd also try to buy from an individual who's owned the car for quite a while & knows it's history, versus a dealer. You'll stand a better chance at getting a better vehicle for the money that way.

[Orange_Crush]

I'm in the market for a used SUV because our Chrysler minivan has pretty much exceeded its useful life. Ford and GM are not options for me. I want kind of a mid-sized 4X4 SUV as you can tell from the choices I listed, not a Liberty or Kia Rio or anything little like that. I don't want to spend much either, in fact whatever I buy will probably run between $4k-$8k so it's probably going to have more than 100K miles on it. I don't believe there are many Durangos in that price range either, and I'm not all that convinced they are really worth owning anyway.

We are a family of four that often has to haul at least one extra kid around so we need it to be at least a five-passenger vehicle.

If it was up to me, I'd get another Minivan...but I know you don't want that.

If you're looking for offroad capability, the Grand Cherokee is the way to go, followed by the 4Runner.

If you just want, in a nutshell, a big station wagon, I think you can get most of those in 2wd.

Definitely stay away from the Cherokee...it has NO backseat space...and honestly, the Grand Cherokee isn't much better.

[Mean 318]

When it comes to new trucks, I am a Toyota guy... Sorry guys! If I where going brand new that is, otherwise I would go for a Ram 01 and older!

[bull]

I'm in the market for a used SUV because our Chrysler minivan has pretty much exceeded its useful life. Ford and GM are not options for me. I want kind of a mid-sized 4X4 SUV as you can tell from the choices I listed, not a Liberty or Kia Rio or anything little like that. I don't want to spend much either, in fact whatever I buy will probably run between $4k-$8k so it's probably going to have more than 100K miles on it. I don't believe there are many Durangos in that price range either, and I'm not all that convinced they are really worth owning anyway.

We are a family of four that often has to haul at least one extra kid around so we need it to be at least a five-passenger vehicle.

If it was up to me, I'd get another Minivan...but I know you don't want that.

If you're looking for offroad capability, the Grand Cherokee is the way to go, followed by the 4Runner.

If you just want, in a nutshell, a big station wagon, I think you can get most of those in 2wd.

Definitely stay away from the Cherokee...it has NO backseat space...and honestly, the Grand Cherokee isn't much better.

It's not that I don't want a minivan per se, at least in concept, it's just that I've discovered FWD vehicles to be quite difficult to work on because everything is up front and there's no space to work. I love the Chrysler 3.8 engine but it's in there sideways so even trying to service the serpentine belt is a major ordeal. And I really dislike the CV joint concept. Servicing a rear wheel drive or four wheel drive auto is much easier. Aside from that I do want to do more off-road driving as well as driving in snow and while the FWD minivans do well on snowy highways they cannot be used in the mud and dirt. Same goes for most 2WD SUVs. At this point I'm torn between the 4Runner, Grand Cherokee and the Durango.

I will probably have to increase my spending limit to $10k also.

[Orange_Crush]

I'm in the market for a used SUV because our Chrysler minivan has pretty much exceeded its useful life. Ford and GM are not options for me. I want kind of a mid-sized 4X4 SUV as you can tell from the choices I listed, not a Liberty or Kia Rio or anything little like that. I don't want to spend much either, in fact whatever I buy will probably run between $4k-$8k so it's probably going to have more than 100K miles on it. I don't believe there are many Durangos in that price range either, and I'm not all that convinced they are really worth owning anyway.

We are a family of four that often has to haul at least one extra kid around so we need it to be at least a five-passenger vehicle.

If it was up to me, I'd get another Minivan...but I know you don't want that.

If you're looking for offroad capability, the Grand Cherokee is the way to go, followed by the 4Runner.

If you just want, in a nutshell, a big station wagon, I think you can get most of those in 2wd.

Definitely stay away from the Cherokee...it has NO backseat space...and honestly, the Grand Cherokee isn't much better.

It's not that I don't want a minivan per se, at least in concept, it's just that I've discovered FWD vehicles to be quite difficult to work on because everything is up front and there's no space to work. I love the Chrysler 3.8 engine but it's in there sideways so even trying to service the serpentine belt is a major ordeal. And I really dislike the CV joint concept. Servicing a rear wheel drive or four wheel drive auto is much easier. Aside from that I do want to do more off-road driving as well as driving in snow and while the FWD minivans do well on snowy highways they cannot be used in the mud and dirt. Same goes for most 2WD SUVs. At this point I'm torn between the 4Runner, Grand Cherokee and the Durango.

I will probably have to increase my spending limit to $10k also.

Well...if you want a backseat you can actually USE, I'd recommend the Durango or the 4Runner.

[SnoPro440]

 I would go with the Grand Cherokee, but watch out for the Limited's and Overland's between 99-04 that have the dual climate control.  Seems like a lot of them have problems with the blower motors and switch control for heat.   just my    

[bull]

By the way, if I get a Grand Cherokee what's the best V8 engine? Is the 4.7 better than the 5.9?

[bull]

Well...if you want a backseat you can actually USE, I'd recommend the Durango or the 4Runner.

Because they fold down or what?

[Orange_Crush]

By the way, if I get a Grand Cherokee what's the best V8 engine? Is the 4.7 better than the 5.9?

Allright.

First off, the 4.7 is probably Chrysler's most underrated engine EVER.  Its rock-solid reliable and  runs very nicely in the GC.  Believe me, my parents have WELL over 120,000 miles on theyr Y2K beater GC with absolutely no complaints.  Its an excellent engine, if a little thirsty.

As far as the seats go, the grand cherokee just doesn't have much leg room.  Three can fit across OK, but don't subject them to long trips.  Since it is kids you're talking about, they might fare a little better.  Granted, I'm an unusually large guy so I may be biased.

Thinking about it now, the 4Runner really isn't all that much better because the seats sit really low to the floor.

In any case, if you're gonna go for a GC, there really isn't a bad engine in the lot, but for power and reliability, I'd choose the 4.7.

[bull]

Now you've got me looking at Durangos. I didn't realize that they are in with the Cherokees in price and I also just discovered that they have the third-row seating, which my wife would like because you can haul something like 9 people. How does that third-row seating work anyway?

I've got my eye on this one: http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/car/243451663.html

[PocketThunder]

I'm in the same as you right now.  Our second kid just arrived and suddenly the Maxima is getting cramped.  Have you thought about the Nissan Pathfinder or the Honda Passport?  We are leaning towards the pathfinder or the Grand Cherokee..  Although i'd like to get my spouse into a Commander but she likes her Nissans.  So we'll see what kind of bonus i get at the end of the year and see what we can afford.   

[old man]

Now you've got me looking at Durangos. I didn't realize that they are in with the Cherokees in price and I also just discovered that they have the third-row seating, which my wife would like because you can haul something like 9 people. How does that third-row seating work anyway?

I've got my eye on this one: http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/car/243451663.html

Bull I've got a 2000 Durango with a 4.7 and third row seating. The third row seat is great and easy to use. It's alittle tight for headroom for someone tall to get into third seating. But I've fallen in love with it again this weekend. With over 14 inches of snow it got around everywhere i needed to go. Gas mileage with the 4.7 is not bad at all compared to a 5.7 or a 5.9. It has been a great truck and when needed I will buy another one.

[TeeWJay426]

We have a '99 Durango with the 5.9 that is pushing 160K..... bought it brand new; it is thirsty, but it has served us very well as the main family vehicle since new. The only knock against it I have other than the gas mileage is the 3rd set of ball joints that are in it.... they cut off the recall at the 2000 model year. Water pump is the only engine repair I've done; it does use some oil, which I'm sure is due to the intake manifold gasket (which they are noted for). No other issues that I can recall.

[MichaelRW]

I bought a new Durango in 1998 with the 5.9 engine. Put about 50,000 miles on it before I sold it to buy an Aviator. The A/C is marginal in the '98 and '99 models because the same A/C hardware was used as was in the Dakota. Since the Durango has a huge inside area when compared to the Dakota it simply was way underpowered. The A/C units were all new in 2000. So if that is important to you don't but a Durango older than 2000. I never had any major issues with mine. Just minor stuff like power window switches going bad,

[Lowprofile]

I voted for the Durango. 



Or, you could always get yourself one of these to park next to the Charger........

[derailed]

I voted for the 4 runner only because of the range of vehicles you are looking at will most likely already have high miles on them.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

I voted other for a Nissan Pathfinder.    I just traded in my '96 Maxima for an '03 Pathfinder LE  fully loaded.  Electronic AWD or 4WD

Rides really nice and has the reliability of a Jap car....sorry to admit it but I wouldnt buy an American car/truck unless I wanted to get stuck somewhere...flame suit on but thats my opinion...like it or not
240HP but the gas mileage isnt that great....Im getting 15mpg

[Old Moparz]

I'll give a vote for the Pathfinder, but I don't think it'll be cheap. The latest bodystyle has a 3rd row seat, & I've had 2 Nissan vehicles before that were incredibly reliable. My pick up had over 155,000 on it when I sold it, & my Pathfinder had 165,000, both running great. The only repairs ever needed on the pick up were a starter relay, a fuel sensor, & a wiper arm pivot under the cowl. (That was easy, the cowl actually comes off the vehicle, imagine that.) The Pathfinder had a problem with the front hubs the last year I owned it due to corrosion. It was an inexpensive repair, & other than the above, it was only tires, brakes, batteries, & headlights that got replaced. Both ended up rusting, but they were 10 years old by then.

Another one to consider is what I replaced the Pathfinder with for my wife to drive, a 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor. Compared to the Pathfinder, one equipped the same, everything but leather, was about $10,000 less new. ($23,000 instead of $33,000) It's available in 2 or 4 WD & is more carlike in handling than a stiff SUV. It's supposed to be a cross between a SUV & a wagon. The vehicle is a blast to drive, handles good, is fast, & came with a 310 watt Infinity system with a subwoofer hidden somewhere I haven't seen yet. It's got 30,000 miles or so, & hasn't needed anything other than maintenance. There is no 3rd row seat, but the backseat folds flat & doesn't stick up. If it holds up as long as the Pathfinder did, I'd pick this one over the Pathfinder easily.

http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/MitsubishiEndeavor/

Here's what the Endeavor looks like in the same color we have.

[Silver R/T]

there's a lot of choices, of course 4Runner is pretty good. I personally don't care for SUV's at all. family of 5 can fit pretty well in a sedan or a minivan. Get a used Caravan, lots of room and save some bucks

[cwysong]

I've owned Ford vans or SUVs for about 20 years now, and the quality has been great. I currently have a 95 Aerostar 4wd and it's great. My next vehicle will be an Explorer. Look at the drop in prices for a one year old one with 16-20K miles on it. They can be had for $18-$20K. I rented one last summer for a week just to get a feel for them, and they are solid. I'm partial to the 4.0 6 cylinder. My van has one with 115K miles on it. My previous van had 134K miles on it when I traded it in. Great engines. No maintenance other than change the oil/filter, and change plugs/wires.

[Shakey]

I'd also vote for the Nissan Pathfinder if it is an SUV you need.  I drove an '88 Pathfinder from 1989 - 1995, then I drove a '92 from 1995 - 2002.  Never had any issues whatsoever.  Great vehicles!

Now, we have a Pacifica AWD which is also a great vehicle, so far!  It is a 2004 and seats the four of us comfortably with room for cargo or two other people, and is under warranty until 2010 or 2012, can't recall exactly.

[Silver R/T]

a 4 door truck would be nice choice

[hemihead]

None

[bull]

I'm in the same as you right now.  Our second kid just arrived and suddenly the Maxima is getting cramped.  Have you thought about the Nissan Pathfinder or the Honda Passport?  We are leaning towards the pathfinder or the Grand Cherokee..  Although i'd like to get my spouse into a Commander but she likes her Nissans.  So we'll see what kind of bonus i get at the end of the year and see what we can afford.   

I've never been within 20 feet of a Passport and know nothing about them but I just talked to my mom who told me a neighbor of hers might be selling a 2002 with just over 40k miles on it, which is unheard of. So I might be learning more about them soon.

The Pathfinders are ok as far as I know, I once had a roommate who owned one. I think they are very reliable but not very roomy.

[azraelck]

I think at first the Passports were a rebadged Izuzu. I honestly can't say much about them though; since I dont know when Honda changed over to their own model. But we've had two Izuzus, both pickups; and they're reliability was second to none, IMO. One reached a half-million miles on it, and I still see it running around a decade after my brother traded it. Buyer beware, obviously.

We have had both the GC and the regular Cherokee. Both with the big I6. The GC actually towed a big '79 3/4 ton Chevy behind it, though the front end was bouncing off the ground, and the CPU burned up. The Cherokee is going strong still, but hauling 3 kids; I don't know. It was fine for two, three might get cramped. One thing, is both had leaking transfer cases. I don't know if that's a common issue or not. Ours were pretty high mileage; so it may not be anything you need to worry about. 

[71charger_fan]

Cherokee with the 4.0 liter six. They run forever. We had a '92 get hit by a tractor-trailer that ran a red light. My wife drove it home. They're narrow, but they're designed to fit places their competitors won't go. Register at jeepforum.com and ask around. They're very popular for very good reasons. When we wanted a vehicle for my daughter to drive at college, the 4.0 Cherokee was the only one considered. It wasn't easy to find a decent one at a decent price, but it was worth the effort.

[dkn1997]

since you asked....

4-8k  +  SUV  + 100k miles = TROUBLE.  prepare to spend more time under this vehicle than in it.  I would suggest putting a couple of grand down and getting a dirt cheap lease on anything, kia, hyundai, whatever.  no matter how shitty it is, it will have a warranty.

you will be bucks down trying to keep an 8k old suv on the road.  all of those parts get expensive in a hurry.

[bull]

I test drove a 4.7 Durango at a dealership Monday night and I liked it a lot. I'm going to look at this one owner rig this afternoon: http://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/car/243451663.html

[Orange_Crush]

The Durangos are nice. 

Like I told ya, the 4.7 is Chrysler's unsung hero.  Its a real workhorse.

[451-74Charger]

If safety is important, the impact ratings for rear and side collisions are NOT rated for 3rd row seats on 99% of cars,
The std 2 row models are where the tests are done.
I have a 99 GC, and love it. 4.7 V8 Limited. Yes the "Blend Door" can be an issue, but if you consider there are over 1 million GC's about and the problems only exist on a few, thats better odds than most of not having a problem.
the things i would say watch out for are:

Front CV jount on GC were later replaced by U-Joints due to "technical issues"
the front and rear Driveshafts can bind and cause a "clunk" when stopping. (fixed by anti-seeze)
The steering column has a Clock spring for the wheel contacts/Airbag. these fail early.
the door seals on mine have shrunk and fall off. but besides that, id buy another in a heartbeat.
This is the 2nd GC i have owned.

Now Minivans...you would have to dig me up from 6ft under before id buy one of those THINGS

[andy74]

Bull ,just an fyi- i sold a 03 slt durango retail  last week,4x4 3rd row for 13grand and made a little money ,that was with 35k on it-shop around and youll find a good deal,the older body style is cold at the auctions,so prices on used lots are cheaper-if someone is selling theirs it may because a dealer isnt offering them enough!! pm me if you need any extra help or input,and i can check vins for in service date/recalls too!

[bull]

Bull ,just an fyi- i sold a 03 slt durango retail  last week,4x4 3rd row for 13grand and made a little money ,that was with 35k on it-shop around and youll find a good deal,the older body style is cold at the auctions,so prices on used lots are cheaper-if someone is selling theirs it may because a dealer isnt offering them enough!! pm me if you need any extra help or input,and i can check vins for in service date/recalls too!

Thanks. The guy I'm going to see today said he had the ball joint recall done on this one. I'll get the VIN from him too.

[694spdRT]

I voted for a Grand Cherokee.

I owned a '99 Grand Cherokee with the 4.0L inline six and now have an '05 Grand Cherokee with a 5.7 Hemi. Mileage is about the same with both at around 16mpg average and 19-20mpg on the highway. I prefer the looks of the earlier Grand Cherokee over the '05 but I am happy with both. The new one has Quadra Drive II and is practically unstoppable in the snow. 

If you are looking for an older one I would at least try out the 4.0L as it is a tried and tested engine even if it is old school and had good power pulling my 3000lb boat. I am sure the 4.7's are good too, just never owned or drove one but several friends with Dakota's like them.

[moparsuebear]

I own a Grand Cherokee Laredo, and if you say you have a large family, well, you're not going to get many people in the jeep! The Durango has that extra back row, but Jeep doesn't. But I love my jeep and only have 2 kids, so it works out great. I have quadra track, with studded tires and it runs great on the snow and ice. and my hubby put a new stereo in it a while back and it rocks!

By the way, do any of you name your cars? My jeep is called Graybear, my charger is called Sassy, and hubby's charger is called Rojac. I used to have an Astro Van that was called Bluebell and hubby had a 4runner that he called The White Truck. In Okinawa we had an old Toyota van and I called it Silver Sloth and in England I had a brown volvo that I called Sheila, while Bill and the boys called it the brown turd. Bill had a corvette that he called Festus. I guess we're kind of weird.    Share some of your car names.

[694spdRT]

That is true about the size of the Jeep.  Four average size people can sit comfortably but five is getting pretty cozy. The 3rd row in a Durango or a Commander really doesn't look very comfortable to me either but probably works good for kids.