Trouble Maker Posted November 22, 2020 Report Share Posted November 22, 2020 Since I don't need a small car to eat up high way miles with work from home I'm thinking about a different kind of vehicle. I've always wanted something that can off-road a bit and tow a bit but no room for a 4th car. Maybe 5k#s or 7k#s would be more than enough, just wanting to occasionally tow a small camper. I don't need Rubicon levels of off-road capability, just something that can do some light off-road trails for fun and maybe mod a bit; maybe a small lift, tires, other off-road basics. Target is around $20k-$25k, the closer $20k is better. I'm torn on how old I'm comfortable with going. We've had basically new cars for the last 7 years and it's been nice not to have to deal with maintenance. I like to target about 3 year used cars to try to find off-lease and let the first owner take the big depreciation hit. But I think most of the cars I would be interested in are above that price range at 3 years old. Maybe around a 2015 would feel great, but for the right car maybe older is OK. But even some 2015s are still out of my price range. Ideas I've had so far. 4 Runner. It's a bit old but I've always had a draw towards the V8s they made in the mid to late 00's. Trucks, any cab configuration is OK but I don't want a F-teenthousand that can tow mount Rushmore, triple duper cab with 9 foot bed that I'll take a family out walking on the sidewalk with how wide the rear end swing is. Crew cab would probably be what I would want. F150, probably the shorter wheel base one. Something like an FX4 trim? I was really impressed with the 2.7L turbo I drove that was around that year. Any of the mid-size trucks, what should I check out? I feel like these could be a better match for what I want than a full size truck. Colorado ZR2 could be awesome but since they just came out in 2018 and are still too expensive. Ridgeline - I can probably get a smoking deal on a few year used through my work. Sometimes you have to wait for deals to come around, so time is not on my side for this one. But also probably less towing and off-road capability out of the box than most other examples here. What am I missing here, any good ideas for what to look at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillbot Posted November 22, 2020 Report Share Posted November 22, 2020 Truck. Any of the small/medium SUV’s typically don’t tow for shit unless they are on a truck frame then they are tater priced because soccer moms pay tater prices. I’d look truck, whatever flavor configuration trips your trigger and Rock-it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbs3000 Posted November 22, 2020 Report Share Posted November 22, 2020 I know a guy who took a Jeep Renagade to the Arctic Circle and those can be had basically new for 20k Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forrest Gump 9 Posted November 22, 2020 Report Share Posted November 22, 2020 I’m a little biased toward Toyota trucks, so 4runner gets my nod. Only 4runner that ever came with the V8 are from 03-09, and they will command a premium. So if you want some Toyota with V8 you better off with Landcruiser and Lexus. If you find a decent Toyota truck, you won’t loose money in the long run, number one problem with them is rusty frame. Or you can go off the deep end and get a Porsche Cayenne turbo. Those MFs are very needy, but can tow and haul ass at the same time. You can pick one up for less than $10k and baselined it and have more fun than anything out there. Very off road capable. They have lockers and low gears in most of them. There are some that even come with electronic sway bar disconnects. Good luck and have fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractor Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 I'd get a Toyota Tacoma with the rear locking diff. By light off-road I guess you mean you don't want to put dents in it? I wouldn't take anything I have to depend on into mud etc, that shit is for teens and twenties. A Tacoma would tow what your planning and be very nice for driving and the reliability is gonna be the best in the business. I towed my trail truck everywhere with mine and put 300000 miles on it without issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unfunnyryan Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 how much trouble you want to make it worth? BMW x5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted November 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 Some good options, keep them coming! Glad to see that Toyota SUVs/trucks seem to be good, a few of them were definitely in my initial thoughts too. I think they probably have the right mix of light off-road and towing for me. The (real) Land Cruiser and Lexus LX are too expensive/old for my budget and age target. To get down to my price target the newest Land Cruiser I can find is around 2009 and LX around 2011 w/140kmi and, early-mid 2000s w/ 100kmi or higher. I'm sure they are a lot of car for the money VS new, but it feels like the wrong combination of price, age and miles for me. I would worry about expensive fixes being needed soon. The GX460/470 is a great option I didn't think about. I drove the Land Cruiser version (Prado) w/diesel over in New Zealand a few times. I really liked it other than the lack of power, especially 50-70mph passing on 2 lane back-roads. But a 4.6L V8 vs the smallish diesel in those should help fix that problem. I'm seeing a 2014 w/87k mile in that range as 1 example. That is just a hair older and higher miles than I feel like would be ideal. But much better than the Land Curiser/LX above that are about twice as old and twice as many miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossle Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 Tacoma all day Just realize to grab a lower mileage one in that price range it will be an older model (which is fine). Pickup trucks are one of the worst vehicles to shop for and buy. 2nd edit: I'm also a big time Jeep hater. I just don't understand the appeal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted November 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 how much trouble you want to make it worth? BMW x5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted November 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 Tacoma all day I'm torn between wanting a bed, properly guessing how much utility and use a mid-size truck bed actually gives me and an SUV that we could sleep in the back of. I lean towards the SUV for interior space/sleeping inside. We've done car camping trips w/ small SUVs and being able to fit everything behind the back seats under a cover is really nice. But we are also constantly doing house projects, so maybe the bed is better? I can always put boards in the back of an SUV but probably not full width of plywood. I could always get a cheap utility trailer with the SUV, maybe one of those folding ones from Harbor Freight; Menards is about 3 miles on surface streets from here. And do the mid-size trucks even fit full width sheets of drywall/plywood between the wheel wells? How are the prices of Tacomas VS 4Runners, where is the better value? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted November 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 Just realize to grab a lower mileage one in that price range it will be an older model (which is fine). Pickup trucks are one of the worst vehicles to shop for and buy. Part of this is definitely me trying to figure out what's out there and do some shopping research to see if my ideal even exist or if my price VS age idea is unrealistic. I don't know this market well at all, have never seriously shopped it. Our situation is also forcing us to buy at a bad, high priced time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGU Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 2nd edit: I'm also a big time Jeep hater. I just don't understand the appeal. It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossle Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 You will not fit plywood sheets between the wheel wells. I have a 2005 Tundra with the 6.5' bed and I have rarely been in a situation where the bed is "not adequate" for what I'm trying to do. Perhaps at times I may have to make an extra trip, but no task stands out as being a huge inconvenience. My dad uses a hard tonneau cover on his bed and rarely has to take it off for moving stuff. He may chime in on that topic. I would say likely the 4Runner is going to be the better "deal" when it comes to age vs. miles. More up to you in how you choose to use it for utility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex L. Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 Keep in mind a truck can serve the same partial purpose of an SUV in terms of sleeping area with the addition of a cap. That way you have the ability to rest out of the elements, while still having all the utilitarian benefits of a truck bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted November 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 You will not fit plywood sheets between the wheel wells. I have a 2005 Tundra with the 6.5' bed and I have rarely been in a situation where the bed is "not adequate" for what I'm trying to do. Perhaps at times I may have to make an extra trip, but no task stands out as being a huge inconvenience. Again, with only being 3 miles from Menards multiple trips is easy. It's the current reality with the smaller vehicles than this we've had up until now. Anything in this segment is going to be a pretty big upgrade in the hauling area. It seems like not fitting full width plywood/drywall is just a fact of life outside of full size trucks. I don't have a real want or need for that outside of a few rare occasions. If I really needed to, renting a trailer, getting a cheap utility trailer, or building a quick and dirty platform to get over the wheel wells all seem like better options. The mid-size truck/SUV is going to be a better fit 99% of the time. My dad uses a hard tonneau cover on his bed and rarely has to take it off for moving stuff. He may chime in on that topic. Definitely an option with a truck. Its just a decision I need to make about utility of a bed VS interior space. I would say likely the 4Runner is going to be the better "deal" when it comes to age vs. miles. More up to you in how you choose to use it for utility. With me being 50/50 on which one is better, if my shopping shows this to be true it makes the decision easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc1647545523 Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 Jesse, Two quick comments: the Renegade won't be good at towing the loads you've listed, but it ticks the other boxes. The back seat folds down (nearly, but not completely, flat) and you can sleep two in the back. If you want serious off-roading, you need to go with the Trailhawk, which gives you extra ground clearance, and is just a better all-around model of Renegade. I was really impressed with the vehicle, although I think you'd have to be an idiot to take one to the Arctic. Jordan at JET Auto Group got me a terrific deal on a used, current year model. At the end of my year of use, it had very little depreciation and sold quickly. Two, a new Gladiator does everything you want, plus you can have a convertible when you feel like it. Lease a new one at a surprisingly low monthly payment. With low money down, 15k miles/year, very well equipped, mine is just over $300/month for 36 months. I hear what Sean is saying about Jeeps, but the last two I've had have changed my mind about their quality and value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractor Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 My 6x6: Deuce and a half 12 ft bed wasn't enough to haul some 20' rebar I needed for my garage slab recently so I had them cut them to 10' lengths so it's all relative lol. We had a 2005 double cab tacoma with a cap on it and it was perfect while the girls where small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted November 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 I don't know how accurate https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/price-trends/ is, but I did a quick check. These are over the last year. It seems like on average I'm pretty solidly in a 13' GX, 13' 4Runner or 13'-14' Tacoma. But also like everyone's been saying the prices of everything have went up recently, but especailly trucks and that's easy to see here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted November 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 ....the Renegade won't be good at towing the loads you've listed... I'm not really interested in that segment. Like you said, the towing/hauling just don't get to anywhere near I want to be. There are a few with some off-road chops, like the Renegade TrailHawk or the RAV4 TRD. I imagine they are near their reasonable limit from the factory. I could also get a better deal on something like a Ridgeline or Pilot through my work, do a few small things (small lift, tires, few skid plates) and be around the same off-road level as those with more towing if I were going the less-truck like route. Two, a new Gladiator does everything you want, plus you can have a convertible when you feel like it. Lease a new one at a surprisingly low monthly payment. With low money down, 15k miles/year, very well equipped, mine is just over $300/month for 36 months. I didn't want to get into the details in the original post, but I figured the idea of a lease would come up. I get that they can probably work really well for some situations. I'm not really interested in the deprecation that comes with a brand new car, which is true regardless of it being a lease or buy. The only new car's we've done are the employee leas deals through my work which is a different situation. This is just my personal financial direction, but I want to have as little debt/payments as possible, and we've got the cash in the car account for what my budget is so I'm pretty fixed on the target budget. Just trying to figure out what makes sense in that budget and vehicle type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillbot Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 I'm torn between wanting a bed, properly guessing how much utility and use a mid-size truck bed actually gives me and an SUV that we could sleep in the back of. I lean towards the SUV for interior space/sleeping inside. We've done car camping trips w/ small SUVs and being able to fit everything behind the back seats under a cover is really nice. But we are also constantly doing house projects, so maybe the bed is better? I can always put boards in the back of an SUV but probably not full width of plywood. I could always get a cheap utility trailer with the SUV, maybe one of those folding ones from Harbor Freight; Menards is about 3 miles on surface streets from here. And do the mid-size trucks even fit full width sheets of drywall/plywood between the wheel wells? How are the prices of Tacomas VS 4Runners, where is the better value? If the suv can tow, get a trailer and your bed issues are gone. It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand. This ^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRocket1647545505 Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 1. Tacoma. Probably easiest to find but expect tater pricing. Known reputation. 2. Wait a bit for a moderate mileage Gladiator to come up for sale. Still expect tater pricing. You might get lucky and find one in the mid $20ks, especially if you're looking at a no-frills Sport model. Unknown long-term reliability, but I think you'll be alright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted November 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 If the suv can tow, get a trailer and your bed issues are gone. I like the idea, but we have no room for a full size trailer at the house. I could probably stash it at my parents, or one of those folding utility trailers would probably be more than enough for what I would want to usually do and squeeze it into a corner of the garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted November 23, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 1. Tacoma. Probably easiest to find but expect tater pricing. Known reputation. 2. Wait a bit for a moderate mileage Gladiator to come up for sale. Still expect tater pricing. You might get lucky and find one in the mid $20ks, especially if you're looking at a no-frills Sport model. Unknown long-term reliability, but I think you'll be alright. Part of my strategy isn't just getting in at a specific price point. To me that feels about as useful as getting in at specific monthly payment with no other info. Like when you're at a dealer and they try to up sell you by just making the payment term longer. More importantly to me is a specific age where hopefully most of the steep part of the deprecation curve is over, paid for by someone else, but new enough where I'm not dealing with problems or big ticket maintenance right away. The Gladiators are still too new for that, and from what I'm seeing the reality is they are no where close to my price point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillbot Posted November 24, 2020 Report Share Posted November 24, 2020 https://www.harborfreight.com/1720-lb-capacity-48-in-x-96-in-super-duty-folding-trailer-62647.html?_br_psugg_q=trailer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Nice Posted November 24, 2020 Report Share Posted November 24, 2020 Tacoma, Highlander, or Grand Cherokee, get my vote. What would really get my vote is a rust free Suburban. It can tow more, camp the entire fam, fit full sheets of plywood with the seats down, and checks every box EXCEPT age possibly (haven't shopped them in awhile) and size. Most folks think I'm a "Ford guy" but working on the farm for 3.5 years having my buddy who ran the farm with his '99 Suburban was awesome since my '78 K10 had a short bed. He also built storage drawers and want not that could drop in or be removed if needed. He ended up selling that one and getting a '98 (IIRC) with a 454. Both were absolute work horses, rust free, and both over 200k with not a single issue. I say all of that knowing you don't want an older Suburban, but I think I do. lol EDIT: Almost forgot, if you go with a midsize truck or SUV and NEED a full size truck you can rent them for, like, $20 a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.