Best Bang for Buck Overland Rig

[Maverick9110E]

Best for what is the real question. Do you need a lot of storage? Do you need it to be a daily driver ? Fo you need good gas mileage? How capable offroad do you need it ad in how technical are the routes you are thinking of? Do you need people space? Everyone here could throw out a ton of options but without more specifics it's pretty tough.

 

[PetfishEric]

The $5000 price limit is very ahhh, limiting. At that price you are pretty much out of the decent Toyota. You can pick up a lot of Land Rovers but be care full because they tend to have heat issues and warp the heads after a 100,000 miles if not meticulously maintained. Jeeps and GM products have a lot of aftermarket support and you can get parts at about every corner. Ford is almost as good but they went to IRS early so you can run into problems there. Early Dodge vehicle are hard to get parts for, TRUST ME, later ones are on par with Ford in my opinion.

Now if I was staring over at that price range I would look for a decent Land Rover or Jeep Grand Cherokee. They have nice rides on the way to the wilderness and driving around town and plenty of aftermarket support. The down side is they are loaded with fancy bits and pieces and technology that break but if you stay on top of them they aren't too bad.

 

[rotary]

My 2001 gmc pick up went 215k with only repair, a blown coolant hose. Sadly what finally did go was the axle and it was half the values of the truck to replace. Besides that it was just oil changes brakes and tires. It'll be interesting to see if my Toyota can do the same.

 

[Cornfred]

I am not sure what they fetch where you live, but you would be hard pushed to get anything better than a Toyota, proven on every continent to be reliable and the professionals choice.


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Would you go 4 runner, Land cruiser, or pick up?

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[raundhaus]

In regards to the question on cruiser, runner, or pick-up, they all have advantages! A bed is irreplaceable, but then so is weatherproof interior space! Cruisers are most immediately capable with stock lockers, straight axles, etc., but when budget is an issue the 13mpg of the cruiser is bad compared to the 20+mpg I get in my 22re 4runner.

There is another thread on here called something like "best starter overland rig" and it is basically the same question... what's the best rig for under 5k?

The consensus there seemed to be a Cherokee.

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[Colton Fetzer]

I am 17 daily driving a cruiser... she is my pride and joy but 10mpg is definitely a dampener but with time it will only get better hopefully my fuel mileage does too


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[TDGarage]

Based on budget I would go with a Jeep Cherokee. They're plentiful , inexpensive, capable with tons of mods available.

 

[Cornfred]

In regards to the question on cruiser, runner, or pick-up, they all have advantages! A bed is irreplaceable, but then so is weatherproof interior space! Cruisers are most immediately capable with stock lockers, straight axles, etc., but when budget is an issue the 13mpg of the cruiser is bad compared to the 20+mpg I get in my 22re 4runner.

There is another thread on here called something like "best starter overland rig" and it is basically the same question... what's the best rig for under 5k?

The consensus there seemed to be a Cherokee.

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Thanks for the response. Here in Northern Nevada Jeep Cherokee are easy to come so I'm leaning that way. Will search for that thread.

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[TreXTerra]

Having owned an XJ series Cherokee, I would not trust one for overlanding. This is just my experience, but mine was an absolute dog and horribly unreliable. It was in the shop more in three years than my Toyota or Nissan were in their whole lives. Some XJs seem to be bomb proof, but for every one of them there are 10 that are lemons. The problem with Chrysler is that of consistency, you never know if your vehicle will be one of the good ones or the rolling pit you throw money into.

For $5,000 I don't think you will find any Land Cruiser worth owning, they just have too much residual value and are desirable project cars. The only ones I see for that kind of money have more holes in the body than a colander.

Trucks are great because they are modular, but you can run into problems with dust getting in - even with a camper shell. My next vehicle will likely be a crew cab pickup.

The 4Runner is a solid vehicle, but for $5,000 you are going to be looking at a fairly old vehicle with higher miles. This is the problem with Toyota, everyone knows they are reliable and well built so they have a higher buy-in than other brands. Some of that price is deserved, some of it is just the badge.

When I was faced with this choice, I found Nissan to be the best bang for the buck. I was able to get a newer, lower miles vehicle for the same money. My XTerra has been very reliable, it turns 11 this year and I have loved owning it. The VQ motor is just as reliable as anything Toyota has built and has gone in everything from Z-cars to luxury sedans, to pickup trucks (granted with different cam and crank profiles). You should be able to find an early Gen2 XTerra for about that price if you look around and are not too picky about a few rough spots. A clean late Gen1 is certainly within the range.

Another option would be tracking down a Suzuki Equator. This was just a Nissan Frontier with a Suzuki badge stuck to the grill, but because it is from a dead brand (at least in North America) they often go for thousands less than the Nissan Frontier. Literally the only difference is the badge, it was even built in the same factory on the same line, by the same workers who built the Frontier.

 

[VDawg1115]

I'll second Nissan as an excellent option. I had a 1990 Pathfinder and it was a great vehicle. It's still running today as it has been passed on to my cousin. Only bad thing about it was the stupid factory alarm system that liked to drain batteries. I went back to that Pathfinder after I was driving a 2000 4Runner for a year. Didn't get rid of it until I got my 2005 GMC Sierra.

But the best overland rig is the one you love. Try out different rigs in your price range

 

[The_Just]

I'll toss 2001-2002 Isuzu Trooper into the mix. They are great cars if maintained and tend to be very cheap. They have dual speed gear boxes, under body armor, full time 4*4 and cab shiftable 4*4 low. The power train is essentially GM and very easy to work on. Me personally, I'd rather have a very clean Trooper for $4k than a ragged out anything else for $5k+. Gives a little room for the old man emu suspension and tires. [emoji106]

 

[99xj]

I love my xj jeep cherokee but like one person said they are a hit and miss the 4.0 is bullet proof and run forever if it has been maintained but parts are also readily available and easy to work on just check anything over well

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[1derer]

Xterra or a high millage Land Cruiser FJ80. If you can find an Xterra Off - Road model (comes with rear electric locker) even better. 1992 - 1997 FJ80 are excellent or get lucky with LX450 just keep in mind mods are expensive.

 

[KD7WCD]

I love my '07 Xterra Off Road and it has gotten us in and out of places we shouldn't have been. It has seen trails from the Mexico boarder all tbe way up through the Rockis to Canada.

One of the thing I have liked about the couple of Nissans I have owend has been how easy it is to work on my self. I like to turn a wrench when I can and it seems most modern cars don't lend them selves to the shade tree mechanics any more. I figure the more I can do my self the more likely I'll know how to fix it on the trail if it breaks.

I would like to get better range out of it. But let's face it, in the USA even out West you have to work hard at finding a route that is more than 250 miles with out a convenient refueling stop along the way. And if you are going to be on a rout with out fuel you probably have already done planning for the trip and have packed accordingly.

The Xterra has gotten smaller now with my little girl along but I am going to squeeze every mile I can out of it I can before getting something else.

The point is not that the Xterra is any better or worse than any other vehicle. As VDawg1115 said "the best overland rig is the one you love". Don't buy into anyone's hype. Decided for your self what works best for you and your wallet.

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[MOAK]

Without question, in my mind, for 5k or a bit under, I'd start with the Toyota 4 runner. 90's or even later. They run forever. period. Here is a great example

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1995-Toyota-4Runner-Sr5-/122311708008?forcerrptr=true&hash=item1c7a588d68:g:b3MAAOSwt5hYbcKq&item=122311708008

 

[Overland-Indiana]

There was a poll on this awhile back, i think @stringtwelve started it but I can't seem to find the thread. I believe the Jeep XJ (Cherokee 84-2001) and the 4-Runners were on top. I have a 2001 XJ, LOVE it and it has been very reliable, parts are cheap and an absolute ass load of aftermarket support. The 4-runners are also VERY reliable, and I even have looked at buying one before but decided not to buy due to the aftermarket support, or lack there of and the parts are way more expensive. Both are great rigs and can't go wrong either way IMHO.

 

[ManWithJeep]

Love my XJ!! They're animals off-road and like @Overland-Indiana said, parts are dirt cheap. I do wish they were diesel though...

 

[B Wild]

I feel that the best overland vehicle is whatever you can get your hands on that will get you out there on an adventure and back safely!

 

[Steve]

There was a poll on this awhile back, i think @stringtwelve started it

You are indeed correct, and I have merged this new thread into Kevin's original thread, as they were both targeting the same price vehicle.

 

[Overland-Indiana]

You are indeed correct, and I have merged this new thread into Kevin's original thread, as they were both targeting the same price vehicle.

Dayyuuumm... @Steve and his Mod tools are on point!