need some advice

[Swampfox21]

well i totaled my explorer thursday night coming back from class, and i need some advice. Been lookin at gettin a new car, mostly94-02 Jeep Wranglers and Toyota Tacomas. I need some help on what would be a good choice on a SUV. If anyone has any experience with tacomas or wranglers let me know what you think. Im open to other suggestions, but i need a SUV(im a outdoors kinda guy). and second i just paid college tution soooo i also need one thats kinda cheap and has decent gas mileage. any advice would help.

 

[cashedash]

I have an explore too. I love my truck. They are small but still big. Sorry can't give you any advice but if I were you I would probably just buy the same explore. Used of coarse. Got mine for 800 used. Had it for 2years now.

 

[jre]

Tacomas are great. Jeeps are iffy. I know some people who swear by them and many others who have had a LOT of problems with them. Between those two, I'd go Tacoma.

 

[Asher]

I had a 99 Tacoma for years. It was a great truck, very reliable. Wranglers are cool, but not very reliable (in my experience).

 

[WkndSmoker]

As a former Explorer owner, you lost a darn good vehicle, what year model did you have? I owned a 1991, purchased it at 65,000 miles, put a transmission in two weeks after I bought it....ha ha, warranty, then traded it at 150,000 miles when the transmission began failing again, was the first and last automatic I will own. To finish up my off topic rant, have owned my 2002 Subaru WRX since new to almost 90,000 miles, love it to death.

Back on topic, both vehicles you mentioned are good, Jeeps seem to be a bit more maintenance heavy, Toyota's can be neglected a little more, fuel mileage should be a little better depending on what year Explorer you had in both models. I would recommend the Tacoma to be financially smarter to own, however Wrangers just have a fun factor to them, like driving with the windshield down.

Just my honest...

Wknd.

 

[JRL]

Well I LOVE Jeeps so I might be kinda bias.

 

[Cuban Pete]

The Jeeps with the inline six are pretty much bullet proof.

 

[Swampfox21]

As a former Explorer owner, you lost a darn good vehicle, what year model did you have? I owned a 1991, purchased it at 65,000 miles, put a transmission in two weeks after I bought it....ha ha, warranty, then traded it at 150,000 miles when the transmission began failing again, was the first and last automatic I will own. To finish up my off topic rant, have owned my 2002 Subaru WRX since new to almost 90,000 miles, love it to death.

Back on topic, both vehicles you mentioned are good, Jeeps seem to be a bit more maintenance heavy, Toyota's can be neglected a little more, fuel mileage should be a little better depending on what year Explorer you had in both models. I would recommend the Tacoma to be financially smarter to own, however Wrangers just have a fun factor to them, like driving with the windshield down.

Just my honest...

Wknd.

even though im not a big fan of ford, i did like the explorer. Ours had alot of problems with it back in 2004, after we fixed em it ran fine. i replace the shocks and ball joints 6 months ago. leaning more toward the wranglers right now. when i get back from work tonight ill post up thepics of whats left of the explorer.

 

[Swampfox21]

also been lookin at 4runners, anybody else got experinece with any three models?

 

[Swampfox21]

OK... things have changed... my mom is helping me out to get a new car and doesnt want me getting a wrangler because to her they are " Unsafe". i cant find any cheap tacomas here, but i have found some jeep cherokees around here for a good price. aswell as some pathfinders... anybody advice or experience with these please let me know...

 

[stroke]

crap, I just typed a bunch and lost it all! Oh well, in short, here's what I said:

Jeep Wranglers are not practical. The soft top keeps you from being able to keep your things in it. They get horrible gas mileage. People cannot fit comfortable in the back seat. Get the pickup, I have a ranger and love it!

 

[Electric Sheep]

OK... things have changed... my mom is helping me out to get a new car and doesnt want me getting a wrangler because to her they are " Unsafe".

That is a load of HORSESHIT.

She's thinking of the old late 70's/early 80's Jeep CJ....those were the supposedly "unsafe" Jeeps...which were replaced by the infinitely more safe (and particularly wider) Jeep Wrangler. If anyone has told her otherwise, they don't know WTF they're talking about.

 

[Electric Sheep]

For the record, I have two vehicles:

(#1) 2004 Toyota Tacoma
(#2) 1998 Jeep Wrangler

In addition, my wife has a 2002 Jeep Wrangler, she used to have a 2001 Jeep Cherokee, and we've owned two Dodge Diesel trucks to tow the various Jeeps on trailers out to the rocks--I'm saying all that to show just how "into" it I've been and that I know what I'm talking about when I say this:

You will find it's VERY difficult to get either a Jeep Wrangler or a Toyota Tacoma "cheap".

 

[Saully]

. . .the first and last automatic I will own.

. . . Back on topic. . . .

Wknd.

Threadjack -- I'm always glad to see someone else that prefers stick shift to automatic. In my case, I just prefer the way they drive. Lower cost and slightly better mileage are both pluses, too.

 

[Tegu]

The Jeeps with the inline six are pretty much bullet proof.

Yep, I own 3 jeeps, all have an inline 6, little to no probelm with any of them. The 4 cylinders suck.

My '97 has 170,000 miles, 4" lift, 33s, exhaust, a chip, intake, etc...and I have been driving it like a mad man trying to get the engine to crap out so I can put a V8 in it and it will not die...

 

[VirginIslander]

I had an 01 and an 07 wrangler in the islands and loved them both. I now have a jeep commander (woulda got another wrangler except for this whole 'snow' thing I've been hearing about lately). It seems you comparing apples to oranges a bit. A jeep and a pickup. I think it all depends on your specific uses for the vehicle.

 

[WkndSmoker]

There is also nothing like the first time you ride down the road in a jeep with the doors off. Like losing your virginity, never feels the same as that first time.

Wknd.

 

[Andytex]

I had a wrangler for three years and every time I see one for sale I think about getting it. That was the most fun vehicle I have owned. Better than any sports car or pickup too. Get the jeep you wont regret it.

 

[Swampfox21]

OK! update... fortunately i now have a new set of wheels... unfortunately it wasnt what it wasnt the jeep i was hoping for. i now own a 94 ford ranger with 76K miles. its a long story how i ended up with it, but basically boils down to an impatient mother. for the price its a pretty good ride, except i hate fords and never been a big fan of rangers. but it did come with some nice AT mud terrain tires...i plan on heading out to the national forest to do alittle "exploring" in the mud as soon as i get a day off. ill post some pics up some time soon. thanks for all yalls input with the jeeps, i plan on keepin the truck for a year or two then tryin to find a wrangler.

 

[Electric Sheep]

Dang, low miles on that Ranger. Don't knock it, it'll be a good little truck--and prolly cost half what an equivalent year/condition/mileage Toyota woulda cost ya!

Congrats bro.