I'm looking to buy a sidekick and just found a '97 sport model for sale; 88,000 miles, pretty nice shape, still working on a bottom dollar price.  What's the basic differences between the regular model and the sport model?  Does the sport model get less mpg?  Does it cost more to maintain?  What about how it function...4x4, power, etc...?

Any and all help would be appreciated!

Basicly with the sport you get more power, and a larger more comfortable ride.  The cons are the a lot of the aftermarket support for sidekicks will not work on a Sport model without some modification (the frame rails are further apart.

for more info.

http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=1359.0

Okay, I can live with wider, but what about mpg, that's important to me.

I guess I could have combined this with the last post, sorry.

Does $4500.00 sound good for a '97 Sidekick sport, loaded w/88,762 miles, loaded and in above average, but not excellent, condition?  It's navy blue, if that matters.

Thanks!!!

What do  you mean by not Excellent?
But the price sounds good.

By excellent, I guess I mean...no scratches, dents, dings, rust, etc..., interior near perfect, tires at 50 + %, in other words very clean and running without problems.  It's in above average shape in that, the interior needs a good cleaning, there are some worn spots in the carpeting, and a few minor scratches and dings here and there; a chip in the windshield and a scuff mark on the rear bumper.  Otherwise in good shape.  It's at 88k so a timing belt service will be needed, I guess.  Does the 1.8 have a belt, or does it have a chain?

I don't know much about he sport model, that's why I was asking all these questions in the other post...which I didn't get much of a response on.  Oh well, I guess know one really knows.

What about maintenance...does it have a timing belt or chain?

Topics merged as wished.

-Eric

I bought my '98 Sport last Sept for a bit more than $4500, after taxes, title, etc.  The mileage was about 89k and the vehicle appearance was very good to excellent.  I had to change the front hubs.  They were inoperable and rusted out.  That gave me some leverage with the dealer and he cut his "rock-bottom internet price." 

Sounds to me like you have found good deal.  Incidentally, mine gets 30+ mpg regularly.  It has a 5 speed, which is probably a bit better than an auto would do.

BTW, the engine has a timing chain, not a belt.

Something I find odd:  The car has electric mirrors, electric windows, cruise control--things I associate with more luxurious vehicles, but it leaks dust around the doors and windows like an econobox.  That does not bother me--I bought it for 4 wheeling and it does that quite well.

I would buy another right now if something were to happen to this one.

I too have a 98 Sport. and although many aftermarket parts don't work there are some fun ones that do.

I am about to put a ROck steady lift on mine, bigger tires, I am going to rhino the interior.

I got mine for 4300. decent extrior and interior... could of cared less cuz i just gutted  the interior. Holes in the carpet might be normal...a s mine had many.

30 MPG seems like a heck of a lot... more than it should. The goverment rating is 24 average MPG... which is EXACTLY what I get, tank after tank for the last year of owning it on a 140,000 mile engine. I put 15k on this year because it is my main means of transportation right now.

I have the 5 speed. Mine was from Arizona then Iowa, now in cali for there were no rust problems.

Truly fun car. I took it out last year in the desert but hit my rear on a rock and broke the rear main seal. If you lift it it should do most everythign you want.

4500 sound a little steep to me.  If I bought it a gain I wouldn't have settle for 4,5. I would have gotten 4.  But go for it!!! it rocks.

"30 MPG seems like a heck of a lot... "

Maybe I should elaborate a bit.  I don't drive at high speeds.  On a trip to Colorado, driving 55 to 65 max, the car got a steady 33 mpg on the trip up.  The weather was nasty--windy and threatening snow when we returned.  It got about 27 then.  In my normal driving, about 40 miles of back road at 15 to 20 mph max and 65 miles of paved road at 55 mph max, the mileage is 30.

The tires are about 5% larger than stock, and I am running them at about 30 psi, which might be higher than ideal.

Hi guys,

If you take some pics of the front arms for me I will let you know if you can fit the Calmini 3" lift kit. I need a full pic of the arm showing the shape. If things look good I will let you know and fill you in on the mods required to make the drop brackets for the front diff work .

I believe they are very similar chassis wise to the V6 kicks we get here in NZ - I have seen the pics but nothing with suspension detail

ZeusZuki

Well, I took the '97 sport for a good check and run yesterday and here's how I feel about it...the sport model,
first the probelms... the water pump squeeks and drips a bit, the drive belts are craked badly, there's a small oil leak from, it appears to be the front main seal,  one bad power window switch/motor, who knows which; all of the weather strips that sits on top of the doors are falling apart from dry rot, the bottom panels have been repainted (gold), one bb hole hole in the center of a head lamp, interior lights don't work, and lastly...it shakes, rattles, and bounces, at speed between 30-60, but it's not in the steering.

The engine runs fine, it shifts easily, but I haven't driven a 5 spd in a long while so I may not know if the clutch is good or not.  The ac blows cold, heat hot, and everything else works as it should.  The tires are worn and I think the all the vibration I'm feeling may be the tires, struts, and poor alignment.

Now my honest comparison between  what I'm familiar with...a '95 sidekick 4dr, 4x4 in excellent condition, and a '97 tracker 2dr, 4x4 in excellent condition.
The Sport model was too loose and sloppy to me, the interior was nice in appearance but seemed cramped compared to the other two models.  Both the 95 and 97 had auto tranny's and they felt like they had a better power band during acceleration, maybe I wasn't pushing the sport hard enough, I don't know.  I liked the tighter feeling of the standard 95 and 97 better, while they feel boxier, the felt more stable and more in control, or made me feel more connected to the drivetrain, maybe I'm wierd.

Lastly, I liked the little amenities, like pwr windows, locks, cruise, etc...but in this small of a suv, I don't really feel like I need them.  Honestly, I really didn't notice tha much power difference between the 1.6 auto and the 1.8 5spd, maybe something else is wrong?

I did finally get a bottom price of $3800.00 out the door, no doc fees, no prep fees, no nothing added.  They were originally asking 5999.00 and qouted me 4485.00.  I told them I'd go 3000.00 out the door. They said they'd get back with me today.  hey must be desperate to sell it, and then I'm not sure it's even worth 3k, not because of the minor repairs that it needs, it's very clean.  But, because it just doesn't have that real 4x4 feel that the 95 and 97 has, in my opinion.

Any thoughts?

I think if the thing ran correctly and was in proper working order you'd get a feeling similar to your other Kick/Tracks.  There really isn't much different between them.  This one basically has a bigger engine and slightly different spring rates.

Tell them $3000 or walk out the door.  You're going to put a grand into fixing everything if it's anything like the luck I usually have.  You fix one thing, discover another, start on something else, find something else...next thing you know you could have purchased a cherry one for what you've got into it.

You should be able to find one in better shape with the options you want for less without too much trouble.  Let them know that and walk out the door if they won't deal.

I found a cherry '94 in October but the place wanted WAY too much for it.  I offered them what I felt was a generous offer (KBB agreed) and the guy laughed.  We walked out the door and got my current project about a month later.  Even after I get it running I won't have half of what the guy wanted for that '94 into it, and mine will be running and driving just as nice and I'll have fixed everything I wanted to fix.  I won't even have what I offered him into my '90.
The '94 was still on the lot in December...

Yeah, I here you...I'll just keep lookin'.