Today I drove a Sammy for the first time.  A local dealer is selling a stock 1990 FI with 110,000 miles.  It is in okay shape rustwise.  A little better than my Tracker in the regard, but since it is white the rust shows. 

Here are some observations compared to my Tracker.  The ride seemed no worse than my Trackers.  First gear seemed pretty useless once you were moving.  4wd low seems much lower than in the Tracker.  The front seat legroom seemed shorter than a Trackers.  The top looked like much more of a pain to remove.  The inside seems narrower and the windows seem smaller so the inside feels a bit more cramped.  Are these observations accurate? 

The steering wheel had a bit of shake around 40 mph that my Tracker's doesn't.  Anyone know what that would be due to?  The vehicle is not lifted.

I've wanted a Sammy because of being able to completely remove the top and targa bars.  For the kind of wheeling I do the Sammy's solid axle wouldn't make a huge difference.  I'm not sure if I should trade my Tracker that I know well for something new and unknown.

Sounds right to me.

Having owned both, the Tracker has more creature comforts, the sami has less power but may be more capable off road.

The Tracker is better on road.

They are both good.  You have to figure out which one suits you best.

Cwkick

The samurai top is way easier to do, having owned both. Otherwise all your judgements were accurate for me too. Although I think my tracker rides waaaay better than my SPOA samurai.

imo the tracker tops are far easier to remove/install than the sammis.  The rough ride will be easily fixed with yj's front and rear(spua or spoa).  The legroom is also a problem for me, but another fix with a set of tracker seats positioned where you want them.  As far as stock for stock, again IMO a sammi will do much more offroad/snow/ice than a stock tracker.  I went from a tracker to a few sammis, and am now in the process of buying another track/kick for a dd. 

your forgetting how cute the samurai is compared to the tracker......


The samurai top is a question of experience and coordination, back in my pizza delivery college days i could get the roof on in about 45 seconds if a rain storm came up.....

Another thing i have noticed about samurais that i cannot conjecture about track/kicks is the reliability.....i have owned 3 different samurais over about 15 years and all of them have been dead solid reliable....the most serious break down i had was a broken brake ight switch that drained my battery and a rusted exhaust pipe that cost 20 bucks to re-weld.

My current samurai has gone about 6k miles this year for a grand total of 20 bucks in neccessary repairs.....plus maintainance and upgrades of course......

I let the Sammy go because I'm not sure I want to replace the Tracker with a Sammy and because I didn't think my wife would be happy about getting another vehicle.  The auction ended for $910.  I mentioned it to my wife and her responce was 'Why didn't you bid on it?'  Guess I should have talked to her more about it before!  I was shocked by her responce because we have had some big disagreements about getting a different cars in the past.

Hi Keith,

I have owned both a Sammy and a Tracker.  The Tracker has a much better ride comfort than a Samurai.  The Samurai top is much easier to lower and put up than the Tracker top, but the velcro on the Samurai top tends to let go and blow loose every time a semi goes by you.

The 4wd low is definitely lower in the Samurai. 

Sometimes wives can surprise you.  Are you taking that as a green light to start looking???  If you find one cheap enough, it may not be a matter of "replacing" the Tracker.  Keep them both!

I have owned my 90 Sammi for almost two years now.

Previously I owned three 1st gen. yota pick ups and a cj7.
Would never drive an older Heep again.
Very bad experiences for me.
The yota's are good, but cramped with room for only 2 lrg. or 3 sml. occupants.

I would completely agree with whoever said they swore by the reliability of the Sammi.
Other than a waterpump I have never been let down on or off road.
I keep up on the maint., but otherwise any money I have spent is in upgrades.

I have heard of guys running in mud at 8000rpm all day long.
How many other vehicles would put up with that kind of abuse and still take you home?

Having own a Sammy, Trackick, and Trackvit, I can sy they are equally reliable.  my 2000 tracker has been the most reliable but I don't wheel it and its still a youngster.  I will say this much, the Sammy is by far the easiest to work on, so if you're a do it-youselfer go for the Sammy. 

My Sammy if by far my favorite, but if you are familiar with the tracker I'd stick w/ that.  There's alot to be said for being familiar with a truck.

Ok,

I had a 87 Sammy in school,Loved it!!I was 100%stock.So many good times.......My Last year in High School got a new 95 Tracker It ran better,drove better,But I had to keep paying for it!!! Ran it in the river once over the headlights...2 months old...Not fun,$200 for all new fuilds etc.But It would scoot!!Ok,got a 89 tracker(same blue as Sammy)Little old and wiser(may-be)
ran the crap out of it! Added spacer lift,30x9.50 and treated it like a 4wheeler!! Wife said had to go...Sold it :'( That was a year ago...No wife ::)Tracker is back,kept the spacer lift,getting 3''body and 31x10.5 And I will drive it like I stole it...well kinda bought it back for $500,sold it for $1500..Needs a clutch now..Just happen to have a newkit...
P.S. Traded the 95 in on a 92 GMC Typhoon in 96,still got it and it will really scoot!!
Later Tom K

If you couldn't tell a difference in ride between a Tracker and a Sammy, you seriously need new shocks and/or struts on your Tracker! LOL!

If you couldn't tell a difference in ride between a Tracker and a Sammy, you seriously need new shocks and/or struts on your Tracker! LOL!

I'm on my third Sami & had one Tracker. Gotta say I was thinkin' the same thing!!!