What is the best family 4x4 for my situation?

My wife and I love to do some light wheeling back to remote camping areas. We are not able to backpack and find it impossible to strap the infant seats onto a horse. I really want my kids to get to see to learn about the real out doors and not some KOA campground version.

I’ve been wheeling on and off for over 20 years. 99% of them were in mildly modified Jeeps of nearly every model. I am not mechanically inclined which is why I have never gone much beyond tire upgrades and a lift kit (I didn’t install it myself)… I can wheel my way around a trail fairly confidently though. The 4x4 had to go when the first kid was born so I could get a daily driver with killer gas mileage… It sits next to the… I’m sad to say, next to the minivan. Well, I really miss offroading. I want to trade in the DD for something we can take wheeling but still use as an economical DD.

Our wheeling is slow and steady… not the pedal to the floor, just a little more speed and we will make it up that hill type. I have been stuck before but never broken anything on our rigs. Others I’ve wheeled with had broken, dented, and smashed their rigs on the same trails I just walked the 4x4 up... that’s just not my thing. I don’t make the run very good for video or photos but we have a blast. 

We are in the Pacific NW closer to the coastal range than the Cascades.  We camp   where ever I can find a free place.  Mostly along the coast, in the coastal range of Oregon, and some time up in the Cascades or up in Washington.  As long as it's away from people and traffic.  We have found some really nice remote camping spots here and there along our trail rides.



My budget is really tight and want to spend as little as possible... than again who doesn't.  I really need to keep it cheap but dependable and gas efficient as it will also be my DD.  I drive about 40-50 miles round trip each day.  I can get better payment arrangements for a newer 4x4 over a older one. Anywhere from 2K to 16K (new)... I know that's a wide range but if its new and gets great gas mileage (+28 mpg) it will work out but an older one that could be paid off soon could get worse mileage yet still be affordable. I tend to wheel slow and deliberate.  Not the best for making photo opps. but I have yet to break anything from bouncing on a rock.  I do tend to surprise some people who never thought a virtually stock vehicle could make it back on the trails we've gone down.  With kids in the 4x4, I am not going down/up anything which will put them any danger.  We just enjoy getting back where 95% of people never dream of going.



I have heard that disco's from the early 90's where pretty great out of the box... but are they expensive to keep rolling, even without  factory parts... maybe running generic/aftermarket replacement parts?

I had owned an older trooper II... It was a little 4 banger made of aluminum.  I melted it 2x.  It was waaaay under powered. The grand cherokee I owned was nice, but it drank gas... it didn't chug it like the CJ-5 with the V8 but still more than I could handle for a DD. The grand wagoneer was just plain huge on the trail and had never ending electrical problems. The rodeo was nice but it was a 2-door and too much a hassle with kids in childseats.

What we need is a reliable vehicle, that can take both of us and three infants, along with all the family camping gear comfortably into the backcountry, as well as, handle the highway speeds getting into the mountains. Since I am not the best at wielding a wrench, it should be fairly easy to maintain. Living on a single family it needs to be affordable… a nice new LR3 would be cool but only if I won it free and clear. I don’t care if it is new or used, what would be the best for my situation? A Grand Vit? The new Jeep Patriot? An older Xterra? A ‘Disco? Something else?

I know there are a lot of loyalists out there. I’m not so concerned about who made it as I am about it meeting my needs.

Please tell me honestly which make, model, year and why?

you're posting in a suzuki specific forum (hence the name zukiworld) so you will get biased opinions. i would recommend a grand vitara, since they have plenty of room, and they're reliable (like all suzukis are).

in my opinion, any newer jeep sucks, discos are just really unreliable, and the xterra just isnt that great off road.

I would say around a 1997 four door side kick,my wife has a 94  four door side kick it's a jlx model with all the bells and whistles,power mirrors, rear window washer,ect,it has a four speed auto with over drive and gets 33 mpg, the older they are the lighter, the better gas milage they get,the 1995 and newer are obdII computers and should have less miles on them, my 94 had 94k on it and cost 2900.00 and the payments are 114.00 a month, I have lived in the snow year round from 1986 on and have owned or driven about every kind of 4x4 and wheel alone most of the time so I don't like to get stuck,these rigs are great on road and off, I would put an arb in the rear end for about 800.00 and call it a day.

i thought that all sidekicks only had 4 seats. or was that just the 2 door models? ive never paid much attention to the 4 doors. if they have seating for 5, then id recommend that over anything.

We have an XL-7 as a DD and love it.  Don't wheel it though, just need the 4X4 to get out of the driveway when it snows.  7 seats, around 20 to 21 mpg.  We're very happy with it.  HTH, Dave

With 3 kids, you will find a 4 door Sidekick a bit tight, especially when they grow.  My '98 Sport is cramped with the wife, dog and gear.  I don't know of an economical 4wd with more room.  If I were in your shoes, I would look at a Forerunner, Xterra, or something in that size.  I don't think they are available in 4wd with a 4-banger, so gas mileage won't be as good as a Suzuki.  My wife drives a 2wd, 4 dr Nissan truck with a v6 and 5 spd and gets better than 22 mpg, up to 27 on the highway.  A 4wd, carefully driven, shouldn't be much worse.

unless you are mechanically inclined stay away from the early discos. as great as they are off road the early trucks were prone to problems. the good thing is now they are cheap to buy. i worked for a l/rover dealer for 7 years so i have had quite a bit of time behing the wheel of them and under the hood. if the right deal came around i would love to buy one and turn my zuk into a trail rig only.

derek

If you have a mini-van then your SUV doesnt really need to be a family hauler full time.  So i would think a late 90's Vitara/sidekick/tracker would be ideal. You can alway toss the tent and other fabric stuff on the roof and have plenty of room for wife and kids inside while you are riding the trail up to your campsite.

Just remember that if your trying to be economical then you have to make compromises, you should think carefully about what you really need.....IE if your commuting 99% of the time and off road 1% of the time then of course you want to stick with a 4-cyl and have a set of street tires on there most of the time.  If your mostly by your self while commuting then there is no reason to haul the extra sheet metal that would enclose a larger passenger cabin. 

So thats why i would recommend a tracker/sidekick/vitara 4 door with the 1.6 or 2.0 engine....and a set of mud terrains on spare rims for the weekend on the trails.  If you get one cheap enough then i second the ARB locker in the rear suggestion.

Another thought (maybe I should put my flame suit on)--In many cases 4wd is overrated.  I grew up in the 40s and 50s before 4wd became popular.  People went lots of places with 2wd.  A skillful driver in a good 2wd can get places that some nimrods with their 4wds can't.  You say the budget is tight.  You might find a decent 2wd, 4 dr truck or SUV that fits your pocketbook and will still serve as a reasonably economical DD.  I know in this area (Arizona) there are plenty of remote campsites that don't require 4wd.