ummmmmm, i vote sj410 long wheelbase.....now im gona get outa here before i get any heat!!!!!!

As long as it's not parted out on the front lawn turning into a flower planter.

(you know who you are)

~Nate

If you're lookin at samurai's shop carefully and find one thats been well taken care of.  Remember that the youngest one you'll find is still over 10 years old.  Still I've found some crazy diamonds in the rough(Like 2 mint Sammy's for $400)  They do have a couple weak points but everyone know's what they are and fixing almost anything on the sammy is a snap.  In most cases the parts for a sammy are pretty cheap in comparison to other cars and trucks.  Hell, my sammy is easier to repare than most of my RC cars!  I love my Sammy and for VERY little $$$ invested it does amazingly well...even with a busted passenger side door handle and window crank .

I will admit my tracker also wheels very well, but be aware, getting a nice 4 - 5" lift that flexes alot more than stock on a tracker is going to cost alot and the tracker also has its weak spots.  just ask anyone with 33's and the stock aluminum front axle housing.  Or, ask the folks that continualy break idler arms.  Still, with a moderate investment one will be able to keep up with most samurais.  Also, the Tracker isn't quite as easy to fix as the Sammy, especailly if you're talking the later multipoint EFI models.  

I'd take a sammy over a kick, especially for a beginer, if you want to go hardcore on it or are mainly looking for a wheeler.  The tracker would make a much better daily driver(thats what mine does) and is alot more comfy any sammy.  In the end either truck is awesome and you'll be really happy with your purchase.  All that really matters is that you don't buy a SHEEP.....oops I meant JEEP.    

Availability is why I ended up with a tracker and not a sammy.

I looked for a sammy for about 6 months and all I could find near me was 6-7K already built, or ~2K and in POOR shape (bad rust generally). When I then decided I'd better consider a track/kick, I still found mostly overpriced specimens. Finally found a $1200 tracker, no rust, but not perfect either.

You may have better luck than I, but it took me a while to finally find something reasonable.

Rob

I have had both, a 1987 Samurai, and a 1996 Tracker.  While the Sammi can probably be modified to do much more extreme off road, the Tracker, even in stock condition is very capable for moderate off roading.  

I'll start out by saying that I am over 50, so my outlook may differ from the 19 year olds here.  The deciding factor for me is the much more civilized (comfortable) highway ride of the Tracker.  A couple hundred miles in a Sammi left me feeling somewhat beat.  If a comfortable ride on the highway on your way to the wilds is important to you, I would recommend the Sidekick/Tracker.  

In the past couple years, we have also decided that comfortable sleeping arangements are important, so we tow a small popup camper.  I don't know how well a Sammi with a 1.3 would do with that.

I'm 27, had my 2door Tracker for over a year.  Best vehicle ever.  I had a 4 inch body lift from day one, cost about $100, used a sawzall and put on 33x12.5 inch tires.  All stock drivetrain.  I just put in a 2 inch lift for the front to compensate for spring sag and 1 inch for the back for about $100.  This thing is unstoppable and roomy enough to wheel with 2 or 3 friends.  I wheel regularly, twice a mont at least, jut had my first broken part, the front diff, my fault I knew better but I was showing off to the jeep guys.    On most trails, it takes a 4.0L jeep on 38s to come close to go throug the same stuff I do in 2wd.  My buddy had one with 35x15 swampers, the only jeep to follow him through the stupid hole was a jeep with a 350 on 44s, with welded front and rear diffs.  

 
i just love to 'kick' the sierras when off road and the look and expression of other people's faces when they see you rock up in a lifted Vit.

Mod for mod, a sammy(sierra) will out-wheel a kick. Owning both this is experience. The Kick is more powerful and roomy, but I'll take the sammy(and a few parts kicks ) anyday.

Im just a newbie here, but I have noticed this is a track/kick heavy web site. Me personally i would get the samurai. I love what you can do with a solid axle. Being a chevy man they have a saying that goes with IFS. If you dont know then just ask. I have wheeled both and like both. The samurai i love.

I've had both and i prefer the tracker (vitara in uk).

ttt  again

I like my Trackick!



I couldn't find a sammi, at least not for cheap. I picked my trackick up for 1200. I have truely impressed myself and most anyone who has watched this thing go!!