I'm BACK!  Sold my Tracker over a year ago and my ex got the XL7.  Sorta left the realm for a while but now I need a decent mpg DD with real 4x4 and more capability than a RAV4 or something.  Been looking at small extended cab 4x4 pickups with 4cyls and not liking what I'm finding (nothing domestic, Tacomas having silly high resale value even for rusty ones AND the rusty frame issues, Nissan's getting crappy mpg, having to look at older and older trucks to find what I want, etc) so I started considering small SUV's again...and viola, I'm thinking about a 99+ 4 door Tracker or Vit with a 4cyl and manual trans.

Stated use for this will be my sacrificial winter and good mpg getting DD.  Road trips as well.  I need it to have actual 4x4 capability because I sometimes use my vehicle at work and actually have to get places that I'd worry about damaging something like a RAV4 or CR-V getting too.
-Not going to get built up.  Stockish and that's about it.  Some decent AT's or MT's in a stockish size, perhaps a high flow muffler just for fun, tinted window, decent stereo, probably a 2" trailer hitch.  No suspension lifts or SAS swaps or anything like that.  MAYBE a locker.
-I want mileage.  The more, the better.  I'm getting about 14mpg right now with my Blazer (something's wrong but I can't fix it AND drive it every day) and I recently got a great job but it's about 50 miles a day to get to it and back.
-I REALLY WANT A MANUAL TRANSMISSION.  OH CHRIST DO I MISS ONE!  I HATE automatics.

I had a '03 GV that my ex rolled and then the '02 XL7 that she got.  Not unfamiliar with these but well, it's been a while and I'm not familiar with the 2.0L's and the 5 speeds in the newer 4 doors.

-What kind of mileage are you guys getting with your 4-cyls and 5 speeds?  Automatics?  Did the uber rare V6's with the sticks get any kind of better mpg than the V6's and autos?  I was never terribly impressed with the mileage our GV and XL7 got with their 2.5L and 2.7L V6's.  Something like 19mpg and 17-18mpg around town and the GV would occasionally put down 21mpg or so on the freeway.  Would love to be reliably in the 20's, even the low 20's.
-How are they holding up? The GV never really got old before she killed it and the XL7 was a low mileage survivor when we lucked into it.  Neither ever really had high mileage or hard use.

I have 02 vitara with 2.0.  and 2000 GV 2.5  both auto.  the mileage is the same for me  the V6 as alot more power for pulling the hills or towing a 12ft  boat to the MT lakes. full of Gear. 20-23mpg

FWIW: I have two 2002 Trackers both with the 2 liter engine and 5 speed trannys.  Both had 235 series Michelin LTX Radial tires on them and I consistantly get right at 25 MPG during the summer months (more if I drove slowly) and 23-24 during the winter.  I actually got 28 MPG with one tank of gas BUT I was driving VERY conservatively.  With the 235 series tires I'm actually covering more miles than the odometer registers.  My trips to Nashville TN are actually 340 miles but my Tracker odometer only reflects 320 miles (for example). I'm not factoring in the additional road miles covered in my milage above.

I just mounted a set of BF Goodrich All Terrain TA KOs (235/75/15) on my red one but I have not ran a tank of gas through it yet to get a feel for the milage.  I'm guessing the milage may reflect a little less because the KO tire is heavier and has thicker sidewalls.

Have now 131K on the blue one and 92K on the red one with no major mechanical issues (knock on wood) setting aside normal brake, pads, rotors and wheel cylinder replacement.

Yeah, those numbers sound pretty good coming from 13-14mpg right now.

I was just thinking some 205/75R15's or 215/75R15's in an AT but pickings are slim and most are P-metrics and not LT-metrics.  Have to see.  Lots of stuff to do before I can even worry about this.

Had to do any clutch work?

My '01 is probably similar to what you're talking about: 2.0, 5speed.  Mine gets used daily in the colder months and for longer trips the rest of the year.  I'm getting about 26-30 mpg and maybe 2-3 mpg lower if it is cold out.  My record is 34, but I've gotten in the low 30's many times if I'm easy on it and on country back roads.

I put on BFG AT's in 215/75/15 (they are LT's) and noticed a slight drop in power/mileage compared with the stock 205's but it wasn't much to worry about and the tires look and work better for me.

I have a 2 door and added a hard top with glass windows for the winter and that was the best accessory I've put on.  I also remove the "sh*t on the fly" 4WD system and added manual hubs for some piece of mind since my stock system quit on me.

I did have a bearing go on the main shaft in the manual trans and I ended up doing a full rebuild on it.  I also had a clutch release bearing go at about the same time so I did a clutch job as well while I was in there.  This was at about 120k miles and I'm at 135k now I think.  The gears still looked perfect when I had everything apart.

I'm starting to get some light timing chain rattle when cold so I'd keep an eye out for that when you're shopping.  I've owned mine since new and did every oil change myself at 3k miles and with good quality 5/30 oil and it still has started rattling so there may be no way to avoid this on these motors.  It has also consistently burned off 1 quart per 3k miles over the years without any change so I think the guts of the motor will last for a while yet.

Keep your eye out for rust.  Mine has had it crop up in some unusual and annoying places: tailgate door latch area, front seat mounting area, and oil pan.  There is also a known problem with the front cross member rusting from the inside out, but mine is still looking good as far as I can tell.

We have some hills that mite bring down my milage. In Oregon

Frank, yeah, that sounds about like what I was expecting.  I'm definitely going for a 4 door though.  75lb Golden Retrievers take up a lot of space.
I may one day go 235's, dunno.  LOTS of options in 235's but do I really need the size, effective gearing change, and performance loss?  Remains to be seen.

Sounds about like my experiences with the GV and XL7 only better gas mileage.

Toy, lots of rolling hills here but my main drive is actually fairly flat.  Anything consistently in the 20's will work for me.

No clutch work on either of mine yet but I realize it is just a matter of time.  The PO didn't maintain the blue very well from appearances when I bought it, but it still faithfully pulls my utility trailer with gravel in it and goes everywhere i point it, even with the 235 tires on it and stock diff gears.

Cool, thanks guys.

Sold my truck today so I'm about to start shopping.  Have my eye on a '99 already.

So what do you guys think of this 99 and how much would you feel comfortable paying?  Looks clean and if the work was done right KBB, NADA, and Edmunds put it around $3K.

2.0 L  , 5 speed, 4x4, 4 door, 106,000 est., air, tilt, amfm/cassette, no power anything, except brakes and steering.  It has different 16in wheels from vitara (in pics) on it now have 5 matching looks a lot better with the wheel wells filled 235/70/16.  Still have originals as well. My trans went south, so bought vitara for good trans (vitara was hit front), installed new clutch pressure plate, and t.o. bearing, seals. Have another t-case, coils, and clutch slave cylinder from donor v as well. Vitara and motor sold.

 

Good solid tracker. Gets about 24mpg have seen 27 but we just use for dd around town, kids for school, short highway commute 14 miles.

 

I have a 2000 2.0 5 speed and have done very well with it.  Right now running worn out 215's I am getting 25 and 26 running 45 and 50 mph back roads with a lot of turns slowing down, downshifting etc.  I got 28 with is once or twice back when it had 40000 miles on it.  I not have 94000 miles on it, original clutch, original plugs, third set of front brakes (rotor seized in the dead of winter) and just did the rear brakes for the first time.  I had to replace the front bolt in cross member due to rust, it totally failed, the other front cross member isn't looking too healthy right now but that one is welded in.  Watch for rust on the oil pan on the back, mine is pretty rusty and am keeping an eye on it.  hope this helps...   I'd jump on that one in the picture. Just listen at start up for the timing chain rattle.  You NEED a good oil filter, I always use Purolater Pure One filters, I tried a Fram (not the cheap one but the most expensive one they make) and had to get it off the motor after only 1000 miles because the timing chain was making noise at EVERY start up, put the purolater on and its now quiet again. Dave

The bodies have any particular rust prone areas on them guys?  Mine never got old enough to get rusty.

Thanks man.  I change my oil every 3000 miles and use a NAPA Gold filter.  WIX goodness.  Even rotate my tires every oil change.

I want to say Chevy had a front cross member recall or inspection or something didn't they?  I thought they did it before Suzuki did theirs two years ago?  Trying to remember.

Going to have my buddy take a look at it.  The guy is asking a bit too much I think but I have cash so we'll see what he says.

Yepper, that's the front crossmember I was talking about that rotted out and both front wheels wound up pointing in different directions.  Thats' holding up, but the other front crossmember is rotting, that one is welded in.  Ilive in Northwest NJ lots of salt on the roads, plus it came from Vermont, my wifes '01 XL-7 is like new but we don't take that out too much in the snow, me, I have to go to work no matter what so it's in the worst of the weather. Suzuki posted a recall a couple years ago on theirs, but I can tell they used more paint on theirs than on the Chevy's.  I really like my little truck, I don't beat on it, it still shifts like no, no slop in the linkage after 94000 miles.  It's a great commuter.  Dave

Sounds about like what I want.  Only thing I'm worried about is rust and age but I'm going to have my buddy go look at it.  Guess we'll see what comes of it.  He'll have cash in hand and if the guy will negotiate I'm buying it if my buddy says it checks out.

Update.  He sent me some more pics.

He's at least the 3rd owner.  It's not rusty rusty but has some surface rust and stuff underneath.  Been in the north all it's life but definitely not used as much as others.

No cruise control and does have rear defrost.  Air works.  Intermittent wipers.

Only spot of rust he mentioned or took a picture of was behind the rear door next to the d-side rear tail light.  Sorta coming out and up from behind the bumper cover.  I remember the 1st gens would rot out there bad.  These have that problem as well?

He's asking $3500 and says he's firm.  Frankly I think he's at least $500 high even with all of the extra parts he mentioned.  They'd be nice to have but I don't need them.  I'm thinking my ceiling is $3000 and we'll start at $2500 cash.  He did perk up when I said my buddy would come out once with cash, look it over, and if he liked it the negotiations would start.
What would you guys pay?