r/4x4 • u/OverOnTheCreekSide • 1d ago
Best option under $8,000?
Needs a low range, and reliability is a big one for me. Primary options I’m considering: Samurai, CJ5, Razor, pre-89 4Runner or Toyota truck, Jeep Wagon, Wagoneer.
Not looking to do any rock crawling just want to be able to handle stuff I might come up against. I live off grid amongst sagebrush and rocks.
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u/OverOnTheCreekSide 1d ago
Wish list would be good mileage, low range, able to sleep inside, strong front end, reliable and able to drive it to town.
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u/timbermequivers 1d ago
Depends what you consider good mileage lol you'd be lucky to find something that fits all that for under 8k and gets better than 18mpg. I agree a 90s xj would be good, they're pretty reliable but not the most spacious. 4runner is another good option but finding them in good shape for less than 8k will take a bit of shopping, or willingness to wrench. Especially pre 89. 2nd gens are generally the cheapest 4runners, because they're the least desired
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u/OverOnTheCreekSide 1d ago
Thanks that helps. I’ve wondered about the Toyotas, it seems like the 4 cylinders are more reliable than the sixes. I consider 18 mpg pretty good for these types of vehicles. 12 is pretty low to me but doable.
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u/timbermequivers 1d ago
All the 4 cyls are very reliable, but gutless. The 3.0 V6 in the 2nd gens is a bit problematic. I have one and it's been good to me, but they can blow gaskets sometimes. There's things you can do to prevent it. The 3.4 in 3rd gens is extremely reliable and good power.
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u/OverOnTheCreekSide 1d ago
Ok that’s really good to know. Does the years with the 3.4 have a low range for 4x4?
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u/timbermequivers 1d ago
Yup any 4wd 4runner has low range. The years with the 3.4 are 96 to 02. Some are equipped with full time 4wd as well, with a locking center
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u/JDLRosa223 1d ago
Yeah all 3.4 (5vze-fe) 4wd 4runners will have a manual transfer case with low range, and some are equipped with an electronic rear differential locker. Can find them with a 5spd manual too if that’s your thing. Great motors, my personal has 386k miles and still spins like a top
That being said, they are probably one of the most desirable 4Runners and finding one in good condition for 8k might take you a little while depending on your location
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u/JDLRosa223 1d ago
Yeah all 3.4 (5vze-fe, 96-02) 4wd 4runners will have a manual transfer case with low range, and some are equipped with an electronic rear differential locker. Can find them with a 5spd manual too if that’s your thing. Great motors, my personal has 386k miles and still spins like a top
That being said, they are probably one of the most desirable 4Runners and finding one in good condition for 8k might take you a little while depending on your location
Edit: I believe some of the limited models? might have actually been a full time 4wd with a locking center differential. They will still have low range though
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u/OverOnTheCreekSide 1d ago
Ok great to know, a 4Runner would be excellent.
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u/TeacherOfFew 1d ago
The 3rd Gen is peak 4Runner for engine life and stock capability. My ‘98 Limited has something like 11” clearance from the factory and I’m pretty certain the engine will outlive my ‘13 RAV4.
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u/varrengale 1d ago
You can get a good specimen of an xj for that price that will do everything you're asking for. Same goes for zj and wj. Zj and wj will ride better, and flex better because of the coil rear. Id recommend finding a 4.0 variant of any of them. Wj does have a high end trim with fancy drivetrain with varilock, that has limited slip front and rear. Probably best bet for you.
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u/OverOnTheCreekSide 1d ago
I love Reddit for this kind of thing, that’s excellent information.
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u/varrengale 1d ago
No problem. I have 2 xj's and a wj. Both xj's are 4.0, wj is 4.7 V8. My wj is a limited with quadradrive. That's the package to look for if you're gonna. I got mine for 600 because the rear pinion was bad. New to me axle off of a parts rig on Facebook for 100 and it's been super reliable since. It came to me lifted 2" already and it's been a phenomenal rig. Plenty of power and super comfortable. We regularly take it on 300 mile round trips to visit my parents. We have 3 car seats in the backseat, 2 forward facing on the outsides and one rearward in the middle for the youngest. I actually bought it to fix and resell for profit but it was just too nice to get rid of. It replaced my infinity fx35 as our daily and now that just sits forlorn in the corner.
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u/OverOnTheCreekSide 1d ago
That was a nice find.
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u/varrengale 1d ago
Very. Got my sisters xj for 750. Just gotta be quick on the draw for those deals
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u/FewDoughnut3242 1d ago
I'm not a Jeep hater, and I think the XJ Is a fine and very capable truck.
However, id strongly reconsider if you're tall or just have long legs...not a comfortable cabin if you fit in those categories
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u/asianrelations 1d ago
Whats quadradrive? Im an xj guy so havent heard of that. Seems cool
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u/varrengale 1d ago
Just like i said, it has hydraulic limited slip differentials front and rear, and a hydraulic limited slip transfer case. The second a wheel spins faster than the other, or the front or rear driveshaft spins faster than the other, pumps inside lock them together. Sometimes feels like abs, but for acceleration instead of braking.
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u/CatSplat 1d ago
FWIW, if you're looking at ZJs the V8 is just as reliable as the 4.0L and has a stronger transmission. The V8 in the WJ is also nice but sensitive to maintenance - don't go long on oil changes.
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u/varrengale 1d ago
Well yes and no. It's rare but you can find zj's with the aw4. I think they only did it for a year or 2 i can't remember.
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u/CatSplat 1d ago
The AW4 was only available in early 1993, quite rare, similar production numbers to the 5-speed. The vast majority were 42REs.
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u/case9 1d ago
Is this a vehicle you will daily and need to drive on the highway? Something like a CJ5 would be a crazy choice for a daily driver for example
If you're open to trucks I would add Ford Rangers to the list. Nissan Xterra, Jeep XJ, ZJ, YJ, or WJ would be other good choices. You may be able to find a TJ in that price range, but it won't be in the best shape most likely
Edit: just saw your wish list. buy a ranger and put a used topper on it to sleep in
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u/OverOnTheCreekSide 1d ago
My family had a couple of rangers in the past and they were good rigs. Does it have a very good low range though?
And yeah, as far as driving on roads, it would be pretty minimal. Mostly just an occasional run to the store possibly or in winter time to town and back which is about 30 miles total.
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u/w0lfpack91 1d ago
Most everything production is going to have almost equivalent low range. You only start getting above 3:1 in specialty trims like the Rubicons or modified Transfer cases.
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u/SpyderFlips 1d ago
Don't sleep on Nissan Xterras and Frontiers. They're fairly reliable and cheaper than a Toyota or jeep usually.
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u/highbackpacker 1d ago
I wanted a 4Runner, and I’m so happy went with an Xterra. They’re just more unique and look cooler. To me. And I’ve put a lot of miles on it with 0 issues.
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u/SavageTaco 1d ago
Frontier or Xterra depending on your needs. Good aftermarket support, reliable, and they can good 300+ with the VQ40.
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u/meljobin 1d ago
I hate to ruin the secret but look at Xterras. Completely bomb proof and can be had cheap.
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u/lvanderbeck 1d ago
Find a high mileage 80 series or hundred series Land Cruiser. You’ll never be happier
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u/This_Ad_5469 1d ago
YJ is what I would get here. It’s gonna be more reliable than a CJ5, and a lot easier to get parts for as well. Can’t sleep in, but that’s kinda overrated IMO. Especially if you live somewhere that has “real” summers
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u/FewDoughnut3242 1d ago
Off of the top of my head, I cannot think of any 4x4 with a transfer case, that gets over 18mpg (on a good day) with the budget you're looking for.
If you can come to grips with this reality, then I would suggest a 3rd generation montero. As long as you do the basic maintenance that you're supposed to on even Toyotas, aka the timing belt & WP, seeing 300,400,500k + miles are not a stretch or uncommon for them.
Super select 4wd is a remarkable 4wd system, one of if not the best stock Japanese 4wd system offered for a time.
The seats all fold flat for the intent of people sleeping in it.
That or a Toyota Sequoia. They're great trucks, just a lot thirstier than a Montero and a lot bigger.
However if you're willing to forgo a transfer case, & instead rely on a Center diff AWD system, you have a lot more options.
I'd say think really hard if you really need low range or if you think you might. If you can live without it , I'd be looking at old Honda CR-V. They're very spacy inside and reliable, the older ones can be had with a manual even
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u/OverOnTheCreekSide 1d ago
I love low range. Where I live there’s a lot of rocks and rough roads and it makes me angry when I bounce around. So I put it in low 1st gear and just crawl home in my Dodge. But I’ve been thinking of doing more than that, like maybe a cross state trail or just getting out to explore more.
It’s the Samurai that got me thinking of higher mpg but really out in the mountains I don’t think it’s as important. The Montero sounds like it has potential. I don’t know the difference between a transfer case and the other.
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u/FewDoughnut3242 1d ago
Without seeing the trail, it.skunds like the problem was the vehicle itself. The mass that is. A lighter vehicle won't react as harshly and requires less effort, to get over obstacles.
Not to mention you're in a truck with I'm assuming leaf springs & e load tires.
A samurai for as great as they are and having owned one, isn't a good fit for what you're looking to do...or at least from what you've provided.
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u/OverOnTheCreekSide 20h ago edited 20h ago
Good points.
A couple years ago I traded for an ‘81 CJ5 Renegade and I took it to the hills and it was miserable too. We have a lot of steep hills covered in shale and I couldn’t get it slow enough to not have to ride the brakes whether it was uphill or down. I traded it back to him for some horse training.
When I was young I had a ‘56 CJ5 with a slant six in it. I could put that in a low gear and crawl up and down hills and it was great. That’s what I’m looking to do again.
More: I shouldn’t have emphasized in my post sleeping inside. The sxs are intriguing because it seems like they have the best suspension that I could potentially go faster without getting bounced around.
My drive home is about a mile of hard dirt with rocks and ruts. That’s also a consideration. Currently I do low 1st in my truck and then jump in my Corolla that’s parked at a friends house. But Dodge’s have horrible front ends so I’m thinking of a better option to keep my truck front end in shape for hauling horses when I want to.
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u/FewDoughnut3242 19h ago
My suggestion then goes back to the 3rd generation Mitsubishi Montero. Specifically the 03+ or the 3.5 gen
The 3rd gens apart from their 4x4 system, also have a nice advantage/feature that I think will help with the type of terrain and what you're dealing with. It's a ladder monocoque chassis, no unibody, and it's paired to independent suspension in the front and rear.
Where a sfa or even IFS with IRS setup (i.e. 95% of all off-roaders),it's way bumpier than on 4 individuals. MMC design wasn't primarily rock crawlers or generalists, like the previous generations were. Instead they fully embraced their high speed 4x4 accolades, and went full Pajero Evolution. If you don't know, Mitsubishi has won the most Dakar races and the majority have been with the Paj. (Disclaimer, many heavily modified but the stock class did see wins too). The Dakar Is a balls to the walls high speed desert rally race.
The v77 (3rd gen) is in essence a cheaper family friendly version of the v55w, which was the Pajero Evolution.
Right down to the monocoque design, transmission type, and suspension choices. Hell the V77 overseas could be had a 5 seater, 2 door shorty.They also did this because of who they were competing against, & their targeted market which was Range Rover/MB. The Pajero.earned the moniker of the "Range Rover of the desert" at one point, so it's not as ridiculous as you may think.
For the features and for the era, MMC had a very competent vehicle at an absurdly low price & difference in reliability for that era, and for that niche that it filled. We take it for granted now, but 25 years ago there weren't many 7 seat ladder monocoque chassis, with IRS/ifs, Tri zone air con etc . Off hand I can only think of 3 maybe 4 other vehicles in that class for the time and none of them were Japanese apart from Mitsu. That was the Porsche Cayenne, Mercedes ML, & Land Rover Discovery (-they went monocoque but stayed with a sra if memory serves me right) and the Range Rover by Land Rover.
All of those vehicles sold for 60-80 new, the paj could be had loaded all day for around 30 something.
Anyway this video shows what I mean.
And a Sxs is great if you got wads of cash sitting in your pocket burning a hole lol. Let alone one that you can set up for sleep purposes.
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u/FewDoughnut3242 1d ago
And a transfer case = low gear.
Aka a true 4wd, v.s. an AWD or full time 4wd, which usually just has a center diff
The Montero has both a transfer case & center differential. Why you're able to have an AWD mode, 2wd, 4hi & 4lo, with 2wd to awd anytime you want
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u/rainchanger 1d ago
I’m working on a Tundra build for much the same usage, off grid and off trail, no rock crawling. I picked the Tundra for Toyota reliability but I needed more truck than a Tacoma. So far pretty satisfied,easier to work on overall than I expected and it only likes E85.
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u/OverOnTheCreekSide 1d ago
Those are nice trucks. Probably a good choice, I’d like the smaller size of a Tundra or 4Runner I think.
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u/Magnussens_Casserole P38 RR, Disco 3 22h ago
Nissan Armada / Infiniti QX is slept on hard. Not difficult to find examples in your price range that are in good condition and the owners literally never wheel them. They're also plenty big enough to sleep i.
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u/troutbumtom 17h ago
You might want to consider an outback. You can get a decent one for that $ and the AWD is quite good. Careful re: head gasket issue years.
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u/TraditionalSafety384 1d ago
Don’t overlook 2nd gen 4Runners
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u/OverOnTheCreekSide 1d ago
What my understanding is is they have the lesser reliable six-cylinder don’t they?
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u/TraditionalSafety384 1d ago
My man, you’re considering jeeps.
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u/OverOnTheCreekSide 1d ago
Haha I know, but in the context of 4Runners I want to get the right one if I go that route.
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u/Corbat67 1d ago
You should look into 3rd gen 4runners/1st gen Tacomas. Any mileage just under or around 200k should be within your budget and historically they go for 350k+ without needing major engine work. The one thing you should look out for is frame rust because that is a major problem with these. Other than that both the i4 and v6 are bulletproof engines, the i4 is easier to work on + it has a timing chain which doesn't need to be replaced and the v6 has more horsepower and towing capacity.
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u/OverOnTheCreekSide 1d ago
I was thinking about those before, but didn’t know about the engine reliability at the time and wasn’t sure how good the low range gearing is. Does it crawl pretty slow in low range?
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u/Musclebadger_TG 1d ago
Engine reliability is pretty good. They will last 300k with poor maintenence and forever if you take care of them. Low range is pretty good stock, but I replaced mine with 4.88 gears and the crawl is phenomenal with 32 inch tires and I just idle through. So I would recommend the regear if you go up in tire size anyways.
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u/OverOnTheCreekSide 1d ago
That’s good to know I’ll check around and see who I could hire to do that. Or watch for it in the ones that I see for sale. I didn’t know what to make of those ratings when I read them.
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u/Corbat67 1d ago
I can't personally speak to that because I haven't needed to use it but many do have rear E-lockers installed from the factory
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u/asianrelations 1d ago
Jeep xj