4x4 with good (20+) gas mileage

[john difool]

tea

slosurfer - i like that kind of tea and some while back, I was looking into/for that van - but as you say: they are not easy to find. If I'd stumble upon a decent one, i would grab it right away.

 

[mountainpete]

element.. hm.
...and what is the real advantage of a rooftent? it's fancy and sweet to have your bed already halfways done at all times, but I think it just extra weight and uses up cargo space.

There was a good discussion about a year ago on the subject. Worth a read:

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8607&highlight=element

Again, not the most off-road capabile vehicle, but certainly an option for light duty, fire roads and general touring.

Pete

 

[KG6BWS]

thought id throw in my ::2cents::

i consistenly get 18, 20 if i REALLy baby it. my normal commute includes several very long uphills with the OD turned off.

 

[john difool]

ya, that's what i get with my LR (4.0/V8). If the LR had as much deceleration units mounted as your taco, it would get way worse i guess ...
anyway... i really like to see my vehicle in the 20's constantly.

 

[Martinjmpr]

What about a 4 cyl wrangler, 6m, short wheelbase? Soft top, and aftermarket support to beat the band. Should get you close to or over that 20mpg mark and very capable off road.

EDITED TO ADD: Just noticed there's no longer a 4 cyl option on the wrangler. Oh, well...Tacoma, then.

 

[john difool]

hmmm - jeep's are certainly a good choice - I'm just not a jeep guy for some reason.

 

[john difool]

taco engines and their gas mileage

I have looked around - maybe not hard enough...
where can i find real life gas mileage comparisons on the 1st and 2nd gen tacoma engines?
- and..: could a 2nd gen engine be transplanted into a 1st gen unit (without insane modifications)?

(does it make sense to open a new thread for that?)

 

[KG6BWS]

i probably should add that its got the v6, auto, and manual hubs

 

[KG6BWS]

I have looked around - maybe not hard enough...
where can i find real life gas mileage comparisons on the 1st and 2nd gen tacoma engines?
- and..: could a 2nd gen engine be transplanted into a 1st gen unit (without insane modifications)?

(does it make sense to open a new thread for that?)

check out www.offroadsolutions.com. they have kits (i believe) for putting a 3.4L v6 in the 1st gen trucks and 4runners.

 

[Martinjmpr]

You know, I think you may be overestimating what you need. I've never driven Engineer pass but I note that Traildamage.com has it rated at a low of 2, which means it should be perfectly passable to a Subaru Outback or Forester.

I'll bet with a decent set of tires and a little common sense you'd find that just about any CUV/Crossover/AWD wagon with decent clearance would be fine for what you want.

 

[john difool]

rigwelderstaco -
thanks for the link - looks promising!

Martinjmpr -
you are exactly right. Engineers pass is nothing special - thats exactly the point I wanted to make. But now, reading around here, I guess I'm hooked. Since I want to get me a new camping rig anyway, I rather get me one that gives me more "options". With the taco I'm thinking: getting me the most frugal engine available + going lightweight as can be + tweaking on fuel economy here and there, should get me into 20+ easily.
Watcha think?

 

[kcowyo]

I have looked around - maybe not hard enough...
where can i find real life gas mileage comparisons on the 1st and 2nd gen tacoma engines?

This is for 4Runners but the engines are the same as the trucks for each year. He links to detailed specs, including MPG's, at the bottom of the page for each year. A great page and resource.

A late 90's 4wd 4Runner with a 5 speed and a 4 cylinder will net you over 20mpg's, depending how much gear you tote and the tire size you run. The factory e-locker was an option for all 4wd 4Runners as well.

And FTR, I wouldn't attempt taking a Subie wagon over Engineer Pass, due to the car's low clearance and the tight switchbacks on the way down into Animas Forks. The ride up from Thoreau's Cabin wouldn't be much fun either for the oil pan and gas tank.

 

[FurthurOnTheFly]

I just wanted to throw something in about the Rav4....a few months back Car and Driver mag did an offroad test of all the smaller sized suv's like the RAV, CRV, X3, Volvo, etc. They ran them off road, through mud and into the worst conditions possible...none of them did as well as what most of us here drive, however I did want to make note that the RAV beat them all and did not have to be towed or pulled out of anything.

Personally, I love the RAV....25+mpg in a V6 with more than enough cargo room and cool styling? You can't get much better than that, plus you can get it in 4wd. If you aren't looking to do much beyond Engineers I think this is what I'd go for....we did Engineers in July and got passed by a Honda Civic!

 

[bigreen505]

And FTR, I wouldn't attempt taking a Subie wagon over Engineer Pass, due to the car's low clearance and the tight switchbacks on the way down into Animas Forks. The ride up from Thoreau's Cabin wouldn't be much fun either for the oil pan and gas tank.

Keep in mind there is a difference between could and should. Can you take a Subaru or Rav4 over something like Engineer? Sure, but how well will it handle 50 trips and will you still want to use it as a daily driver? Also, all of the San Juan area roads are extremely variable. If you hit it shortly after the road has been cleared (it gets kind of graded in the process) they really are no big deal. Hit it late season in a year with early snow melt and a lot of rain and it is much rockier. Go camping late fall, get stuck in a snow storm and have to drive out with a snow covered trail? Totally different ball game.

There was a thread here somewhere, might have been one I started, where people were claiming that the difference in real world milage between the v6 and 4 cylinder Tacomas was negligible -- one, maybe two mpg. No personal experience there, but I had a friend who had a 4 banger Taco and it was fine off road, but with 150 hp available only at high rpm it required some shifting on the highway. No idea on actual mpg, but it was a nice truck.

If cost is not an object, maybe think about getting diesel conversion on an FJ60 Landcruiser. I have no inside knowledge, but I'm guessing that if you decided to follow her path, the final bill to TLC would be about the same as a new Xterra or Tacoma. Oh, people with Xterras (the new ones) claim they get about 20-22 off road in basically stock form, which is about the same as I saw with my Pathfinder.

My honest recommendation is that if you like the Rover and you are actually seeing 18-20 mpg on it, keep it and buy a Prius or something as a daily driver.

 

[T.Low]

T.Low's take on fuel costs

I have the luxury of a company car, and I bought my wife a Nissan Murano, so my "adventure" vehicle is not my daily driver. The point is, then, that my "adventure" vehicle may see 15,000 miles this year.

Compare the fuel costs difference for 15 mpg and 20 mpg for my needs:

(15,000 miles) divided by (15mpg) multiplied by ($4/gal) = $4,000 a year.

(15,000 miles) divided by (20mpg) multiplied by ($4/gal) = $3,000 a year.

$1,000 a year, or <$85/month, ( about the cost of cable tv which we don't have, and my company pays my cell phone bills ) for fuel cost difference didn't carry much weight with me while making the decision on what vehicle would be the best vehicle to suit my needs. I'm at the point in my comfort loveing 40's that I want space, utility, and nimble (lite) off-roading. They tell me I can get 20mpg with my mid-sized rig, but every time I try to acheive that I end up getting way too bored and step on the gas (just got my first speeding ticket in years for doing 88mph in a 70 while follwing some guy in a Tacoma on I-5). So I seem to get 16mpg on combined driving trips of freeway and off road.


Just what works for me.