I'll start by saying I am currently deployed in Iraq. I am thinking about a vehicle to buy when I get back. I currently have a 300zx but it is a money pit. It also doesn't fit into what I desire out of a vehicle (it was an impulse buy from a friend, but I'm not satisfied with a sports car).
Also, I've known nothing about cars most of my life. I knew how to put gas in and maybe a simple oil change. Being in the army, I've learned a few things about vehicles. Mostly about the ones we use, but general knowledge as well.
So I'm faced with a tough decision. There is a lot of information out there, and while most of it is very technical (especially here and ih8mud) I better understand what I'm looking at when people start talking about builds and changes to their vehicles for preventative maintenance.
So, knowing all this, I'm planning on spending between 15-20k on a vehicle. This vehicle will be a DD and will unfortunately spend most of its life on the highway and back roads. That being said, I plan on doing the offroad thing now and then. I have offroaded in military vehicles before (both training and missions) and have enjoyed it enough to want to be able to do it when the urge hits me.
So the dirty basics for a vehicle (not listed in preference order, as they are all important):
1. 15-20k
2. Decent fuel economy (DD and be able to make road trips on highways not feel horrible, I know diesel is an option, but those will cost a ton up front, especially if it's a swap)
3. 4WD (I'll be going back to Pittsburgh eventually, and I want to be safe on the roads with ice, something my 300zx is not)
4. Storage (for now, I have a lot of things I have accumulated. Later on, I want to be able to go camping, hiking, and hunting)
5. Offroading capabilities (I don't need to be able to tackle the hardest trails or ford through 3 feet of water, just be able to handle dirt trails with small obstacles that would hang up a station wagon or something similar)
6. Lower cost of maintenance (I could buy another money sink like my 300zx, but that's not what I'm looking for)
7. Good availability of parts (I don't want this vehicle down for weeks waiting on a part to be shipped from Aus or Japan, also aftermarket support would be a huge bonus)
8. Decent lifetime expectancy (I know a new car will last me a while, especially if taken care of, but I was looking more towards the used side, and hope to find something that will hit 300,000mi on the odometer without many hiccups)
I know this may be a difficult thing to figure out, as most of the vehicles I have looked at so far have tradeoffs. The venerable LC (especially the FZJ80s) will last a long time and will fit most of the bill. The prohibitive parts are the fuel economy, maintenance costs (considering this was not a cheap SUV to get in the first place) and parts down the line.
I have looked at other Toyotas and other makes. They all have tradeoffs. If you were in my position, which direction would you go?
Thanks for any advice.
-ohsee
Also, I've known nothing about cars most of my life. I knew how to put gas in and maybe a simple oil change. Being in the army, I've learned a few things about vehicles. Mostly about the ones we use, but general knowledge as well.
So I'm faced with a tough decision. There is a lot of information out there, and while most of it is very technical (especially here and ih8mud) I better understand what I'm looking at when people start talking about builds and changes to their vehicles for preventative maintenance.
So, knowing all this, I'm planning on spending between 15-20k on a vehicle. This vehicle will be a DD and will unfortunately spend most of its life on the highway and back roads. That being said, I plan on doing the offroad thing now and then. I have offroaded in military vehicles before (both training and missions) and have enjoyed it enough to want to be able to do it when the urge hits me.
So the dirty basics for a vehicle (not listed in preference order, as they are all important):
1. 15-20k
2. Decent fuel economy (DD and be able to make road trips on highways not feel horrible, I know diesel is an option, but those will cost a ton up front, especially if it's a swap)
3. 4WD (I'll be going back to Pittsburgh eventually, and I want to be safe on the roads with ice, something my 300zx is not)
4. Storage (for now, I have a lot of things I have accumulated. Later on, I want to be able to go camping, hiking, and hunting)
5. Offroading capabilities (I don't need to be able to tackle the hardest trails or ford through 3 feet of water, just be able to handle dirt trails with small obstacles that would hang up a station wagon or something similar)
6. Lower cost of maintenance (I could buy another money sink like my 300zx, but that's not what I'm looking for)
7. Good availability of parts (I don't want this vehicle down for weeks waiting on a part to be shipped from Aus or Japan, also aftermarket support would be a huge bonus)
8. Decent lifetime expectancy (I know a new car will last me a while, especially if taken care of, but I was looking more towards the used side, and hope to find something that will hit 300,000mi on the odometer without many hiccups)
I know this may be a difficult thing to figure out, as most of the vehicles I have looked at so far have tradeoffs. The venerable LC (especially the FZJ80s) will last a long time and will fit most of the bill. The prohibitive parts are the fuel economy, maintenance costs (considering this was not a cheap SUV to get in the first place) and parts down the line.
I have looked at other Toyotas and other makes. They all have tradeoffs. If you were in my position, which direction would you go?
Thanks for any advice.
-ohsee
