| Previous :: Next Topic |
| Author |
Message |
Treehugger5
Member
Joined: 23 Sep 2012
Posts: 407 | TRs | Pics
Location: Spokane, WA |
Seriously. 2004 Wrangler TJ. I bought it a year and a half ago, 45,000 miles on it. Had never been driven in the rain or snow. It's so. much. freaking. fun. to. drive. I absolutely love it, I take it everywhere. (It might make it more fun that I have a killer amp/stereo and two subs in it.  )
My DH and I just roadtripped to the Wind Rivers (Dickinson Park TH, out of Washakie Junction) and he rode shotgun. Had the time of his life. I drive it 20 miles each way every day here to work, rain, snow or shine. (We get snow here on this side, I'm 10 minutes from the Idaho Panhandle). I have a soft top for winter, but that freaking heater is so hot I swear, I almost don't need it. It's only a little 4 cyl, I wish it had been a 6, but for the condition and the mileage, hey. I figure my gas savings are worth it. It's gone everywhere I've asked it to, (for backpacking trips) and does 80 on the freeway (I had it re-geared though).
MTA: (I want to take the chrome off and replace with black diamond plate, and get black wheels but I have three teen drivers who ...oh, yes, you hear that sucking sound? It's my wallet.)
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
|
| Back to top |
  
|
|
Treehugger5
Member
Joined: 23 Sep 2012
Posts: 407 | TRs | Pics
Location: Spokane, WA |
| Chief Joseph wrote: | | christensent wrote: | | -And most importantly, it will get you down any forest service road in winter conditions. |
Yea, I thought my Chevy 4wd truck could do that too. The first 2 years after I bought my property in Verlot I was able to drive in and out of a slanted driveway in up to a foot and a half of *powder* snow, no problem.
Last year it snowed about foot of very wet snow and I couldn't even go *down* the driveway, it was like trying to drive through partially hardened cement, so I would say that ymmv. |
I don't mean to sound snarky, but do you have weight in the back of that truck? A four-wheel-drive truck without at least 600 pounds in the back of it for wintertime is useless in the snow.
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
|
| Back to top |
|
|
christensent
Member
Joined: 05 Nov 2011
Posts: 658 | TRs | Pics
|
| Chief Joseph wrote: | | Last year it snowed about foot of very wet snow and I couldn't even go *down* the driveway, it was like trying to drive through partially hardened cement, so I would say that ymmv. |
Yes, no doubt it changes day to day as conditions change. As pictured I was driving through last December's fluffy powder snow storm cycle, total depth was at least 6-8 feet sinking 5+ feet, snow coming in the windows, before running out of horsepower and retreating. On other days I'll be stopped by 12" of heavy wet snow sinking few inches. You better be prepared driving on snow regardless of what vehicle you have.
For pure off-road snow performance, you'd probably want to get an old Suzuki Samurai or a very light weight pickup truck (it's all about minimum weight for off-road snow, and all about increasing rear wheel weight for on-road snow and ice). But you might not even make it up a frosty road.
But I digress, it's hard to beat the all around off-road and street comfort of the 2007+ Jeep Wrangler (or go older and sacrifice some driver comforts but still a great vehicle).
Learning mountaineering: 10% technical knowledge, 90% learning how to eat
Learning mountaineering: 10% technical knowledge, 90% learning how to eat
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Chief Joseph
Member
Joined: 10 Nov 2007
Posts: 7703 | TRs | Pics
Location: Verlot-Priest Lake |
| Treehugger5 wrote: | | I don't mean to sound snarky, but do you have weight in the back of that truck? A four-wheel-drive truck without at least 600 pounds in the back of it for wintertime is useless in the snow. |
Point taken. I had some weight, but not that much. On the way back from N Idaho last February I had about 1k in the back due to hauling back some firewood and truck it felt very stable on the road.
Christensent...I definitely get what you are saying, thanks.
Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker
Joined: 16 Dec 2001
Posts: 23956 | TRs | Pics
Location: Cle Elum |
Ive got a 2005 Jeep Liberty that's diesel powered. Ive had very good luck with mine, and twice Ive gotten over 40 MPG with it on road trips. I love it.
 Thorp lake traihead
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cyclopath
Faster than light
Joined: 20 Mar 2012
Posts: 7727 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle |
|
Cyclopath
Faster than light
|
 Thu Sep 01, 2016 9:54 am |
|
|
I drove to the Thorp Lake trailhead in a sedan.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
David Cole
Waterfall lover
Joined: 24 Nov 2004
Posts: 127 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle |
|
David Cole
Waterfall lover
|
Thu Sep 01, 2016 7:35 pm |
|
|
| christensent wrote: | | Reliability is suspect. |
But then you can probably just hit it with a hammer and make it run again.
My brother owns a Jeep Wrangler (not sure which year, but I think it's an older one that he's done tons of mods on), and he swears by it. For a long time I was tempted by the Wrangler Unlimited, which would be more practical for me. But I figured at that point I may as well just get Cherokee.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
David Cole
Waterfall lover
Joined: 24 Nov 2004
Posts: 127 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle |
|
David Cole
Waterfall lover
|
Thu Sep 01, 2016 7:40 pm |
|
|
| Backpacker Joe wrote: | Ive got a 2005 Jeep Liberty that's diesel powered. Ive had very good luck with mine, and twice Ive gotten over 40 MPG with it on road trips. I love it.
Thorp lake traihead |
I don't think I've seen a diesel model on the market recently, but I love the looks of the second-generation Liberty. They remind me of the old-school Cherokees. Some online reviews say the V6 gasoline engine is incredibly thirsty and underpowered, though, but I've read other reviews from people who swear by the Liberty. My parents have a first-generation Liberty and I think it just passed 200,000 miles.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
NacMacFeegle
Member
Joined: 16 Jan 2014
Posts: 2653 | TRs | Pics
Location: United States |
I love my little old Subaru Forester, but I don't like the modern ones so much. I'd stay away from Jeeps - everything I've heard and read points to them being less reliable than other brands. The only Jeep I'd ever consider owning is a 1940's Willy's - mostly for nostalgia's sake!
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Treehugger5
Member
Joined: 23 Sep 2012
Posts: 407 | TRs | Pics
Location: Spokane, WA |
Funny. I've had mine a year and a half, it's 12 years old, and I've not had a single issue with it. I've put 20k miles on it in that 19 month period, just got back from a 1700 mile road trip to boot.
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
Elrond's Rocket of Rivendell~ hiker and runner extraordinaire
|
| Back to top |
|
|
NacMacFeegle
Member
Joined: 16 Jan 2014
Posts: 2653 | TRs | Pics
Location: United States |
Jeep was the second least reliable brand in 2016 according to Consumer Reports (Fiat was #1) and if I remember correctly has maintained a low place in their rankings for many years. However, I suppose that even a generally unreliable brand can still produce a few good cars.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
InFlight
coated in DEET
Joined: 20 May 2015
Posts: 847 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle area |
|
InFlight
coated in DEET
|
Fri Sep 02, 2016 5:35 am |
|
|
Wife needs a new ride so we've been test driving. Our son will take over the old Jeep Grand Cherokee. She wants a 4WD that's not as high seating as a jeep.
Was not impressed by Suburus at all. Spartan and with crummy road feel and performance.
Leaning towards Honda CRV or their newer HRV. If you test drive a Suburu followed by Honda it's not even a contest.
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...” ― Henry David Thoreau
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...” ― Henry David Thoreau
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Randito
Snarky Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2008
Posts: 9512 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellevue at the moment. |
|
Randito
Snarky Member
|
Fri Sep 02, 2016 7:23 am |
|
|
| InFlight wrote: | | Leaning towards Honda CRV or their newer HRV. If you test drive a Suburu followed by Honda it's not even a contest. |
Yeah -- when I bought my first new car in 1998 I test drove the Subaru Legacy and Forester, Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CRV -- I went with the CRV -- after 14 years and 184,000 miles I bought 2014 CRV when the drivers door window stopped working and I decided I wanted the nicer model. In retrospect -- I kind of wish I had gotten an AWD Toyota Sienna instead. My kids have grown and moved out, but dirt-bagging in the back of a mini-van is a lot more comfortable than in the back of the CRV.
I understand that AWD system on the Subarus is superior, however I've found that the AWD system on the CRV to have been sufficient for my needs -- driving forest service roads in the summer and getting in and out of ski area parking lots and sno-parks in the winter. YMMV
|
| Back to top |
|
|
David Cole
Waterfall lover
Joined: 24 Nov 2004
Posts: 127 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle |
|
David Cole
Waterfall lover
|
Fri Sep 02, 2016 7:34 am |
|
|
| RandyHiker wrote: | | I understand that AWD system on the Subarus is superior, however I've found that the AWD system on the CRV to have been sufficient for my needs -- driving forest service roads in the summer and getting in and out of ski area parking lots and sno-parks in the winter. YMMV |
That would pretty much be my primary use for AWD as well. I don't see myself rock-crawling in Moab or doing the Naches Pass 4x4 trail anytime soon.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ORNative
Member
Joined: 23 Aug 2016
Posts: 3 | TRs | Pics
|
|
ORNative
Member
|
Fri Sep 02, 2016 2:00 pm |
|
|
We have a 2010 Honda Pilot that has been to almost every mountain in the PNW, and numerous FS roads. We have over 130k miles on it already. It is a tank, especially in the snow, but is super comfy to ride in. Downside is the gas mileage.
Also have a 1999 Nissan Pathfinder with over 230k miles, which has also not been babied as far as where it goes.
Used to have a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Never again! Biggest POS ever made.
We have recently test drove both the Honda CRV and HRV. Both are good for smaller vehicles than the Pilot, but I still like the Pilot better.
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
