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Reliable, AWD DD/Commuter Recommendations?

FleshEater

FleshEater

Ordinary Average Guy
Joined
May 21, 2020
Member Number
832
Messages
3,636
Loc
Pennsylvania
I’ve been eyeing up the small Suzuki hatchbacks, older CRV’s, and Rav4’s. Would like a manual.

Anyone have a dead nuts reliable recommendation? MPG is less of a concern. Reliability is key. I’m also looking early 2000’s for as cheap as I can find.
 
TrikeKid said:
Tracker/Sidekick
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I’ve been looking. Especially since I have 6 of them right now.

I would get my red 4 door up and running, but it is so mint it’s not ever going out in the salt. It’s like I can’t find a cheap one to beat on that isn’t fully rusted apart, or mint and they want $6,000.
 
Honda element
AWD can be had with a manual.
They have a cult like following so got deals are hard to find.
 
Had an 02 Impreza wagon for several years. Killer in the snow, but typical Subaru rot and quirks.

I've got an 04 civic that I need to get back on the road (brake lines). Reliable and 38mpg.
 
Stock87 said:
Honda element
AWD can be had with a manual.
They have a cult like following so got deals are hard to find.
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i have had a couple. 07 and up have better motor, trans and safety features. I loved it. But I never got over 22 mpg on my commute.

Sad to say but I would accept the fact that the world has gone to automatic/cvts and buy a Rav4 which should be bulletproof or a subaru which will be pretty good.
 
CRV/RAV4, whichever you can score a good deal on. Don't cheap out on tires and baseline repairs. Neighbors 230k CRV runs like a brand new car (drove it/them to and from the airport).
 
Gtrplyr78 said:
CRV/RAV4, whichever you can score a good deal on. Don't cheap out on tires and baseline repairs. Neighbors 230k CRV runs like a brand new car (drove it/them to and from the airport).
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Beware the timing chain and transmission on the crv, depending on year and maintenance
 
3rd gen 4runner or 3rd gen Montero?
Although tbh you're probably not gonna beat a CRV or Rav4 for cheap shitbox reliability
 
They're a little newer than early '00s but Liberty and Escape can be had with the 5spd and CHEAP.
 
arse_sidewards said:
They're a little newer than early '00s but Liberty and Escape can be had with the 5spd and CHEAP.
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Around here (where the op lives) most of those have combined with oxygen. Especially the escape. They arent terrible choices otherwise.
 
DMG said:
Around here (where the op lives) most of those have combined with oxygen.
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I know I live here too. :laughing:

They haven't rusted any faster than the manual CRVs and whatnot (except the Escape and the shock mounts that Dorman makes a patch for).

Manual crossovers of the era are rare so best not to be too picky.
 
arse_sidewards said:
I know I live here too. :laughing:

They haven't rusted any faster than the manual CRVs and whatnot (except the Escape and the shock mounts that Dorman makes a patch for).

Manual crossovers of the era are rare so best not to be too picky.
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The escapes are really bad around here. I recently scrwpped a pile of the front subframes i replaced. They all have holes in them and frequently the rockers or rear unirails are gone too.
 
DMG said:
The escapes are really bad around here. I recently scrwpped a pile of the front subframes i replaced. They all have holes in them and frequently the rockers or rear unirails are gone too.
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The duratecs are decent, and cheap. But rest belt shit is beyond me. I read just needs rockers and corners and know it needs to go across the scales.

Yankees think that's mint condition
 
TRINDU said:
The duratecs are decent, and cheap. But rest belt shit is beyond me. I read just needs rockers and corners and know it needs to go across the scales.

Yankees think that's mint condition
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Only some Yankees. I think they’re worth tree-fiddy. :flipoff2:
 
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TRINDU said:
The duratecs are decent, and cheap. But rest belt shit is beyond me. I read just needs rockers and corners and know it needs to go across the scales.

Yankees think that's mint condition
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Yep. I buy anything older on the west coast or south of virginia.
 
TRINDU said:
The duratecs are decent, and cheap. But rest belt shit is beyond me. I read just needs rockers and corners and know it needs to go across the scales.

Yankees think that's mint condition
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You people will spend all day swapping a 3/4 race cam into an LS to keep the lifters from eating themselves but you won't spend a day on body work.

On one hand it's baffling. On the other hand it explains why shit moves so slow down south.
 
DMG said:
The escapes are really bad around here. I recently scrwpped a pile of the front subframes i replaced. They all have holes in them and frequently the rockers or rear unirails are gone too.
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CRVs rust from the fuel tank back (but so does everything on some level).

IDK about the Liberties
 
arse_sidewards said:
You people will spend all day swapping a 3/4 race cam into an LS to keep the lifters from eating themselves but you won't spend a day on body work.

On one hand it's baffling. On the other hand it explains why shit moves so slow down south.
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I’ll send the next escape that comes in for inspection with no rockers, the control arm tearing out of the subframe and no unirails in the rear up to you to fix. A day of your labor can’t cost that much…. :flipoff2:
 
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