Hiking vehicles

[rally_toad]

What kind of vehicles do you guys all drive when your going hiking? Im thinking about investing in a 4wd high clearance Jeep or something of the sort so I could get to some places where I definitely couldnt get to with what Im driving now (73 mustang):) I saw a Jeep Grand Cherokee today for $2600 and I was thinking about checking it out. What "hiking vehicle" is easiest to drive and which gets the best gas mileage (even though I know most wouldnt be too fuel efficient.)

[Jim]

Sigh, I know, I just don't want to deal with it anymore. I really wish I had kept my 10 year old Honda.

[mazatzal]

I came to Az in 81 and bought a junker Monte Carlo, it was great, my first car. In 83 I bought a Cutlass Supreme convertible from a colleague and started hiking in AZ. I took that cutlass to the N side of the McDowells (trailhead now but rough drive then), Rogers Trough(!), Lone Pine TH and more when all those drives were really gnarly. That was an amazingly cool car. I got stranded in Inner Basin (rough road back then) when I bent the sump pan and decided I needed high clearance

[kingsnake]

Sigh, I know, I just don't want to deal with it anymore. I really wish I had kept my 10 year old Honda.

I'll trade my crappy GPS for your crappy car.

[Alston_Neal]

Sigh, I know, I just don't want to deal with it anymore. I really wish I had kept my 10 year old Honda.

I'll trade my crappy GPS for your crappy car.

Don't forget to throw in your camera to sweeten the deal...

[FOTG]

I really want a Jeep some day, but not sure if this one will be for me?? Subaru may have some competition though...

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/2015-jee ... autos_5379

[chumley]

@friendofThundergod
I'd stick with the Xterra over that plastic piece of Italian grocery-getting

[hikerdw]

My daughter just showed me that "cute" jeep. I'd second the vote to stick with the Nissan.

[juliachaos]

If you have a couple bucketloads of money just lying around, the newest Range Rover looks pretty sweet: https://www.youtube.com/embed/jV51BGIzkwU

And if you have even more bucketloads of money, so does the Mercedes AMG G63 6x6!!! The TG vid for that is harder to find at the moment, and not sure if this will work, but... https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?vi ... =2&theater

Seriously, though... that Range Rover... :kf: :budrose: .. I can dream

[rwstorm]

@juliachaos
That was fun to watch!

Oh yeah, I agree with Chums.

[FOTG]

@chumley
actually I think if you read, it said something about having more steel in its frame than any other Jeep model, which does not seem to be possible..I just skimmed that part though..

[chumley]

@friendofThundergod
I read it in its entirety before commenting. It does mention the steel in the frame. Which is largely irrelevant to me. I'm always leery of the crossover SUV designs that are built on the same platform as a car. Especially when the car looks like this:

[CannondaleKid]

Especially when the car looks like this:

What, the Jeep Renegade is just a FIAT in wolf's clothing?
Hmmm.... So it's not only a Just Empty Every Pocket but it's also a Fix It Again Tony!

BTW, in another life I was a FIAT owner, which of necessity meant I was also a FIAT mechanic. :whistle:

[FOTG]

@chumley
I think they mention the steel in article as a way of saying..."see its just as tough as a Jeep, don't let its semi-androgynous cross over look fool you."

[azbackpackr]

All that stuff just keeps you workin' for the man. You buy a fancy vehicle, you have to work all the time to make the payments. If you can get your debt level to zero you might actually be able to find some freedom.

[BobP]

One of my favorite cars as a teenager was my sisters Fiat Spider which she would occassionaly let me drive. I had a 1990 Jeep Cherokee for ten years..which was really dependable. It had some minor problems after 150K miles but nothing major. I traded it in for a 1998 Jeep Wrangler because my 8 year old daughter thought it was cool..i may have also. I still have it and probably dropped $3K in it in the last 14 years. But now it needs new brakes and has a cracked manifold which is a common problem for them. The plastic windows have deteriorated or are gone on the soft top. I loved my Subaru wagon in the late 80's. The only bad luck vehicle I had was a VW Jetta. But when it was totalled the check I received was 3K more than i purchased the car for .

[chumley]

You buy a fancy vehicle, you have to work all the time to make the payments

Not everybody who buys a car, even a "fancy" one, finances it. Some people do save money and buy things outright.

*At least I've read about people who do this.

[azbackpackr]

Well, I have an RV now. 26 foot Class C. It's old, though. I could have bought a Jeep with the money but it would be hard to LIVE in a Jeep.

[FOTG]

Hard to LIVE in a Jeep

Very true, but hard to drive an RV to most worthwhile THs ;)

[joebartels]

before "E" beats you silly with a raft oar...
your idea of worthwhile probably differs

If anyone donates an RV to the HAZ Foundation, I'd be happy to basecamp!

[FOTG]

@joe bartels
Lol all THs are worthwhile in my opinion..I only kid, but I was thinking more on lines of the ones that have been beating my Xterra up for last year...ie pueblo canyon sigh