Winter 4x4 Anyone have any info/experience on the following?

[Mayhem]

Have been looking into potential candidates for my winter vehicle. (winter + maybe camping etc and/or off-roading)

I have been lookin into...

Chevrolet-Tracker (Also geo or kia tracker) also the asuna sunrunner or suzuki sidekick (All basically the same thing)
Looked at years between 1994-2005'ish  range.

Kia Sportage: 1999-2005'ish

GMC Jimmy/Chevy Blazer:  1999-2005

Basically I am looking for something 4x4, SUV'ish,  Manual transmission somewhere below $8,000   used.   (Preferably even 6,500 or lower)

Obviously the newer the better, the lower KM's the better. etc...

have found lots of vehicles of these sorts.  Dealers charge like 2-3x as much as private sellers.... but having never purchased a used vehicle  I am a little nervous of all the scams I hear about... and bad experiences. (not that dealers are any more reliable)

Anyways, if any of you have any experience or input on any of these.. OR even suggestions on other vehicles in this sort of realm that might be worth considering, I'm all ears/eyes.

So far the downs on the trackers I've heard is in regards to the post 1993 or somethign models? their off roading capabilities were reduced... as well as the newer ones in contrast to older ones are a lot less powerful (already a not so powerful engine as it is)
I also heard trackers in general are a bit unsafe/unstable when driving at higher speeds, cornering, or in windy weather due to the high and compact profile and narrow wheel base? prone to rolling over I guess. and very unstable driving sometimes reported at higher speeds when wind becomes an issue.

Kia... I've read a lot of complaints all around about the cheapness and problems that a lot of people have had with them. lots of negative feedback about them lasting.... although ... lots of ppl swear by the higher quality and features offered in the sportage vs for example the american  "tracker".

jimmy & blazer's are pretty good imo... I drove a Jimmy for a few years.. (granted it was an 86...) but I like the feel of Jimmy's. the Jimmy / blazers tend to be a bit more pricey than the sportage/trackers etc though.... since its a bigger sized SUV   w/more power etc...

Fuel consumption wise... sounds like trackers are a godsend.. sportage not so bad..   jimmy/blazer... nothing to really fuss about.

[Golddragoner]

As for the Kia, I have also heard a lot of people having problems with them, but my mom has a 2000 and has only had problems with the rear windows. Not sure if she just got a good one, but it hasn't had problems really (although it does use quite a bit of gas)

As for Trackers, I drove on before I got my 3. It isn't too bad to drive, but when it gets windy it does start to blow you across the road due to how its designed, so you have to be ready to counter-steer with it. Also, be prepared to replace the computer if you get one that hasn't had it done before. It may not happen while you have it, but it also may. I had my computer die (faulty capacitors), then my dad got one from a wrecker, and that one died exactly a week later. Ever since then he's been refurbishing them and sells them refurbished, so not sure if that turned out to be a good or bad thing . For the computer I belive its $75 with core trade or something like that (although I think its the 2004's and below that had the problems).

Although, the tracker was nice. It used a tiny bit more gas than the 3 does (except when I'm bootin it around )

[M Speed]

Kia sportage is not going to be good offroad.

all other choices you listed = decent off-road capability. But without modification, you can only do light off-roading.

If you don't mind 2-doors, jimmys/blazers are a lot cheaper with 2 less doors.

You can also look into cherokee...Knifeboy has one and goes off-roading with it. 

[Username]

Suzuki Sidekick!!

I love those.

  Kev

[Knifeboy]

You mean something like this?


I'm partial towards Jeeps. We have 3 of them (a TJ and 2 Grand Cherokees) in our family and I may be picking up a 4th. There's lots of them around so parts/accessories are easy to come by. Plus you can usually find them on craigslist for a good price. Even in stock form they perform well. More than capable enough for majority of owners.

The tracker/sidekick/vitara is pretty capable offroad as well. Relatively lightweight and a small wheelbase makes it quite agile when manuevering around/over obstacles. The V6 engine is definitely favorable over the 4 banger. But don't get overly concerned about the horsepower output. It's all about gearing. Even the first generation sidekick with the 1.6L engine can run 31" tires with the right gears. AND they're good on gas. The only weak link that I've personally seen on the newer ones is the the swaybar connecting links tend to break (all on the passenger side from what I've seen).

Things to consider are how hardcore do you want to go? How much room do you need for passengers and camping gear? What modifications do you see yourself doing in the future? All the vehicles you've listed will serve you well in winter with a decent set of tires. If you stick to camping in recreational sites and exploring the odd forest service road they will all take you there. If you plan on running larger tires then decide how much effort/money/lift is needed for proper clearance. Unibody = suspension lift only. Frame construction = body lift (cheap and easy) or suspension lift.
Things I recommend are choosing a selectable 4 wheel drive. Fulltime 4WD sucks more gas and aren't as smooth in tight turns. Skid plates (even factory ones will be sufficient) for when you take it offroading. Towhooks (factory or aftermarket) for vehicle recovery. Trailer hitch is nice for bike racks and cargo trays (and trailers of course).

[Golddragoner]

I found that with Trackers, you can generally find parts very easy (there are tons of them around everywhere), and they are actually pretty cheap and easy to work on (definatly easier than larger competitors). If you need to overhaul the entire engine and can do it yourself, you're only looking around $600 or so for an entire kit (pistons, rods, rings, all the gaskets, valves, everything ) One thing you may find with the 1.6L engine is that the 4th cylinder does go dead. I used to look for these ones as you can pick them up dirt cheap, and generally the only problem was the valves went oval so it didn't fit in right and was just leaking all the air, the valve stem bent, and/or the EGR was plugged

I would definately recommend gettin manual hubs if you are planning to go offroad. With automatic, you actually have to roll 1-5 feet for it to kick in (which if you're stuck, obviously you can't do, so you'd have to drive in 4x4 all the time. With Manual, it kicks in as soon as both of the hubs are locked and its shifted into 4x4. Also, the Tracker has some hell of gearing when you put it in low, I think you can maybe do 5km/h in first redlining it...

[Mayhem]

Thanks guys for the feedback

I like cherokee's.. they're wicked... have driven one a little older than the one in your pic, and a friend had one a little newer than the one in ur pic. (dunno exact years) I am basing that off of the body style.

Tend to be more expensive though even used, than other SUV's available..    I have no doubt you get what you pay for.. buttttt it'll just be my winter ride so I don't wanna pay for it and I don't wanna invest in a vehicle thats too old that repairs will make it not worth it.

I think I am leaning towards a 2002'ish tracker atm. altho I'd snag a cherokee in an instant if I was patient enough to wait for a good enough deal on a new enough model with low enough km's.

All round so far, what I am finding is that the tracker's are easier to get fixed since you could go to a gm dealer OR a suzuki dealer n get er done. , cheap'ish to repair, more fuel efficient than most other SUV's, fun, off road capable.  Cheaper to purchase.

gonna get a manual and likely get the 2 door.. (again cheaper)

Mainly it'll be for winter commuter, camping , off roading....   However I will be doing minor / novice off roading, wont be camping in heavy bush but more of a camp site person... I would maybe more likely be inclined to do more hard core off roading/camping if I had friends who were into that stuff... but I don't and I'm not all that experienced

Basically I'll be happy if i can get a to b in the snow, and have some weekend/holiday fun I'll be satisfied... and since the camaro I've got ordered is not the most practical/economic/fuel efficient ride i could have chosen.. I figure I should make up for it in my choice of 4x4.
my biggest concerns with trackers... i guess is as you mentioned the bar breaking in the back,  i've read about that happening on the newer models... and that being a factor kind of making off roaders a little hesitant to choose the newer models...  and I guess the wind factor and saftey is a concern. I don't want the vehicle to disintegrate in an impact, if anything should happen. light weight, high profile, compact size, and not the most sturdy shell....  makes me wonder about the saftey.. and some of the older models were rated very very poorly in regards to safety and mortality rates.. (not sure how the newer ones fair)

Nice photo btw !

but yeah leaning towards a tracker.. altho finding accessories for the year im lookin at seems pretty difficult. factory parts are easy/ cheap to find... but bush guards and grille guards etc,  racks and hard tops are a little less common on that year.  Have found em... but... trouble locating a grille guard that I actually like for it...   Probably be getting it lifted, but i wanna do a little more research in regards to heights that are O.K on them, before it becomes problematic and  too stressfull on the vehicle. and other parts.

[Knifeboy]

02 Trackers are nice! My bro-in law had two 4 door models. (that's where I heard about the breaking swaybar link) They're definitely going to be cheaper on gas than a larger SUV like a jimmy/blazer or a cherokee/grand cherokee. They're a body on frame construction so you do have the option of a body lift to get a little more clearance for larger tires. Don't know how high you can go before you have to modify the shifter assembly, but in 'most' cases the general rule is you can get away with 2" of body lift without too much modifications. A suspension lift is preferred in the long run, but there may be drive line issues involved. Sign up on bc4X4.com, I'm sure you'll find lots of resources in the chevy section. But be forewarned, that forum is full of large tires and larger egos. 
As for racks and bush guards, those are easily made so don't factor them too much into your decision. Send me a message if you need any of that stuff built.
Good luck car hunting. Post some pics when you pick one up.