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Post by GonHuntin on Sept 4, 2003 13:01:01 GMT -5
I currently own 3 four wheel drive vehicles, an 88 chevy stepside pickup, a 92 S-10 blazer and a 66 Bronco......all are in good condition but all are 2 door vehicles with either small or non-existent rear seats.......I also have a wife and two boys, 12 and 14 (almost as tall as I am) and they all like to hunt and fish......we can't all fit in the pickup (standard cab) and getting all of us and our equipment into the blazer is getting to be a tight squeeze.....so, I may be looking for a different vehicle in the near future.
The Blazer is my daily driver, I use the pickup to haul stuff and for towing......the Bronco.....well I've owned it forever and it really just sits in the shop out back.
I think I need to streamline my "fleet" of vehicles, I'm thinking about selling all three and buying a four door pickup.....question is....which one?
The blazer averages 20 miles per gallon.....and, with the price of fuel, I don't want to give up the good gas mileage......so, I'm thinking along the lines of a smaller truck.
I traveled a lot of miles in a 4 door Toyota 4X4 last year in Africa and I was impressed with it's offroad performance........don't know what kind of fuel mileage it got (kilometer per liter or some such nonsense!). The PH swears by the Toyota for durability and performance and he uses them hard......
I guess I'm looking for personal experience and recommendations on what to look for........my wish list for the truck would include: 4 doors with "enough" leg room in the back seat, 4 wheel drive, enough power to tow an 18 foot bass boat (fiberglass), decent fuel economy and, absolutely NOT a Dodge.
(My brother's big Ford diesel probably fits the bill, but it's like driving a school bus and it cost more than my first house!!!)
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Post by jdickey on Sept 5, 2003 7:44:48 GMT -5
I'm very pleased with my 2003 Nissan Pathfinder 4X4. Had a GMC Sierra and really liked it too. The Pathfinder is the only Japanese made vehicle in the Nissan fleet right now, but they will be introducing a full size P/U, the Titan, in December that has received rave reviews! However, you should check out the Ford F250 4X4, 6.0 Diesel. More horsepower, more torque than any diesel on the market. It will out tow and accelerate faster than ANY current make, yet gives you good fuel economy, 18-20mpg hwy. A friend traded his Chevy for the Ford, and is more than pleased! Hope this helps!  |
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Post by CoonDawg on Sept 7, 2003 12:49:30 GMT -5
GH sorry to hear you are ruling out the dodge  , so I give you another option. The new Toyota Tundra with the full size 4 doors, its bigger than the Ford F-150 Super Crew comes with a V6-8. The only thing I'm not happy about them will be electronic 4 wheel drive, I'm a slam it into gear person. You know its in 4 wd when you feel it not too many out there now like that. I looked at a F250 and F350 they had push buttoms to engague the system   . To me that's not a real truck. |
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Post by ArizonaRanger on Sept 13, 2003 18:35:24 GMT -5
I looked at the Tundra and opted out because the V8 was over 30k.So I got a F150 Supercrew with 5.4,4x4 and it is much bigger than the Tundra.15 mpg,yes it is electronic shift 4WD,but I have found that I can live with that.
Jack
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Post by CoonDawg on Sept 13, 2003 19:46:01 GMT -5
AZRanger yes I know its over 30K , but the new fullsize 4 door Tundra 2004 will be larger than the F150 Supercrew. I'll get one if the wife lets me  |
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Post by jdickey on Sept 13, 2003 21:20:48 GMT -5
HEY GUYS... THE NEW 2004 NISSAN TITAN BEATS ALL OF EM IN EVERY CATEGORY! And, its new cousin the ARMADA is blowing away all the big SUV'S. It's due out by the EOM and the Titan will be out in December. So far, ALL of the reviews have been very positive. Hey, I don't sell them either!
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Post by ArizonaRanger on Sept 13, 2003 21:40:27 GMT -5
I'm probly gonna start something here,but even tho the Japanese companies may be better in some ways,I could never when it came down to it give my money to a Japanese Company even if their products are built here.
Jack
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Post by CoonDawg on Sept 14, 2003 0:19:36 GMT -5
JD, that's only until the new HEMI DURANGO comes blowing by it. ;D
Jack don't feel bad I've owned more vehilces than anyone should have in a lifetime and ahve had the best luck with Dodge products.
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Post by jdickey on Sept 14, 2003 9:21:39 GMT -5
That's IF the Daimler/Chrysler company decides to make it! The Durango needs to be updated since their sales continue to fall. And, IF the Daimler/Chrysler company makes it, the Hemi R/T will be an EXTRA COST option. Jack, I have felt the same way about Japanese products. I have been pleased with my Grabowski Motor Company suv's and pickups, as well as other brands. But this time, wanted something that had to fit into certain needs, and unfortunately, there were very few choices. But, guess when you crank up your 4 wheelers, they all sound like Kamikazes! |
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Post by CoonDawg on Sept 14, 2003 13:08:34 GMT -5
JD don't know if you have seen the Drive Section of today's paper but there is a big shiney new 2004 Dodge Durango. Price on the Hemi upgrade will be about $900.00
To me it looks like a mini van with the new ram front end. So I'll keep looking for a comparmise truck/suv.
Maybe I'll find a used Hummer H1, not the Tonka Toy ;D
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Post by jdickey on Sept 14, 2003 23:02:10 GMT -5
;D Hey CoonDawg... not to worry. Hummer2 has got some new competition too! Avanti Motors has introduced the new Studebaker XUV!!! Sorta has a Hummer look, but has a lot more standard stuff... and is priced at a mere $72,000. And Bubba dun said he wanna take that sucka thru them mesquites and rocks and stuff! www.avantimotors.com/ |
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Post by texasshooter on Sept 15, 2003 8:17:13 GMT -5
I'll throw my 2 cents worth in. I am a salesman that spends an awful lot of time behind the windshield. My 2002 truck is now approaching 70,000 miles. I have had it burried in the mud up to it's axels and it has performed flawlessly. I drove all of the 4 door trucks out there and this was the most comfortable, quite, best handling 4X4 I could find. The only bad thing is it's about the ugliest truck out there. But I had to make my decision based on a lot more criteria than looks. I am talking about the Chevy Avalanche. I didn't buy it because it "changes". As a mattef of fact I have never "changed it". My wife drives a 4X4 Dodge Durango, but the V8 in the Durango get's worse gas milage than my Avalanche, but it sure is quick. It'l run circles around my Avalanche off the line. Again, I didn't buy the Avalanche to race it either. The newer models have rounded wheel wells, which look a lot better than the wheel wells on the 2002 model. My wife used to work for AT&T which is a "Tier One Supplier" to GM, so we got the GM employee discount. I still think it's an ugly lookin truck, but I like the fact that I can take clients to lunch and be out callin coyotes in it that night!
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Post by CoonDawg on Sept 15, 2003 12:19:59 GMT -5
JD you would do that too me  I've always wanted an Avanti when I found out about them in the 80's. Texasshooter, you based your decision on what you felt was best. Right about the ugliness of it. Robert Lund made the best choice of taking that pos plastic off of it. I looked at them but realized that if I was hauling something in the pickup mode and it rained  , that everything inside would get wet ! What to do, What to do... Don't buy it ;D. So the search goes on. Theres a new suv coming out this fall called the CrossLander www.crosslander4x4.com. They call it a cross between a Hummer and a Land Rover, turbo diesel, solid axles and it looks like a landy under $20,000 ;D |
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Post by ArizonaRanger on Sept 15, 2003 20:40:09 GMT -5
wifey wants an H2,there's a used one (03) here for a mere 51900.00,I would rather have the H1,Avanti eh?,they build some awesome high end cars.
I know quite a few people who have Avalanches and everyone loves them.UGLEE is a compliment to that critter.I too have owned more vehicles than a body has a right too,and I think nowadays if we all were honest about it there isnt a nickles worth of diifference between Ford,Chevy/GMC and Dodge,just a matter of what you want.25 yrs ago you couldnt have given me a Ford or Dodge.Since 1991 you couldnt give me a Chevy/GMC or Dodge.
However I did severly lust over a black 2500 Ram 4x4 longbed Hemi,(too bad it aint a 426,but thats another story)it was 34900 in Alabama,shoulda gone to Houston like my buddy did he bought a 03 1500 Ram 4x4 with small V8 for over 5000 less than they wanted here.
Jack
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Post by ArizonaRanger on Sept 15, 2003 20:45:50 GMT -5
My four wheeler dont sound like a kamikaze cause I am one of the few people over here who dont got one,if I could talk wifey out of her Harley 883 Huggger motor,then I would build one with it.
But she ses I can do it if I buy her another hawg.
Wimmen.
Jack
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I've always wanted an Avanti when I found out about them in the 80's.