Need an AWD Vehicle

[TyGuy]

Between myself and my immediate family we have owned three Honda CR-Vs (1st, 2nd, and 4th gen) and one Element all Dual Pump AWDs. None have ever had an issue getting up our steep gravel country roads or through the deepest midwestern snows. Fuel economy is decent and they have proven quite reliable. 800k miles between all four and the only one that went to the boneyard was due to a friend who met a deer on the highway and was then introduced to the divider cable and rock ditch... it still ran but a bent frame, twisted suspension, and a broken wheel meant it was time to be an organ donor.

[MrWolf]

Honda crv. Well made, and simple. Lots of older ones on the road.

This. I bought a 2009 new for my daughter. I was pleasantly surprised how good it ran in the snow. She is still driving it and has had almost no issues.

[kootne]

I have been driving a 1994 Cherokee for 20 years. 5 speed stick. Crank up windows. 6 banger motor. Tires last 50k. 20mpg. Plow snow with it. Goes anywhere it is still legal to drive. Spend 500 more or less per year keeping it up. I will give it up when they pry my cold dead fingers off the wheel.
YMMV

[dangitgriff]

This. I bought a 2009 new for my daughter. I was pleasantly surprised how good it ran in the snow. She is still driving it and has had almost no issues.

The Honda Pilot 4WD is a good one, too. Bought an ‘07 for the wife in ‘08 and it’s been reliable.
R/Griff

[Beerd]

Can't argue with a Toyota. This is a '72.
Attachment 265859

All I see is shiny paint. Where's the rust?
..

[Petrol & Powder]

I have been driving a 1994 Cherokee for 20 years. 5 speed stick. Crank up windows. 6 banger motor. Tires last 50k. 20mpg. Plow snow with it. Goes anywhere it is still legal to drive. Spend 500 more or less per year keeping it up. I will give it up when they pry my cold dead fingers off the wheel.
YMMV

That 4.0 in-line six was produced from 1986-2006. That is one of the best engines ever made and they are just about bullet-proof.
It is unfortunate that Chrysler discontinued that engine but by the early 2000's the writing was on the wall. The tooling was wearing out and the designers wanted a shorter/lower V-6.

[Petrol & Powder]

Can't argue with a Toyota. This is a '72.
Attachment 265859

Those are awesome trucks!
A FJ-40 that hasn't rusted away is worth a small fortune these days.

If it has the original straight six (which was almost a copy of a Chevy six cylinder, but not quite), it's worth even more.
If you have one of the original diesels (typically sold overseas), it will almost sell for twice as much.

[Mal Paso]

First of all Thanks!

The truck is a service body for work, weighs 9,600 lbs, and won't do the driveway after a good rain, too heavy. I won't turn the Subaru loose until I have a replacement for it. Tow trucks won't do my hill with anything in tow so I'm looking for reliable. I do most of my own work. I go places where service is difficult and I haven't found anyone who cares as much how the work is done.

Anyway, I saw an RX300 a month ago for a good price but didn't know. I am making a list of all your suggestions to use online. The market here is small and I'm prepared to be flexible.

[Hogtamer]

All I see is shiny paint. Where's the rust?
..

Under the paint!

[Maineboy]

"I'm kinda burnt on Subarus"
We've had a '97 Outback, a 2012 Legacy, and currently drive a 2019 Forester. Between the Outback and the Legacy we had an 03 CRV. This is snow country and from November to April, all wore snow tires and were great vehicles for snow and ice. We live 6 miles in on a dirt road that can get rough between gradings. While the Honda was a great vehicle, we replaced a lot of suspension parts while we had it. The Subarus seem to hold up better in that respect.

[Petrol & Powder]

On the topic of Subaru, I had three, or more accurately, my ex-wife had 3 and I got to work on them. They were excellent cars, well engineered and dependable. However, a mechanic I know claims Subaru's quality declined in recent years.

The flat four used by Subaru is an outstanding engine. Think of it as a modern VW flat four that's water cooled. It is compact, keeps the center of gravity low, they are fairly easy to service and the old ones were very durable. I've seen them go 300K. The downside is Subaru couldn't seem to leave them alone and constantly tweeked the design.

Back in the 70's, the standard Subaru flat 4 was a cam in block, push-rod design that was incredibly durable but made very little power. In the late 80's they came out with the dual overhead cam layout, fuel injection, 4 valves per cylinder and a bit more displacement.

The earlier versions of the overhead cam engines were equal in durability to the old cam in block engines (provided you maintained them) but I think Subaru just couldn't leave it alone. In their quest to "improve" that design they may have messed up.

[Mal Paso]

I agree. I had a 97 DOHC that I liked better. Had just finished a valve/head job when wildfire got it. Maybe I'm just tired of fixing up cars just to have them ruined.

There is a guy in Seaside, North of here that has a full on Mad Max car. All rust and machine guns. I thought about getting something like that but I noticed he doesn't drive it much any more. Probably likes something regular to drive to the store.

[MT Gianni]

We had an 08 outback until I kissed a deer with it at 80. Three quarters had damage. Insurance fixed it but it was always a little louder than before so we replaced it @ 150 K with a 2015 Forester. We now have 130 K on the Forester with tires and fuel being the only expenses. The biggest disadvantage to the 15's and newer is a universal type no shift transmission. It is very easy to be running at 95 mph with no sound change to pay attention to. Our cruise control gets a lot of use.

[Petrol & Powder]

The flat four is a great design. There's a reason that layout was used in some iconic applications: Air Cooled VW's, Early Honda Goldwings, Lycoming and Continental aircraft engines, Subaru's, etc. They are just great little engines. Compact, lots of power to size, low profile.

I can't stand a CVT transmission and if Subaru is using those now, that would be a deal breaker for me. I never had a problem with the older Subaru automatics and a friend's ancient manual transmission took decades of abuse before the rest of the car wore out.

While we're on the topic of flat fours and steep driveways; Would an old VW bug climb that driveway ? That could be a solution ?

[Ozark mike]

Amc eagle

[Mal Paso]

While we're on the topic of flat fours and steep driveways; Would an old VW bug climb that driveway ? That could be a solution ?

2180 with a billet block and 4 webber's? I've gotten used to the heated seats. I need something comfortable enough to drive to Flagstaff with cruse control etc. And I don't think there was ever a cure for the VW valve stretch. I remember crawling under mine every 3k miles to adjust the valves and still had valves drop.

[Petrol & Powder]

2180 with a billet block and 4 webber's? I've gotten used to the heated seats. I need something comfortable enough to drive to Flagstaff with cruse control etc. And I don't think there was ever a cure for the VW valve stretch. I remember crawling under mine every 3k miles to adjust the valves and still had valves drop.

All part of the air cooled allure

[Petrol & Powder]

Amc eagle

Oh, WOW, there's a 1980's blast from the past !

With the 258 AMC Straight Six, it would be reliable but I bet you would struggle to reach 17-18 mpg in one.

I recall they were popular with rural letter carriers and nurses with long rural commutes.

[Ozark mike]

2180 with a billet block and 4 webber's? I've gotten used to the heated seats. I need something comfortable enough to drive to Flagstaff with cruse control etc. And I don't think there was ever a cure for the VW valve stretch. I remember crawling under mine every 3k miles to adjust the valves and still had valves drop.

I like mine even better it got a 1.6d outta a rabbit stuffed in it. Gets better milage than a prius and stupid reliable

[BD]

I drove Subarus from the '70s into the early 2,000s when they started having engine issues. It looks the foresters avoided that and are pretty dependable. However, if you are not looking for highway speeds and creature comforts the early solid axle CJs, Suzukis and Broncos are very durable. Many of these are still on the road with 60+ years of continuous service. They do need maintenance, but it is pretty straightforward. Rust is the most serious issue.