Looking For Car Feedback

[Jorts]

Electric trucks are the best performing off road. Though they're expensive and remain a bit of a novelty for now. Power delivery is optimal - they provide instant high torque. Clearance goes up and down for better off and on highway performance. Think of every single inefficiency that comes with an internal combustion/transmission powertrain. Electric vehicles don't have that.

[KState14er]

Used Toyota 4Runner /thread

[zootloopz]

I was just used car shopping with my girlfriend and she ended up with an AWD Honda CRV.

I personally have a long bed Tacoma with a full size bed in the back -- if I had to do it again and recommend something else to a CO peak person, I'd choose a gas efficient AWD crossover from Toyota / Honda / Lexus / Acura / Mazda, slap some slightly larger all terrain tires on it for a touch of extra clearance, and only do the rough 2wd and maybe easy 4wd roads. I think getting 30+ mpg beats out the 4x4 over time. I honestly haven't used my 4x4 THAT much. And anything I did use it for I could have just walked an extra couple of miles. Bonus points for a skid plate though.

Unfortunately Toyotas have the Toyota tax right now, so Honda / Mazda might be your best bet.

[mtree]

Understanding where and when you're planning on taking your vehicle is important. For hiking, I've needed the clearance far more than the 4x4. But I have taken it on roads with nasty snow several times in winter and spring hikes. And there's always the unexpected to consider. I was safely parked up Nellie Creek trailhead one morning. On the way down a snowstorm turned into a rainstorm and didn't stop. Things changed quickly. I sure was glad to have the clearance, 4x4, and bold tires! I've also made it up to Grays trailhead in the dead of winter and navigated a monsoon returning from Yankee Boy Basin.

I will say, the more capable the vehicle the more you're going to push it to the limit versus a standard commuter. That just means you're going to get stuck in places you shouldn't be. I've only gotten stuck once. High centered it in 30 inches of wet, heavy spring snow. Luckily it was outside my garage! Came close crawling as far as a could toward the Sherman trailhead one winter. Sugar snow off all sides of the road. Many got stuck. I got lucky and turned around before I couldn't. Another time a snowstorm rolled in and dropped 8-10 inches of snow while I was returning from a hike. That was sick! For those reasons I've stopped pushing the envelope off-road during winter/spring season.

So maybe consider a Honda or Mazda and call it good.

[Scott P]

I think getting 30+ mpg beats out the 4x4 over time. I honestly haven't used my 4x4 THAT much. And anything I did use it for I could have just walked an extra couple of miles. Bonus points for a skid plate though.

There is a lot of truth to that. We have a 1999 4x4 and a 2020 RAV4 hybrid. Both were bought new and we usually take the RAV4 unless we need the 4x4. We still have to drive the 4x4 at least once a week to keep it from sitting too long. The 4x4 has 110,000 miles after 26 years (and about half of those miles were early on from when it was our only vehicle) and the RAV4 has 90,000 in less than 5 years. We drive the AWD Hybrid way more often than the 4x4 due to gas mileage and the cost of maintenance, tires, etc. I have thought about replacing the 4x4 (Landcruiser or 4Runner TRD Pro), but we don't drive the one we have now enough to justify buying a new one.

I will say, the more capable the vehicle the more you're going to push it to the limit versus a standard commuter. That just means you're going to get stuck in places you shouldn't be.

So maybe consider a Honda or Mazda and call it good.

There's a lot of truth to that too. We have gotten our 4x4s stuck a few times (including the first weekend after we bought our latest one), but I've only got a 2wd or AWD stuck once.