Looking for a replacement

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Sunnyinhollister

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So it looks like the Highlander did not make it. Somehow I don't think this will buff out:

[Linked Image]


The kid is alright. He has his own car, but that night he took the Highlander. Now I need a replacement for his brother who will be driving to the next town soon. There are some low mileage Rangers with the DOHC 2.3L engines, Another 2008 Ranger with a 3.0L and AT, there's one Nissan Frontier with the 2.4L, and a newer Liberty with the 3.7L. Any known issues with the aforementioned vehicles? I'm trying to stick to the small truck SUV segment.

Thanks!
 
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The BITOG cool kids drive Frontiers currently but even they avoid the 2.4 by making a painfully wide three-point turn.

Ranger is legit, those first gen Escapes are pretty cool, too.
 
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The 3.0 is very reliable in the Ranger. The only thing I didn't care for with it is the power and the gas mileage. It's a V-6 with the power of a 4 cylinder and the gas mileage of a V-8. A friend of mine bought the Mazda version brand new in 1997 and is still driving it. The 2.3 is pretty solid too.
 
Glad all are well!!!

I vote "Any i4 early 2000's pickup"

They literally just didn't make a bad one that I was aware of.
 
2.3 and 2.5 Ford Rangers are near impossible to kill (they aren't DOHC that I have ever seen)

Not great on power, but they will almost always go over 300,000 miles
 
Originally Posted by Ws6
Glad all are well!!!
I vote "Any i4 early 2000's pickup"
They literally just didn't make a bad one that I was aware of.


Quoted for truth! (except I'll never buy a Dodge Dakota)
 
Originally Posted by Linctex
2.3 and 2.5 Ford Rangers are near impossible to kill (they aren't DOHC that I have ever seen)

Not great on power, but they will almost always go over 300,000 miles

2000 and older 4 cylinders are SOHC. In mid-year 2001, Ford switched to the DOHC Duratec 2.3L.
I agree that they're super hard to kill. The Duratecs are very stout too.

3.0L have great reliability, not so great gas mileage.

OHV (pushrod) 4.0L (2000 and older) have great reliability and even worse gas mileage, good power though. The intake manifold gaskets tend to go out once they get 200k on them (I've personally had it happen on 2 different engines. Same failure in same spot. Both engines had over 200k on them with no troubles up to that point), other than that, they're great.

SOHC 4.0 (2001-2011) has lots of power, same mileage as the pushrod 4.0. They had some timing chain issues prior to 2004. 2005+ should have updated parts from the factory and be good to go. They have plastic thermostat housings that like to crack and leak, but that can be solved permanently with an aftermarket aluminum housing.
 
I'm glad no one was seriously hurt.

Given the propensity for rolling a vehicle, I would avoid a pickup or SUV.

Clearly, a vehicle with a high center of gravity isn't the easiest to handle.

Corolla? Accord?

You total a car, kid, and you don't get to choose "cool". You lost that right with the crash.

You get "safe".

Period.
 
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Originally Posted by Astro14
I'm glad no one was seriously hurt.

Given the propensity for rolling a vehicle, I would avoid a pickup or SUV.

Clearly, a vehicle with a high center of gravity isn't the easiest to handle.

Corolla? Accord?

You total a car, kid, and you don't get to choose "cool". You lost that right with the crash.

You get "safe".

Period.


The replacement vehicle is for his brother. Around here, Honda's and Toyotas get a premium and have 150k plus on the odometer. Still looking at all options right now
 
OP, First glad the kid is OK.

Now, alternative suggestions:
-Chevy Volt: How are the prices on first gen in your area? It's a hatch.
-2001-2004 and 2005-2007 Ford Focus Wagon (low truck with a cover all over) 70+ cubic ft space inside with backseat down. Should be plenty cheap, and most of the parts are from regular Ford focus which they sold a lot.
-Ford Escape Hybrid?
 
I like 2011 and earlier Rangers and related vehicles...if you can't see my signature, I own three with over 200k miles. V6 models are not fuel efficient, they can and do have problems (though most are easy to fix, or at least easy relative to other vehicles), and they are definitely from a bygone era, but they are solid, dependable little trucks overall. I like how they drive, and if you take care of them they just keep going.

I've never had a Duratec, but it has a good reputation from what I've seen. My 3.0 has been pretty reliable... engine and trans are original at 233k miles. Despite the reputation of the auto transmissions, I've never had a single problem from them. The M5OD manual in my 01 2.5 was fine, the one in my 94 4.0 4x4 sucks sometimes, but the previous owners probably have something to do with that.
 
In my price range, I've found a 4WD 2006 Liberty in great shape with 100K.
A 2011 Kia Soul with the 2.0L and 49K
And finally a 2009 Toyota Matrix with 79K

They are all automatic, clean car fax. I know about the potential issues with the Liberty. Any potential issues with the Kia or Toyota?

Thx,

Reggie
 
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