reliable AWD cars + suvs

[anhsicun]

what are some reliable awd car or suvs out thier that can be bought for less then 15,000, no wagons tho. the only car i can think of right now are the early 2000' subaru imprezza any one wanna chim in soem more :).

[Canmorite]

Most 2000 Imprezas are wagons :dunno:

[Ske7ches]

Audi A4s?

[nismodrifter]

Pathfinder = reliable SUV.

[max_boost]

Subaru's are super reliable. My family has 4 (Impreza, WRX, Forester, Tribeca) and zero major problems. They keep going forever. My parents 03 Forester just hit 235,000ks.

:eek: :eek: :eek:

[mo_money2supe]

CRV, RAV4, 4Runner, etc.

By the way, Pathfinder's are anything but reliable.

[Canmorite]

Originally posted by max_boost
Subaru's are super reliable. My family has 4 (Impreza, WRX, Forester, Tribeca) and zero major problems. They keep going forever. My parents 03 Forester just hit 235,000ks.

:eek: :eek: :eek:

:werd: My parents on there 4th Subaru haha. No major problems either, just regular maintenance crap. My '92 Legacy wagon had 236K kms when I sold it, I still see it driving around.

[SR240SX]

Originally posted by mo_money2supe
CRV, RAV4, 4Runner, etc.

By the way, Pathfinder's are anything but reliable.

Maybe a 91 that might not have been maintained well.......

My 02 is great:thumbsup:

[mo_money2supe]

Originally posted by SR240SX
Maybe a 91 that might not have been maintained well.......

My 02 is great:thumbsup:

According to the NPORA forums (http://npora.ipbhost.com/), the WD21 Pathys (90-95) were actually the most reliable. A former Nissan tech buddy of mine has always told me the same thing. Perhaps you just happen to have one of the few that are haven't broken down yet, but something tells me that within a few short years from now, you'll have massive electrical problems and likely a cracked engine block/manifold (typ. of that generation). Take a step into ANY junkyard and you'll notice how many Pathfinders there are there. And trust me, mine's WELL maintained (but still unreliable) as I tend to baby every one of my vehicles. The only reason I bought mine was 'cause I needed a 4x4 within a week's time and it was the only thing that fit my budget at the time.

[TYMSMNY]

Originally posted by anhsicun
what are some reliable awd car or suvs out thier that can be bought for less then 15,000, no wagons tho. the only car i can think of right now are the early 2000' subaru imprezza any one wanna chim in soem more :).

2003 4runner Limited V8 for $20,000? :D

[project240]

Another vote for the 4Runner and Acura MDX. I've owned both for extended periods of time and both have been great vehicles.

[Sorath]

for 15

i`d get a wrx/crv/rav4/a4

[ragu]

4runner, pathfinder....always get the job done

[Graham_A_M]

' 02 or newer CRV. My mom has an '03 CRV and I absolutely love it. 200k and still going strong without a single break-down. Still runs and drives like new.
The best SUV I can think of for the price.:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :clap:

[corsvette]

Audis are hard to beat in the car end,i have found that the truck baised g.m products are very reliable,we are on our third now and have never had any major trouble and are easy and cheap to maintain.

[anhsicun]

Originally posted by Canmorite
Most 2000 Imprezas are wagons :dunno:

oh reallie i didn't know that, no wonder the non wagons ones are within 01 - 05. i just thought they made one each yr kinda like the civics.

thanks for all the adivce guys :). i never knew crv's were awd, kinda surprising i mite just ask my mom friend for a test a ride.

[TYMSMNY]

Originally posted by anhsicun



thanks for all the adivce guys :). i never knew crv's were awd, kinda surprising i mite just ask my mom friend for a test a ride.

CRV's aren't full-time awd... it's that on-demand beef patty.

[szw]

Originally posted by anhsicun


oh reallie i didn't know that, no wonder the non wagons ones are within 01 - 05. i just thought they made one each yr kinda like the civics.

thanks for all the adivce guys :). i never knew crv's were awd, kinda surprising i mite just ask my mom friend for a test a ride.

There are coupe and sedan Impreza's in 98-01 years but relatively few for sale that I see.

[Kloubek]

Anything Honda, or especially Toyota.

Nissan Pathfinders appear to be questionable, but the Xterra is a proven performer.

[picmerollin]

+ 1 pathfinder

they are great, and a very nice one could be had for your price range, or maybe even a infinit QX4- if you like more luxury.

i am on my 2nd and the 1st still ran great @ 350,000 km's- as long as the T-belt is done in the intervals they go forever.

[redblack]

you can find 04-05 subaru impreza's for less than 15k. my wifes 2.5rs has been problem free for the 4 years we had it

[bituerbo]

Isuzu Trooper.
My dad's had his since 1994... 14 years old, still looks immaculate and all he's done is keep up with getting it oil sprayed annually and the scheduled maintenance. It's a domestic... and a gas guzzler, but I prefer to drive this over any 2008 domestic. Don't confuse the Troopers reliability with the Rodeo, as that thing is a complete lemon of a vehicle. I've seen these around $4k - $6k.

Audi allroad.
They only look like a wagon when the adjustable suspension is at it's lowest setting, but hit a button and you've got 8" of ground clearance. 6spd manual transmission is available, with low-range and locking diffs. Air-ride suspension is standard. 250hp 2.7T or 300hp 4.2 V8 engine options. Build quality is leaps and bounds ahead when compared to the equivalent subaru (outback, forester). Prices have just started hitting the $15k mark.

[anhsicun]

the audi sounds like a amazing car but aint the maintence cost really high like bmw's?

[black_2.5RS]

Yah, we have an '03 Legacy and the biggest problem we've had is a burnt out headlight and dash light.

Got an '05 Impreza have a bit of dash rattle. Nothing else. Love Subaru's (but hate the service department - that' another issue altogether).

[a_singh3]

get a porsce caynene turbo

[Eleanor]

Mid 90's 4Runner/Pathfinder

BTW, Honda hasn't made an AWD vehicle until very recently.

[bituerbo]

Originally posted by anhsicun
the audi sounds like a amazing car but aint the maintence cost really high like bmw's?

Just go with the 4.2 V8, it is a WAY more serviceable motor. and makes more power in stock form.

[Preslow]

get an Infiniti QX4, Nissan Pathfinder
i had a 97 QX4, great vehicle! no problems at all!
i also had an 02 QX4 and it was rock solid, both were reliable and gave me no troubles.

[alloroc]

After owning one it is hard to choose anything else ... Subuaru wagon or not - personally I like the wagons for the extra storage.

If you look closely at reliability reports you'll find that most AWD versions of cars have lower reliability and much higher gas milage. This is one of the reasons many manufacturers use on demand awd or a manual switchover.

Subbies really do have an advantage with the boxer engine mounted low. All the shafts etc run straight in with little angle and the driveline relibility is outstanding as a result and so is the driveline efficiency I average between 8 and 9 L/100k rocking summer tires and just over 9 in the city with winters in a 3,500Lb legacy.

[Kloubek]

Originally posted by bituerbo


Just go with the 4.2 V8, it is a WAY more serviceable motor. and makes more power in stock form.

Agreed. I used to have one with the 4.2, and it's a beautiful engine. The timing belt is not scheduled to be changed for 160k!
It is true that if other parts go (especially the adjustable suspension), you're going to pay for it. But honestly, I have never owned a car that felt even as remotely solid as the Audi. The interior is second to none, and the Quattro system is better than any 4X4 or AWD system I've experienced.

However, don't think that ground clearance means you can offroad the thing or anything.... it just doesn't have the suspension for that.

[bituerbo]

Originally posted by Kloubek


Agreed. I used to have one with the 4.2, and it's a beautiful engine. The timing belt is not scheduled to be changed for 160k!
It is true that if other parts go (especially the adjustable suspension), you're going to pay for it. But honestly, I have never owned a car that felt even as remotely solid as the Audi. The interior is second to none, and the Quattro system is better than any 4X4 or AWD system I've experienced.

However, don't think that ground clearance means you can offroad the thing or anything.... it just doesn't have the suspension for that.


Originally posted on Wikipedia
Off-road capabilities
The allroad was designed with the capability to tackle rough road conditions in mind; its standard adjustable air suspension system can lift the car high enough to provide 208 mm (8 in) of ground clearance and a low-range mode, absent from other quattro-equipped vehicles, can be selected with the touch of a button. When used in conjunction, the two systems made it possible for the allroad to complete an official Land Rover test-course, thus far it is the only car-based SUV that has been proven capable of doing so in testing.

[clem24]

Very strange about Subarus... I love them and have not had a single issue with my 05 LGT. The only issue i had with MY00 RS was a rear hub that failed on a long road trip. Otherwise love the cars to death. But what fascinates me is how low Subaru sits on the JD Power initial quality study. It's right down there with Mitsu.

[MoDo27]

You want to buy a 90-99 Eagle Talon Tsi...not a stocker either, you want one with lots of back yard modifications, at least 250K kms and a minimum of 6 previous owners.

THOSE are reliable cars :nut:

[alloroc]

Originally posted by clem24
Very strange about Subarus... I love them and have not had a single issue with my 05 LGT. The only issue i had with MY00 RS was a rear hub that failed on a long road trip. Otherwise love the cars to death. But what fascinates me is how low Subaru sits on the JD Power initial quality study. It's right down there with Mitsu.


I think it is the pool that jd powers gets their info from.
Think eastern USA, Subaru's are few and far between out there and most are hard driven STI's and WRX's.

[Redlyne_mr2]

The pathfinders are nice but there are soo many out there and they depreciate quite quickly.

[R32TypeM]

Originally posted by mo_money2supe
CRV, RAV4, 4Runner, etc.

By the way, Pathfinder's are anything but reliable.

Pathfinders recieve 9/10 to 10/10 for realiabilty on many used car guide websites. I own one and have put 100000km on it much of which is off road due to my job and have done nothing major. Just breaks timing belt etc. Its a 1997 with 240000km now and still doesnt burn oil. Also my brother inlaw has a 2001 with nearly 300k on it and no problems. They arnt great on gas tho.