Looking for suggestions on a winter beater/commuter

[hondalrd]

Hey everyone, So I have a 2018 Ford F-150 that is paid off and has close to 120000km on it. I have always had company trucks so I never really put much miles on my personal trucks but I recently got a new job and have to commute out of town everyday I work. The commute is 70-80 km a day but they do pay a travel allowance everyday. So I am looking at getting a smaller suv due to fuel prices getting high and not wanting to mile out my truck. I will be using this for hunting and scouting a lot also. I never hunt with a quad always quarter up and haul out of the bush so a little truck doesn’t make sense. I am wondering which suvs are reliable and good on fuel that are some what off-road worthy?

 

[lilduke]

Cant go wrong with a Jeep imo. Fuel milage could be better I guess. They are square

 

[Bogger]

There are as many opinions as models.... I LOVE the 4-runners but theyare $$$ and not great for daily commuter.

Rav-4 & CRV are great on fuel for an SUV (if you can call them that) and very reliable but small. I like Suzuki's the Grande Vitara is cheap and reliable.

Other options are AWD wagons like the Audi A4 and Subaru's - you gain fuel economy but lose ground clearance - Subaru has the best AWD system out there IMO

 

[mclean]

Wife and I just got a MB GLE63s. Should be a blast of a beater in the winter haha

 

[SHREK1]

1999 with 54000 km, hail damage lindstrand auction its a 1200.00 right now, looks like a good beater

 

[hondalrd]

View attachment 245009View attachment 2450091999 with 54000 km, hail damage lindstrand auction its a 1200.00 right now, looks like a good beater

Thanks for sharing that! Looking more for a 4x4 suv

 

[fj40]

Get something like this
Any toyota or honda 4 wheel drive
They are more money but the repairs are less stay away from older European

 

[hondalrd]

Get something like this
Any toyota or honda 4 wheel drive
They are more money but the repairs are less stay away from older European

That’s a good looking unit, Is that a older 4 runner?

 

[Sessionsdoo]

That’s a good looking unit, Is that a older 4 runner?

Landcruiser from 90s.... also a lexus 470 is the same thing as a cruiser. Built very well as Fj40 said.

 

[fj40]

That’s a good looking unit, Is that a older 4 runner?

No a Lexus LX 450

 

[jhurkot]

 

[Zrock]

So by the time you buy a beater, pay insurance and such its going to take you forever to recoup the cost of any fuel savings you might see. Id just drive your current for a few more years and use the travel allowance as a payment for new in a few years and keep the old truck as the beater

 

[Stompin Tom]

So by the time you buy a beater, pay insurance and such its going to take you forever to recoup the cost of any fuel savings you might see. Id just drive your current for a few more years and use the travel allowance as a payment for new in a few years and keep the old truck as the beater

Id agree. The pickup will be dropping in value pretty fast now, save the upfront money, run the F150, mile her out. More comfortable than the beater, less chance of breaking down (although it is a Ford so ......) and probably not much difference in fuel.

 

[Lightningmike]

Havent you seen the commercial for the Qushqai ? They are the shiznit!!
Bahaha

 

[hondalrd]

Id agree. The pickup will be dropping in value pretty fast now, save the upfront money, run the F150, mile her out. More comfortable than the beater, less chance of breaking down (although it is a Ford so ......) and probably not much difference in fuel.

I did think about this, but correct me if I am wrong. That truck will depreciate hard after 160000km and I would like to re coup my equity I have into it before it is completely miled out and not desirable to anyone. The fuel savings alone would be around $1000 a year so not huge but it would also keep about 20,000 km a year off the truck if I had a beater. I also don’t like being in debt so a paid off vehicle is a nice feeling for myself

 

[Beer Slayer]

View attachment 245018

Probably electrocuted the deer with a full charge...maybe not.
Need a pic with the hood open and an electric fryin' pan plugged in fryin' that bad boy up.

I've had co-workers with the Rav4's and Suzuki's, beat the crap outta them...they're small.
They all rotted out with the salt used here.

 

[j335]

RAV4’s are cheap, not good clearance for serious off-road. Being a Toyota parts are cheep, which is key for a beater. Prices are likely a bit higher going into winter, cars would be cheaper right now.

Cummuter is the way to go, it’s more than fuel savings. Breaks/tires/etc, also parking at the best spots where your truck won’t fit, don’t have to care about someone dinging your doors.

 

[Stompin Tom]

Go for a Tesla. Cheap on fuel, all wheel drive, put a bit of a lift kit in and your set.

 

[Zrock]

I did think about this, but correct me if I am wrong. That truck will depreciate hard after 160000km and I would like to re coup my equity I have into it before it is completely miled out and not desirable to anyone. The fuel savings alone would be around $1000 a year so not huge but it would also keep about 20,000 km a year off the truck if I had a beater. I also don’t like being in debt so a paid off vehicle is a nice feeling for myself

iv seen alot of people go this route and in the long run it never payed off the way they expected... Heck i even see people pull the insurance off and just let the veh sit for 9 months out of the year... What is the point? You save up your driving allowance separate account and in a few years you trade in your truck and with the money you saved a new truck is going to cost you next to nothing... I watch people do that all the time up here and they are getting new veh every few years and costs them next to nothing..

 

[Pedaling pete]

I think the point was being out of debt?