I will post this here, adn in the Montero forum as well...

I am looking to buy a used SUV. I am thinking about something in the 95/96 age range because that seems to be what fits my budget.

I have started to look, and the 3 that I seem to like the most are the Montero, the Trooper, and the explorer. I dont like the explorer as much because it is so generic, but right now I need to be somewhat practical.

Here is my situation. I drive about 130 miles a day to and from work. I have a taurus right now, and it is decent on miliage, but too small for my job, plus Nebraska winters can be a little rough, and I can not NOT go into work because of snow.

I am looking for something that I can load thousands of miles on fairly trouble free. I dont mind doing the maint work myself. everything that I am looking at already has over 100k...so I need something that can take 150-200k without being too much trouble. I also thought about a 4 runner, or pathfinder....but do not know if that is as smart of a choice or not.

I realize that MPG will suck no matter what. my main concern is for good reliable running truck that wont leave me stuck in snow or mud.

Any ideas, tips, personal experiance etc would be great. Thanks.

My experience is that Trooper and the Montero are MUCH MUCH larger. And better made.

I have a lot of friends that have regretted their Ford purchases.

My $0.02

They aren't nicknamed "Exploders" for nothing... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />

I'll agree with the above post.

Can't say much about Monteros, but in terms of interior cargo volume, Troopers are larger than even Durangos of that vintage, let alone Explorers.

Reliability is better with Troopers. About the only "typical" problem for those years is valve ticking for SOHC models, and this is more of an aethetic issue than anything to worry about. Lotta people have the high miles you are looking for on their Troopers.

Parts are cheaper and easier to find for a Ford, but on average you will need them more often, too.

Mpg will be slightly better on a Trooper over Explorer, but not good for any of them as you noted...you can get a 5.0L V8 Explorer if you like 13 mpg tops (my friend has one).

explorer

My dad had a 94 explorer and beat the ever loving crap out of it every single minute of every day. My brother still drives it with 130k on it and no major problems.

The auto hubs contain many parts made out of plastic and break at about 80k miles.

There is a vacuum regulator on the auto tranny that fails at about 100k and allows the engine vacuum to suck trannny fluid into the intake. To repair the $10 valve, you have to remove the carpet and access the valve through the floor access panel. The symptoms are vacuum lines blowing off their mounts for no aparrent reason. By the time the fix is made, the engine has drank a lot of ATF.

A section of brake line failed at 100k and had to be replaced, due to corrosion. Suspension-wise they are pretty solid though.

isuzu

The Isuzu 3.2/3.5 DOHC released in 98 has oil drainback problems which may or may not become a factor in longevity. If it becomes a problem and uses more than 1qt per 1000 miles, the engine could develop lubing problems and internal engine damage. This is not rare, but is not having to every single one by any means.

The Isuzu EGR system is a common source of problems if not cleaned regularly. Dealerships often replace the whole assembly if they are unaware of the cleaning process.

The hyrdraulic valve lash adjuster "tick" has been mentioned. Searching under "tick" will give you some posts to read. This was corrected with an engine redesign in 98 I believe.


I would reccommend the isuzu because of their terrible resale value. Isuzu has very little marketing presence left in the USA which means their vehicles are very cheap. They are overbuilt and use many inventive technologies, which makes them such a prize to those who know what they are looking at. Very stout suspension systems and few mechanical problems, overbuilt in terms of construction and materials. I'd also look at 5 speeds since you could get a nicer, newer 5-speed for the same money as an older automatic Trooper.


chris

The last generation Montero (2001+) is a great vehicle, according to my impressions. It is fantastic on the road (much better than any Isuzu) and it is relatively OK off-road.

But if you are talking about the older (95/96) vehicles, I would choose Trooper over any other vehicle. In those years Trooper was absolutely the best SUV on the road. The older Montero was just awful as a daily driver (my personal impression).

I would not consider an Explorer as a practical solution.

So, if you are choosing something in between 94 and 2000, you need a Trooper. If you have money for a 2001+ vehicle, I'd suggest a Montero.

Oleg

I dont think that I will be able to find a 98 or newer in my price range.

I read a couple of places that the engine is a GM engine and not all that strong/reliable. aside from the tick, is this a true statement? anyone know? One of the reasons for looking at the Trooper is the fact that Japanese engines seems to be much more reliable for loading on tons and tons of miles...at least that is the impression that i have.

Isuzu used GM engines in 88-91 troops only. 92 and later engines are pure Isuzu.

My GM 2.8L has 203,700 on it and is still goin strong.
What about a rodeo? more aerodynamic for sure than a trooper and were pretty well powered in 95-6. They are kind of in the same class as 4runners and the like.
-J <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Consumer Guide

Here's a handy site that details the so called Gen. 2 Trooper (1992 and up) with year-to-year changes, dealer options and the like. Of course, it's got the standard blue book pricing tables too. And there's the same info on Rodeos and Amigos and all the other Zu hardware from this era too, just in case you'd like to compare.

Sorry guys, no Gen. 1 info on this one. Anyone know of such a thing or could some of us put one together? Would be mighty useful. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

- Paul <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />