New Guy

[Stewartb109]

Hey guys, my name is Bryan. I do not own a 4x4 vehicle, though for quite some time I have been attempting to use my Hybrid Civic as such (scars and damage to prove it). I am needing and wanting to break into the 4x4 game for a few different reasons. I need the increased cargo space and capabilities primarily for work related things (I am a firearms instructor and foreign diplomatic protections agent) and areas I need to access.

I don't plan on taking it on extreme trails, but do want to get it dirty and travel with it. Sorry guys, I don't find any fun in spending thousands on parts to drive over a couple large boulders only to break said parts and rinse and repeat:whaa:. So I guess the way to classify what I would be into is Overlanding and not wheeling / crawling ?

(I will post the same question in the Other Rigs section as I am below just in case fewer people read the intro's than the general question sections)

So I need your help guys on deciding what direction to go for a vehicle within a few criteria. Any input would be great since the more I research the more confusing / frustrating things get (MPG, Cost of upkeep, repairs, problems, ect)

1. I need 4x4 and I would like to stay within the SUV class. I have looked at Land Rovers (I like Discos / LR3's), Hummer (H3), Jeep Wrangler (Prefer Unlimited), and FJ's. Are there any others I should be looking at since I am not rock crawling?

2. Cost -- I am looking at used (or new if its within reason) and would prefer not to spend any more than $25,000

3. Reliability. Hummers and Land Rovers come in at the cheapest out of all of the vehicles I have looked at, but apparently the cost of repairs and frequency of stuff breaking is high. Here is where most of my frustration comes into play. When I first started looking at these vehicles they came highly rated in capability and reliability. However the more I looked around and dug deep into forums, it seemed they where cheap to buy, but broke a lot and repairs are insane in cost. How true is this? Should I avoid both?

4. Fuel / MPG / Engine. I am looking for something that will last (my civic has 154K miles on it), and preferably get an alright MPG. Again, when I first started looking into the H3, it was looking like most where getting 20-25 MPG once they replaced the Cold Air with something like AirDoc / K&N, however digging deeper it looks like on average its 13-18 tops even stock (I plan on going 35'' tires, MAYBE a roof rack, snorkel, brush bar, spare, with weapons / ammo / ect). What vehicle is getting the most out of the MPG with the add ons?

5. Add Ons. I would like the ability to add a Brush Bar (I hear ARB is the best), Roof Rack, Snorkel, and bigger tires without the need of a lift kit. So aside from the Wrangler, do they all have a good variety / ability to mount these things? It seems Land Rover has some of the smallest pool of options.





Thanks guys for putting up with my newbie questions. I appreciate any and all input / feedback.:cheers:

 

[06 H3]

Welcome from so cal!

 

[TAPDH3T]

Welcome from Texas!!

 

[Ed's06h3]

Welcome

 

[LagunaH1]

Welcome to H4O.

It seems to me that cost and frequency of repair is *very* subjective depending on who you ask. What seems like no big deal to one person may be too expensive for another. I do think that given your intended use, you could reasonably expect to not see the same frequency and type of repairs as those of use who do crawl over rocks on a regular basis

My suggestion would be to go look for an '07 or newer H3 with the 3.7 liter i5 engine. It won't be a fast truck, especially when you put 35's on it, but it will be reasonable and it ought to last a good long time with proper servicing.

In my opinion, Hummer's are pretty reliable but as with most other vehicles they have their "quirks" or a fairly short list of weak spots. On an H3 the front diff carrier bushing is a prime example. Once you get to know what those common issues are, and get them resolved, I think you would find that the truck is just fine.

With regards to Land Rovers: You will get a lot of differing opinions about them. A friend of mine had an LR3 and put 100000 miles on it and never had any serious problems. He used it mostly for on-road driving, but did occasionally take it off pavement for mild off-roading and camping. The LR3 will probably not give any type of good mileage it's just too heavy and the V8 is thirsty. Others will tell you real horror stories about Land Rovers.

Go with your gut. Choose the vehicle you *like* the most and then make it work for you.

 

[3Hummers]

Most experience very good reliability with H3s. Nobody posts up that they have gone 70-80,000 miles without a major problem but everyone posts up when they do have an issue. Go with a 3.7 or Alpha if possible.

 

[Stewartb109]

Thanks for the Welcomes and replies guys. After weeks of looking around and a few bad 06' and 07' test runs and inspections of Hummers I did find a few 08's with low miles (30K). No Alphas are reasonably priced around here unless you jump into the 80K game (not really a good trade off since my current ride has 153K).

I'm not to worried with the slowness of the i5, especially since I don't speed. As for my gut feeling... that would of been an H1 stripped down so I can drive with no roof or doors on -- but I'm not willing to drop that kind of coin. H3 would be just fine assuming they work out.

Thanks again guys.

 

[MessiaH2]

Welcome from NJ

 

[BW_Hummer H3]

Howdy!

 

[Zach]

Welcome to the forum. And good luck in your search. I've got a H2 with just under 175k on the clock. Been the most reliable vehicle I've had. I've also seen higher mileage H3's that haven't had many issues.

 

[H3DONIST]

:hi:

 

[High Five H2]

i have an h3 alpha with nearly 100k miles on it, and it's been great. i had an 03 discovery with the same miles and i couldn't keep it out of the shop, it broke down so much. it was a cool truck, though. economy sucked, too - 14 highway, premium. there's a reasonable aftermarket for land rovers. not as big as for jeep. hummer is about in between.

hummer reliability is same as chevy. MPG isn't super good with the 5.3, but from what i hear, the I5 is slow as balls. but as far as what you seem to be looking for, hummers are great vehicles. you can put everything you're looking for on an H3. 35s fit with a small torsion bar crank. from what I understand, H2s have a better aftermarket, but their fuel economy is garbage and they're more expensive than what you want. I paid way less than 25K for my alpha.

 

[JonBishop]

welcome from SoCal!!

 

[06-3]

Thanks for the thread , its a good read , you have 25 G to invest...hmmm....there is a lot of places you could go with that...gosh a used shorty Jeep with a v8 could tear your face off out on a trail...a Liberty might work if you want a little more room, that too has a typical spill your coffee ride,Land Rovers are usually bought by rich schnobs and seldom see off road, dont think you could find one for 25g..but maybe...now we are Hummer peeps around here, but we will except what ever you want to buy, but let me say this , A nice H3 , and take yur time lookin for it , is very comfy, roomy , has leather seats, pretty good tunes, will go dam near anywhere, its fun to fix up and fart around with,and not just anybody has one either, they are a dieing breed, but if you buy one ,you can be just like us , maintain it and drive it , enjoy it and have fun and hang out here, these folks here can sure tell ya how to fix it if you break it....I have had mine over a year now and I grin whenever I put the key in her...good luck, and be sure to post the pic of your new Hummer...

:thumbs:

 

[RamRod]

Welcome!

 

[Stewartb109]

Thank you for the continued replies guys. I have my fingers crossed for Tomorrow, as I have an appointment set up to check out an 08' base model (or so its listed, we will see when I get eyes on). Its a little higher than I would like for what it is (listed $22K for 30K miles, 08'). Either way, we will see and finger crossed, and if I do end up going with it, I will have some immediate wrench time from what I keep hearing in terms of upgrades.

 

[06-3]

Thirty thow is a rare find man , that would put you in great shape for the road ahead....:dance.....good luck !

 

[Hans3T]

Welcome! I'm sure a Hummer will serve you better than a civic hybrid in just about every way other than MPGs...