Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - What small safe 4x4's have no center console?

cajunfj40 · 11-29-2016, 10:41 PM

roosterk0031: No worries - just getting a pointer to a vehicle I hadn't previously considered is a help. As for the 08 GV accessories, might need to check whether older parts could be swapped in to make use of the existing aftermarket.

Found a 2001 Tracker 4-door manual on CL for $1500 with 169k on the body/139k on the swapped in engine. Leaks refrigerant and some oil. Looking really interesting if the seating doesn't bug me too much.

aardvarcus: I test drove a 1998 K1500 exit cab shortbed with factory 4.3 V6 and 5-speed. Too many problems on that particular one for me, but it felt reasonable after discounting for the age and condition. Would have been great for my needs - I don't need a V8, but if I get the horsepower bug there's plenty goodies that will fit that engine.

As for short trips, you didn't miss it - I failed to mention it. Must have edited it out before I posted.

Only trouble is parsing the really complex crash result pattern - only certain years of certain styles of the GMT400 pass my minimum - except all the Suburbans do.

Hersbird: The Durango is a possibility, but it looks like manuals and v6's went away by the time they got a 4*/4* crash rating (2001).

The Cherokee is interesting because it is quite narrow and has a great aftermarket. Problem is, only 1995 and 1996 meet my 4*/4* crash result criteria. Grand Cherokee didn't meet/surpass it until 2005.

Generally:
Starting to think the seating may be an unsolvable problem in anything but a full size or a pre-passenger-airbag rig. And it could take a lot of fabrication, too. Nuts. I've gotten used to my compact car, I don't really want a big truck but a good bench seat is very appealing to me. Wish I didn't hate the looks of the 1997+ F150, it would increase my options. The 1998-2001 Dodge Extended Cab trucks are even wider inside, but are really thirsty and I've heard of reliability issues.

Other vehicles that may work: Ford Explorer from 1995 on, but automatics got a very bad reputation. Lots of cheap ones around, though. 1997 or newer Jeep Wrangler - expensive unless rusty but I found a decent-looking 4-cyl manual one for $4k on CL that might be worth checking out. 4Runners from 1999 on are surprisingly narrow. Frame rot is an issue though.

I suppose I could do a body lift and flatten the center hump down, but that's getting really involved and I'm not all that certain what a body lift does to the crash mechanics. :-/

And my car just decided to leak enough brake fluid to have a stupid-low pedal and poor braking. My timetable is getting short - if this costs too much to fix, I either settle on something I can find this weekend or I fix the car with cash from the truck fund and wait until spring. :-( (too dark and wet to see where the leak is...)

11-29-2016, 10:41 PM	#9 (permalink)
cajunfj40 Lurking Eco-wall-o-texter Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: MPLS, MN area Posts: 128 Thanks: 0 Thanked 66 Times in 45 Posts	roosterk0031: No worries - just getting a pointer to a vehicle I hadn't previously considered is a help. As for the 08 GV accessories, might need to check whether older parts could be swapped in to make use of the existing aftermarket. Found a 2001 Tracker 4-door manual on CL for $1500 with 169k on the body/139k on the swapped in engine. Leaks refrigerant and some oil. Looking really interesting if the seating doesn't bug me too much. aardvarcus: I test drove a 1998 K1500 exit cab shortbed with factory 4.3 V6 and 5-speed. Too many problems on that particular one for me, but it felt reasonable after discounting for the age and condition. Would have been great for my needs - I don't need a V8, but if I get the horsepower bug there's plenty goodies that will fit that engine. As for short trips, you didn't miss it - I failed to mention it. Must have edited it out before I posted. Only trouble is parsing the really complex crash result pattern - only certain years of certain styles of the GMT400 pass my minimum - except all the Suburbans do. Hersbird: The Durango is a possibility, but it looks like manuals and v6's went away by the time they got a 4/4 crash rating (2001). The Cherokee is interesting because it is quite narrow and has a great aftermarket. Problem is, only 1995 and 1996 meet my 4/4 crash result criteria. Grand Cherokee didn't meet/surpass it until 2005. Generally: Starting to think the seating may be an unsolvable problem in anything but a full size or a pre-passenger-airbag rig. And it could take a lot of fabrication, too. Nuts. I've gotten used to my compact car, I don't really want a big truck but a good bench seat is very appealing to me. Wish I didn't hate the looks of the 1997+ F150, it would increase my options. The 1998-2001 Dodge Extended Cab trucks are even wider inside, but are really thirsty and I've heard of reliability issues. Other vehicles that may work: Ford Explorer from 1995 on, but automatics got a very bad reputation. Lots of cheap ones around, though. 1997 or newer Jeep Wrangler - expensive unless rusty but I found a decent-looking 4-cyl manual one for $4k on CL that might be worth checking out. 4Runners from 1999 on are surprisingly narrow. Frame rot is an issue though. I suppose I could do a body lift and flatten the center hump down, but that's getting really involved and I'm not all that certain what a body lift does to the crash mechanics. :-/ And my car just decided to leak enough brake fluid to have a stupid-low pedal and poor braking. My timetable is getting short - if this costs too much to fix, I either settle on something I can find this weekend or I fix the car with cash from the truck fund and wait until spring. :-( (too dark and wet to see where the leak is...)