What Car - Mild Overland Rig for <$15k, 2006+

I've had this idea in my head of late to build a mild Overland rig and want to make sure I'm considering all options.

I've previously had multiple 3rd gen 4Runners, but sold the last one to get a newer daily to transport our 1-year old. The 09 Accord V6 I have now has been a great daily, and I plan on selling it after this new purchase, but I change my mind on cars frequently and it's time to change things up again.

I think a mild Overland build would be pretty fun, and it would still perform all child transporting duties with ease (as well as the 70 lb dog, the kayak, etc.). Max budget is $15k all-in, could go higher than that but it will be financed so setting that as my ceiling. I'm going to say 2006 or newer as it needs to have the full accompaniment of airbags. Would be nice to have gas mileage in the mid-to-high-teens pre-build. And must have leather, in my price range the mileage is getting up there, so cloth is gonna be a no-go. Would like it to have some get up and go, and a nice exhaust note. Bonus points for a good stereo and AUX plug-in, love that.

Goals would be a 2-3" lift, bigger wheels/tires and an ARB awning/cargo rack. Perfect, for tailgates, beach days and any soccer/baseball/outdoor activities for little man in the future. I'm estimating about $3k for the aftermarket bits. Could always do some breathing mods for the motor and stereo down the road.

My favorite choice at the moment is a GX470, I've reached out on a couple but no luck yet. Great 4WD, nice 4.7L motor, nice interior, Mark Levinson audio, run forever, not enormous, and bought new by obsessive owners. Obviously 4th Gen 4Runner as well, but finding leather and 4WD is actually harder than the GX for my budget. I mean, just look at it...

Are there any other SUVs I should be considering? Anything Chrysler/Fiat with a Hemi that would look cool? I know there are Tahoes/Yukons, so might consider them as well. Crew cab trucks could work too, but they seem to be pricier than SUVs. I am in the Tampa area, and would like to keep my search somewhat local.

Personally, if it doesn't need to do any towing, I'd consider nearly anything AWD to be an option.  Obviously they won't be as capable as a Landcruiser/GX but there are a zillion SUVs out there with some sort of power to all four wheels.  I think a Dakar-esque Acura ZDX would be incredibly cool, and if you squint it would almost look a little like the Peugeot 3008DKR: 

Montero/Pajero Gen3 ran from '01-'06.  With a V6 it is not V8 powerful but the gearing is good and it is stout.   It wont be a Lexus but it wont cost you anywhere near a Lexus price.

Here is a good build thread:  http://corneringconsciousness.blogspot.com/p/the-montero-build.html

Short video from crazy Russians https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4rtM5OUWcs

Real Sample: 2006 w/124k asking $5k That leaves a lot of room for Old Man Emu parts

My first thought is WJ Grand Cherokee.

Accidently ignoring the 2006 or newer requirement of course. Not as much of a fan of the Grand Cherokees newer than the WJ. (Well unless they are in SRT flavor but that's a different question)

Cheap Honda Element, ECamper, wheels and tires. 

R51 V8 Pathfinder, a little hard to find, not quite as plush as a GX.  These come with the Titan/QX80 drivetrain in a smaller package, I love mine.

Daylan C said:

My first thought is WJ Grand Cherokee.

Accidently ignoring the 2006 or newer requirement of course. Not as much of a fan of the Grand Cherokees newer than the WJ. (Well unless they are in SRT flavor but that's a different question)

Other than the year requirement - the WJ is the most hilariously space inefficient vehicle in existence. Effective offroad, but if you're trying to pack kids and gear it'll get small in a hurry. It also has zero driver feedback.

The Lexus seems like a pretty good option, with a tough engine. I'm sure there's a slightly smaller one with the Tacoma V6, that might be worth looking at. You don't need massive power offroad if you have gearing. Really, there is no shortage of reasonably competent SUVs in that price and year range.

I do like my '08 GX470.  Nothing but normal maintenance in 118k miles.  I do wish I'd pulled the trigger on the TRD suspension that was getting blown out for under $500 shipped last summer tho.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Agree, there are a lot of options, so much of it comes down to personal preference. This Nissans (Xterra, Pathfinder) seem to fit the bill, but finding them with leather and 4x4 is also pretty rare. I also prefer the looks of the GX/LX and Toyota 4Runner/Taco. Montero is an interesting one I hadn't considered, but could be an option.

Just to note, no crazy offroading with this one, just a nice stance and occasional 4LO for getting into good spots for fishing, camping, etc.

In reply to CobraSpdRH :

I have enjoyed my '01 Montero, The Sumo Wrestler.  though I too have aspirations of making it more "Overland" I have really done nothing to other than enjoy it.  For us it is a "spare vehicle" and other than a long road trip that involved some light off-roading, it's most typical use these days is going to the beach.  One local beach has some deep sand parking that it is good for.  I also like it because I can stand up my 4 yr old in the back area and disrobe her of sandy wet closes before getting inside.  However, there is still plenty of sand inside.  This one vehicle gets the dedication of a lot of sand keeping the others neat.  

If you are a former 4Runner guy then the natural progression is to move to a Lexus.  You'll be at home there.  

Here is a completed GX470 in the Tampa Area asking $20k

In reply to John Welsh :

Yes, that one was part of my inspiration! Love the Salsa Red Pearl, but $20k seems steep for the age and mileage. I have seen private party 06-08's listed for ~12-14k, just haven't been able to secure a follow-up from anybody. I feel like I could build my own for less than the $20k buy-in he is offering. Still, looks phenomenal.

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to see just how low he is willing to go...

*Edit - side note: these pictures are a dead giveaway of a dealer named Kings Chariot in Jacksonville, who buy up clean Toyota and Lexus SUVs and supply them with all the ARB and OME they can take (or sell as unmolested examples for a pretty penny).

Kings Chariot

H3 with the bigger inline 5 cylinder. Very capable off road. I don't know if you can find the H3 Alpha with the V8 in your budget.

If you can get over the mall crawler image and the dirty look from uninformed Prius drivers at the gas station, they are great offroading and most of the 'overlander' accessories were available from Hummer or as specific aftermarket parts.

In reply to CobraSpdRH :

The ad for the Salsa Red is 29 days old.  I would say that the world is not jumping at his $20k ask.  Could be that it really is "not for sale", just listed high to see if he can snag a buyer.  Or, he's deep into it and trying to get it all back.  Who knows what his desperation really is?  Maybe it's just Kings' listing posing as a private party.  

Wow, Kings has some nice stuff but yeah, big bucks.  However, people will pay big for what they neither have the skill or the time to do themselves.  

Back to Montero.  That silver '06 Limited Edition was the last year and the most expensive Mitsu sold in the US.  That would have been near $50k in 2006.  It's why Mitsu discontinued the Montero in the US.  They were having a hard time justifying the price and the low volume.  It is why they came with the Montero Sport (different chassis) to be able to play at a lower price.  I see it has the rear seat AC option.  I do not, would be nice.  

The Montero/Pajero is still sold in other counties like Australia. Pretty much the same chassis: https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au/vehicles/pajero

CobraSpdRH said:

In reply to John Welsh :

Yes, that one was part of my inspiration! Love the Salsa Red Pearl, but $20k seems steep for the age and mileage. I have seen private party 06-08's listed for ~12-14k, just haven't been able to secure a follow-up from anybody. I feel like I could build my own for less than the $20k buy-in he is offering. Still, looks phenomenal.

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to see just how low he is willing to go...

 

Price all the ARB and OME stuff (don't forget shipping, that stuff is big and heavy), plus finding a clean, sub 150k mile GX, LX, or LC, and at 20k thats not a bad price considering you can just stroke a check and get what you want.

If you want to play with the Toyota boys, its gonna take ponying up the cash or settling for a 98-02 LC or LX or an 03 or 04 GX and doing the mods as your McBudget permits.

My preference and recommendation is the 06-07 Land Cruiser, by then they got most of the LX stuff like tilt/telescope wheel, but look a little better, don't have the lower ground effects of the LX, and have the VVTi motor and 5 speed trans.  

I thought I wanted a GX really bad because they are like a baby Land Cruiser and are about half the buy in for comparable age and miles, but the LC and LX are really that much nicer.  Bigger vehicle with absolutely no penalty in MPG or driving dynamics.  Also the rear door on the GX is the suck.  

2006-2007 Sequoia. Has pretty a lot of common stuff underneath (EDIT: referring to common suspension/brake/driveline components) with a 4Runner (and basically the same 4.7 as the Lexus/t4R), but at a much lower buy-in cost since it's the one "not cool" Toyota. Almost all the 4Runner off-road stuff bolts up, lots of space. Kind of big for  super-serious wheeling but just fine for real overlanding and exploring, and has a cavernous interior (room for a full mattress if you so desier)

Since they're way cheaper year/mileage vs. 4Runner/LC you have a lot more money left for the build. National Geographic drove one (virtually stock) on an around-the-world expedition if that says anything..... 

this is a nice build, but you have to register to see the pics well:  https://sequoia-forums.com/threads/2005-sequoia-overland.86/

this guy does a good bit of overland expeditioning/exploring in his (and has some cool "trip reports"): https://xpedbc.com/sequoia/

Mine is more of a tow/support rig for rally, but it's definitely done some light adventuring (as well as higher-speed runs down rally stages) and has never had the least bit of trouble in any terrain I've been in with it. 

In reply to irish44j :

Going to look at the sequoia you mentioned. Any pics of your cargo area with third row in use? 

Sequoia frame rot is real.  Same issue as the Taco and Tundra.  Plus they are Henco in Americano, not sweet sweet Japan like the 4 Runner, LC, GX, LX.

So yeah Sequoias are not in the same league as the 4Runner et al.  There is a reason a fully optioned up Sequoia is $60k and a Land Cruiser is $85k.  Its not just $25k of feel-good.  Its probably $10k of feel good and $15k of value.

Sequoias are Tundra based, not 4Runner based.  The GX is 4Runner based.  Please do not spread misinformation.  

mr2s2000elise said:

In reply to irish44j :

Going to look at the sequoia you mentioned. Any pics of your cargo area with third row in use? 

My third row seats have been in my attic for years lol....I usually run only the single seat (passenger side) on the mid row and remove all the rest, since for rally we carry a lot of cargo but rarely more than 2-3 people. Plus the seats are really heavy, so taking them out saves me probably 200lbs, which is a lot when you're carrying 8 big bins full of suspension parts and 6-8 wheels/tires, air tank, etc etc. 

Third row seats actually move on sliders forward and back. With them in the middle position (based on the mount lugs) there is about 24" behind the 3rd row seats. It's not as big as a Suburban back there, but there's a ton of space. 3rd row seats are "quick remove" mechanisms to take them out. 2nd row are bolted down but still only take a couple minutes to remove. They also fold flat and also tilt forward against the front seats, and I'd say there's like 7 feet between them and the rear hatch in that position. With the middle row folded flat I've easily fit 8' sheets of plywood inside the truck (it's just wide enough).

I was looking for some pics of all our rally service stuff and spares loaded up but no dice. This will show you some size though. This is with the 3rd row installed, but pushed all the way forward.

93gsxturbo said:

Sequoia frame rot is real.  Same issue as the Taco and Tundra.  Plus they are Henco in Americano, not sweet sweet Japan like the 4 Runner, LC, GX, LX.

So yeah Sequoias are not in the same league as the 4Runner et al.  There is a reason a fully optioned up Sequoia is $60k and a Land Cruiser is $85k.  Its not just $25k of feel-good.  Its probably $10k of feel good and $15k of value.  

Yes, it is a real thing....and Toyota will replace the frame if it's an issue (it's generally an issue on ones from salt-state vehicles). They just sent another round of frame inspection notices.  Mine WAS from a salty area (Jersey Shore) but has nothing worse than some surface rust. I was hoping it was worse, honestly, so I coudl get a new frame. No suck luck. 

As to build location, not sure why that's relevant. i've had enough Japan-built vehicles to know they rust just like anything else. 

Comparing the 4Runner and Sequioa is not really a valid comparison though. The Sequoia is really big, and carries a lot of stuff.  And it feels big and plodding (Bilsteins and urethane steering rack bushings improve it greatly, however). The 4Runner is deceptively small inside, less interior volume than a Highlander or even a Rav4 (IIRC), and is comparatively sporty. From that generation they both drive truck-y and the both have dated interiors (the Sequoia moreso). I loved our (2008) 4Runner, but damn it was cramped in there with any amount of gear or kids. And yep, I've owned both back-to-back so actually have years of firsthand experience ;)

Comparing with the LC....ok. The LC from that generation is a better vehicle, no question......up with all kinds of luxo-features that the Sequoia didn't have, more power, better looks, and IIRC a rear locker or LSD.  Cargo volume isn't even close....Sequoia is something like 130 sq ft. and LC is about 90 (4Runner is 75). SO yeah, the LC drives better and is better off-road, but carries less and costs more. Everything is a tradeoff. If serious off-roading was my goal, LC or 4Runner is a better starting point for sure. If overland and long expeditioning with other people aboard is, Sequoia has room for more gear and people. For towing, there is no comparison. Sequoia is far more stable towing than 4Runner, by a large margin. I've towed thousands of miles with both. 

Locally LC's are not common on our large CL, and when they are, an 05-07 range still goes for $12-15k. while an 05-07 Sequoia with less miles goes for half that, and there are plenty to choose from.

Also, I'll give you one thing that makes the Sequoia better than the LC from that generation: roll-down hatch window like the 4Runner. We use it all the time, and I can't even imagine owning an SUV with a fixed hatch window...

The Lexus rigs can be found for a good deal as well, though they have more specialty suspension stuff that may or may not be harder to find if you're overlanding out in the middle of nowhere....

Cliffs:

4Runner: awesome, attractive, great off-road, and tiny interior with lousy seats. Used price: relatively high

LC: awesome, decently attractive, great off-road, more interior space, no roll-down rear window, dumb side-folding third row is dumb. Used price: relatively high and not many on the market.

Sequoia: a bit dowdy, looks ok with some mods, still pretty good off-road, cavernous cargo space and comfy seats, roll-down rear window. used price: amazingly low, and easy to find. 

Lexus rigs: also a good deal on the used market (though none are as big as Sequioa), none have roll-down rear window, and some have fancy suspension stuff that isn't "find it anywhere" Tundra/Taco/4Runner stuff. Also have the nicest interiors of the bunch. 

You really can't go wrong with any of them, but they each have their advantages and disadvantages depending on what your needs are.

The split tailgate is the bees knees!  Don't hate it till you try it!

93gsxturbo said:

 

Sequoias are Tundra based, not 4Runner based.  The GX is 4Runner based.  Please do not spread misinformation.  

Just for the record, I didn't say Sequoias are "based on" the 4Runner, only that they shared a lot of common components underneath (by underneath, I was referring to suspension, brakes, driveline stuff, not the chassis itself, which is obviously different). I added an edit comment to clarify. I've owned enough Toyota trucks to know the lineage ;)

BTW, FWIW the original window sticker in my Sequioa's glove box shows it at $45,800 as optioned-up with all available Limited options except rear air bags while a L/C went for $55k. I assume you were referring to the current models, and I will fully admit that the current LC is infinitely superior to the current Sequioa, which I have no particular affinity for whatsoever. The gap between them was not nearly so great in the previous generations, however. 

Don't overlook a Tahoe if you're looking at a Sequoia.

I have a 4Runner. I think it is great, since I got it for 1/2 of what they usually sell for around here. Before I saw found the 4Runner, I was looking at Sequoias and Tahoes. A Sequoia probably would've been a better tow/overland/vacation car.

93gsxturbo said:

The split tailgate is the bees knees!  Don't hate it till you try it!

split tailgate is cool, but just makes for more effort when loading cargo into the back (though far superior for football game parking lots). I'll still take the roll-down rear window, personally ;)

I only came here to say GX and i feel affirmed. Carry on..

How about a nice pseudo-truck? Had 2, loved 'em both.