Starter Overland Rig Pros/Cons

[rking.1688]

The thread on the Land Rover was great discussion and got me looking at a ton of great options for a starter rig. I thought it would be a good idea to compile some pros & cons for all kinds of starter rigs. Sort of a reference point for people to get an idea for what might be a good fit and then go from there.

Land Rover Disco I & II
Jeep JK and WJ
Nissan XTerra
Toyota Land Cruiser & 4 Runner
Subaru ?

If you have some advice or info on a rig, start with the truck and tell us what you know about it!


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[Montanarally]

Well I love land cruisers . There reliable lots of room and have a great aftermarket and or build it your self type aftermarket support . I think the 100 series is steal now and a great overland rig . I put over 100k in one and my dads now using it since I upgraded To a 2014 200 series. The 80 series is great to , but due to the price of the little buggers the 100 is better value and can go most place a 80 can but with more room, power and comfort.

Jeeps are not to bad for a cheep start but if most are like my 08 rubi. I would avoid them lol weak axles ,junk cheap inside trim and gutless motor that isn't all that reliable also not counting the electric problems. But they are like Legos and have the most bolt on parts .so lots of options there.

Disco 1 and disco 2s have few problems. Mostly motor wise. They love head gaskets!! But at the price there going for you can pick them up and swap in a chevy and have a great overland classic at a great price(doing a swap now)

Nissan Xterra seem like a good build I personally have never used ,owned or know anyone who has built one , but they seem to be working out for the people building them.
Subaru is well a Subaru and I think I could limit on the areas you could overland at least where I live in the winter (Montana).

4runners are like a small landcruiser so there great!!!

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[Joey83]

The only rig on that list I have driven is the Jeep WJ, and I loved the comfort (I have a problem with my back) the one I drove was stock with wider tires, I will buy one when funds allow me to buy another car.

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[Urban gorilla]

87 runner, it was perfect.

91 Gen 1 Montero. (Current vehicle) With factory lsd rear, bouncy seats, offroad friendly gearing I would say it's a great truck to start with

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[finlayforprez]

I am a bit more "feeling" when it comes to overland rigs, but I tend to like them all and each has their pros and cons. I love my Disco4, but it has limitations. It's new, $, and going to take a bit of effort to set it up, which is the challenge I wanted. Let's face it, lots of these newer 4x4s (any brand) hardly ever see dirt. I absolutely love the Land Cruiser 100 and 200 series, you can't beat that reliability, but I also have been completely impressed with the Tacoma and 4Runners. I also love Jeeps, and the iconic design and capability, but I did not go with a top of the line, fully loaded Wrangler back in 2013 because I wanted something unique. It seemed as though everyone had a Jeep and the support for building them up is amazing, but I wanted a challenge and to be a bit different.

I know newer rigs are not typically the choice for overlanding, but I love the crazy idea of taking a new rig on the trails. Lately I've thought about building out a Lexus GX, Mercedes G, or even a new Land Cruiser. The big problem is price and just way too many computers. Sorry, now I am rambling.

I am looking forward to reading more responses from the vehicles in your list, as I can think of so many pros and cons, but overall, personally, you can't go wrong with any of them. Lots of forum support, aftermarket parts/modifications, and good overall reliability.

As I mentioned above, a big component for me is the feeling I get when driving it and the overall "gut" about taking it on the trails and spending a lot of time with it in the garage. Hahaha!


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