Hello from Colorado! Looking for most reliable and SIMPLEST 4x4!

[stavok]

Hello! Newbie from Colorado here. Our 2006 Hummer H3 is dying and I'm starting shopping for a new 4x4. Stumbled onto the Ineos from the G-Wagon forum.

I've owned a few Landcruisers over the years and was trying to buy another a few years ago, but everyone wanted a fortune for their beat to shit 30 year old ones so I settled for the H3. I hated Hummers before but realized the H3's are actually decent 4 wheelers (especially with the rear locker). I spent a few years in the oil patch in the deserts of the middle east and gained even more appreciation for 80 series Landcruisers. Stripped of all the north American garbage they were indestructible with a manual transmission. Only vehicle that could drive 2 hours at 120 DegF through 2 ft deep sand at near redline. All others failed (Nissan Patrol distant second).

What do I want?- The simplest, most robust, most reliable 4x4 on the planet. I want NO electronics, hell I'd even settle for crank up windows. Luxuries I kind of want are automatic transmission and ABS with traction control. I miss my old LC when I could adjust the blend door with the lever and feel the lubricated cable moving the hinge. I hate it when the body control module computer thinks about if it wants to allow me to turn up the heater fan! Looking at the Ineos, I wish they had gone with the most absolute minimalist design and gone even less G-wagon: no turbo, no big display, everything manual. BMW engine reliability??? Before you say, buy a 40 year old Landcruiser the problem is finding a reliable 40 year old vehicle. Oh I wish I could import an Aussie spec 70 series but here I am in the USA with things like emission controls and safety standards. Anyway, I'm thinking the Ineos may be the closest thing I can find to my goals in a new vehicle...

My first post here will likely be "Ongoing Concern?" thread. I see the Restructuring thread. Even a reliable vehicle needs support and that does not come from a defunct manufacturer.

All the best and thanks for reading, Stavok

 

[AngusMacG]

Horse?

 

[Dokatd]

Why not an H1 or mil version of. I own an M998 and an M1079A1 and they are great trucks with no frills. There are lots of options to slightly civilize them.

Just an option anyways.

World Wide Vintage right there in Denver has a decently priced H1.

 

[stavok]

Why not an H1 or mil version of. I own an M998 and an M1079A1 and they are great trucks with no frills. There are lots of options to slightly civilize them.

Just an option anyways.

World Wide Vintage right there in Denver has a decently priced H1.

I drove an H1 once briefly and didn't like it much. Felt like I was driving a tractor the width of a house, but then again I was driving a WRX at the time. Good idea and maybe I should re-visit one. A shrunk down version would be more appealing to me. Have yours been reliable and easy to service? My favorite quote about them is something like: "so noisy that you can't argue with your wife and the passenger seat is so far away you can't reach over to hit her"

 

[Commodore]

Unimog if it doesn’t have to be an actual passenger car.

There isn’t a single current production car that meets your requirements. The Grenadier is as close as you can get in the US.

That means you are looking at older cars. Suck it up and pay for a good 80 series. They are out there but ever harder to find. The other option is an older G Wagen. Unlike the 80 its life was likely being driven around LA by some wife/mom. The G500 is pretty straightforward but still more complex than an 80 series.

 

[Dokatd]

Unimog if it doesn’t have to be an actual passenger car.

There isn’t a single current production car that meets your requirements. The Grenadier is as close as you can get in the US.

That means you are looking at older cars. Suck it up and pay for a good 80 series. They are out there but ever harder to find. The other option is an older G Wagen. Unlike the 80 its life was likely being driven around LA by some wife/mom. The G500 is pretty straightforward but still more complex than an 80 series.

Facts!

 

[landmannnn]

Hello! Newbie from Colorado here. Our 2006 Hummer H3 is dying and I'm starting shopping for a new 4x4. Stumbled onto the Ineos from the G-Wagon forum.

I've owned a few Landcruisers over the years and was trying to buy another a few years ago, but everyone wanted a fortune for their beat to shit 30 year old ones so I settled for the H3. I hated Hummers before but realized the H3's are actually decent 4 wheelers (especially with the rear locker). I spent a few years in the oil patch in the deserts of the middle east and gained even more appreciation for 80 series Landcruisers. Stripped of all the north American garbage they were indestructible with a manual transmission. Only vehicle that could drive 2 hours at 120 DegF through 2 ft deep sand at near redline. All others failed (Nissan Patrol distant second).

What do I want?- The simplest, most robust, most reliable 4x4 on the planet. I want NO electronics, hell I'd even settle for crank up windows. Luxuries I kind of want are automatic transmission and ABS with traction control. I miss my old LC when I could adjust the blend door with the lever and feel the lubricated cable moving the hinge. I hate it when the body control module computer thinks about if it wants to allow me to turn up the heater fan! Looking at the Ineos, I wish they had gone with the most absolute minimalist design and gone even less G-wagon: no turbo, no big display, everything manual. BMW engine reliability??? Before you say, buy a 40 year old Landcruiser the problem is finding a reliable 40 year old vehicle. Oh I wish I could import an Aussie spec 70 series but here I am in the USA with things like emission controls and safety standards. Anyway, I'm thinking the Ineos may be the closest thing I can find to my goals in a new vehicle...

My first post here will likely be "Ongoing Concern?" thread. I see the Restructuring thread. Even a reliable vehicle needs support and that does not come from a defunct manufacturer.

All the best and thanks for reading, Stavok

The Grenadier is a long way away from your basic requirements.
If you like your H3 why not search out a good condition low mileage example?

 

[Krabby]

Might be a struggle to find a LHD version, but any LC70 product MY2000 or older can be legally imported. In the LR Defender space there are a handful of companies that do all the leg work (paperwork, shipping, etc.) for you.

I REGRET selling my 1992 FJ - so effing dumb. Less than 60k miles on the clock, clean as hell with just two tiny little rust bubbles that could have easily been repaired. Ef me that was a mistake.

 

[stavok]

Might be a struggle to find a LHD version, but any LC70 product MY2000 or older can be legally imported. In the LR Defender space there are a handful of companies that do all the leg work (paperwork, shipping, etc.) for you.

I REGRET selling my 1992 FJ - so effing dumb. Less than 60k miles on the clock, clean as hell with just two tiny little rust bubbles that could have easily been repaired. Ef me that was a mistake.

Its funny you should mention that. I bought my wife a beautiful Landcruiser in Abu Dhabi that we wanted to keep forever. When we got transferred back to the US, I called a handful of importers to arrange to bring it over. Every single one of them said "don't do it". I was baffled- "isn't that your business?" Yes, they would respond but it's not worth the hassle. From door reinforcements to emission controls they said the costs and paperwork were just not worth it. This was a while ago so maybe things have changed but back then I was highly discouraged by the people whose business it was to import them. Currently living in a county with very strict emission standards and testing I can imagine there is no way I would ever get the vehicle registered here. Importing a vehicle and legally registering it are two vastly different things. Maybe in a few years when we move to Wyoming!

 

[Krabby]

The thing is that vehicles 25 years or older are often exempt from all that stuff. Was the LC in question less than 25 years old? If so, those folks did you a solid as it would be a nightmare.

Check THIS OUT. It's a link to the customs and borders website.

 

[cyson]

As far as recent vehicles in the US, is there anything other than the previous generation 4Runner that fits this bill?

I've never owned one since they're kinda boring but I think they're probably the best candidate for high mileage, low maintenace 4x4.