Hunting rig <15K

[lifeisgoodsteve]

Buying at that price point should have some real options, but speaking from experience...

I'd seriously recommend keeping a significant repair budget when buying the older options.

I bought a 2005 Lexus LX470, which doesn't fit your worthy mpg requirement, but it is good for reference.

• Older and less expensive means higher miles.
• Higher miles means wear and tear items, even on the "bulletproof" or "super reliable" models.
• Wear and tear items still cost a healthy chunk of change nowadays.

So far, this is still worth it with my Lexus, though it turned out to be mighty expensive on my 3/4 ton duramax I got 6 years ago with 180k miles at the time.

Good luck,

s

 

[displacedtexan]

Agree but would add they are also gutless as heck, thus the good mpg.

My only complaint about my wife's is that it's not the 3.6!

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

My only complaint about my wife's is that it's not the 3.6!

Did they ever sell the Outback with the WRX turbo motor? That would be a peppy ride, but probably knocks back the mpg

 

[WKB]

Incorrect. Not one of mine ever needs or gets premium. And there are only 1.5 million miles between them.

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I have a 2008 Lexus rx 350. States right on the gas door "use premium unleaded fuel 91 octane or higher"
The example offered in the comments was a lexus rx330, which also takes premium 91 octane fuel.
If those are late nineties-early 2000s lexus 470s in your picture, then yes, Lexus says to fill them with 91 octane.

Can you put 87 in your Lexus? yup. And you will have degraded power/mpg due to the higher compression ratio, and a detonation knock will develop. Argue if you want.
will it drive ok? yeah probably, and for a long time too.
Will it have higher carbon deposits in the piston walls and heads/combustion chambers? oh yeah baby.
Just because you do it, does not make it right.

 

[180ls1]

Reliability and maintenance matters as well. My Lexus GX470 gets 16ish but is stupidly reliable. I have a sleeping platform inside as well.

Some of these diesels that have been suggested get great MPG but when you add frequent repair costs you have to consider how many gallons of gas that $3,500 repair gets you.

 

[2rocky]

In reality, I'm finding out that I need a "Hunting Rig" only when I am scouting a new area and during 1-3 hunts a year. It really comes down to whether that hunt requires "Off Road" capability.

Off Road Capability comes at the expense of MPG, and Comfort for long drives and daily commuting. At most a vehicle is only going to be used 20% of the time as a "hunting rig". (60 days a year)

Thus, I'm leaning towards a Side x Side after a weekend scouting a desert unit in the Great Basin. It is going to get better Gas Mileage on two tracks and be able to handle the uneven roads.

Everything is a tradeoff . Being I need a tow vehicle for my other hobbies, that I may engage in 40 weeks a year, a side x side just extends the range of that vehicle.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

In reality, I'm finding out that I need a "Hunting Rig" only when I am scouting a new area and during 1-3 hunts a year. It really comes down to whether that hunt requires "Off Road" capability.

Off Road Capability comes at the expense of MPG, and Comfort for long drives and daily commuting. At most a vehicle is only going to be used 20% of the time as a "hunting rig". (60 days a year)

Thus, I'm leaning towards a Side x Side after a weekend scouting a desert unit in the Great Basin. It is going to get better Gas Mileage on two tracks and be able to handle the uneven roads.

Everything is a tradeoff . Being I need a tow vehicle for my other hobbies, that I may engage in 40 weeks a year, a side x side just extends the range of that vehicle.

Agree on the hunting side, but if you like to fish as well, you may be pulling a boat another 60 days a year.

You nailed it with everything is a tradeoff. A guy has to make compromises within a budget, but they gotta be the right ones for every situation. For folks that love to hunt and fish, mpg is just one you have to swallow. That doesn't mean you gotta be stuck with a 13mpg 3/4 ton, but you're very unlikey to average 25 on any choice.

 

[180ls1]

Agree on the hunting side, but if you like to fish as well, you may be pulling a boat another 60 days a year.

You nailed it with everything is a tradeoff. A guy has to make compromises within a budget, but they gotta be the right ones for every situation. For folks that love to hunt and fish, mpg is just one you have to swallow. That doesn't mean you gotta be stuck with a 13mpg 3/4 ton, but you're very unlikey to average 25 on any choice.

Exactly. "No solutions, only trade-offs." I chose comfort and reliability #1, capability #2 and MPG #3.

It's like the racers say. Cheap, Fast, Reliable. Pick 2 of the 3.

 

[displacedtexan]

Did they ever sell the Outback with the WRX turbo motor? That would be a peppy ride, but probably knocks back the mpg

They made a turbo Forester (not exactly the same engine), but not a Outback that I know of. I'm not a Subi Geek though. Lol

I've tried to talk my wife into putting a turbo on hers, but so far no go.

 

[Sapcut]

I have a 2008 Lexus rx 350. States right on the gas door "use premium unleaded fuel 91 octane or higher"
The example offered in the comments was a lexus rx330, which also takes premium 91 octane fuel.
If those are late nineties-early 2000s lexus 470s in your picture, then yes, Lexus says to fill them with 91 octane.

Can you put 87 in your Lexus? yup. And you will have degraded power/mpg due to the higher compression ratio, and a detonation knock will develop. Argue if you want.
will it drive ok? yeah probably, and for a long time too.
Will it have higher carbon deposits in the piston walls and heads/combustion chambers? oh yeah baby.
Just because you do it, does not make it right.

Well, My experience is that my family has driven I think 13 LX470 and Land Cruisers, and nothing but, for the last 27 years with untold hundreds of thousands of miles and untold “scheduled” maintenance costs that I did not have to pay.

I have tested out the premium gas before, as has other LX owners, zero loss of power, zero difference in MPG. Only higher fuel costs. I have never had knocking that I know of on any of them. I actually opened the butterfly valve a few days ago, on one of mine, to see about cleaning it. Negative, didn’t need cleaning. Haven’t used a camera to see piston walls but I know theses engines do not burn oil.

After over 1 million miles with literally zero tranny issues, zero engine issues, wonder how many miles of nearly perfect service and how many dollars of maintenance costs I would’ve saved had I been using premium gas ??

According to Toyota/Lexus, scheduled timing belt maintenance is every 90k miles, replace or pack bearings every 30k miles, etc, etc. . I have timing belts with over 200k miles and original bearings with over 400k miles. I actually bought a ‘99 Land Cruiser with the money I didn’t pay in “scheduled” maintenance on just one of my LXs. Drove it five years and sold it for more than I paid.

Point being, even though Lexus is the best car manufacturer on Earth, just because they say to do it doesn’t mean it’s best. Been there, done that a long time.

 

[Wrench]

Yea, but when you put the numbers together, MPG is a myth when compared to reliability and repair costs of every other option.....and that is when I'm bouncing around driving in the woods every day managing land and timber, including "hunting vehicle season".

I have an lx450 that I just did the front end seals on at 275k. I have to say that there are not many rigs built even close to as tough as the 450. It has tapered roller bearings instead of ball joints for example. The u joints are as big as my cummins and powerstrokes are.

 

[Sapcut]

I have an lx450 that I just did the front end seals on at 275k. I have to say that there are not many rigs built even close to as tough as the 450. It has tapered roller bearings instead of ball joints for example. The u joints are as big as my cummins and powerstrokes are.

I don’t have anything else to compare them to but know they’re the best and designed to be the best.

I have a ‘96 LX450 I got in 2005, drive it for years, gave it to son to drive for years, got it back a few months ago still driving fine with 503k miles.

 

[WKB]

Well, My experience is that my family has driven I think 13 LX470 and Land Cruisers, and nothing but, for the last 27 years with untold hundreds of thousands of miles and untold “scheduled” maintenance costs that I did not have to pay.

I have tested out the premium gas before, as has other LX owners, zero loss of power, zero difference in MPG. Only higher fuel costs. I have never had knocking that I know of on any of them. I actually opened the butterfly valve a few days ago, on one of mine, to see about cleaning it. Negative, didn’t need cleaning. Haven’t used a camera to see piston walls but I know theses engines do not burn oil.

After over 1 million miles with literally zero tranny issues, zero engine issues, wonder how many miles of nearly perfect service and how many dollars of maintenance costs I would’ve saved had I been using premium gas ??

According to Toyota/Lexus, scheduled timing belt maintenance is every 90k miles, replace or pack bearings every 30k miles, etc, etc. . I have timing belts with over 200k miles and original bearings with over 400k miles. I actually bought a ‘99 Land Cruiser with the money I didn’t pay in “scheduled” maintenance on just one of my LXs. Drove it five years and sold it for more than I paid.

Point being, even though Lexus is the best car manufacturer on Earth, just because they say to do it doesn’t mean it’s best. Been there, done that a long time.

yeah, Like I said...just because you do it, doesn't make it right. pre-detonation is a thing in higher compression motors. And yes, you did have loss in mpg and power, you probably didn't notice bc your PCM fuel trims have been adjusted for years from not using 91 Octane. Physics and chemistry is working against you here bud.
Throttle body butterfly valves rarely have carbon build up because that is where the air goes in....not the fuel.
Just so we stay salient to the original comment (s) which recommended a RX330 and an Audi q5, which do take 91 octane premium. you brought an anecdotal example of a completely different car with a different motor (2 whole extra cylinders) to try and prove your point. which wasn't proved, bc Lexus does say to use 91 octane in the LX 470. Glad you have had 13 landcruisers, I hope 14 and 15 work just as good if not better for you.

 

[Sapcut]

yeah, Like I said...just because you do it, doesn't make it right. pre-detonation is a thing in higher compression motors. And yes, you did have loss in mpg and power, you probably didn't notice bc your PCM fuel trims have been adjusted for years from not using 91 Octane. Physics and chemistry is working against you here bud.
Throttle body butterfly valves rarely have carbon build up because that is where the air goes in....not the fuel.
Just so we stay salient to the original comment (s) which recommended a RX330 and an Audi q5, which do take 91 octane premium. you brought an anecdotal example of a completely different car with a different motor (2 whole extra cylinders) to try and prove your point. which wasn't proved, bc Lexus does say to use 91 octane in the LX 470. Glad you have had 13 landcruisers, I hope 14 and 15 work just as good if not better for you.

Well, if you’re going to argue with my experience with said vehicles that are not doing what you say they are with years to show, then you’re just one of those kinds of people. Just because you use premium and think premium is worth it, doesn’t make it right… or best. When you get someone who has used premium in Land Cruisers and Lexii… including RXs for 27 years, let’s compare real notes and costs.

 

[WKB]

Well, if you’re going to argue with my experience with said vehicles that are not doing what you say they are with years to show, then you’re just one of those kinds of people. Just because you use premium and think premium is worth it, doesn’t make it right… or best. When you get someone who has used premium in Land Cruisers and Lexii… including RXs for 27 years, let’s compare real notes and costs.

bro, I literally said I have a lexus. I did not say that your cars have not been reliable for you. as a matter of fact, I think the LX 470/landcruiser family of vehicles are remarkably reliable and I would like to have one someday. All I said was lexus are supposed to take premium, which is a fact as written by lexus. That's it. You made it a personal campaign to tell me otherwise. well, I don't push over yo, especially to anecdotal evidence I read on the internet.
the one thing I hate about my lexus is that it takes premium. I too have used 87 in it. I also have a really cool PCM flash scanner and fancy OBDII reader and I scan the fuel trims. I get about 2-3 mpg less when I use 87. I also get alot of detonation and engine knock. which can lead to carbon fouling in the block/heads and potentially premature catalytic converter clogging. this finding concurs with the vast majority of lexus owners I have interacted with in person and on the interwebs/ forums. Like I said, I hope you and your Lexus continue to keep rolling. I will not devolve into "comparing real notes" or wee wees or whatever else you want to measure. Sorry I hurt your brands feelings.

 

[Spoonman]

Guys, all of the Lexus, Audi, Infiniti and Genesis suggestions take Premium/91 Octane fuel. eww gross.

Get the Outback. Yeah, eventually you will have to replace the head gaskets on it after about 200K miles, but they are by far the best off-road utility option listed and can get 30mpg on the hwy.

My Audi uses diesel and gets mid 30’s mpg. 600 miles to a tank at least.

 

[Wrench]

Anything above the needed octane to keep the combustion cool is simply wasted.....and actually can work against you. You can tune for more power, but if it will run clean on the lowest octane, that's typically the most hp you'll pull for that tune.

And....no modern car is going to run knocking and pinging. The knock sensor will trip and either retard timing or pull spark.

 

[keystone112]

How about a Nissan Frontier? Maybe find an older one in your price range.

 

[ElkNut1]

If all I had was 15,000 It would be the best Toyota 4x4 truck I could find! No question about it!

ElkNut

 

[DenimChicken]

I don’t disagree about trucks making good hunting vehicles. But they cost too much and get garbage MPG. Half the people I know pay >$500 a month for a truck they literally never (or almost never) push harder than a Subaru could be pushed.

@DenimChicken, thanks for your excellent reply. The vehicle would be my winter commuter (motorcycle for 8-9 months), pull a raft trailer for rafting trips, and finally for family camping trips where a CRV isn’t off-road capable enough. MPG would be the first thing I would sacrifice since it won’t get a lot of use, within reasonable limits. I have a hard time swallowing worse MPG than an Outback. With that said I’m moving the Outback up to 2, I love the idea of a Jeep but the track record for reliability is questionable at best.

Given your requirements and use case (not just people who think trucks are cool and that you should have one), I think an Outback or Forester would fit the bill fine.

My wife has a new Outback, and for relatively maintained forest service roads it can go anywhere you want to. Hers is the turbo so it has plenty of pep, but it doesn’t get great gas mileage. I assume you’d be looking at older model years anyway.

For the record, I have a truck and it works for me, but I could make a small SUV work for most of my hunting. I’d use the Outback if I could but I don’t think the better half would be happy when it came back filthy.