Budget beater with a heater, small-midsized-SUV quirky-not-a-Cherokee Edition

My work has not told me yet if i'll be working from home this winter, so i have to assume that i should be looking for an SUV type thing.

Do i need an SUV-type thing? No.
Could i just buy any FWD penalty box? Yep.
Am i going to? Nope.

Now that that's out of the way, if i'm going to drive a cheap piece of crap, i want something that i can laugh at a little, or is just cool. Long-term reliability is NOT something i'm concerned about in the least bit, nor is gas mileage. However, i'd irrationally prefer to stay away from domestics and V8s. I have no good reason for either of those requirements, so i won't be explaining why.

Easy Mode: Under $3k, 4wd, doesn't LOOK like a huge E36 M3box.

HARD MODE: $2k or under, 4wd, 5spd

REQUIRED CREATURE COMFORTS: No huge holes in the soft top (i'm seeing a lot of soft top trucks for cheap), and working heat. (or easy to replace heater core) Beyond that? Don't care. Manual windows and locks? Bring it on. Bench seat? berkeley yeah. Hilariously long shifter throws? Yup, i like that E36 M3. Stereo? I can add one if i care enough.

Here's what i've come up with. I would greatly appreciate it if you guys would rank them in order of preference, awesomeness, reliability, coolness, or whatever arbitrary ranking system you prefer.

XTerra
Pathfinder
Trooper
Amigo
Rodeo
Passport
Samurai
Sidekick
Montero
X90
Sportage
XL7
Grand Vitara
RAV4

Isuzus are REALLY cheap around me. Looking Indianapolis area.

Will update in a little bit with some of the contenders i've found.

Is now one the right time to get a cheap Land Rover and document just how terrible the ownership experience is?

Will drop the "no domestic" clause for a 5spd 4x4 4.0 Comanche.

Also add Suzuki XL-7, the stretch Tracker 4 door which look cool slightly lifted.

I also agree on Isuzu Rodeo/Amigo.

And add the Vitara into your search terms too. I picked up our '99 with 91k for $900 and I've enjoyed driving it enough this summer that I never bothered to get the Miata out of the garage.

Thanks guys, adding those two as well.

Trooper>All

Also, Vcross, but a cursory glance at the list of craigs is coming up nada for either in a 3 pedal variant near indy. YMMV

Montero.

http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/4669675959.html

They have depreciation like stones so getting a clean one for under 3K is pretty easy. You may look at eary foresters too but you do have the whole HG issue.

through "Grand" in front of that Vitara for the V6

yawn.. Done.

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4679800962.html

Am i right in remembering that the 1st and 2nd gen Monteros were better than the ones that followed? I'd LOVE a 1st gen Montero, but they seem to not exist anymore.

They exist. They're the dirt we walk on.... they rusted completely away!

Booo... That sort of "look" is what i'd end up with, ideally.

http://terrehaute.craigslist.org/cto/4569565481.html

http://bloomington.craigslist.org/cto/4666187182.html

http://tippecanoe.craigslist.org/cto/4663611961.html

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4678498005.html

why was this hard?

flyer.. :http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4603844602.html renault convertible.

http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/4632004241.html http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/4661092486.html

Just come south for solid monteros. They exist

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: http://terrehaute.craigslist.org/cto/4569565481.html http://bloomington.craigslist.org/cto/4666187182.html http://tippecanoe.craigslist.org/cto/4663611961.html http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4678498005.html why was this hard? flyer.. :http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4603844602.html renault convertible.

Heh...

1) Not an SUV (though still interesting)
2) Was on my list
3) Was on my list
4) Was on my list
5) That's really.... something.

I think i'm mostly interested right now in the rankings of the list i've got, and/or others i've missed and/or "Yes, go buy a Land Rover!"

Mazda Navajo

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4593836427.html no manual trans but cool.

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4641800524.html

Cotton wrote: Mazda Navajo

I see what you did there.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4641800524.html

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4593836427.html no manual trans but cool.

Both on the CL bookmarks list already because i'm really really dumb.

You want a small, cheap and quirky SUV where you don't care about reliability, etc... Here ya' go.

If you're scared of a Land Rover, and in light of a price limit that precludes finding a Vehicross, buy the Sportage. Find the cheapest one you can, and then use the engine for something crazy when you're done with the thing.

Listing what i've got so far:

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4678545589.html
http://kokomo.craigslist.org/cto/4675936347.html
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4614668196.html
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/ctd/4678597511.html
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4677704905.html
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4665895463.html
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4652625191.html
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/ctd/4650733298.html
http://terrehaute.craigslist.org/cto/4676166550.html
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/ctd/4680686707.html
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4651044892.html
http://bloomington.craigslist.org/cto/4666187182.html
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4639254591.html
http://richmondin.craigslist.org/cto/4679036041.html
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4652321941.html
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4641800524.html
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/4668120700.html

http://bloomington.craigslist.org/cto/4675123784.html

I'd love to find a decent shape samurai or raider locally, but they're all either beat to berkeley or non-registerable woods rigs.

MG Bryan wrote: If you're scared of a Land Rover, and in light of a price limit that precludes finding a Vehicross, buy the Sportage. Find the cheapest one you can, and then use the engine for something crazy when you're done with the thing.

Like so?

http://richmondin.craigslist.org/cto/4679036041.html

While not "technically" a domestic in anything other than the emblem, if you're shopping Monteros of yore, don't forget the Dodge Raider.