When I started this venture, I had a very tiny budget and no car for travelling. My travel plans involved areas where a 4-wheel-drive is essential. There are very few cars in this category with a low ticket price. I could only consider a privately sold Jeep.
So, why was a Jeep that sold for $70,000 when new going for under $4,000 sixteen years later? A Toyota, Mitsubishi or similar 4×4 with the same mileage and age would cost at least four times as much. According to many sources, the answer is reliability.
I decided on a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland diesel with 250,000km. This model comes from Austria with a Mercedes engine and gearbox. Later Fiat bought Chrysler/Jeep. I figured that with Mercedes mechanicals and the best constant 4WD system Jeep makes, I could live with the rest of the reliability issues.
And there were a few. I spent as much as the purchase price again for new shocks, a rebuilt power steering pump and replacing worn parts. I had to make a few electrical repairs myself – with the help of Dr Google.
I was ready for travel except for needing new all-terrain tires. Covid hit, forestalling further journeys. The Jeep served me well for 16+ months as my primary transport.
And then, a week after the yearly service and coming back from a weekend away and towing the van, the engine died. A quick investigation at the roadside highlighted the seriousness of the issue. There was oil in the water and very little oil in the sump. Given that the coolant was only warm, I suspect the oil cooler seal failed. A head gasket leak usually causes the water to boil.
Either way, everyone was telling me it was not repairable. A rebuild or a motor replacement was going to cost upward of $12,000. The vehicle was just not worth that sort of investment.
A Mercedes diesel with only 250,000km should not have died. It could be just bad luck, but I put it down to poor servicing. I don’t think it was the famed Jeep unreliability that did me in. For the money I paid, I did not expect nor did I get a service history.
What would I do if I were to repeat the experiment? The Jeep cost me around $8,000, with all noticeable problems rectified by my favourite mechanics. If I were less picky about the brand and 4WD capability, I could pick up something with service history for around $10,000. That does not mean I wouldn’t have more repairs to do – but there are less likely to be as many since prior services should have found them. Or am I being naive?
The next step up is a lot more viable. Isuzu is known for reliability. An 11-year-old model with 350,000km sells for around $16,000 with a service history. This model is reportedly better than R10 at 500,000km – meaning that more than 90% of cars will still be running without engine failure after 500,000km.
There is another advantage to buying a well-known quality make. If the motor does need replacing, the cost is only about $6,000 – half that for the Jeep. The icing is in the resale. A 4×4 of the same age but $200,000km on the clock will sell for upward of $25,000 – more than paying for the engine replacement.
The ultimate is a new car. You will know every kilometre driven, every service and every repair made for life. The latest features, specifically those related to safety, add value also. On the other hand, bush bashing in a new vehicle without a scratch makes me nervous.
What am I going to do? I think I will go with the new car. It will see me out. All the latest safety features are stunning. Braking if a vehicle in front stops suddenly; Read speed signs and warn you; Dynamic cruise control based on the car in front; Lane changing warnings; Warnings when backing out of a park; and many more. Cars have recently moved from protecting us when we have an accident to help us avoid an accident – all of which is a more practical use of the technology than self-driving cars.