| Author | Message | ||
     Bads1 |
EZ, No it won't fit 2 bikes in the back. One and a passenger. It's a great lil helper for what it is. It'll do what that alot of other car makers can't do and they are larger in some cases. (Message edited by bads1 on March 03, 2007) | ||
| Liquorwhere |
A Dodge Dakota starts at $19,880. A Mitsubishi Raider starts at $19,890. The Mitsu is in fact $10 more, not $4,000 less as claimed. The warranty is a little better (by 2 years). The Colorado warranty is better than both. The V6 makes 210hp and gets 15/19mpg (4WD), the V8 makes 235hp and gets 15/20mpg. More importantly, the V8 makes 60lbs more torque. Well when my buddy worked it out for me the factory rebate was so large on the mitsubishi that it was $4000.00 cheaper than the Dakota sitting a few yards from it...same color, similar set up. Auto to stick, but I wanted a stick...I don't sell cars man, just know the numbers I was quoted. His commission didn't matter to the truck either, he was just trying to give me his best deal.... | ||
| Ceejay |
A herse would be way cool. There's some folks that I've worked with that are turning one into a C browns tailgaiting vehicle-shaved door handles, lowered, chopped, tinted, with a power grill that rolls out the back, painted brown and orange! They'll hold the weight of two bikes but I think you have to make a custom top or drop the floor down to axles and move the gas tank, would still be seriously cool. I now have an F250, and it made me laugh when a guy I work with pulled up in his ford aerostar. We were loading 2X2X2 cabbage cases, he put 12 in his minivan-rear and middle seats were gone, I put six in the bed, didn't have a cap. Those damn minivans, dirt cheap, haul everything, and probably get decent mileage, plus you could leave the bikes in the van and not worry as much about weather, theives, etc. might have to upgrade the springs and brakes but hell that's about 600 bucks, you could probably get a decent minivan for about 2000. less than 3 grand and while you may not be stylin, your definitely gettin' it done. | ||
| Xl1200r |
Bads1 - A Blast is only 30 lbs lighter than an XB. They aren't *that* light. If you only want to haul the bike occasionally, then it might not be a bad choice. But, if it's going to be a regular thing, then something with more carrying capicty or a trailer is going to be your best bet. I didn't mean to come off as a d**k before (going through a BS breakup, school stress, need to find a job after graduation, etc.), but I still don't believe that you don't feel a performance difference when the thing is loaded up. Or maybe you just don't notice it, or don't care enough or something. If I have another person in my car, I don't feel it. But when I pack 4 of friends in there, I can tell, let alone hauling cleaning equippment and motorcycles. Liquore - the rebates could have been the big difference there. Just because the trucks come out of the same factory doesn't mean the rebates are the same. According to CarsDirect.com, the Mitsu has $1000 more in rebates right now than the Dodge. The automatic trans is worth as much as $1200 in those trucks as well. I really didn't mean to come off like an ass, but I gotta call it like I see it. | ||
| Bads1 |
Mark, Sorry but I feel no lage in performance at all. Hell the thing is loaded with all my Equipment as we speak. It doe not sag at all. Here hows this?? I bought the truck to haul around my carpet equipment also to take my dogs in because the ease of clean up with dog hair. Gotta love that there is no carpet....I blow it clean with a gas leaf blower,LOL So I take very often my two kids,my wife and my two dogs and my gas tank is usually pretty full. My son is a big boy I'm 220 my daughter maybe 85,my wife none of your Biz and my dogs both put together is exactly 235 lbs. Truck moves out like nothing is in it. I'm telling ya I freaked myself with this lil 5hit. | ||
| Kdan |
My Element hasn't let me down either, the only time I notice a performance lag is when I'm towing my 2600lb camper. Yeah, I know, it's only rated to tow 1500...But I only tow it when I want to go girly camping with my daughters. 3000 - 4000 miles a year.  | ||
| Bads1 |
Dan the only thing I don't like is I wish it had alittle less cabin noise. Maybe more sound insulation put strategic area's and somewhat smoother ride. I'm ready for tires this Spring so I'm going to opt for something different in tire choice. | ||
| Kdan |
Bads1 - Try the Bridgestone Duellers. Way better ride! Quieter too. I've got almost 80k and one of the best mods I've done is an uber sound system...No more road noise. Is yours a 5 speed? Because I think the autos are a little better, but not much. The new SC's are all carpeted and quite cushy...Only problem is, it defeats the whole purpose in my opinion. I love my Element. Almost as much as my bikes. | ||
| Bads1 |
Mine is a Auto. I'll take your advice on tires when Spring hits us. Whats a uber sound system ?? I like mine without carpet for sure. | ||
| Kdan |
6 speaker Rockford Fosgate system, 15" subwoofer and a 1600watt Kicker amp. I can't hear sh!t for road noise when I'm jammin' (Message edited by kdan on March 03, 2007) | ||
| Bads1 |
Where do you have the Sub?? What kind of stereo and where are the speakers all mounted?? | ||
| Kdan |
The Sub is in the back in a box. Uses half the cargo area, but you have to realize your priorities. The entire system is Rockford Fosgate. The rest of the speakers are in the normal speaker receptacles for the Elements, in the doors. Sounds really really good. | ||
| Bads1 |
Are you using the stock radio?? | ||
| Kdan |
Oh hell no. I purchased it early in 03, scored a DX with no radio and no A/C. Had the dealer install the A/C and did the sounds myself. | ||
| Rick_a |
I'd hate to have a bike and a spare gas can or two inside the vehicle with me. Loading and unloading becomes much more of a hassle, too. I'd rather have something with an actual bed. My wife likes the Element. I think it's versatile, sure, but doesn't really accel at anything. I'm with the camp that'd rather haul than trailer. If there's inclement weather a tarp or cover works fine. She really likes the Toyota FJ cruiser, but to me that's just another big gas guzzlin' SUV that would be totally impractical for my uses, and also far too expensive. Yeah, the base price isn't bad, but I've never seen one anywhere close to MSRP. It does look the bomb, though. | ||
| Bads1 |
Rick actually it accel's much more then you think. It will haul any light load. It'll take passenger's up to 4 in complete comfort. More leg room in the back then you can imagine I'm a 6 footer and can almost stretch out completely. It does just as well in slippery conditions as any large 4wd truck and even faster in the condition's. Gas mileage is great for what iy is. Better then any mini van and it'll hold just as much inside. Pick up trucks are great but not if you have to rely on it for only truck with family. If you go somewhere it better be the 4 door or its a no go comfort wise and even then if you have some personal belongings with 4 people there might not be any room for it so then it has to go in the back,in the bed where you can't get at it till you stop or pull over. They all have there pro's and con's. The Element does so much for me its unbelieveable but if I have a heavy load and passengers I have my 06 Durango with third row seating which is comfortable may I add. I'm just saying the Element will do most light duty stuff without fuss for the person that can't have both. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
I think Chasespeed mentioned the (real) Isuzu's like Rodeo Trooper... They are pretty bulletproof and can be had for reasonable prices. I have an Isuzu Axiom  About 4500 lbs towing capacity. Mine has 230HP and 230 lb/ft. The 2004's have 250 hp and lb/ft with direct injection. It has selectable 2WD, AWD, and 4WD Low. It's built on a fully boxed frame with 8 crossmembers. It's a nice tight chassis. 2004 was the last year for the Axiom, but you can find plenty low mileage examples or some leftovers. It has no problem towing my 19 ft boat, bikes or quads. Another cool Isuzu is the Vehicross. They are pretty rare, but very capable offroaders:  | ||
| Chasespeed |
ALL isuzu trucks, use a boxed frame, BELIEVE me, TOUGH to tweak... The VX is slick... its a SWB Trooper, with a different body, but, again Rare, The Rodeos used the 3.2 V6, and later the 3.5 with adn without Direct Injection.. The tranny are the MUA5 spd, and the 4L30E auto... I know I have towed a 24ft trailer with mine, a little above the wieght limit, but, towed it with no problems... Chase | ||
| Azxb9r |
For a small to midsize truck, the Toyota Tacoma is king. Very reliable, well built, and the 4.0L V-6 makes a fair amount of usable torque. The Nissan is also a decent choice, but doesnt take a beating as well as the Toyota. The Nissan V-6 makes more horsepower than the Toyota, but doesnt have as much "usable" torque. The Durango is OK with the 4.7L V-8, good running motor that has been pretty reliable so far. Avoid the V-6 Durango, gas mileage is not enough better to justify the lack of power, not as reliable either. The Durango is also a ball-joint eater if it used on rough roads. The Ford Explorer Sportrac is a nice versatile truck, however I have mixed feelings about Fords 4.0L V-6. It creates decent power, but has some reliability issues. No major failures, but alot of coolant leaks and vacuum leaks along with Fords MAF problems, these things keep me employed with all the PO171 and PO174 DTCs that they are plagued with. The Colorado has been pretty good so far, but I dont have enough personal experience with them to give you a good evaluation. My personal opinion would be to avoid the Isuzu. Some people love these things, and if you just hop into one and drive it, it is easy to see why. They have a very comfortable and familiar feel to them. The problem is in the poor engineering. They are a PITA to work on, and prone to various failures. We have a joke at work that "you cant fix an Isuzu, you can only make it better for a little while". They have transmission problems, hub & axle problems, and more electronic problems than any other Asian manufacturer. I am just addressing small trucks here, full-size is a different can of worms. BTW , I am an ASE certified auto. tech., my opinions are based on what I see at work on a daily basis. Happy hunting  | ||
| Azxb9r |
In my last post I meant Dodge Dakota, not Durango ... oops  | ||
| Chasespeed |
My personal opinion would be to avoid the Isuzu. Some people love these things, and if you just hop into one and drive it, it is easy to see why. They have a very comfortable and familiar feel to them. The problem is in the poor engineering. They are a PITA to work on, and prone to various failures. We have a joke at work that "you cant fix an Isuzu, you can only make it better for a little while". They have transmission problems, hub & axle problems, and more electronic problems than any other Asian manufacturer well, if you are refering to the newer Isuzu pick-ups, you KNOW (being a ASE), that its a rebadged GM... If you are refering to the 90s versions, well, I have NEVER heard that, and I have bought MY zu's based onteh fact that I KNEW they would last me... The only thing Isuzu in the 90's trucks was the motors, and that was only on 93 and up Troopers, adn 94 and up Rodeos, the rest is CHEVY and Dana, GM 4L30 trannys, Dana 44 rear axles, etc.. the motors in teh older rodeo and troopers, where... chevy 2.8 v6s(and some older troopers had the 2.3/2.6 liter I4) oh yeah, gave up on following up on my ASE's long ago, it means nothing... Anyway, to each their own... Oh, BTW, the Duragno is a Dakota...without the bed... I worked for Ford and Chrysler in the service depts for a while... and guess what, I will NEVER own a Chrysler, I can still remember the recalls on the neon head gaskets, Grand cherokee front axles, Interpid water pumps...etc.. And I am not a fan of fords... The only saving grace that the Bronc has, is..well, its pushrod, adn was recently rewired, almost no ford electrical problems..ALMOST...... Reality, EVERY vehcile has its problems, I absolutely despise chryselr products, does that mean they are all bad? Hell no.. You aparently have come across a bad truck.. Oh yeah, I spend quite a bit of time working on my neighbors Tundra... This thread is like A "what bike is better than what you currently own" thread... You will have some comments, some numbers, but, basically ALOT of opinion... You wanna know what I think? Go out, and test ANYTHING that tickles YOU, read throgh consumer reports, and THEN ask opinions of THOSE vehciles... Other than that....shrug.. but, what do I know...I only swung the wrenches...} Chase (Message edited by chasespeed on March 04, 2007) | ||
| Bads1 |
Chase, I just bought a new Durango. The old Durango as 2003 or older runs on the Dakota platform. 2004 or newer doesn't. They are a pretty big truck and heavy in comparison to the old one by a long shot. | ||
| Chasespeed |
I stand corrected, I havent been under one of the new ones... I will need to soon.. Chase | ||
| Azxb9r |
It would appear that I insulted someones favorite brand. This thread asked for opinions on small and midsize trucks, that is what I offered. I mentioned my credentials to illustrate that I was not basing my opinion on my experience with one individual vehicle, but rather with numerous vehicles over several years. I agree that all manufacturers have their issues, the question is which issues you are willing to live with. To answer that question you need to know what the issues are. Isuzus reliability issues are well documented. Between 1995 and 2005 Isuzu released 18 TSBs for trans. problems,16 TSBs for driveability problems,2 for driveline problems, and 8 for engine mechanical problems. That is a total of 42 TSBs for reliability related issues. TSBs are released for known pattern failures, not one time fluke problems. The only other manufacturer to have more TSBs on their small and midsize trucks was GM. Nissan had a total of 23, Toyota 12. I realize that TSBs do not tell the entire story, but they give you a good idea of what type(and how many)problems you are likely to have. The 4L30 trans. is a good example. Instead of using GMs durable 4L60E,Isuzu opted for the failure prone 4L30. The new Durango has grown from a mid size to a full size, which is why I pointed out that I meant Dakota. Some manufacturers are better at full size trucks than others,some are better at small trucks . Being able to make one doesnt mean you can make the other.Right now Toyota and Nissan have the better track record for small trucks. | ||
| Chasespeed |
Being able to make one doesnt mean you can make the other.Right now Toyota and Nissan have the better track record for small trucks. This, I agree on... }"It would appear that I insulted someones favorite brand." Hardly... I prefer them simply because they are easy to work on, and problem free... Then again, maybe its just me that got extremely high miles from my little POS's...doesnt matter.. A TSB is just that, a service bulletin.. its NOT a recall, tis a guideline of how to deal with a certain problem... like, the rodeos have a problem with the fuel level sending unit failint... USED to be, you had to replace the whoel assy.. now, its a 40 dollar sending unit, witht eh o-rings etc.. I dont really care who drives what... The thread asked fro opinions like you said, and in MY experience, these SUV's are pretty damn reliable... BTW, in MY opinion, ALL automatics are failure prone... its should have GEARS and a clutch... Its not an argument, and to point out, my personal favorite truck, is the 78-73 GM, or the early 80's toyota, simple reliable, effective.... BUT, like I mentioned befroe, having worked for chrysler(was a dodge/jeep/chrysler dealer) and ford, I will not own one... my chic bought a Bronco.. cant fault her for that, though I am the one that has to work on it.. Chase} (Message edited by chasespeed on March 05, 2007) | ||
| Bads1 |
Heres pic of our new Durango SLT. Had a 4 Runner before and have owned Toyota's for 12 years now. One thing I can say about the Dodge is it's very solid feeling truck. Quiet in the cabin,plenty of tow capacity,very very smooth ride. The only thing I hate are the wheels. They gotta go and they are very soon. I'm going to put some 20 inch wheels. Something very close to what they put on the new Durango Limited. They just seem to fill up the wheel well some.   | ||
| Chasespeed |
As much as I hate chrysler, that is a nice looking truck... Current 20's   Old 20's in front of the shop  No, that isnt my rodeo in the background..thats my neighbors.... this rodeo is jacked 2.5 inches.. it will be getting some terra grapplers, or sometrhign similar, in a 31 or 32 inch tire... Couldnt stand the way the older rims looked.. too... i dunno... Chase (Message edited by chasespeed on March 05, 2007) | ||
| Kdan |
Bads1 -  Dude, that's a minivan!! | ||
| Bads1 |
Kdan, C'mon man do you see a Soccer Ball sticker on that thing?? Its really a nice truck if wanna know. I can't wait to change out the wheels though. | ||
| Xl1200r |
BTW, in MY opinion, ALL automatics are failure prone... its should have GEARS and a clutch...  Automatic transmissions can be just as reliable as a manual so long as heavy-duty enough transmission is used. And last time I was inside an automatic transmission I swear I remember playing around with a planetary gear set and a few clutch packs  |
