Having sold my AWD Volvo wagon, this is the first winter in years I have not had a four wheel drive. Stuck, I have started sniffing around Samurais.

On a trip to Peru in the eighties I saw my first and fell in love with it. A few years later they imported them to the states and I bought one. It did everything right other than deliver the gas mileage I expected from such a small tinny car. In 1986, while you could probably get a gray market one for less, the full list price was $6,200.

Despite a garage and driveway filled with cars to chose from, the Samurai was almost always the car of choice and certainly the least safe. After years of ownership and with a child approaching 16, I felt selling it to be the responsible thing to do.

Now, in 2015, with luck one with 100K will be in the $4,500 - $5,000 range with some preserved, stock ones well into 5 figures.

As an alternative, I looked into Wranglers. One in the condition of the one I sold in the 90s for around $5,000 is bringing ....maybe nearly double that today. Then there are old convertible Land Rovers but the loved 88 I sold due to a job loss seemed to go up in value by a factor of 10 within days of my selling and has not come down.

This brought to mind those that disparage the Crossfire and its prospects for price appreciation.

I should have kept them all ........

 

I have a friend that has several Samurai's. They are bad ***. Way better than I ever gave them credit for. I was amazed what that thing can do. The worst thing is they are pre OBD and there is a BUNCH of stuff (vacuum lines, switches, stuff) under the hood. There is a way to install some kind of Volkswagen? engine in them to help that.

 

I had my Samurai for 17 years. Bought it after the bad press for 1/2 price. Best car investment ever (so far :-) I very much wish I still had it, but I gave it to one of the kids who loves it. The last time I tried to buy one, it was from a scammer (no sale), which is the real tell that it's in demand. I fully expect the xfire to have the same price appreciation result

 

I've never had a 4WD/AWD, never felt a need for one. Have had my GC for three years now and tow a lot and still have no need for more than 2WD and a big six.

People say the resale is better for a 4x4 but mine was $2k less to start and gets about a MPG more with less complexity, weight, and monkey motion. Is really the best tow car I've ever had & since replacing the OEM Goodyears with Michelins it does a lot better in the rain.

 

I have an X-90. It sets on a sami drive line. It goes and goes. I mounted a UAV snow plow on it this year and am having a blast with it.... go to the Zukiworld forum and check out some of the rides...you might see an X-90

 

The successors to the Samurai were the Tracker and Sidekick. I have a 96 Tracker 4x4 convertible. I use it in the winter when we have bad snow storms, and it's never let me down. It's performed very well. If we are going someplace where parking is a problem we take the Tracker. It's so short we can park a lot of places other cars can't. We also don't care if it get's another ding in the paint.

Sometimes forum members joke about the Crossfire being out of date compared to today's cars. The Tracker has no technology in it. Windows are hand cranked, and you have to roll down the window to adjust the door mirrors. No antilock brakes or traction control. You never know when an exterior light is out. However, as it's a 96 it does have an OBDII port and dual air bags.

 

Back in the early 90's I was going to the Florida Dealer Auto Auctions about every 3 or 4 weeks. I can't remember exactly when it was, but there seemed to be a rash of Samurai's flippin over around that time. It may have only been a few, but the News Media jumped on the story and made it sound like an epidemic
Anyway, it killed the resale on them, and I'd see perfect low mileage roadsters that were only a few years old selling for around $1600.00. I thought seriously about picking one up to pull a "gang mower" behind it, and maybe put a small snow plow on it too. But I wanted a coupe with air, and they were about $500.00 more. Well, as luck would have it, I never found just the right one, and since the buying public has a short memory, the prices started going back up.
I wish I had picked one up, I always liked them.

 

I have a 1996 X90 5 speed 4 wheel drive ac/ pwr windows& locks. T-tops Neat little car has about 106,000 miles, have had about 3 years have had not 1 problem. Get a lot of ? "s from people ,what is it,never seen one
Also had a new Subaru brat back in the day

 

My snow shovel.

 

another view of my snow shovel...

 

The Suzukis are good cars. We have a 2010 SX4 that my wife drives. If all you need to do is get around in the snow, you might consider it!

 

Consumer Reports stuck some long out riggers on them and repeatedly drove them through their accident avoidance course until they got them to tip up as all SUVs (especially the then current Bronco) are prone to do. Not only did they make repeated attempts at it but they had to switch drivers to get it done.

I found it a fun car to drive with the responsive short wheel base and decent engine response. The basicness of it was a major plus for me. As with the TVR and Land Rover, when they "improved" them they became more civilized and less what they were.