Value: Smart car vs Average 2wd ATV

[Skerby]

ANyone else scracthing their head when they see the prices of some new ATV's vs what you can get in say a new smart car? I mean, you can probably drive the smart car off road on your acreage with the bene's of heat/ac/wipers/'cab' plus maybe a lift kit and more agressive tires. Any one actually contemplating something like that ? It always strikes me as something id really have to consider seriously when parting w/ $10k..

 

[RobS]

And for half that price you can get one of those used Japanese mini-trucks, many with 4WD and a dump bed. I cannot believe what people are paying for ATV/UTVs.

 

[Skerby]

mini trucks are a good point, but they're are USED prices on them to be fair...

 

[Wombat125]

I was wondering the same thing. I would love to have the new diesel JD gator, but for $13,000, I could have five or more nicely equipped convertable Suzuki Samurais that are heated and street legal.

My Sami is on 31x1050's with F/R diff locks and custom forest pinstriping. It makes a great little hunting/chore rig.

 

[Timber]

Well to be fair you really do have to take into account that they have a PTO and you can set them up with hydraulic remotes. These are really tractors that resemble ATVs or mini trucks. It really depends on what you want it for. A new golf cart is 5 grand but your not going to drag a moose you dropped in a dumb place like a swamp with a golf cart or a smart car. I would love to have 1 with a snow blower on the front. There are as many attachments to an RTV as there is your tractor

 

[schmism]

My Sami is on 31x1050's with F/R diff locks and custom forest pinstriping. It makes a great little hunting/chore rig.

local farmer has his 5hp B&S powered tow behind sprayer hooked up to a little sami on 31's.

for running around, checking fences, doing whatever id take a sami over a UTV anyday.

 

[N80]

Find the oldest most beatup regular cab, regular bed 4wd Toyota pickup and use that. Don't worry about blue smoke, dripping oil, fading brakes or shimmy in the front end. Alternative to that is a rusted out old CJ.

No offense to anyone out there but these high dollar ATVs and UTVs are high priced luxury toys as far as I am concerned. I'm not saying that they aren't cool or fun or even useful and if you've got the money for one they're great and if I was rolling in money I'd get the nicest one that Kubota makes plus all the toys that come with it.

But when it really comes down to it, most of what you're paying for is fun and cool, not real utility. You can get the same amount of utility or more for a lot less.

 

[SPIKER]

Find the oldest most beatup regular cab, regular bed 4wd Toyota pickup and use that. Don't worry about blue smoke, dripping oil, fading brakes or shimmy in the front end. Alternative to that is a rusted out old CJ.

No offense to anyone out there but these high dollar ATVs and UTVs are high priced luxury toys as far as I am concerned. I'm not saying that they aren't cool or fun or even useful and if you've got the money for one they're great and if I was rolling in money I'd get the nicest one that Kubota makes plus all the toys that come with it.

But when it really comes down to it, most of what you're paying for is fun and cool, not real utility. You can get the same amount of utility or more for a lot less.

DITTO for me, I bought a 90 4x4 Nissan Pathfinder/SUV for 1000 bucks with 65K miles. put in a timing belt and brake lines/trans lines and go anywhere with stereo clear more obsticals and climb most any hill weave through trees ect. same goes for rangers and or S10s or other small SUV they are cheap now with low miles on many maybe need some light BS work but usually on the farm can go with out much of anything other than running gas lines and the brake lines. if something breaks you can usually junk em out for near what ya got into em...

BTW: I drove mine much of last winter with plates and insurance cost ~1500 ~2000K after all the work and new Mud tires. I used it to do more Sugaring (Hauled 500 gallons of Maple sap around up and over the ravine/creek) that was in 6~10" snow on top of grass...

Mark M

 

[N80]

DITTO for me, I bought a 90 4x4 Nissan Pathfinder/SUV for 1000 bucks with 65K miles.

Totally off topic, but that model Pathfinder is one of the best 4wd vehicles ever made in my opinion. I drove one for 10 years and for an essentially unmodified vehicle it handled a wider variety of off road conditions than any vehicle I've ever owned or driven and I've driven a lot of 4wd trucks! It was one of the last SUVs that was really a truck. Most of them a truck-like cars rather than car-like trucks....most of the new ones aren't even truck-like. They're all wheel drive station wagons.

In any case, a farmer friend of mine has been driving the same late 70's Toyota pickup for nearly as long as I've known him (25 years). No tax or tags, just on the farm. Most of the dash is gone. Barely has brakes....you have to think way ahead if you want to stop. Hits on three cylinders on a good day, pours blue smoke, leaks oil. No tailgate. Can't get it into second gear. And its been that way for years and he uses it every single day.

How much would one of those cost? A hundred bucks maybe?

 

[Phils]

ANyone else scracthing their head when they see the prices of some new ATV's vs what you can get in say a new smart car? I mean, you can probably drive the smart car off road on your acreage with the bene's of heat/ac/wipers/'cab' plus maybe a lift kit and more agressive tires. Any one actually contemplating something like that ? It always strikes me as something id really have to consider seriously when parting w/ $10k..

I have been planning for months to buy DW a Kawasaki Mule (or equivalent) for our trails. I can't find any used, and new runs about $10K.

So yes, I have been thinking exactly what you (and the others) mention -- picking up a Samurai or Geo Tracker or something like that cheap and just keeping it on the property. I've quit hoping to find a reasonably priced UTV and I'm regretting that I let a great Tracker deal get away a few months ago.

Phil

 

[moeh1]

For about half the cost of a UTV, you can sometimes locate a gently used Bombardier or Hinomoto 2 seater tractor.
Diesel power, 3pt and pto you can do alot more stuff with. They are not as fast but I don't seem to mind that as I get older.
I don't think the smart car clutch would last long on my hilly terrain....

 

[FrogLick]

I was considering an ATV for general chores and movement around my farm. Even used ones seemed to be a bit spendy. I wound up getting a used electric golf cart for a fraction of the price; some dealers will even put a work bed on the back to replace the golf bag holder. I've got plenty of steep hills and not very smooth trails and it handles it all without any problems. I haul tools, materials, feed, etc. but use the tractor for bigger jobs. I just plug it in every couple of days and check the battery water every now and then and it's always ready to go. No gas, oil, antifreeze - relatively not much to maintain and it's quiet too.

 

[excelagator]

I have a 92 toy 4x4 (that if I ever get around to) put a small flat bed on. Plus bought a "non-running" 89 4runner for $100. Just don't tell the guy I got it running in his driveway! Still cheaper than any used beat-up ATV.

Dan

 

[WarrenF]

You all are like me...."run things cheap and dirty" and when it breaks push it over the cliff. New stuff generally COSTS you money....used stuff makes you money...generally.

 

[AaronP]

I feel like I'm hiding a big secret here...so here it is: Why don't you buy a used Jeep? Take out the back seat (now you have a bed) and you have a UTV that will go more places that most actual UTV's, it pulls more, is street legal and cost very little. I saw a 6 cylinder jeep, 35K miles, 2006 model, with all the fancy crap inside for 10K. 10K is a base price on most UTV's, and this was a decked out jeep. Used for Rangers are good for this purpose as well. Shop around, think outside the box, and when your buddy's in their UTV get stuck, you can go pull them out with your field Jeep. But you won't be in the coll UTV club. Sorry.

 

[N80]

I feel like I'm hiding a big secret here...so here it is: Why don't you buy a used Jeep?

No secret:

Find the oldest most beatup regular cab, regular bed 4wd Toyota pickup and use that. Don't worry about blue smoke, dripping oil, fading brakes or shimmy in the front end. Alternative to that is a rusted out old CJ.

Here is an example. Not a CJ, but you don't find too many Wiileys around anymore....but they can do the job too:

 

[alchemysa]

I was wondering the same thing. I would love to have the new diesel JD gator, but for $13,000, I could have five or more nicely equipped convertable Suzuki Samurais that are heated and street legal.

My Sami is on 31x1050's with F/R diff locks and custom forest pinstriping. It makes a great little hunting/chore rig.

A hardtop is even cheaper, half the price of convertibles. This one, street legal, with air con, was only $1000 when I bought it over here about 5 years ago. You'd probably get one for $500 these days. Just throw on some old 15" F100 wheels and it will go almost anywhere.

 

[schmism]

there was a short blurb in my 4x4 mag about a lot of guys turning to cheep Suzuki's for use as UTV's.