Hi all, i'm new.  I'm on here doing some research to see if the Samurai is suitable for my needs.  Basically I am looking for a 4x4 that is economical, fast off road that is suitable as a getaway vehicle when the SHFT and a vehicle to perform recon/fast scout.  Recently I have been getting into survivalism and been looking at what 4x4 I should get.

So far I am considering a Jeep Cherokee, a wrangler or a samurai. 

The downside of a samurai is that there rare, in a situation of national emergency it is not like I will come across many by the roadside but with a Jeep there plentyful.  The downside of a wrangler and a samurai is that the storage space is dire.  But I do like the fact that both come with soft tops and would also serve a good summer vehicle.

1. Do the fuel injected samurai's have better gas mileage?
2. What year were the efi produced?
3. What mpg does the samurai get?
4. What websites are there that sell accessories,  im looking at snorkel, sump guards and under body guards, bull bars, cb aerial mounting, winch etc.

How would the samurai compare to a wrangler?

Just to clear things up for everyone else, I think what he means my SHTF is "sh!t hits the fan"...as in global chaos!

I think you watch too many movies...but I also think you'd probably be best off with the Cherokee. They are faster so you can get away from whoever is chasing you, also they ride nicer due to the longer wheel base. And you can carry more and you could probably sleep in the back if you had to.

Yes SHTF could be a situation ranging from Mad Max to Red Dawn.  Basically when society breaks down from whatever reason, be it swine flu pandemic or a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina. 

Gas mileage on the Cherokee is really poor, bearing in mind fuel shortages, I was thinking of a Samurai.  A big selling point of the samurai is the open top.  I remember riding in one as a chilld when I was on a driving holiday in the South of France. 

I am 6'3, is there enough leg room with the seats fully reclined?

Scratch them all....Four Door Suzuki Sidekick...Problem solved.   You get the extra space, greater availability (since you can also find parts for the Geo Tracker), and better mileage compared to the Cherokee. 

What is the mpg like on a 4dr sidekick?

Well, it certainly depends on what you do to modify it, but a stock sidekick will hover around 24-26mpg, while a modified version (like mine) is much closer to 15-17...

There are alot of accessories, and it's growing by the day..But, you can in fact purchase snorkels, bull bars, skid plates, lockers (both air, and automatic), as well as spools, transfer case gears, etc.   

Here's mine...

I agree, 4-door Tracker or Kick is what you need.  As far as prefering the open top, in the SHTF scenarios I think a hard top would be more practical,  it's better for cold environments(nuclear winter), easier to armor(Red Dawn-ish Chinese snipers),  and can be sealed up easier(deadly airborne pathogens: swine/bird hybrid flu, anthrax, etc.)  But seriously,  I have thought about the SHTF scenario before and if it ever "goes down" I'm confident that my Tracker will get me far enough out to the sticks to set up camp and be ok.  




This junk makes me feel prepared too:

nice pics topheavy lol. id show u my gun safes but dont want to scare you.

the samurai has the advantages its small and skinny so i can fit alot of places that other vehicles cant. and if they can fit between those tight trees or rocks, you still got them on turning radius. My friend has a cherokee lifted 5 inchs on 31s. its nice does ride better but he burns 4 times more gas then i do. also if he does fit between a tree i went between and theres a tight turn he ends up taking a few tries to get the angle right, or rubs the tree with his truck or has to backup and try another way.

also samurai is more simple. its carbed so no injection issues. theres nothing super fancy with wiring, motor is very reliable. my motor has 260k+ and she starts up everytime and i beat her alot.

I think you're looking for either an Unlimited or a Unimog.

You're going to want to carry some gear, which kills the Sammy.  You also want a decent combination of invulnerabily and easy repairs. 

The Unimog is perfect, unless something (somehow..) breaks.  Then you're talking....ugh.....Jeep.  The desire to have something useful in case SHTF doesn't happen leads me to the Wrangler Unlimited.  Soft top and exceptional capacity.

One item to remember, unless you do quite a few mods the Samurai is not going to be fast off-road.  To short of a wheelbase for open running at speed without rebuilding the suspension.

How about a Horse? Maybe a motorcycle? There are too many scenarios to consider a single transportation source.

-Eric

I'd have to go with Eric. A horse can be loaded with gear for one person and no need to refuel. Plus a horse can get in even tighter places than my ZUK.

QUSTION IS, HOW FAST CAN I GET TO THE PLAYBOY MANSION, ILL "HOLE" UP THERE FOR A WHILE.

if shtf in new jersey im not running anywhere unless its a mass war on the shore then im heading to the woods the woods are dense enough and the trails are winding and alot of them will turn you around and put you right back on the main trail if you dont take the right trails. so id take my luck out there.

Out in Western CO there are plenty of places to hide. Canyon Lands in Utah (for example) excellent trails, but bring a map if you get lost they wont find you.
 So if you need a SHTF vehicle, dont you need a SHTF compound? A place to run to?