ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: dkhb1990 on September 11, 2007, 09:13:12 PM
-
Are they good on gas? Do they keep speeds well? ect. ect. What are the pros and cons?
-
I bought mine used (87 w/140,000 miles). It was originally used by a college student as a daily, her father got it back after her graduation and her first job. He used it as a tow vehicle. I use it as a tow vehicle, for backroads, and to run errands.
I get 24 to 26 mpg, runs great on freeway up to 65 mph, I don't run more than that for safety, leery about roll over at higher speed. Otherwise it's a good daily, fun to drive, economical.
-
I retired my stock one as a daily driver once I finished my built Sami. My 88 got around 20 mpg most all the time and could motivate along in traffic. 65 was all you wanted for sure, due to some handling characteristics. Over all fun and economical!!!
-
I hate to say it but my choice would be a Track/Kick over a sammi as a dd. Same fun and excitement but with better road handling, cruising speeds (75+), gas consumption (27-30) and creature comforts inside the rig. Just my .02
-
I hate to say it but my choice would be a Track/Kick over a sammi as a dd. Same fun and excitement but with better road handling, cruising speeds (75+), gas consumption (27-30) and creature comforts inside the rig. Just my .02
wish my tracker goes mpg that good
But I go comfortably between 60-80mph while getting 23mpg in my 4 door auto
-
Having used both as a daily driver...
I prefer the Tracker. More power, more stable, more comfortable, more civilized ride, and slightly better gas mileage. My '87 Sami got about 24 mpg around town, and the '96 Tracker (5spd) gets about 28 (if you keep the tires pumped up to about 32psi).
The top on the Sami had a velcro flap that wrapped around the door frame. Every time a semi passed by going the opposite direction, the roof blew upward and pulled the flap loose. The roof on the tracker is tighter and doesn't flap in the wind as much (not much at all really).
Still, I miss the Sami.
-
I've had a soft top sammy and now a tintop[ sammy. Softtop was loud from the wind noise.
With my tin top, I'm getting 28 mpg mixed driving. Mine will go 70 on the highway on a flat and struggles on a hill. Engine labors a little getting up to speed (if you're in a hurry). Not a bad ride if the roads fairly smooth. It'll jar you going over railroad tracks and you'll bounce all over on a dirt road. This is a vehicle that is most comfortable to drive under 55 but I have never been concerned about rolling over or loosing control over 65. I had mine going over 90 on a long hill and it kept a straight path. My Sammy is stock with no lift at this point.
If I were to do anything for road comfort, maybe some better seats and different springs. Power steering would help also. It's lacking in leg room but I think I can modify my seat brackets to gain a few inches. Kind of tight for me since my knees hit the window crank. It's still o.k. to ride on smoother roads and at normal (below 60) speeds.
If your mostly flat and not alot of highway, you'll be fine.
-Adam
-
I agree with the other guys re: the tracker as a better daily driver. I had an 88 sami for 15 years and it was great. A could go 75 on the interstate without problems. Gas milage was about 20 mpg in the city. I had to get rid of it (new baby) and bought a 98 tracker. It's got more power, better on gas, smoother ride, just a nicer version of the sami. I've had the tracker for a year now, and I love it. Good Luck.
-
I've been DD a Sami for two years now . I love it .
But I live in a small remote comunity that you can get anywhere in 10 minutes .
If you have long freeway comutes I'd go with a tracker/sidekick .
Hopefully thats the way I'll be going next year .
But I'm keeping the Sami !
-
in my book, the only thing a tracker lacks in PERFECTION is
1. Bone chilling AC (the vents are too restrictive imo)
2. Side Air Bags
3. More power (100hp is a little low)
4. Gas Mileage (25mpg is low for its size)
-
I think my Grand Vitara is a little closer to perfection. AC works great if you ask me, but it is my first car with AC ;D. No side air bags, but dual front air bags. Much more then 100 HP with the V-6 ;D. Gas mileage is pretty dang good especially for having a V-6.
-
I had a 88.5, and a 87 samurai that I daily drove to work and back 4-5 times a week on a 100 mile round trip all highway. Stock the samurais got me about 25-27 MPG, and had no power issues and were a good drive. I seen lifted both and put 31's on them, but still daily drove them. MPG went down to 20-24 and on big hills or head wind I had hard time doing 60-65. Also in the winter I had to use a tarp to block off the rear cab to help the heater have less space to heat, of course I live in minnesota so its COLD!
soon after I added 4.62 gears from a tracker into my samurais, and boom 5th gear was back, and I could do 60-70 no problem, and MPG went up alittle. later I added a weber carb and MPG stayed 22-25 while my power was never a issue. not bad doing 70-75 in a sammy with 31's
-
Hey John...I saw some trail pics of yours and did I see a full size 31inch spare on the back of your rig? How did you get it to fit with the 3rd light and the bumper in the way?
-
I've had 2 Samurai's and now have a 4 door tracker (aka Sidekick). I'm much Much MUCH happier with my tracker as a daily driver, and I'm actually happier with it offroading too. It's far less bouncy and more comfortable. If you're planing on staying close to stock - go with the tracick.
-
I can't compare my newly acquired '95 2-door Tracker to similar vehicles, but I CAN compare it to my other vehicles:
I'm amazed how smooth this thing is on the highway doing 75. (Yes, I would be scared to death to try 77, but I keep it around 70 anyway.) I had a 2005 full-size Silverado--and the Tracker rides just as smooth, and more importantly, it's STEADIER. I can't figure this out at all, because I thought that with wind and resistance from that speed, the light weight of the vehicle, etc., that I would be all over the road--but this isn't the case at all.
Again, it's weird to me, and after 2 months, I'm still amazed driving on the highway and I'm always thinking, "How can this little thing ride so smooth? I don't get it." Hope it stays this way after the coil spacers.
For streets, she zips real nice, leaves other cars in its dust accelerating from lights, and great visibility of the vehicles around you--which I am REALLY enjoying.
But alas, I do slow down for those railroad crossings. BUMP!!!!!!
-
Wow thank guys all your input was very helpfull. I plan on lifting waterver vehicle i get to were it will fit 31's maybe 33's but i want to stay around 19 to 22 mpg in town. how much will that effect my mpg?
Im in a very flat farming town but i do travel alot and right now i have a truck that gets 10 mpg in town and 12 on the freeway and its killing me with these california gas prices. so i thought i wouuld get a jeep but i just cant afford the price of the ones i like.
then i saw an article on a samuria and i liked the price tag and i liked the look of them?
I noticed that most of u liked the tracker or sidekick better those are IFS if im not mistaken is there a solid axle coversion for those and if so how muck do they cost and how will it effect its ride?
Thanks for all your replys
Kyle ;D
-
Solid axles are kind of what makes the sammy a rough ride. Maybe you should try to find one to test drive and see if you are o.k. with the ride and the room. They are pretty tight width wise. On dirt roads, you will get a good shaking as well in the Samurai. On a paved road, the ride is fine in a stock samurai. Also, windy dirt roads are kind of tricky in a samurai. Especially when wet. Mine gets squirrelly so I slow down. I like the look so I picked the sammy. They just look like tough little boogers. Lifted 4 door kicks look pretty cool too. A friend of mine had an 89 sidekick back in 89. It drove like a car. It was pretty smooth as I recall. Check the member ride info thread for pics.
I believe there are conversion kits to make a sidekick solid axle or a samurai coil suspension. The samurai conversion kit is outrageously expensive.
-Adam
-
What do you really want to end up with in the long run? Just a DD or a DD/trail rig/toy? If you are just looking for DD as a cheap ride, there are other choices than a Suzuki. My parents had an '88 Pontiac B'ville with over 150K miles that got mid 20's around town and 30+ on the freeway, and it was loaded.
And as most guys are comparing the Samurai to other DD's, I will tell you what caused my DD Samurai to start being more of a trail rig. An 06 Dodge Cummins Laramie 4x4 QC DRW. Has ALL the comforts any one would need. ;D And the track/kick can't compare to it. >:D
Now to answer some of your question's about a Samurai as a DD, when my Samurai only had a SPOA, 32's, 4.12 TC gears, a weber and header/2" exhaust, I had no problems with it as a DD. Even tho I did those mod's, it was comparable to when it was stock but the ride was better with a little more power.
The thing does need better seats for a comfy ride as the back of the seat has a poor angle and you have to lean foward some. I did not have a problem with heat in the winter as some say, I would put the carpet back in and the hard top back on. As you are in Kali flat lands you should be ok with the cold, and not having to run too many hills.
Just remember, it is a Samurai with a four squrriel engine. What it lacks in some creature comforts and speed it makes up for in fun, and cheap fun at that.
-
thank you. I kinda figured some of its pros and cons just by the nature of the car but i wanted to hear from some owners to make sure.
Now for just 1 more question if you guys dont mind what was the end price of the sammy rig when you were all done moding it out?
-
You can finish modding them out?
-
What ever you think you will spend in the build triple it!!! ;D A good rig in parts alone will easily be $6,000 but this thing will out run any Heap! And if a heap wants to keep up then he will spend easily twice that! The Sami IMO is the most bang for the buck in a wheeler!!
-
Heres all you need to know :)
The Samurai is about the most perfect vehicle ever designed....which can be witnessed by the fact that in countries where common sense is prized above government regulation you can still buy the same samurai that was sold in America in 1988. They are used for everything from delivery trucks to ambulances to police vehicles to military vehicles. The only pieces of a samurai that you have to worry about are the door trim panels and the carpet.
Having said all of that, heres why you want a tracker for a daily driver.....
You will spend your first $2000 on your samurai trying to make it as powerful and smooth as a tracker. You can buy a tracker for less than $2000.
BUT.......They just arent as cool as Samurai's.
-
Yah, what he said.
It depends on how modded you want to be. I had a little over $100 into my ghetto SPOA, and with a set of used 31's I took off of my old CJ2A. The TC gears were spendy when I bought them as there was only one place making any custom gears at the time. I gave around $800 for the 4.12's and now you can find them for less than half of that new, and you can find them used now also. You do not really need a weber but a header and 2" exhaust, turbo muffler will help open it up a little. So I guess when I was done with the SPOA, TC gears, Weber and exhaust I had less than $1500 into it. Now I am afraid to sit down and figure out how much I have into it. More than it's worth, thats for sure. :o
-
Man ive only been browsing this sight for maybe a week or two and it has helped me out so much. thanx for all your replys.