Sedans for a rough gravel road...

[ozarkmud]

This is a bit of an oddball question, and probably in the wrong forum. But maybe you all have some thoughts?

I love the 80 series, but the gas mileage is a little painful. The handling is fine, but not the sharpest thing on the highway.

I've been thinking of getting a sedan. 90s Honda Civic or Accord come to mind. Maybe a BMW E30. Curious about some of the Volkswagen offerings as well, like the Passat B4.

We live several miles down a rough gravel road, however, with plenty of washboard and the occasional good pothole. I do see sedans on the road, but it's generally SUV/truck territory.

Does anyone happen to know of the general suspension/chassis durability of any of these, or other sedans?

I know the "Golden Era" Hondas have double wishbone suspension. Not sure if it's any more durable or not, in general, than the more common macpherson struts.

The road is concerning as it is for the Toyota lower balljoint failures -- one reason I've stayed away from those rigs.

Thanks!

 

[Godwin]

@ozarkmud An oddball answer for an oddball question. A cheap Corolla Alltrac should be able to handle the road conditions you describe plus it gets 30 mpg. Needs a little work though for comfort and reliability . Log into Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1175819863662826/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A2cc0bc18-2fde-435b-a09d-3b5b76cfac1f

 

[thatcabledude]

Any old Mercedes 190

 

[toy_tek]

The road is concerning as it is for the Toyota lower balljoint failures -- one reason I've stayed away from those rigs

Are you referring to the 4R and or Tacoma?

A maintained 2wd 4r would suit your needs just fine for a long time.

 

[ozarkmud]

I haven't seen many Mercedes 190s around, but it's good to know to keep an eye out for them.

The Corolla Alltrac is interesting. I might lean towards the regular model, but it's certainly more of an in-between option.

Yes, I'm referring to the 3rd gen 4Runner, 1st gen Tacoma, 1st gen Tundra, and 1st gen Sequoia lower balljoint failures.

 

[Nad Aitch]

Get an air cooled beetle. They're badass.

 

[sodafeld1]

Do you do the work on your car yourself? Funny an old merc came to mind to me too but w123, can beef the suspension on them, they are used for a shtbox rally in oz..

 

[sodafeld1]

All sorts of cars and individuals! Check out the gallery, haha

 

[ozarkmud]

@ozarkmud An oddball answer for an oddball question. A cheap Corolla Alltrac should be able to handle the road conditions you describe plus it gets 30 mpg. Needs a little work though for comfort and reliability . Log into Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1175819863662826/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A2cc0bc18-2fde-435b-a09d-3b5b76cfac1f

That looks really cool, but it's very far away! Nice build.

 

[Live to Ski]

subaru

 

[Devils Paw 80]

subaru

That's what I got for the 1 1/2 miles of rough unpaved road at my place in Hawaii. However, in my case it's a new Crosstrek with the 8.7 inches of ground clearance and 32.5 MPG. Since OP is looking for something cheaper, an old Subaru is certainly a consideration. My neighbor there recently bought a 2005 Forester and mounted larger than stock tires on it. So far this car seems to work just fine for our roads.
As for the relative durability of older sedans, I have no idea what the best and worst would be. I had a '79 Datsun 210 Wagon there many years ago that held up well for the time of my ownership. It seemed to take the beating better than most cars-nothing fell apart- but didn't really have adequate ground clearance.

 

[krice118]

Audi all road wagon….