Episode 62

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Published on:

27th Jul 2023

Dodge Raider & Mitsubishi Montero 4x4 - Part 4 of the "Little Weirdos" 4x4 Series

00:00 - OPEN

Today is the fourth and final episode of our month-long "Little Weirdo’s" 4x4 Edition podcast special featuring four small, fun-to-drive and affordable used 4x4s from the 80s and 90s. 

01:45 - INTRO - 1987-1989 Dodge Raider

Today’s small, affordable 4x4 SUV is the Dodge Raider, which was sold in the US from model years 1987 to 1989. 

03:30 - By The Numbers

The Dodge Raider offered up specifications and performance that was slightly better than the other small 4x4s in this series, but it still wasn’t outstanding.    For example, when equipped with the 2.6-liter 4-cylinder, buyers got 109-hp and 142-lb.ft. of torque.  In 1989, a V6 with 143-hp and 168-lb.ft. was available as an option. The V6 Raiders also came with a trailing link rear suspension with coil springs and shocks, rather than the 4-cylinder model's leaf spring suspension.

10:40 - Serious Off-Road Capability

  • Tough, body-on-frame design
  • Capable Suspension (leaf springs for 4-cylinder, trailing arms fw/coils for 6-cyl)
  • Short–wheel base (very maneuverable on tight trails)

11:00 - Dakar Rally Success For The Pajero

  • 12 Outright Wins - A modified version of the Pajero (the Japanese version of the Raider) won the famous Dakar rally outright a total of 12-times. 
  • World Record Setting Performance - The Pajero also set a Guinness World record with 150 individual stage wins.  By comparison, second place Peugeot had only 78-wins, so the Pajero’s ability off-road was really never in question.

13:05 - What Should You Look For In a Dodge Raider?

  • Overall condition is most important
  • Inline 4-cylinder vs. V6 (I would chose the V6)
  • 4-speed automatic vs. 5-speed manual
  • Typical used car things, like low miles, minimal owners, no accidents, no rebuilt title, etc.
  • Buy one that is stock or close to stock condition. 
  • Make sure it has all the factory parts (rear bench seat)
  • Make sure everything works (test the 4WD, locking hubs, AC, heater, fan, lights, turn signals, etc.)
  • Find a tow-behind example – might have higher miles, but it was towed, not driven. 

16:50 - Dodge Raider Price Range

Get a complete, running, fully functioning Dodge Raider. Don’t buy a project!

$3000 to $5000 range - Some decent examples can be found in this range with time and patience, but below $3,000 I would expect to find issue such as dents, rust, missing and broken parts, etc. 

$5000 to $8000 – Good solid options in this range, including some great family hand-me-downs that are undervalued for the market, but act quickly as good examples sell fast if underpriced.

$8,000 to $12,000 – Really nice, near-perfect examples can be found in this range. If I were looking for a Raider, I would assume the price I eventually pay would likely fall into this range.

$12,000 to $15,000 – The best examples will be found in this range, but once prices rise to this level, you have other options, including the 1997-2006 Jeep Wrangler TJ. Jeeps are more plentiful and have tremendous aftermarket support, so you might not want to pay this much for a Dodge Raider unless you just can’t live without one.

23:20 - CLOSE

That wraps up this final Little Weirdo’s 4x4 Edition episode on the rugged Dodge Raider - another outstanding, small 4x4 SUV from the 80s and 90s that’s provides jeep-like off-road capability with a relatively cheap price. The Raider, along with the Geo Tracker, the Daihatsu Rocky and the Suzuki Samurai are the type of small, boxy 4x4 that manufacturers no longer offer, but maybe they should. 

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About the Podcast

Better Than New
Find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you'll love
The average new car sales price in the US is nearly $50,000, and the average used vehicle sales price is close to $30,000... I think that's insane! Well if you're like me and you don’t want to pay these crazy inflated car prices, I believe you should still be able to drive something fun. That’s the idea behind Better Than New – a podcast to help you find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you’ll love.

I’m Gary Crenshaw, host of Better Than New and a long time automotive enthusiast, and I want to inspire car buyers on a budget to think differently about what they can actually afford to drive. My goal is to introduce listeners to the broad array of interesting, fun-to-drive, enthusiast-friendly used cars, trucks and SUVs available at prices just about anyone can afford… vehicles from the 80s, 90s, 2000s and beyond that offer buyers a wide range of interesting choices. Each week we’ll explore a specific vehicle or vehicle category, tell you what to look for and what to avoid, and give you practical tips to help you find your next cool used car, truck or SUV and keep it on the road for years to come.

With a little work, the joy of owning a cool used car at price you’ll love is within reach and this podcast is here to help you find it.

So hop in, buckle up and let's go for a drive!

About your host

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Gary Crenshaw

A lifelong lover of all things mechanical, Gary has spent the majority of his existence driving, dreaming about or wrenching on cars, motorcycles and even the occasional airplane.

It started with mini-bikes and go-karts as a kid, progressed to 2-stroke dirt bikes, followed by his first car… a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle. Then came the Yamaha era with several RD400s, RZ350s and a Canadian RD350LC (should have kept that!). A pilot’s license was next with some memorable hours flying a 1946 Aeronca Champ low and slow around the Pacific Northwest. While in college, his brother-in-law who sold high-end cars hired him to deliver BMW, Mercedes and Porsche vehicles to customers.

Those early experiences led to a lifetime of owning an eclectic mix of interesting used cars, including a ‘65 Mustang GT, a ’72 Datsun 510, a Porsche 914, a Celica Alltrac Turbo, a Mini Cooper S, a couple of Miata’s, two Audi S4 Avants, a Galant VR4, a Fiat 850 Spider, a 1983 Subaru 4x4 GL wagon and a first gen RX-7, along with dozens of daily driver cars and SUVs from Acura, Honda, Toyota and Mazda. And his favorite? Depends on when you ask, but that distinction likely goes to the Mazda RX-4 station wagon he learned to drive in. That fun-to-drive car combined Gary's passion for wagons, rotary engines and manual transmissions all in one.

So what about you? Which used car, truck or SUV would you love to own? Let’s find it together!