It is nearing the time when many people look to buy
sport-utility vehicles. Who can blame them? Today's
SUVs are not only reliable and refined enough to
provide a slow paced fall drive but they also have
the ability to tackle winter weather at its worst.

The cost of new SUVs are expensive. However,
there are several used SUVs that you might want
to consider. The following vehicles all have good
ratings and they are available at substantial
savings.

Five SUVs worth your consideration:

1. The Subaru Forester is a small SUV with
    one of the best all-wheel drive systems in the
    industry. New Forester Ls cost $20,000-$24,000.

     You can buy (if you shop carefully) a used
    2000 Forester L with 25,000-30,000 miles for
    about $14,500-$15,500. I consider this SUV
    to be an good value for this price. The vehicle
    should still have at least 6 months remaining
    on the manufacturer's 3 year/36,000 mile
    bumper-to-bumper warranty and 2.5 years
    remaining on the 5 year/60,000 mile power
    train (engine and transmission) warranty. This
    SUV can be driven for hundreds of thousands
    of miles.

2. The Toyota 4Runner been around for a long time
    and for good reason. It is one of America's most
    popular SUVs. For 2002, the four cylinder engine
    on the base model has been replaced with the six
    cylinder engine. Additionally, a new eight cylinder
    engine will be available in the redesigned 4Runner
    (due to arrive in showrooms soon). New 4Runners
    cost $25-000-$34,000.

    You can buy (if you shop carefully) a 2000
    4Runner with 25,000-30,000 miles for about
    $19,000-$21,500. This vehicle should also have
    at least 6 months remaining on the manufacturer's
    3 year/36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty
    and 2.5 years remaining on the 5 year/60,000
    mile power train warranty. The 4Runner can be
    driven for hundreds of thousands of miles.

3. The Nissan Pathfinder has also been a reliable
   SUV. New Pathfinders cost $24,000-$32,000.

    Nissan does not quite have the name of the
    Toyota. Therefore, you can buy (if you shop
    carefully) a 2000 Pathfinder with 25,000-30,000
    miles for about $17,000-$19,500. This vehicle
    should also have at least 6 months remaining
    on the manufacturer's 3 year/36,000 mile
    bumper-to-bumper warranty and 2.5 years
    remaining on the 5 year/60,000 mile power
    train warranty.This vehicle will also provide
    many years of dependable transportation.

4.  The Ford Explorer is also a popular SUV.
     New Explorer XLTs cost $19,000-$26,000.

     You can buy (if you shop carefully) a 2000
     Explorer with 25,000-30,000 miles for about
     $12,000-$13,500. This vehicle should also have
     at least 6 months remaining on the manufacturer's
     3 year/36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.
     This vehicle can provide many years of transportation
     service at a reasonable price.

5.  The Honda CRV is also represents a good
     value in a small SUV. New CRVs cost
     $21,000-25,000.

      If you are on a transportation budget, you
      can buy (if you shop carefully) a 1998 CRV with
      50,000-60,000 miles for about $11,000-$12,000.
      At this age and mileage, the vehicle will likely not
      include any remaining manufacturer's warranty.
      None the less, the CRV is quite reliable and
      economical to drive. This small SUV can provide
      years of good transportation service.

If you are in the market for a SUV, do your
homework. Consult Consumer Report's vehicle
issue (April). Also, be sure to read a couple of
archived new SUV road tests (review road tests
that were conducted at the time the vehicle was
new) on the used vehicle of interest in auto
magazines (many are archived at your local library)
or Internet sources such as Car and Driver, Motor
Trend, Road & Track, or MotorWeek. Information
from the road tests will allow you to zero in on
which of the SUVs discussed above will be the
best for you.

For example, if you prefer a SUV that can really
tackle off road conditions; consider the 4Runner,
the Pathfinder, or the Explorer. However, if price
is the major consideration and you do not plan
to go off road, consider the Forester or the CRV.
Last, but not least, if you are going to buy a 2 to
3 year-old SUV, try to get the 2000 model rather
than the 199... model. Years down the road when
you sell the vehicle, the 2000 model will be worth
more than the "past century" vehicle.

How to Evaluate a Used Vehicle:
Kyle Busch is the author of Drive the Best for the
Price: How to Buy a Used Automobile, Sport-Utility
Vehicle, or Minivan and Save Money. 1 800 839-8640
or www.drivethebestbook.com. The web site accepts
all transportation questions.