Finding the right vehicle for our Mexican Adventure

We were in search of just the right vehicle for our transition into the "Mexican Culture".  Of course it has always been a hobby of mine to sniff out good deals on vehicles, but rarely have I been put in the circumstances that I had found myself in. We actually needed to buy a vehicle and have it there for use during an upcoming trip. My guests will be having a tight schedule and I cannot miss much time from work during high season, so that left me with using the Internet and the help of my great friends Ed & Trudi.....

  We needed to find an SUV type vehicle that meets the following criteria:

1. It needed to be reliable
2. It needed to be not too flashy
3. It also needed to fit 4 adults
4. plus luggage and 2 dogs
5. I really wanted a 4 x 4 
6. but fuel economy was important too, with 22 MPG targeted as a minimum ave.
7. It needed to be unique & cool
8. I really wanted A/C and a good sound system....
9. To make it really challenging, we needed to keep it under $5,000
10. Lastly, I wanted something that I could kinda customize over time, you know with Rhino Bar, winch system, jerry jugs, the whole "Off-Road" ready-to-go anywhere look.

I wanted something that could not only cross the Sonora River on the few times that the main road crosses it, but could handle crossing it during Monsoon Season. This vehicle should be able to allow us to cross over the river even on the old wagon routes or maybe on some routes that don't even exist yet.

   We would be able to take something like this all the way to "Five blues Lake" in Belize...that's a whole other story that I'll reserve for another day.

 We even wanted to explore some canyons and arroyos in the region.

  Well after I had exhausted my search in the Tucson area on Craigslist and Autotrader.com, I was feeling a little less than optimistic. Then Trudi emailed me and directed me to check Sierra Vista on C.L. and after about an hour, we got lucky.

  Called the real seller, (you won't believe how many are scammers on Craigslist) and talked to a nice old guy named Carl. Then after the initial conversation, I asked E & T to drive 20-30 miles to check it out and they happily agreed.

When I got the initial, post-test drive reviews from Trudi and Ed, I knew we had found the right vehicle and here she is. Just the right color for the desert and blending in. The A/C works, cruise, power windows and 4x4. It is a Mitsubishi Montero LS 1991 with about 92,000 miles. Everything works and Ed is going to have a mechanic buddy of his to give her a good once over and then meet us at the Tucson Airport.

Now if that isn't a couple of AWESOME friends, there is no such thing. You guys are GREAT.
 After finding that we had sealed the deal, I did some more research by reading the consumer reviews. There were so many extremely positive things said by so many current and previous owners. It seems to have a more loyal following than Jeeps, Land Rovers and Land Cruisers combined.

  And with the price being less than
one half of our budget, it leaves
plenty of money for repairs, accessories
and extra cool toys.......
Like some T-90's and Vintage Vespas

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