When you consider buying an SUV, reliability is one of the biggest factors involved. Be it for towing, work, daily driving, or family trips, nobody wants their SUV to stay at the mechanic instead of their driveway. Then comes one’s personal preference to go classic, since a classic SUV turns just as many heads as a new one, if not more. After all, the former are the ones that are now a rarer sight.
Thus, if you’re looking for a classic SUV for nothing but the sheer basics like towing and driving, chances are that today’s fancy tech isn’t all that much of a factor for you. Reliability, however, surely would be. Because when it comes to an SUV made in the 1970s, it would already be half a century old, one would definitely want it to last even longer.
In that vein, here are some ‘70s SUVs that have done their job without complaining much over the years. On the other hand are some which you best stay away from if you wish to avoid buying another one after just the 100k mile mark.
8 Last A Lifetime: 1979 Ford Bronco
Ford designed the Bronco with four-wheeling being the focus, front and center. The SUV was youthful, fun, and offered strong V8 options. The Bronco's remarkable front suspension, which was coil-sprung and boasted solid axles, trumped anything the competition had.
Built with the most unforgiving of terrain in mind, the Bronco was naturally durable, and the years have cemented that proof further. Happy customers of the 1979 Ford Bronco remain extremely impressed with how their SUV continues to run smoothly even after crossing 200,000 miles.
7 Last A Lifetime: 1979 Jeep Wagoneer
Imagine a manufacturer building the same body for a vehicle for not ten, not twenty, but twenty-nine years! The Jeep Wagoneer was essentially the basis for the modern-day SUV, and it preceded what would become the Grand Wagoneer, setting the ball rolling for the AWD-luxury SUVs to becoming the new norm instead of just off-road-focused 4x4s.
Sharing its chassis with the Jeep Gladiator, the Wagoneer ran long and strong, and plenty of them are still running on American roads with over 150,000 miles on their odometers. Enthusiastic customers report having used it off-road for decades with aplomb, and apart from a few parts being replaced here and there, this is not an SUV that would crumble on you.
6 Last A Lifetime: 1974 International Harvester Scout II
With the beginning of the 1970s, International Harvester brought forth the Scout II to the market, which was an SUV based on its new line of pickups at the time. Available with various engine options, the Scout II was a highly-diverse SUV, but the one thing constant through its trims was how well it was built.
As a result, the trucks sold quite well, and in a decade, the brand had sold half a million Scout II units. Customers report satisfaction with nearly every model year of the SUV, and those who've driven the 1979 model year report over 150,000 miles done on the Scout II, singing praises of its extreme 4x4 capabilities.
5 Last A Lifetime: 1978 Dodge Ramcharger
Dodge introduced the D-Series pickups in 1974, which sure were a good-looking bunch. Based on said D-Series, the Ramcharger and its cousin the Plymouth Trailduster were both remarkably capable full-size SUVs at the time. Parts were always easy to replace and the Ramcharger was built to last.
Plenty of owners of the 1978 Dodge Ramcharger heap praises upon the SUV and its durability, with most of them having done over 150,000 miles and one even boasting a 500,000-mile reading. Being a classic and a venerated one at that, the '78 Ramcharger doesn't come cheap. Take this $27,000 Ramcharger, for example.
4 Last A Lifetime: 1976 Jeep CJ-7
The classic Jeep CJ was a hit with fans of the brand and off-roading enthusiasts alike, but the need for a longer version was catching up to Jeep. Thus, they created the CJ-7, which boasted a 10-inch longer wheelbase than the CJ. As such, the SUV became more stable and obedient than ever before, both on the road and off it.
A 304-cid V8 was availed with the new CJ-7, and it was especially the fiberglass hardtop variant that managed to provide an unprecedentedly quiet and refined Jeep experience. Here's a happy customer who bought the CJ-7 new and managed to squeeze out a couple hundred thousand miles from the bad boy. Others remark about the abuse this car can take on any different terrain for years, having crossed the 130,000-mile mark for another customer.
3 Last A Lifetime: 1973 Chevrolet Suburban
The Suburban, in 1973, was a phenomenal SUV and began what is still its present format today, essentially, which is a family SUV with four passenger doors, powered by gasoline or diesel V8s engines. The 1973 Suburban also marked the beginning of the longest-running generation of this SUV till 1992, during which it underwent minimal changes. That simply speaks to how it needed no real or radical changes since Chevrolet knew what worked and their Suburban was good at it.
The build quality remained solid throughout the years for the Suburban, with ample rust-proofing to ensure it could survive the long haul. It is even ranked second out of every single generation of the Suburban for reliability, of which there are plenty (twelve, to be exact). Rest assured, a Suburban from the 70s would last you well and long.
2 Crumble: 1974 Jeep Cherokee
Rust is one of the most frequent problems in old cars, especially SUVs, considering the different terrains they go through. The 1974 Jeep Cherokee entered the market with zip and style, and it looked great with respectable capability.
However, it was dependability where this car faltered, as one would be hard-pressed to find any single Cherokee from this particular model year that has lasted over 100,000 miles. Whether it is customers voicing out complaints, or used car pages, for our money, this one won't cross the 100k mark, at least not without plenty of fussing about.
1 Crumble: Jeep Wrangler CJ5
One might notice how Jeep Wranglers from the '70s are insanely expensive today, and one might also chalk that up to just how collectible the SUV has become. However, there is also the fact that there are so few of these Wranglers left, and the reason for that doesn't quite shine the best light on the Jeep brand.
The reason is that most of the Wranglers from the 70s are simply no longer in a condition to be driven since the batches of the Wranglers were infamous for their terrible rust-proofing, which means exactly what you think it does—most of those Wranglers from the 70s are simply in some backyards, absolutely eaten away by rust.