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

Better Than New

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.