Car Blog Showdown: Mid-’80s 4×4s

Here’s our latest Car Blog Showdown. This week tgriffith and jgoods were each invited to select their favorite mid-’80s 4×4. Which is your favorite?

1984 Toyota 4x4 Pickup

tgriffith’s 5 reasons why the 1984 Toyota 4×4 Pickup is his favorite mid-’80s 4×4:

• The famous 22R four-cylinder engine will run forever. Literally.
• You can drop it into 4WD without getting out of the truck to lock the hubs.
• The truck is easily customizable. Raise it to accommodate monster 36-inch tires, or add chrome accessories and window tint to create a classy truck!
• Leave the truck stock, and you’ll get gas mileage in the low-to-mid-20s.
• It’s a compact truck, but it has a tough-looking stance. It looks as good in a grocery store parking lot as it does tackling the off-road park.

jgoods’ 3 reasons to avoid a 1984 Toyota 4×4 Pickup:

• It’s a mini-truck - a “cute” truck.
• It does NOT go everywhere.
• Ignition problems have been reported.

1985 Chevy K5 Blazer

jgoods’ 5 reasons why the 1985 Chevy K5 Blazer is his favorite mid-’80s 4×4:

• This is one tough truck, not one of them piddling little S10 babies.
• Get the V8, not the V6, which has plenty of power and durability, despite low gas mileage.
• The truck is a blast to drive on the dunes…and anywhere else you want to take it.
• The K5 is versatile and will handle loads of people, bags of feed, vicious dogs, and truck parts to repair your buddy’s ’84 Toyota Pickup.
• The styling is unmistakeable: Love it or hate it, this is the kind of vehicle GM built best.

tgriffith’s 3 reasons to avoid a 1985 Chevy K5 Blazer:

• You’ll get something like 8 miles per gallon out of the V8.
• If the transmission hasn’t blown up yet, expect it to soon. It’ll probably happen on the freeway at rush hour. Then you’ll be THAT guy.
• It’s uglier and bulkier than anything else built in the 80s!

What’s your favorite mid-’80s 4×4? Why?

Related posts:

• Ford’s Active Parking Assist: Why Bother?
• Phone booths? Bah! How many people can you fit inside a smart?
• Rendered Speculation: Toyota iQ convertible
• 2008 Honda Odyssey Unveiled with a Very Accord-like Grille

Related posts:

• Kia Sorento No. 1 on our Top 10 Cash-Back List
• VW Polo GTI: Not for beginners
• Rental agencies having a hard time upgrading customers
• RIDEMAKERZ helps you customize your dream car.. RC style
• More automakers make their true feelings known about CAFE