The simplest winter vehicle

I've seen threads that ask for best winter or simplest car but never both at once. So here's a thought exercise that may become a reality for me.

What is the butt simplest winter vehicle that you can think of with these prerequisites:

Stunningly reliable and/or super simple, preferably both but more of the latter.

Able to get thru ridiculous amounts of snow, think 2 ft. Assume at least a 235-75r15 tire possible

AWD or 4wd is fine, I rarely use low range anyway

Auto or manual is fine, I've used both and they have upsides and downsides, no berkeleys given.

The only "modern" feature I care about is ABS.

My fleet of explorers is starting to have problems, I think we've hit the "uncanny valley" of car stuff that they aren't old enough to be simple and they are high miles enough that bigger problems have developed. I've had stunningly good luck with them but it may be time to explore(pun intended) other options.

Note though, I live way way waaaayyy in the country, plowed roads are sometimes multiple miles away and I still have to be able to make it. I've driven RWD and FWD cars that are awesome in light amounts of snow but this isnt the place for them. An Outback isnt the right tool here nor is anything of it's ilk. I've driven an 00explorer thru stuff that snow wheeler guys wouldnt attempt and it was Tuesday, not a huge event. My 97 k1500 is awesome and is proving it's worth but I feel like there are even more simpler options available.

So, what does the hive think?

90s Cherokee or Grand Cherokee maybe?  They're pretty simple, just about everything about them is well known, lots of parts are common as dirt, etc. 

Whatever the oldest base model manual transmission 4x4 Toyota Pickup is that meets your ABS requirement.

I grew up when we drove $500 Delta 88's with one tire spinning however two feet of snow is a lot. 

Once I went up the west side of Michigan in a crazy lake effect snowstorm and mostly on the road was full size 4x4 trucks and Subarus.  My 4x4 Chevrolet Trailblazer struggled doing 30mph.  

The full size trucks had the weight and power to get through the snow.  

In 2 feet of snow you need ground clearance out the wazoo.  Or a snowmobile.

Simplest would be a classic VW Beetle, but you'd have to forgo ABS (and heat. )

A Model T is your answer--dead simple, plenty of ground clearance, etc. And it does have ABS since the brakes don't really work. Technically anti-lock. 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

Whatever the oldest base model manual transmission 4x4 Toyota Pickup is that meets your ABS requirement.

Was thinking of this but they're costly now. Also remembered that some Suzuki Sidekicks/Trackers came with ABS.

3rd gen 4runner

Geo Tracker/Suzuki Vitara?

I'll vote for the David Tracy option:  manual transmission, inline six Grand Cherokee.

eastsideTim said:

I'll vote for the David Tracy option:  manual transmission, inline six Grand Cherokee.

Good luck finding one.  They only built about 1200. 

With that kind of snowfall I would lean toward something that has a locking differential of some sort on both axles. In the past I've found that 4x4s with open diffs at each end aren't super capable in really slick conditions when only one tire on each axle is putting down power. 
Off the top of my head, vehicles with at least an LSD on both ends include the 2nd gen Montero with the winter package, properly optioned Jeeps, and maybe a few trucks with off road packages. I bet the aforementioned Suzuki models also have some aftermarket option available, a Samurai is about as simple as it gets. 

EA82 era Subaru.

They are light enough to float over stuff, handle acceptably well, and they had a TBI version of LH-Jet that is about as simple as you can get for fuel injection.  Maintenance is easy to do while wearing thick gloves, hell you can do the spark plugs standing up with a 3' extension if your back hurts too much.

Downside: They corrode audibly and are 99.99999% gone.

I mean, the real answer is Lada Riva/VAZ 2107, this is literally what they were made for, but GFL finding one...

stuart in mn said:

Simplest would be a classic VW Beetle, but you'd have to forgo ABS (and heat. )

They have heat.  

Ours cooked all summer and after 45 minutes it was kinda toasty in the winter.  

All kidding aside my dad had a Beetle and a '68 "98" and it was the Beetle he enjoyed driving in the deep snow. 

GameboyRMH said:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

Whatever the oldest base model manual transmission 4x4 Toyota Pickup is that meets your ABS requirement.

Was thinking of this but they're costly now. Also remembered that some Suzuki Sidekicks/Trackers came with ABS.

I had a Sidekick, and it had 4WD OR ABS...not both at the same time. Going up a hill, I would shift into 4wd. Over the crest, I would shift to 2WD so the ABS came back on for the descent. It was weird. 

And to answer the question: 

Lightweight, bullerproof, AWD, ABS and pretty simple. 

In reply to pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) :

You don't really need ABS if the diffs are locked, though.  To paraphrase Lucy van Pelt, if one brake locks then they all lock!

(Older Audis with Torsen center diffs and rear locking diffs were weird: they would unlock the rear diff over 25mph so the ABS would work right.  A lot of people would cut a certain wire to eliminate those shenanigans)

In reply to pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) :

I have no desire to ever own one, but darn it if that doesn't look cool.

How about a newer Explorer? :)

or the Chevy equivalent Tahoe?

 I don't think you'll find anything simpler than your 97 K1500 but the newer stuff is still easy to work on. At least the Chevy gmt800 is 

510 Datsun on tall tires with a welded diff.  All sorts of fun.

They're getting old (which might hurt reliability) and low mile examples command a real premium now-a-days but when I read the original post, my answer was Jeep XJ with a 4.0L 

ZJ or XJ.

I daily and winter daily an XJ. I adore it. 329,000 and about to do 3k across the country. She's a little rusty here and there but still structurally 100%.

1. Real answer: Any reliable 4x4 with good tires, realistically. Gen2 Montero is pretty solid and many have a factory rear locker, to boot. They can be found fairly cheap and are damn near as capable as a 4Runner, and almost as reliable. They haven't quite hit the appreciation curve the way Jeeps and Toyotas have, yet so can probably find a non-rusty one for a lot cheaper than those. 

1.1 If you don't mind Bigger, 1st Gen Sequoias are damn near unstoppable in snow thanks to long wheelbase, weight, and good traction control. They don't really get hit with the Toyota Tax the way other Toyos do so can be found pretty cheap (just look out for frame rust), and are very reliable. 

1.5: Sorry, as someone who has owned a WRX running dedicated winter/snow tires, I cannot agree with anyone who thinks any "car" anywhere near stock height (regardless of tires) can reasonably handle 2 FEET of snow for any distance - unless it's champagne powder. The WRX was unstoppable in a foot of untracked, but much more than that, or in heavier/rutted snow, high-centering becomes a real issue, even with AWD and snow tires. For deep stuff, only a truck-ish vehicle will handle, IMO.   (cue stories of "my Ford Escort on bald tires could do 3' of snow easy, gotta know how to drive!)....

2. Alternate answer:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

Whatever the oldest base model manual transmission 4x4 Toyota Pickup is that meets your ABS requirement.

Very good idea, I'll have to look into when ABS became a thing on Toyotas