The first car that I actually owned was a 1st gen Ford Everest way back in 2004. It was a manual 4WD with a 2.5 Liter Turbocharged diesel engine. Not the fastest nor the the most luxurious drive. But it was reliable and a workhorse. Previous to that I was usually assigned a company car service. So when I had the option to upgrade and own my assigned vehicle, I opted for a 4WD SUV that fits the budget given.
It was a workhorse and never did give me any problems. It actually got me out of some sticky situations a couple of times (ie. a friends BMW 3 got stuck in sand and I pulled him out, another instance was it got us safely out of a muddy farm). The only thing that gave out in the end was the turbo unit which started leaking. Aside from that, it literally brought me all over Luzon. I was so sad to finally let it go. One day, maybe I'll get a chance to get it back.