4wd recommendations?

creased-leach

We've hired Jimnys a couple of times in Greece- and they've been fantastic. Perfectly able on the roads- and steep, pot-holed-to-!!!!!!y Greek mountain tracks. Only downside was the lack of loadspace.

Hintza

jeannieblue wrote: »

Meanwhile, I am going to get into our very reliable Land Cruiser and will be with you very shortly. No need to put the electric blanket on...

I would tend to agree with you Jeannie but Toyota sure know how to charge for the Landcruiser.

In the old days the used to sell the cheaper more basic versions which were great value for money. Just wish those were still available in the UK, now they seem to have every conceivable luxury/extra that for many of us is not required.

I'm going to be keeping an eye on the Defender based Spanish made Iveco Massif (the old Santana) for a more basic 4x4. Don't seem to be readily available in the UK yet.

http://www.santanauk.com/default.asp

http://www.massif.iveco.com/

gilbert_and_sullivan

Hintza...consider importing one of these?, i believe they still make the 70 series to this day as troop carriers for the miltary..this one is typical of the more private user based ones 4.2 NA Diesel tough as hell and simple...i had a 3 door 3 litre one of these for years, it just never went wrong.

http://www.tradecarview.com/used_car/japan%20car/toyota/landcruiser+70/3056864/

Hintza

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

Hintza...consider importing one of these?,

Hopefully I'm set for the next few years with my Cat D Cherokee which apart from the fuel consumption is working out well (was pretty cheap to get fixed up and back on the road). Having said that attaching the trailer seems to make no real difference to the mpg....:). Loads of low-down torque but feeling safe top speed not great

I did have a brief look at at South Africa for 70's but they were not as cheap as I was hoping for and then you have all the hassle of importing.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Hintza wrote: »

I did have a brief look at at South Africa for 70's but they were not as cheap as I was hoping for and then you have all the hassle of importing.

We did want Amazon when we bought in 07, VED has effectively taken those out of the equation certainly anything regd after 06, so we bough new 3 litre Hilux instead both for simplicity (well relatively these days) and CV VED of £190.

Still toy with the idea of importing one of those old 70's, if you look at interior pics they've still got a painted uncovered dashboard and basic engineering...if it ain't broke don't mend it approach which i like.
Course you can import a 105 Amazon too which is 100 series but still with live front axle and steel spring suspension and much less to go wrong, UN buy them by the fleet.

I think there's an increasing number of us wanting to get away from the ever more complicated modern vehicles stuffed to the gills with equipment we don't want that will go wrong....i'm not yet that senile that i don't know when it's raining and i do know when i need to turn on me lights.

Rant over..:p

Eric_Pisch

scoobby forester / legacy is more than enough 4wd for 98% of people

nissan pickups are very cheap and look half decent when "blinged"

and if you want to drive across the outback and tell the tale do what the auzzies do - landcruiser

cyclonebri1

Given that the op only wants a 4X4 for access down a rough track and not to cross the Sahara maybe one of the Subaru 4X4 estates, Forestor or similar would fit. I was considering my next car would be an occaissional off roader and the Subara seems a reasonable compromise, certainly has much more load space than the compact4x4's;)

Hintza

I know we are commandeering the thread a little bit. It is probably quite interesting for the OP.

My personal view is that for 95% of folk a decent set of tyres is all that is required, then soft off-roader with decent tyres. If only to keep daily running costs down.

Why lug all that 4x4 apparatus around if you don't need to.

I cry once a year now when the VED has to be renewed and curse SWMBO for her insistence on having ponies (don't tell her but I do quite enjoy it myself too....;) )

Don't we all just hark back to the days when you could clean out the interior of the old landrover with the hose...:(

cyclonebri1

Inactive wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:


Best laugh I've had in ages, still laughing at that..

Me too, I thought it was anything Japanese:eek:, ;)

gilbert_and_sullivan

Just out of interest Pineapple what sort of car do you have?

I only ask as in my experience a reasonably competent 2WD car front or rear wheel drive on good quality winter tyres will make as good progess on the sort of track and snow conditions you describe as a 4WD on low profile summer tyres...see how Range Rover Sports on 20" slicks and similarly shod X5's perform...useless in ice and snow despite their 4WD credentials.

I run proper snowflake marked winter tyres on both my RWD car and my 4x4 pick up, the car will make unhindered progess in 6" of snow no problem, obviously the 4x4 is in a different league.
Might be worth considering this course if it's only a bit of snow causing the probelm.