Cheapest 4x4 to buy & run ??

Harry_Flashman

Hammyman wrote: »

Don't expect more than mid 20's out of a diesel and high teens out of a petrol.

Not really old chap.

My last 2 motors :

Shogun Pinin 2.0GDi - mid to high 30s (petrol engine)
L200 Animal - low to mid 30s (2.5 diesel)

Not as bad as you paint 'em.

And my tax was £200 last year for the L200 (LGV class)

jackieb

My brother-in-law has a Mitsubushi Animal. Had it since new. Now done over 260k miles. We live in north Scotland so it comes into its own in the winter.

Flying-High_2

24mpg was the best I could get from my swb 3.1 Trooper.. was more like 19. That was largely down to the Mud Biased 265/75s it was on.

KillerWatt

Flying-High wrote: »

24mpg was the best I could get from my swb 3.1 Trooper.. was more like 19. That was largely down to the Mud Biased 265/75s it was on.

We are running BF Goodrich 265/75's (A/T's) on the LWB 7 seater Jap version with a 2" suspension lift and get the claimed 30mpg at 60mph without a problem, was your's an auto per chance?

Flying-High_2

Nope manual... On Insa Traction Tracks... Was mixed work it was on... 300mile commute weekly then towing at home through the week/weekend... and TBH hammered.

Whats the craic with the Lotus Bighorns?.... Suspension wise?... Stiffer dampers?... Parts easily available? Hows the 4wd switch in?.... I've only ever had Troopers with SOFT.

KillerWatt

Flying-High wrote: »

Nope manual... On Insa Traction Tracks... Was mixed work it was on... 300mile commute weekly then towing at home through the week/weekend... and TBH hammered.

Whats the craic with the Lotus Bighorns?.... Suspension wise?... Stiffer dampers?

Most (but not all) have had the Lotus treatment, the extra 2" suspension lift I did myself (the kit is only £80).

Flying-High wrote: »

... Parts easily available?

Mechanically the same as the Trooper, but the trim & "extra's" level is something else.
Parts wise, no problem in getting anything for them (Milner's off road).

Flying-High wrote: »

Hows the 4wd switch in?

Our's switches in manually, much better than all the electronic crap (which is just more to potentially go wrong).

Flying-High_2

I Used to use Milners for mine and the Hilux... ECPS used to come up trumps now and then aswell and far cheaper than Milners.... Main dealers are a Joke...

Suspension lift never really Interested me TBH..... Was at work more than it was playing...

When you say manually?... did you have to stop then shift the small stick?.... Mine was just yank the short stick on the go.

The Bighorns have the LSD rear axle?

KillerWatt

Flying-High wrote: »

When you say manually?... did you have to stop then shift the small stick?

That's the kiddie.
A slight inconveniance possibly, but the reliability factor outweighs any potential inconveniance that will only cost me a few seconds.

Flying-High wrote: »

The Bighorns have the LSD rear axle?

Our's has the limited slip diff and skid plates from front to back, but I don't know if they all have them (I think it was an option from new).

Flying-High_2

KillerWatt wrote: »

That's the kiddie.
A slight inconveniance possibly, but the reliability factor outweighs any potential inconveniance that will only cost me a few seconds.


Our's has the limited slip diff and skid plates from front to back, but I don't know if they all have them (I think it was an option from new).

Mine was 100% when I got it...But Little bash plate was missing... previous owner had snapped a Bolt.... and driving through our Fields ripped the wires off the Front axle Solenoid which the Bash plate would cover.and the wires on the front axle for the switch for the bulb for the green 4x4 light... Made a Bash plate in work bodged the wiring and happy days.... It's all vaccuum pipes and wiring... piece of !!!!.... Wirings all Brown or Blue and the Vac pipes are easy to suss out.

Not sure about the LSD... Something "like" G80 on the Vin plate rings a bell... as to what options it had regarding LSD.

KillerWatt

Flying-High wrote: »

It's all vaccuum pipes and wiring... piece of !!!!.... Wirings all Brown or Blue and the Vac pipes are easy to suss out.

That's why I love ours. Old school tech that requires no special tools, very easy to work on, almost enough room to stand inside the engine bay and do the job, and unbelievably reliable.

Our Jag on the other hand.......