I'm after a 4x4 for a second car to the scoob. Its life will consist of 2 miles a day to work and back (car sharing you see) and shifting garden crud and possibly a bit of pratting about off road.

Possibilities are

Frontera
SJ
Land Rover
etc.
Petrol or diesel

Whats the pros and cons of each vehicle and what do I need to look for when buying?

Cheers,

Wayne.


PS may px my Cav GSI if anyone is interested.


Cheers for any help

 

Try and get an old Shogun if you can..Landrovers are just rotton and expensive,in your kinda price bracket.Frontera...not that bad,just electrical and gearbox gremins to look for.
SJ's are great,but small and dont have a great deal of power,never any great probs with them.


To be honest,for a grand it will be hard work to find a good example of any 4x4 i think,at least with a Shogun everthing is pretty bombproof,just look for body rot on early ones.

 

Frontera Sport 2.0i 8 valve = loads of reliability problems on the early models (came out on a J plate), and diesels not available until (I think P plate onwards 2.8 Turbo), but apart from bouncy ride (leaf springs until 1996) very competent off road.

Avoid long wheel base 2.3 Turbo Fronteras - bit of a bus.

Landies - you don't get much for that money (hold their "value" very well).

SJ - great off road - in fact stunning little performers.

Diesels obviously better in water that Petrol.

I have some amateur off road video I took about 10 years ago showing Fronteras, SJs and Landies off road/play days in the Midlands - if you want to borrow you are more than welcome.

Let me know!

Richard

 

The Landrover is simplest and cheapest to fix. If you get one for £1500 it will always be worth that. Friend has an 83 90" petrol. Fails its MOT every year but costs peanuts to fix.....

 

Just a thought:

No idea what they are like off road - Daihatsu Sport Track (not sure of spelling either).

Toyota Hi Lux (Top Gear seem to be impressed).

Land Rovers:
Check out the classifieds in the back of Land Rover International magazine - some great Series IIIs for sale.

 

Daihatsu's are good little cars off road,
very cramped inside though and noisy, very competent though

 

I would look for a Toyota or a Daihatsu (a re-badged Toyota).

 

Jeep Cherokee?

Cheep as chips!!!

 

Jeep Cherokee would be to expensive to maintain.