We keep looking at "basic" fairly compact 4x4s as a third car and to blat around country lanes in. The Defender experience rather put us off them and they are just too expensive to buy and run.
We loved our Jimny but it was rather too small.
Considered the Panda 4x4 Twinair on a business lease but not sure we need a new vehicle.
The Jeep Wrangler seems quite good and prices vary wildly but some seem quite good VFM. I know they are good off road, go well but are clearly not top notch inside. We need to seat two kids safely in the back (rules out early Land Rovers too which if I bought again, I'd go for - new Defenders are just a bit useless for the money).

Only thoughts but any suggestions?

Quite like old stuff like the Fourtraks, 70 (?) series Landcruisers and similar but they are very very rare.

 

My choice would be a 3dr shogun/pajero

 

I like the Wrangler's hired one in Cyprus and went on the rally trails, even got stuck on one of the rally stages as un be-known to us it was on at the time so we had to stay and watch while all the rally cars went by. Made friends with some of the locals and followed them back at rather high speed, they were in a Pajero and despite local knowledge couldn't leave us. The 4.0 petrol is Very capable and goes like a stabbed rat on dirt roads, great fun and very controlable, bit thirsty but I didn't mind as we only had it for a couple of days and pretty much drove it like it was stolen most of the time so fuel consumption wasn't an issue. my only criticism would be the total lack of any boot space, pretty much like the Jimny.

I wanted one for out here but the total lack of any practicality and zero load lugging ability added to the fuel consumption put paid to that idea. Instead I plumped for my Isuzu Trooper 3.1 D which I cannot praise highly enough, I drove just about every 4x4 on the market at the time and could of afforded any of them too, The dealer who specialises in 4x4's forced me to drive it against my will, I came back 10mins later and bought it, so much better than anything of it's era, (there's a reason they were very popular with farmers) it's been trouble free for 8yrs and 70k miles, and it's had a VERY hard life Paris Dakar style, been on it's roof and taken out a couple of decent sized trees too and still going strong although it's not pretty. It's done some Proper off roading and coped with everything i've thrown at it with a plumb.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy another if I could find a decent one, mine is a SWB and will go anywhere any other 4x4 can go as long as you have the right tyres.

 

I had a 4.0 jeep wrangler when I was 17, great fun to drive off road, but pretty awful on the road V bouncey and twitchy with the leaf springs on roundabouts, but quick in a straight line. My parents sold it after they drove it, as they though it was unsafe in my hands, which I though was unfair. And yet their individual car write off record is still triple mine.
I do fancy another one but a coil sprung one which I'm told are better but still not great.
As mentioned, in 3 door form they are small, 5 door in dark colours has a hint of hummer about it to me, and is more practical but not exactly cheap.
3 door Paj / Shogun are good call but a bit bouncy and rubbish to get kids or anything in the back seats, same for 3 door Nissan Terrano (which I prefered over the 3 door paj I had).
Does it have to be 3 door and soft top ? If 5 door why not consider an old shape Kia Sorento, or hyundai Terracan ? Oh and the soft top on the wrangler as its right so and so to get on and off.

Richard

 

What about a Subaru Forester?
Not got as much ground clearance as some proper 4x4's, but then you did mention a Panda 4x4, so I'm assuming you don't mean hardcore off roading.

Benefits:
Cheap pre 02's are less than a grand
Shares most Impreza parts
3 seats in the back, very large boot
Is a Subaru!

Take a look here for some of the off roading pics: http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulle...ctures-116812/

I switched from an Impreza to a Forester a few years back. Love it.

 

What about this;

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifie...xperiment=true

Don't know whether it's got enough ground clearance

 

I need more than that… :loll:

Cheers for the suggestions all - it's not an urgent thing but we find ourselves looking quite often. Doesn't need to be any good on the road - the BM and van do those jobs well enough. Just seems to be a lack of "proper" off roaders that aren't £50k++ super luxury, massive SUVs. I like no nonsense looks and ability. Defenders are good in some ways but they are so unreliable and badly made, you have to be a proper enthusiast/nutter to run one as we found out.

 

Had one of these for a year, was a great laugh

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/defa...ryId=26737.htm

 

Or go outback specced for offroad, and with the 3.0 H6, is plenty quick

Mart

 

skoda yeti