SUV question

[Flip]

Everything is a compromise, low BC equals low open road fuel usage, powerfull motor equals more fual usage around town, road suspension is terrible off road and vice versa. All I can say is after 19 years ownership I have found the Suzuki to be a brillant wee 4wd. I would get another without hesitation. The one we have is quiet, relatively comfortable and a great wee car. In 19 years I have never had to take a spanner to it. I guess if you compare it to a V6 saloon its going to be slow and uncomfortable, if you compare it against my landy it has poor off road performance. Saying that the Suzuki is a propper 4wd, as std is able to match it off road with the best of the std off road trucks and also drive on the road with modern passanger vehicles. My wee suzuki has done 800km from 50 litres of fuel with carefull driving. So I suspect there was something wrong with the one you were in.

I have some experience as a professional engineer with fuels and I would personally not buy a common rail motor (yet) and I don't care who makes it.

This is my personal bush pig 4WD.

Attachment 294468

Ex NZ Army V8 stage 1. It has parabolics cw 2" lift, OME shocks, high ratio gear set, LPG kit fitted and running properly, lockers, 32" BRG muds, enough radio gear to sink a sub, snorkle and extended breathers. Its really a range rover with a different body and its perminant 4WD.

I use it for hunting and as a mobile radio station.

When I am a bit more fiscal I am going to fit a set of higher compression ratio car heads as these make another 35 hp and use less fuel. I am also looking for a 1kw linear amp as you can never have enough radio power (I laugh at you 5W PRS walkie talkies!).

The last time I opened a Rockgas account I was only paying $1 for LPG which makes this cheaper than any diesel to run hands down. It costs about the same to drive as the 1.6 vitara. I change the oil every 7-10k km. I also swap the transmission fluids every time I cross cross deep water. I have done about 80k km in this truck mostly on hunting and 4WD trips. I have broken 1 front axle towing a trailer with half a tonne of dead rabbits up a very steep doser track at last years easter bunny hunt. I have also replaced every hose and rubber part and had the radiator recored with the highest dennsity one available. The distributor in this is from a range rover as the factory one was a supprssed radio unit (ie, no parts), this some times gives me trouble as it is water proofed and condensation forms inside it and causes problems. The LPG kit gave me heaps of problems (OK years) until I found a bit of swaff inside the slow running jet.

The advantage is it is big and takes a lot of gear to places you dont think you could drive to. The disadvantage is its fucking terrible to drive on the road, relatively slow and very noisy.



When I compare my mates new V6 Commodore (new shape 2013) to my lotus the V6 is guttless, fucking slow, handles like a POS, the brakes are tiny, cheap and over heat after one stop. Its also fat heavy and drinks fuel. Get my point?

[Banditbandit]

What model year was the Suzuki?

Probably around 2000. I have since sat in other Suzies ... still not that impressed.

[FROSTY:Me]

Smaller size SUV's, Honda CR-V, Hyundai, Kia or Holden Captiva ?

Toyota Rav-4, Subaru Forester, Dodge , Ford Kuga, Mazda , Suzuki , Mitsubishi ....... and the list goes on..


What would you choose from the current crop and, why ?

What I woulod buy and what you would buy are probably worlds apart. BUT
Currently available stuff. Id buy a manual Nissan Xtrail
Comfortable to drive for road use. (Carlike basicly). Motors well proven as being strong. Capable for offroad use/boat launching.

[SMOKEU]

Probably around 2000. I have since sat in other Suzies ... still not that impressed.

I went for a ride in a 2009 model, and the performance was dreadfully slow with that 2L petrol engine. It wasn't a bad vehicle inside, but the ride was a bit on the harsh side.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Smaller size SUV's, Honda CR-V, Hyundai, Kia or Holden Captiva ?

Toyota Rav-4, Subaru Forester, Dodge , Ford Kuga, Mazda , Suzuki , Mitsubishi ....... and the list goes on..


What would you choose from the current crop and, why ?

I bought a Subaru XV a year or so back. bit small for your needs?

[Hoon]

BMW X5 for me..the twin turbo V8 version of course!

[jasonu]

Wot about this one

[Edbear]

All of the above

There is really no choice, Suzuki, we have owned one since 96 and it has been the most reilyable car I have ever had any experience with.

Other than the very basic maintenance costs it has cost nothing to own. It is fine to drive sure its no racing car. Its very light on fuel, and it is a propper 4wd with low ratio. I would also tow a medium size trailer with mine just fine.

Keep away from diesels, the technology for common rail motors is not right yet.

Saying that I am still a landrover fan. I would not be without my V8.

What I woulod buy and what you would buy are probably worlds apart. BUT
Currently available stuff. Id buy a manual Nissan Xtrail
Comfortable to drive for road use. (Carlike basicly). Motors well proven as being strong. Capable for offroad use/boat launching.

I bought a Subaru XV a year or so back. bit small for your needs?

I was loaned a Subaru XV while the Kizashi was in for its service. A very nice vehicle and certainly at the top of a short list. I have also tried out the Suzuki Grand Vitara, the new one with the same 2.4lt engine as the Kisashi and what a car! It was grunty, very quick off the mark, almost as comfortable on the road and still a genuine 4 x 4 that will go anywhere most vehicles won't.

The Nissan X-Trail is also worth looking at. Watch Rav's for their rear suspension issues, they don't like loads and will collapse as one did for my Bro-in-law when he shifted house. Not sure about the new ones, though.

All the petrol's will be hungry when towing, but it's hard to find a good diesel at a good price. The Hyuandai i35 was about the best and if you can get one of those for a reasonable price, well worth a look. The Nissan Terrano's are good but a bit slow even with the turbo diesel. However they do have an issue with the manual gearboxes chewing out 2nd gear for some reason. For everything you ever wanted to know about them, give Tim a call at Hibiscus Coast Service Centre, 09-424 0477.

[Laava]

Those Hiluxes and Safaris are horribly overpriced, gutless, thirsty and unreliable death traps. The Europeans were investing huge amounts of money in R&D just when the Japanese were going through a recession in the 1990s. The petrol versions are going to be thirsty, and the diesels are so many years behind the Europeans it's just not funny. It's just a matter of the sheep believing the same old wive's tales that the Japanese used car dealers keep repeating in order to sell more overpriced crap that the rest of the first world doesn't want.

Yes the hiluxes, safaris and landcruisers are over priced. What you get though is a reliable vehicle that is well made and keeps it,s value quite well making it a better investment than any of the euro trash.
Look at the price of a 10 yr old hilux vs a 10 yr old euro suv and compare the devaluation.

[SMOKEU]

Yes the hiluxes, safaris and landcruisers are over priced. What you get though is a reliable vehicle that is well made and keeps it,s value quite well making it a better investment than any of the euro trash.
Look at the price of a 10 yr old hilux vs a 10 yr old euro suv and compare the devaluation.

They're not necesserily reliable, I know several people who own those above mentioned vehicles who have to spend a fuckload of money on them to keep them maintained properly. Not because they're an inherently bad vehicle, but just because they're old, worn out and suffered from years of neglect and abuse. Old, inefficient technology like that is always going to be very high maintenance compared to the modern European vehicles with those extra long service intervals. The real reason why these old SUVs go for crazy money over here is because people are stupid enough to be brainwashed into paying ridiculous money for a vehicle that is at the end of its useful design life.

It's not always bad to buy these old vehicles, but it's crazy for people to pay as much as they do for an old, worn out vehicle that is going to be very high maintenance. The price should reflect the age, mileage, and condition. 15 year old Landcruisers still commonly have an asking price of around $30k with over 200,000km on the clock, and I bet there are plenty of people stupid enough to pay decent vehicle money for an old wreck.

[Laava]

The real reason why these old SUVs go for crazy money over here is because people are stupid enough to be brainwashed into paying ridiculous money for a vehicle that is at the end of its useful design life.

It's not always bad to buy these old vehicles, but it's crazy for people to pay as much as they do for an old, worn out vehicle that is going to be very high maintenance. The price should reflect the age, mileage, and condition. 15 year old Landcruisers still commonly have an asking price of around $30k with over 200,000km on the clock, and I bet there are plenty of people stupid enough to pay decent vehicle money for an old wreck.

Although there is an element of truth here, it is still the case that people will buy the best option. A ten year old jappa or a ten year old euro? I know where I will put my money.

[Akzle]

15 year old Landcruisers still commonly have an asking price of around $30k with over 200,000km on the clock, and I bet there are plenty of people stupid enough to pay decent vehicle money for an old wreck.

given that a proper cruiser's 'useful design life' starts at about 600 thou and goes up to 'around the clock about 4 times'... What fuken price do you expect to pay. At 200k, most people wouldnt have got the burrs off the front diff.
I mean the 4.2 i6 cruiser, not a wank tank v8 prado.

[unstuck]

80 series vx landcruiser, 1992-1995. The end.

[Laava]

80 series vx landcruiser, 1992-1995. The end.

Soooo....what do you drive then?

[Scuba_Steve]

80 series vx landcruiser, 1992-1995. The end.

Pfft; Series IIA LandRover, '67. The end!