Looking to buy my first RV/SUV (first 4 wheeled vehicle)

[Flip]

Mrs Flip has had a 1600 Suzuki Vitara since 98. They are a brillant light 4WD, I have done nothing to it other than change the oil. I personally are a Landrover fan, but I would be very happy with a slightly modified Vitata as a hunting vehicle.

The suzuki regually gets 7l/100km which is good for any 4wd, the best my landrover gets is 12.

[BMWST?]

Mrs Flip has had a 1600 Suzuki Vitara since 98. They are a brillant light 4WD, I have done nothing to it other than change the oil. I personally are a Landrover fan, but I would be very happy with a slightly modified Vitata as a hunting vehicle.

The suzuki regually gets 7l/100km which is good for any 4wd, the best my landrover gets is 12.

thats another consideration...going over the hill every day will be expensive in any 4x4. I reckon you should consider a diesel station wagon.But get it checked carefully by a diesel specialist..And be careful if you go for an isuzu mu or bighorn i think the ones with a the 3.0 L 4JX1 TD I4. may be troublesome.Otherwise i think the bighorn is underated,but "full sized" 4wd are expensive to run

[Winston001]

A few years back I swapped a 2005 Audi S4 for a 1996 Toyota Prado diesel. I have been very happy with that decision. The Prado isn't too bad on fuel given it is near 3ton and a 3 litre turbo diesel (65ltrs gets me about 650kms around town). It also has great power for towing, going off road or whatever. It is a bullet proof piece of kit, with a strong body and incredibly reliable motor that, with good regular maintenance will just never ever give up. I have never had to replace anything other than maintenance items (tyres, oil, brake pads, cam belt)

I have taken it down some rather rough and wild tracks, including over rocks on the beach and it has never had trouble.(I got mine stuck in a 1m wide and deep drainage culvert andby simply locking the diffs, drove it right out without even a scratch!). It is never going to be a fast vehicle, although I seldom get overtaken on the open road but I still enjoy trucking along in it. The only reason I will sell it, will be to replace it with a new one.

Ditto.

Am on my second Prado which I will keep. It has 300k and still goes like when it was new. I don't need its size now the children are nearly gone but its damned handy to have the cabin space at times. Put a desk in there to take to my daughter at university.

[Winston001]

thats another consideration...going over the hill every day will be expensive in any 4x4. I reckon you should consider a diesel station wagon.But get it checked carefully by a diesel specialist..

...."full sized" 4wd are expensive to run

Agreed. SUVs are great but they eat the tyres and fuel compared to cars.

I think the OP would be much happier with an AWD such as a Subaru Forester etc.

[ducatilover]

If you're really after a 4x4 thing I'd recommend the 1st gen Vitara/Escudo, I'd personally buy a tidy Sport 16V one, they had the factory LSDs and were much nicer on the road due to a little extra pep from the 1600 DOHC, instead of the unhappy and thrashy 8v model.

But, I wouldn't recommend you one for driving the 'Takas every day, I don't think you'll average much better than 10/100km on that commute in a Vitara/Escudo.
I'd say looking at a small economical car, 'til you finish study could be a great idea.
I've been driving up and down the north island a bit in the last few months in our farm hack '93 Civic (NZ new 1.5 SOHC carb, manual sedan) and it's averaging 6.0L/100km for me, but it's been getting a thrashing on any relatively interesting road.


Avoid the RAV, they're a joke and not even a funny joke.

[rebel]

Another fucking lemming who buys into the SUV craze.
A 1600cc Vitara ISN'T economical. Lift it and put a set of mud tyres on it and it'll be worse than a V8 Commodore. Add to that any petrol 4wd will hit your wallet. Buy a diesel and you wont get better than 10l/100km open road, plus rego ruc. 5 grand for a diesel SUV will get a shit heap ticking time bomb anyway.
You obviously don't need a 4wd. You have it in your head you do, just like every other cunt on the road. Buy a Falcon, Commodore, Legacy, Forester wagon, will do 90% of what every other shitbox SUVs on the road are used for.
Me I have had modified 4wds for years, and I only drive them to and from the bush. I'll use my car every other time.

[Banditbandit]

If you're serious about going off-road DON'T buy an automatic ... you have less control through the throttle and have to use your brakes more ... which means less grip

(And I doubt there is a manual Nissan Terrano in the country - so rule that one out ...)

[Drew]

Isuzu MU. 2.8 turbo diesel manuals, are great cars.

Tuned right they will go from Wellington to New Plymouth and back, on one tank of gas.

Edit: They will accept 33X10.5 r15 tyres without modification too. If you've got the wallet to buy a set of course.

[Drew]

(And I doubt there is a manual Nissan Terrano in the country - so rule that one out ...)

Mikey had one. Fuckin gutless horrible piece of shit that it was.

[neels]

(And I doubt there is a manual Nissan Terrano in the country - so rule that one out ...)

Mikey had one. Fuckin gutless horrible piece of shit that it was.

That makes at least 2 then, I just sold one a while back. Agreed that like the other diesels of their generation they are a bit short on go, they do however just keep on going.

[Banditbandit]

Mikey had one. Fuckin gutless horrible piece of shit that it was.

I've had one for 10 years ... they just go ... and it tows my boat fine ... It's OK in the back country roads but don't expect it to be that great in real off-road country ... and they are very nice to cruise long distance in ...

Just don't expect fast ... (If I want faster I have bikes ...)

[huff3r]

If you're serious about going off-road DON'T buy an automatic ... you have less control through the throttle and have to use your brakes more ... which means less grip

(And I doubt there is a manual Nissan Terrano in the country - so rule that one out ...)

I was under the impression the Autos were better in the rough stuff.... easier to get a crawl going without risk of stalling it. That's just what I've been told/read though, never taken the Range Rover into any real off-roading yet, handles paddocks great though. Oh don't buy one of them... 16-20L/100ks depending if you're towing or not. And only runs on 95.

Edit: and for downhill slow descents, my Auto has lockout in 1st when the diff-locks are engaged.

[Banditbandit]

The good manual 4x4s have a very low first gear ratio - which the autos don't have - so you can drop it into first in low and crawl down hills, maintaining grip and with the wheels turning ... in an automatic you need to brake .. which can easily stop the wheeels .. and then the vehicle slides ... you don't want it to slide ... you have no control when it slides and you hope it stops sliding before something nasty happens ...

[Matariki]

Hmm... perhaps a SUV isn't the way to go then. But I'm still interested in getting a 4WD vehicle.
Dumb question; but are there any 4WD cars on the market that would be ok for what I would be looking to use it for?

[Drew]

Hmm... perhaps a SUV isn't the way to go then. But I'm still interested in getting a 4WD vehicle.
Dumb question; but are there any 4WD cars on the market that would be ok for what I would be looking to use it for?

Subaru Outback or Forester are about as far off the ground as anything I can think of.

The Mu is a great little wagon, find one and take it for a hoon.