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

[ducatilover]

9 km l going over the takas...i dont think so

I do, on a commute from the Wairarapa I think 9L/100km would be reasonable for one of them if you treat it nicely.

[Ender EnZed]

if the ground is uneven and the front wheel is in a hole there is no finesse with an auto...you press the go pedal and nothing happens so you press it some more..nothing...more...nothing more...and you launch out of the hole you are in and smack into the rock in the middle of the stream you were trying to avoid with your so called soft start auto.

Left foot braking is the answer to that situation. It feels a little unnatural at first but it's pretty hard to get wrong.

[Flip]

There is always diflocks and propper axle articulation.

[Winston001]

If you do put it in low range the bloody thing wont change up....(this is a toyota prado)From my limited experience i would never have an auto for off road stuff.

Fair enough but my Prado is automatic and I've been on many offroad tracks. It has a second gear select button for those difficult moments. It also has a diff lock. Never had any problems although I've certainly been stuck - once on a flat wet swampy paddock. Allterrain tyres are a compromise but mostly very good.

[BMWST?]

Fair enough but my Prado is automatic and I've been on many offroad tracks. It has a second gear select button for those difficult moments. It also has a diff lock. Never had any problems although I've certainly been stuck - once on a flat wet swampy paddock. Allterrain tyres are a compromise but mostly very good.

i wasnt driving,but i was mostly very impressed with the prado seemed to have good basic grip,very nice on the road too.From my own observations and (maybe unfairly) compared to my brothers late model landcruiser,a manual would be better still.

one 4x4 we havent talked about is a wee suzuki jimmy(or is it jiminy)

[Matariki]

Hmm... I think the Vitara might be the better choice for me. I commute to Taita 3 days a week, and the last thing I would want is my vehicle gutted out or stolen. I'm not sure though how fuel economics work (litres per 100km), and what is good and what is bad. Yet alone how to work out how much it would cost to refill.

[Drew]

Hmm... I think the Vitara might be the better choice for me. I commute to Taita 3 days a week, and the last thing I would want is my vehicle gutted out or stolen. I'm not sure though how fuel economics work (litres per 100km), and what is good and what is bad. Yet alone how to work out how much it would cost to refill.

Woah Woah Woah. Back up.

Six trips over the Rimutaka hill a week? I suggest nothing with 4wd tyres. Even the Vitara/Escudo has little off road tyres that cost twice as much as passenger car tyres.

There doesn't seem to be any perfect car for you, but running cost of replacing tyres would sway me away immediately.

[Matariki]

Woah Woah Woah. Back up.

Six trips over the Rimutaka hill a week? I suggest nothing with 4wd tyres. Even the Vitara/Escudo has little off road tyres that cost twice as much as passenger car tyres.

There doesn't seem to be any perfect car for you, but running cost of replacing tyres would sway me away immediately.

Any suggestions then for a good solid car then?
Is it possible to put passenger car tires on the vitara?

I travel over the Rimutakas 3 days a week, expecting soon to go over 5 days a week. Are there any good alternatives to the Subaru Forester that isn't a favorite amongst car thieves?

[huff3r]

Any suggestions then for a good solid car then?
Is it possible to put passenger car tires on the vitara?

I travel over the Rimutakas 3 days a week, expecting soon to go over 5 days a week. Are there any good alternatives to the Subaru Forester that isn't a favorite amongst car thieves?

Yes you can put passenger tyres on them. Expect them to last 50-60,000kms due to being 4wd, and they would have much worse off-road performance, although if you were serious about going off-road you could just have 2 sets of wheels + tyres, one for the commute, and one to change if you wished to go off-roading. Also they aren't a normal passenger tyre size, so although you can get passenger tyres for them expect to pay $20-50 more each than a different passenger car.

In saying that, decent tyres for a forester would be pretty much the same price, and last the same.

Another vehicle to look at is maybe the RVR? Although I don't know much about them, but they are mitsubishi lancer based..

[leathel]

plenty of cheap rims around if you want to fit some Mud tyres later and swap tyres when you want to go more hard core 4x4.... and some tyres that are good for road and OK off road at lower pressures for general 4x4 stuff for the sizuki (R10??? I can check what the others are running on theirs)

My mothers runabout is an escudo and that has done some nice off road trips through the south Island and north, Not hard core 4x4 but I was very surprised just how well it went, even a Rav4 with the same tyres went OK.

OK they didn't go as easy as my wagon with the KL17's but the Rav only needed one tow out and the suzuki none, plenty of other more hard core needed help. The Suzi does bash the fuel tank a bit so a plate will be needed if rock hopping

Theirs is auto as well but does have a high low box.

Prado is a little bigger but some of them are great

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used...-591447893.htm

Bit dearer

I do lots of road miles on my KL17's and its only now that they are well worn that they are stating to slip a little, still way better than many off road tyres when they were new still.....

Its always going to be a compromise but you need to figure were the compromise
is, it may well be a second set of rims, a less hard core 4x4 or a not so smooth drive

[Matariki]

Hmm... I'll have to work out how much each vehicle is (roughly) going to cost for me to run it (and thats looking at it gas wise).

Edit: Maths fun

I worked out how much its going to cost gas wise to run each vehicle per year based on the sort of driving I'm going to be doing on the road. https://www.energywise.govt.nz/

Estimated traveling in KMs per year: 27,112.8km (round off to 30,000km). All 2000 (as in the year) models.

Suzuki Vitara/Escudo (petrol, manual, 2000cc engine): $5040 per year.
Suzuki Grand Vitara (petrol, manual, 1590cc engine): $4800 per year.
Subaru Forester (petrol, manual, 2000cc engine): $5580 per year.
Toyota RAV4 (petrol, manual, 2000cc engine): $5400 per year.

Edit: Would also consider looking at station wagons too (providing they're 4wd).

[Flip]

There are heaps of good AT all terain tyres available for Vitara's. My fav is the AT firestone however my wife's Vitata has hangkook AT's at the moment.

On the open road my 50 litre Vitara tank gets 750km which is 6.6 litres/100 km. My Harley gets 6.5-7 depending on how I ride and if the boss is on the back.

[Edbear]

Hmm... I'll have to work out how much each vehicle is (roughly) going to cost for me to run it (and thats looking at it gas wise).

Edit: Maths fun

I worked out how much its going to cost gas wise to run each vehicle per year based on the sort of driving I'm going to be doing on the road. https://www.energywise.govt.nz/

Estimated traveling in KMs per year: 27,112.8km (round off to 30,000km). All 2000 (as in the year) models.

Suzuki Vitara/Escudo (petrol, manual, 2000cc engine): $5040 per year.
Suzuki Grand Vitara (petrol, manual, 1590cc engine): $4800 per year.
Subaru Forester (petrol, manual, 2000cc engine): $5580 per year.
Toyota RAV4 (petrol, manual, 2000cc engine): $5400 per year.

Edit: Would also consider looking at station wagons too (providing they're 4wd).

The Vitara 1600 is still the best choice of the 4x4's. Station wagons are a good second choice and of those the only one I have never heard any negatives about is the Toyota Caldina. Available in several models including 4WD. Every single person I have spoken to who has/had one praises them. May not save you any fuel though.

[Matariki]

The Vitara 1600 is still the best choice of the 4x4's.

I'm happy with the idea of getting one for everyday use. Well, I'm glad that's settled then.

[neels]

I'm happy with the idea of getting one for everyday use. Well, I'm glad that's settled then.

Thank god for that.

Don't panic yourself too much about the cost/life of 4wd tyres, I'm running 80/20 ATR tyres on my terrano, have replaced them twice in 110k's. A bit more expensive than car tyres, but to put it in perspective the last set cost me just under $900, a set of low profile 15" tyres for the wifes car was a bit under $800 so not a lot better.