recommendations for an older 4x4

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suzi

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I am looking at getting a 4x4 as a second/yard car.

Realistically I'll probably be driving it 4 days a week to the yard and on to work and then supplementing driving my current car when visiting clients / on longer work journeys.

I'd be wanting the 4x4 element for snow/poor weather, ocxasional harrowing / driving stuff across the field/moving hay etc etc but would want something not too thirsty as it'll be doing 40miles a day on the days it does get used.

Am on a budget so hoping to spend max £1500 but winder what sort of thing I'd be best off buying.

I'm tending against Discoverys and Freelanders as not heard great things about the older ones. What about Rav4S? Honda CRV? Vitaras? Or a pick up?

I do need it to be a reasonable work horse.....

Other option is to swap to a newer 4x4 but once I've bashed it about the fields I'm not sure I'd want it going to clients etc!

Any experiences?
 
Look for an old pick-up we have an L200, cheap to tax and you can get loads in the back. They do hold their value but still a cheaper option than a standard 4x4
 
Do you find it thirsty? How's it been to maintain? I'm slightly cautious about taking on a second car when I also have the horse box to tax and insure but being realistic I'll probably be making savings in the damage I won't be putting on my other car by trudging it round the place where it's really not suited..

It's a 1 series and I do drive it across the field when it's dry and fill it with hay etc when really I need it to stay nice!
 
Love my vitara!!! Only cost £650 with under 67 000 on the clock.... It's t reg so 14 years old! Needed a new radiator but knew this when I bought it! It's a soft top version. Has plenty of room in the back when two back seats are out!

Cheap on insurance and tax
Fuel consumption isn't to bad either for a 4x4..... Did a 100 mile round trip on £15/£17 (not to sure as fuel gauge isn't exactly modern!) it does a nice 60/65mph cruise on straight roads and loves pot holes!!!
 
Is yours the Vitara or the Grand Vitara? What engine does it have?

Have seen a fair few around for what appears sensible money.

Will have a look at the Terano and Montery. Have to say the Montery is not one I have actually heard of.

Not sure about the L200...there don't seem to be many around me at the mo.
 
Look for any old pick-up, diesel are pretty much all the same block. Not cheap to run but cheap tax as not a car, will tow most things and carry loads in the back. Wouldn't touch a Vitara... Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Toyota, even Ford? Love pick-ups and great off-road...
 
If you go for the terrano or it's ford brother look out for rust other than that they are brill I had a terrano after I got rid of my L200 couldn't believe how good it pulled compared to the L200
 
PerfectPony said:
Look for any old pick-up, diesel are pretty much all the same block. Not cheap to run but cheap tax as not a car, will tow most things and carry loads in the back. Wouldn't touch a Vitara... Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Toyota, even Ford? Love pick-ups and great off-road...
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Ok..so L200 ok but not the other Mitsubishi? Any reason why not on the others?

My dad has had a shogun and an l200 and preferred the shogun...said it was a better 4x4 than the pickup whereas the pickup was more practical for him at the time (he could put his single skull on the roof bars)

All so confusing!
 
suzi said:
Is yours the Vitara or the Grand Vitara? What engine does it have?

Have seen a fair few around for what appears sensible money.

Will have a look at the Terano and Montery. Have to say the Montery is not one I have actually heard of.

Not sure about the L200...there don't seem to be many around me at the mo.
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Just the normal vitara, 1.6litre petrol engine, I think they come in diesel though but bit more difficult to find ... Couldn't afford a grand one! (I couldn't afford one at a grand either!)
 
No problem with any other Mitsubishi, love the Shogun and others in the range. But for horsey grunt, off road ability a pick up is an easy option. For some reason the tax is cheaper for a pick-up, hay is outside so no mess, will tow for England... Love the normal 4x4's but they are more expensive and if you don't want to use them for leisure... Go pick-up xx
 
PerfectPony said:
No problem with any other Mitsubishi, love the Shogun and others in the range. But for horsey grunt, off road ability a pick up is an easy option. For some reason the tax is cheaper for a pick-up, hay is outside so no mess, will tow for England... Love the normal 4x4's but they are more expensive and if you don't want to use them for leisure... Go pick-up xx
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Makes sense, thank you.

Will need to do some maths too ad insurance costs seem to be higher for puvk ups. It probably all balances out in the end. .

OH is now getting designs on borrowing it for a spot oc green laning but not sure if that's actually practical!
 
Do you want to tow a horse trailer or other heavy weights?? If not I would look at a 4wd car, or even put winter tyres on a good estate. You can pick up some decent estate cars on that budget, especially if you look at bigger engined petrol ones, although fuel may be hefty. We picked up a Jag AWD for less than 2k (ground clearance is rubbish though!!) TBH for that money I would look at a Subaru legacy!!

Rav 4's seem like decent little SUV's - careful when you buy though as some are advertised as 4X4 but are actually only 2WD models. Freelanders are not much good, reliabilty wise below a certain year 2003 I think but don't quote me on that.

Work horses are your "proper 4X4'S things like defenders, Troopers, Fourtracks and Landcruisers, fuel thirsty but will pull a house down (literally when I pulled down and old wooden building with a Fourtrack!) you can get a fairly decent car for your budget - I have a Trooper that cost less than 1k, and before that I had a fourtrack for 5 years that cost £800, My next object of desire on a budget is either Subaru Legacy or a Ford Ranger!
 
Nissan navara Avntura, i get all my crap in the truck part and it tows well, the cab is like a luxury car, heated leather seats, sat nav, cruise control good sound system and dead comfy
 
I wouldn't recommend a CRV for the sort of punishment you have in mind, they are really only road cars. Also once out of the warranty period they are really expensive on parts, like £700 for replacement ignition barrel, £2000 replacement aircon, things you wouldn't expect to go wrong on a newish car, not to mention the Alpine SatNav which malfunctioned from the start on both our new CRVs. My friend has been rescued by the AA three times in the last fortnight when her CRV hasn't started, and Honda can't find the fault. I wouldn't chance an old one unless you're married to a mechanic!
 
Isuzu trooper. When we got ours, we were looking at doing similar things to you in the way of punishing it, but also using it as an everyday car. The guy from land rover actually told us that would be the best car for the job. It's a good 13yrs old now (v reg, possibly even older) and although we don't use it as an everyday car, it has never ever let us down, even in the worst weather. It's fantastic at towing aswell!

Bexcy-bee x
 
Thank you everyone.

To clarify - I don't need it to tow the horses. Towing wise I want to be able to harrow the arenas for my riding club and potentially drag a harrow around the small field that I rent for some of my retired field ornaments. I might also look at getting a small trailer for running logs/hay about but as I don't have my B+E (I have Cat C for driving the lorry) it wouldn't have to tow much.

I'm leaning away from a 4x4 version of a normal car due to the amount of 'stuff' I'd like to be able to carry in it but I'm struggling to find something that balances the grunt of what I would call a 'proper' 4x4 / working vehicle, but doesn't break the bank.

If money was no object I'd love a Shogun or a Defender or a pickup like the Navara but the engine sizes and weight of these seem a bit prohibitive to be running around in....but as cars their workman like side really appeals! As I don't need it to tow much I was thinking of the SWB Pajero or similar? But keep returning to the Vitaras/Rav4s/Freelanders as a more 'in between' option.

If I wasn't going to be doing so many miles I'd worry less about the fuel consumption but I do need to factor it in......but then I want to make sure I buy something that will do the work and cope with the snow if it ever arrives.
 
They're loads of fun to drive. Mine has gotten through muddy fields no bother. Haven't tested it in snow yet. They've been around a long time, so you can find old ones for not much money and Subaru has a good reputation for reliability.
 
I used to get more in our old Vauxhall Vectra than my friend can get in a Freelander!! Lots of those soft roaders have rubbish boot space - as does a SWB Pajero, which is also really heavy on fuel!

If you dont like the look of the Forrester - look at a Subaru legacy - lovely beast with sleeker lines, fast too, and nimble on mucky feilds!
 
maisie06 said:
I used to get more in our old Vauxhall Vectra than my friend can get in a Freelander!! Lots of those soft roaders have rubbish boot space - as does a SWB Pajero, which is also really heavy on fuel!

If you dont like the look of the Forrester - look at a Subaru legacy - lovely beast with sleeker lines, fast too, and nimble on mucky feilds!
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Point taken! My OH has a mondeo....loads of space in that!

Lots to think about and so what car reading to do so thank you all for sharing your thoughts :)
 
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