Whats the "best" Shooting 4x4?

[Beretta28g]

OK I drive a Jimny at the moment but after a MOT tats cost near £700, and the prospect that the next MOT will be a big one too i am thinking of changing cars.

 

It needs to be a 4x4 capable of driving off road fairly seriously but a nice drive on road too. Fuel consumption is a consideration, as is insurance (im only 21).

 

I do a lot of wildfowling and stalking so it has to be something with a bit of space in it.

 

If its defeated by a small patch of mud it wont be any good!

 

What do people reccomend.

 

Budget to buy the car will be about 2.5k, 3k MAX, but i wont be buying straight away, but looking round. Just want to know whats good to look at.

 

Cheers

[al4x]

you have to decide what you want from it, tyres make the most difference when its really muddy but proper mud tyres aren't the best on a daily driver. I like pickups as the dog and anything dead stays in the back and you get plenty of space, economy is typical 4x4 so 30 if you are lucky. You will be reasonable off road and it does surprise me what mine handles but you won't be doing steep ascents and descents but in norfolk that shouldn't be an issue

 

With that budget it is tricky and it would get you a half reasonable ranger, if you can cope with an xtrail or similar you get better economy towards 40 and more mannered on road but no where near as good off and all the shooting gear and dogs etc have to be in the cabin with you

[Gordon R]

Frontera - nearer 40 to the gallon from 2.2 diesel.

[Beretta28g]

Was thinking Ranger or Hilux, Maybe a surf

 

Its got to be good off road.

[al4x]

Hilux make too much money to my mind a 3k hilux will give you grief when you compare the difference to the ranger and what you get for your money it is a big difference. Surfs never really float my boat as you can't take the back off for lamping

[robbiep]

A possibility is the old Nissan Terrano. They are vunerable to tinworm, but the 2.7 diesel is the old london taxi engine, so well-proven.

 

 

However, if you want a 4x4 that won't get stuck, then you want one with proper tyres. That will hurt fuel economy, and also roadholding in normal conditions.

You will have to compromise somewhere.

[Beretta28g]

Well prob a quater of my milage is off road.

 

 

just another in the mix whats a L200 like?

[al4x]

another one that you need to buy on condition as with all pickups in that price bracket. I like mine its my 2nd and this one I've done 40k in over 3 years much of that off road with very little problem. I've replaced springs and brakes and serviced normally if you avoid ones around 2003 then you should be fine, they are more comfortable than rangers and economy is @30 with AT or road tyres on not a bad daily driver.

[ferguson_tom]

I think for your budget i would be looking at a 4x4 rather than a pick up, just because most pick ups in that price range will be very tired.

 

It will all come down to personal preference but with the right tyres they are all much of a muchness off road if you go for a bigger truck and not a soft roader. For mpg my LWB Terrano was very good used to get 34mpg out of that (dropped considerably when towing) but suspensions was a bit harsh, for comfort i have always thought the shoguns were the best out the older trucks, Landrover discovery you will either love or hate depending how much time it spends in the garage, Isuzu trooper good old workhorse that just goes on and on and on as long you get the 3.1 diesel not the 3.0. Hilux surf have got the huge boot and the drop down tailgate which is useful but go for the 3.0 not the 2.4.

 

I personally owned the terrano and discovery my friends and fmaily have had the others i mentioned above. My current motor is the discovery 300tdi which i do have a soft spot but if i had the choice i would go for a 2.8 LWB shogun just only problem is they only do about 23-24mpg which is not enough for me.

[snarepeg]

Have a 95 pajero2.8 swb runs good on 50/50, lots of grunt when you need it but not a lot to the gallon,

Have taken back seats out for carrying feed etc as wife has a FREELANDER td4 so mine is used just for shooting related jobs.

Warm and nice to shoot out of with the 17, had it 4 years and appart from injector pump seal which I did myself its never let me down.

Some good ones going round about £2/3000 but only around 23/27 to the gallon. John

[Beretta28g]

you have to decide what you want from it, tyres make the most difference when its really muddy but proper mud tyres aren't the best on a daily driver. I like pickups as the dog and anything dead stays in the back and you get plenty of space, economy is typical 4x4 so 30 if you are lucky. You will be reasonable off road and it does surprise me what mine handles but you won't be doing steep ascents and descents but in norfolk that shouldn't be an issue

 

With that budget it is tricky and it would get you a half reasonable ranger, if you can cope with an xtrail or similar you get better economy towards 40 and more mannered on road but no where near as good off and all the shooting gear and dogs etc have to be in the cabin with you

Having dogs and kit in the cabin isnt really a problem, id prefer not to but i am used to it with the Jimny

 

Frontera - nearer 40 to the gallon from 2.2 diesel.

Hmmm, i ve been in one of them, more agricultural than a open topped tractor.

 

Hilux make too much money to my mind a 3k hilux will give you grief when you compare the difference to the ranger and what you get for your money it is a big difference. Surfs never really float my boat as you can't take the back off for lamping

I dont really need the back of the pick up for lamping as a mate has a truck specially kitted out for lamping.

 

.

 

I think for your budget i would be looking at a 4x4 rather than a pick up, just because most pick ups in that price range will be very tired.

 

It will all come down to personal preference but with the right tyres they are all much of a muchness off road if you go for a bigger truck and not a soft roader. For mpg my LWB Terrano was very good used to get 34mpg out of that (dropped considerably when towing) but suspensions was a bit harsh, for comfort i have always thought the shoguns were the best out the older trucks, Landrover discovery you will either love or hate depending how much time it spends in the garage, Isuzu trooper good old workhorse that just goes on and on and on as long you get the 3.1 diesel not the 3.0. Hilux surf have got the huge boot and the drop down tailgate which is useful but go for the 3.0 not the 2.4.

 

I personally owned the terrano and discovery my friends and fmaily have had the others i mentioned above. My current motor is the discovery 300tdi which i do have a soft spot but if i had the choice i would go for a 2.8 LWB shogun just only problem is they only do about 23-24mpg which is not enough for me.

Hmm, a 4x4 rather than a pick up.

 

So out of the following list what do you reckon is best?

 

Landrover Discovery 1

Landrover Defender/90/110

Mitsubushi Pajero

Toyota Hilux Surf

 

It will be a daily drive and be a manual NOT AUTOMATIC.

 

Tending to lean towards a surf because dad has one, but his is automatic and drinks like hell.

[Gordon R]

Hmmm, i ve been in one of them, more agricultural than a open topped tractor.

 

I don't know which Frontera you have been in, but I had one some years ago - the 2.2 diesel - far better than the Discovery I owned. Smoother on road - drove more like a car than a van - and no slouch off road.

[Beretta28g]

I don't know which Frontera you have been in, but I had one some years ago - the 2.2 diesel - far better than the Discovery I owned. Smoother on road - drove more like a car than a van - and no slouch off road.

 

It was a frontera sport. The only sport it looked like it would have been good at was target practice, with it being the target!

[delburt0]

Was thinking Ranger or Hilux, Maybe a surf

 

Its got to be good off road.

i have a hilux surf, more than happy

[Beretta28g]

i have a hilux surf, more than happy

Which one, if its a manual 3.0 can you give me any buying hints/tips?

[delburt0]

No the surf is a import so chances are is a auto which is better for shooting (my opinion) the 3.0 dervs are bomb proof 2.5 has head issues , nothing really goes wrong with the 3.0 I did a lot of research and not that many bad reviews with no major problems standing out 28 around and 30+ sticking at 65/70 on motorway , all the toys , cheaper than my terrano on insurance

[Beretta28g]

OK cheers what sort of mpg are you getting?

[silver pigeon 3]

Seriously look at the Nissan Terranos, cracking bit of kit and £3k will buy a lot of truck as they just don't seem to have the following others do. I have a 2001 LWB 2.7 TDi and really cant't fault it.

It has a decent set of a/t's on it and has a 2wd/4wd & lo 4wd ratios, never been stuck and it has seen plenty of off road action. On a run i can get 30+ mpg out of it and will confidently jump in it and drive as far as i want, not worrying if it will break down or not.

 

Just had a quick look and £2500 will buy a 2003 model with 85K on it, decent spec on most of them aswell!

[Beardo]

i loved my Frontera - awesome shooting wagon, but it was a second car - wouldn't have wanted to have to drive it day to day.

Got an Xtrail now which suits me perfectly - as i'm not doing much shooting and having to drive around a lot for work - plus kids etc.

it's fine off road and great on the road.

Terrano is well worth looking at for the budget / balance i think you're after - Charger on here has one and it's great

[Beretta28g]

OK cheers, i have a look at one.

 

What i think ill do is have a butchers around some local garages at models selected, once i find one i like ill wait till i see one at a good price.

 

I now have at year MOT so its not essential but desirable. I dont mind getting one that needs some work doing to it, and doing tat over the winter.

 

I am quite big which is a consideration, and do carry a lot of gear.

 

Having had a butchers at dads surf i reckon with the rear seats down i could get a red in the back, which would mean i wouldnt need to use a trailer when i go through to the gamedealers.

 

 

 

Cheers All

[HDAV]

Have a look for a good fourtrack serious bits of kit, tin worm the biggest issue and some are really abused farm trucks, insurance is a big consideration. What sort of off road though? Fields, rutted tracks? Or serious off road ? If the former then some of the "soft roaders" worth a look CRV, xtrail, Rav4, sportage freelander, old korando etc

 

Also how many miles a year? If under 12-15k petrol will be similar running costs but more motor for budget

[Chr15j]

freelander gets my vote

[NIGHT SEARCHER]

freelander gets my vote

 

[ferguson_tom]

.

 

Hmm, a 4x4 rather than a pick up.

 

So out of the following list what do you reckon is best?

 

Landrover Discovery 1

Landrover Defender/90/110

Mitsubushi Pajero

Toyota Hilux Surf

 

It will be a daily drive and be a manual NOT AUTOMATIC.

 

Tending to lean towards a surf because dad has one, but his is automatic and drinks like hell.

 

Out of those the only one i wouldnt look at in your price range is the defender as they will be a sack of rubbish. Give you a comparison my 1994 300tdi disco with 130000 miles cost £900 and its very very clean underneath with very little rust, the same age defender 90 with bit higher mileage was for sale for well over 4k.

 

Out of the other 3 you will get a very tidy low mileage disco 1 for but they do have a lot of niggling faults. Out the other two personally I would go for mitsubushi but go for the 2.8 not the 2.5. Main reason i would choose that is because i prefer the driving position as it sits higher and the towing weight is a lot higher than the surf but that might not be a consideration for you. The surfs though are very capable trucks and the boot is huge the driving position feels strange as your high up but feel like driving a car as the seat is quite low to the floor for a 4x4.

Edited May 16, 2013 by ferguson_tom

[Cosd]

Get a short list of the cars that you think you'd consider owning and get yourself out over a couple of days and dive them all. Once you've driven them there will be ones you will instantly discard. This will narrow your search down.

 

All the cars mentioned vary greatly particularly in size and the way they drive, your budget probably means you are looking at a 10 year old car or there abouts. A Rav4 is a great all rounder, reliable and decent on fuel even on petrol models, the XTrail is another. You'll see that some cars hold their value much better than others and there is usually a reason why.

 

When I was looking just over a year ago now I considered all of the above, and after driving a few I simply preferred the Disco. Its spacious, very comfortable on the road (I use mine every day driving 30 miles each way to work), reasonable economy (I get just over 30 on an auto), and very capable off road. I had to search for a while but the right car turned up at the end. It starts every day and I have had trouble free motoring since I've owned it. Other than bits I chose to do on it, it hasn't cost me anything more than a service. The car most comparable of all the ones mentioned is the Shogun, but the difference in insurance was quite drastic; The Disco is a low insurance group and parts are readily available both new and second hand. I've been lucky on mine but it's probably newer than what you'd get with your budget, but try to avoid ones with a sunroof if you can as they do have a tendancy to leak. If you do consider a Disco, get yourself on a specialist forum and read up on do's and donts when buying.

 

Good luck with anything you choose.

Cos