Buying a 4x4?

[lifetime fan]

I'm looking at buying the bird a 4x4.

 

This isn't going to be a chelsea tractor, far from it. It will predominantly be used for towing and the odd motorway journey.

 

I'm looking for a 3.0 litre diesel with decent poke when towing and handy off road. The budget is around £10-15,000.

 

My automatic reaction was to go for a Discovery or Defender but a mate who works for Land Rover told me to not go near them, the reliability is shite.

 

I'm thinking of a Jeep Patriot but I'm looking for suggestions.

[Guest ShoePiss]

Your mate is right when he says stay away from a Discovery, I had one just for getting up the mountain for skiing and it was no end of problems. I wouldn't touch a Jeep either though for the same reasons.

 

Go Japanese, currently got a Mistubishi Shogun (Montero over here), 180,000 miles on it and everything is fine, 4x4 works perfectly. Mine has the 3.5 V6 but I'm sure they do a 2.8 TD too.

[RJ Fan club]

My mates Isuzu Trooper was bullet proof.

 

TBH I think if I got a 4 x 4, which I probably never will I would just get a land rover defender. Yeah, unrealiable at times, but proper.

[lifetime fan]

Cheers mate. Ideally I want a 3.0 as its for towing a horse box and depending on the weight of the horses a 2.8 wouldn't be legal.

 

Interested in your experience of Jeep. My mate has a Patriot and drives to Austria each winter rather than flying as he enjoys the drive so much. Had no reliability problems and even in the Alps reckons he's never even had to put it in to four wheel drive.

[jacco maccaco]

Hyundai Santa fe?

 

Good strong engine should tow 2000+kg

5 or 7 seats, a good 2/3 year old would still have the balance of a 5 year warranty.

I'm currently looking at the recently facelifted version (194bhp and 41.5mpg)

 

Or Kia sorrento, mates dad has one to tow a twin axle caravan, 7 year warranty for this one.

 

No image whatsoever, the Kia is a defininte workhorse, the Santa fe more like a good large four wheel drive people carrier.

[lifetime fan]

Hyundai Santa fe?

 

Good strong engine should tow 2000+kg

5 or 7 seats, a good 2/3 year old would still have the balance of a 5 year warranty.

I'm currently looking at the recently facelifted version (194bhp and 41.5mpg)

 

Or Kia sorrento, mates dad has one to tow a twin axle caravan, 7 year warranty for this one.

 

No image whatsoever, the Kia is a defininte workhorse, the Santa fe more like a good large four wheel drive people carrier.

 

This is an option I'll have to look at, especially with the warantees on offer.

 

Just don't really 'fancy' either to be honest.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

I just came in here to tell you to take a look at the Jeep Patriot, but you've already clocked it. Looks a real bargain at those prices.

[jacco maccaco]

This is an option I'll have to look at, especially with the warantees on offer.

 

Just don't really 'fancy' either to be honest.

 

Me neither.

 

But a 5/7 year warranty shows how confident a manufacturer is in its product.

 

The Hyundai has grown on me, and I cant really find a bad review of the latest one.

 

Decisions, decisions....

[lifetime fan]

I just came in here to tell you to take a look at the Jeep Patriot, but you've already clocked it. Looks a real bargain at those prices.

 

A man of taste.

[lifetime fan]

Me neither.

 

But a 5/7 year warranty shows how confident a manufacturer is in its product.

 

The Hyundai has grown on me, and I cant really find a bad review of the latest one.

 

Decisions, decisions....

 

A lot of advice I'm getting is to go Japanese etc.

 

A Toyota Landcruiser looks nice but I reckon I can get newer without the abuse it would have been put through for the money.

[Thants]

As you're towing a horsebox you have an excuse to buy a fuck-off car. Anyone else who drives a massive car without this excuse is a cock or has too many kids and therefore is a cock.

This was the thought I had this morning as I was cut up by a cock.

 

Just thought I'd add this to the thread. I'll be off now.

Toodlepip.

[Wor Horse]

Hummer.

[RJ Fan club]

[Guest ShoePiss]

I think that Jeep's bad rep comes from the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler in the states, I know people who've had them and had no end of problems after a couple of years of ownership from new.

 

I don't know that much about the Patriot actually, I'd just be scared of the overall Jeep brand and at the same time have a lot of confidence with Japanese cars in general.

 

That said, I love the Defender and would buy one anyway. I'd guess owning one goes beyond car ownership and turns into a hobby with those!

Edited August 14, 2010 by ShoePiss

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

How much are the MkII Freelanders going for second hand now?

[lifetime fan]

I think that Jeep's bad rep comes from the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler in the states, I know people who've had them and had no end of problems after a couple of years of ownership from new.

 

I don't know that much about the Patriot actually, I'd just be scared of the overall Jeep brand and at the same time have a lot of confidence with Japanese cars in general.

 

That said, I love the Defender and would buy one anyway. I'd guess owning one goes beyond car ownership and turns into a hobby with those!

 

A number of the birds mates have grand cherokee's and they have to a man been massive success'.

 

Not one has a single bad word to say. Hence the leaning to the Patriot.

 

I'll be taking out a loan to buy the 4x4 and horse box and it's likely to be over3/4 years so I want something to at least be problem free for that period of time.

[lifetime fan]

How much are the MkII Freelanders going for second hand now?

 

I'd tow more weight on my bellend than a freelander mate.

[jacco maccaco]

A number of the birds mates have grand cherokee's and they have to a man been massive success'.

 

Not one has a single bad word to say. Hence the leaning to the Patriot.

 

I'll be taking out a loan to buy the 4x4 and horse box and it's likely to be over3/4 years so I want something to at least be problem free for that period of time.

 

Patriot doesn't seem bad, the TDi is a volkswagen engine so should be strong enough.

Only tows about 1500kg though, what does a laden horsebox weigh.

 

 

 

 

You can tell I'm considering a tow car cant you?

[lostinspace1970]

If you're not fussy about image, try the Ssanyong rexton..(later ones badged Daewoo ....see what I mean about image )(

[Captain]

Your mate is right when he says stay away from a Discovery, I had one just for getting up the mountain for skiing and it was no end of problems. I wouldn't touch a Jeep either though for the same reasons.

 

Go Japanese, currently got a Mistubishi Shogun (Montero over here), 180,000 miles on it and everything is fine, 4x4 works perfectly. Mine has the 3.5 V6 but I'm sure they do a 2.8 TD too.

 

This man knows his shit, the Japs know how to make reliable cars. Which is why I own a 96 Pajero. Mine is a 2.5 turbo diesel and it's got all the power you need. I use it to tow my boat on a trailer, but it's less than 1000 kg. I don't know what you need to tow.

[RJ Fan club]

I drove my Brother Pajero out in Australia. Great for twating about on the beach going fishing and all that, but I'd didn't like the handelling at all.

 

And is there any truth in Pajero means wanker in Mexico?

[Guest davelfc]

Hyundai Santa fe?

 

Good strong engine should tow 2000+kg

5 or 7 seats, a good 2/3 year old would still have the balance of a 5 year warranty.

I'm currently looking at the recently facelifted version (194bhp and 41.5mpg)

 

Or Kia sorrento, mates dad has one to tow a twin axle caravan, 7 year warranty for this one.

 

No image whatsoever, the Kia is a defininte workhorse, the Santa fe more like a good large four wheel drive people carrier.

 

I have the santa fe 2009, 7 seater version but if I raise the back two seats the rear view is badly obstructed.

 

Mine is a diesel auto and I get 30 or so to the gallon on the motorway and 26 or so around town.

 

I find it handles much like a car, although I'm told most of these things do.

 

Mine was a practical purchase, my knees are fucked and I'm tall so I can get in and out without pain as you're quite high up. There's loads of room for the 3 kids, although not kids any more and all tall like me.

 

 

I don't kid myself I'm in an x5, it's a Hyundai and it gets me from a to b and I enjoy driving it.

[Jim MM]

I drive a commercial Suzuki Grand Vitara. 2 litre, turbo diesel. I've never towed anything but I treat it like shit and I do a fair amount of off road. 5 years old, 100k on the clock and it keeps on rockin'.

They're cheap and cheerful, you could do a lot worse.

[razor]

In today's climate nobody should drive a 4x4. Unless they live up a mountain.

 

What is it you are pulling if you don't mind me asking? You can fit tow bars to most kinds of cars. And also, in rebuttal to your second point, most cars are safe for motorway driving as well. Why would you 'need" a 4x4 for motorway driving?

 

George Monbiot says that some 4x4s can do less than 4 miles per gallon. That's not to mention the huge resources that go into making these tanks that shouldn't be on the road.

 

He also argues that due to the huge fuel consumption of these monstrosities, America's hand was forced with regards to the invadsion of Iraq.

 

If I were in power, I'd ban the lot of them.

 

Switching from an average car to a big 4×4, the Sierra Club calculates, uses as much extra energy in twelve months as leaving your television on for 28 years.

 

Arguably, the war with Iraq was a war for 4×4s. As the former environment minister Michael Meacher pointed out in the Guardian on Saturday, the US could do without its oil imports from the Persian Gulf if the fuel efficiency of its cars was improved by an average of 2.7 miles per gallon.

 

 

Two quotations from George Monbiot. Monbiot.com » War x 4

 

Anyway, happy motoring. I just hope our kids all think so too.

[lifetime fan]

Cheers mate. Ideally I want a 3.0 as its for towing a horse box and depending on the weight of the horses a 2.8 wouldn't be legal.

Interested in your experience of Jeep. My mate has a Patriot and drives to Austria each winter rather than flying as he enjoys the drive so much. Had no reliability problems and even in the Alps reckons he's never even had to put it in to four wheel drive.

 

In today's climate nobody should drive a 4x4. Unless they live up a mountain.

 

What is it you are pulling if you don't mind me asking? You can fit tow bars to most kinds of cars. And also, in rebuttal to your second point, most cars are safe for motorway driving as well. Why would you 'need" a 4x4 for motorway driving?

 

George Monbiot says that some 4x4s can do less than 4 miles per gallon. That's not to mention the huge resources that go into making these tanks that shouldn't be on the road.

 

He also argues that due to the huge fuel consumption of these monstrosities, America's hand was forced with regards to the invadsion of Iraq.

 

If I were in power, I'd ban the lot of them.

 

Switching from an average car to a big 4×4, the Sierra Club calculates, uses as much extra energy in twelve months as leaving your television on for 28 years.

 

Arguably, the war with Iraq was a war for 4×4s. As the former environment minister Michael Meacher pointed out in the Guardian on Saturday, the US could do without its oil imports from the Persian Gulf if the fuel efficiency of its cars was improved by an average of 2.7 miles per gallon.

 

 

Two quotations from George Monbiot. Monbiot.com » War x 4

 

Anyway, happy motoring. I just hope our kids all think so too.

 

Thought that was obvious.