new 4x4, what to buy?

[clivvy]

so, with the recent snow and all that, I started to wonder if there is a cheaper alternative to the Maverick. I was going to buy my OH a small car for her to get about in and use as a workhorse...but I already miss my Maverick very much. Anyway, I was thinking about a smaller 4x4, something to handle the snow and a bit of green laning or tracks when I get chance, but generally it'd be a road vehicle doing a bit of work.

I was thinking about looking at Suzuki Vitara 4U2, the estate version 3 door. They seem quite small, engine bay looks tidy and easy to work in, but I don't know too much about these cars. They are 1.6 petrol (well, that's what ill be looking at buying), anyone know much about these?

:thumbs

 

[stinka]

Get a jimny

 

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

plank has had several vitaras

 

[clivvy]

yeah, I really like the jimnys, but they are just out of budget!!

hopefully PLank will give me some input. I like the estate version of the Vitara-I don't want the soft top,. the estate 3 door likes nice and boxy which is what I want, and they are a lot small than the Maverick, so my Other Half will be more comfortable driving it..

as far as I know, they are still very good in the snow/off road..?

 

[stinka]

Actually, I'd buy her this and tell her to wind her neck in

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=221205076145

 

[stinka]

yeah, I really like the jimnys, but they are just out of budget!!

hopefully PLank will give me some input. I like the estate version of the Vitara-I don't want the soft top,. the estate 3 door likes nice and boxy which is what I want, and they are a lot small than the Maverick, so my Other Half will be more comfortable driving it..

as far as I know, they are still very good in the snow/off road..?

You can get a jimny for a grand

 

[clivvy]

Actually, I'd buy her this and tell her to wind her neck in

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=221205076145

slobber!!! clearly, parking isn't a problem in this car!! I love it, but wahey out of budget!
awesome motor though..!

 

[clivvy]

You can get a jimny for a grand

hmm...I shall look. I joined the Jimny club a while back, got some great feedback about them-they seem to be generally very decent motors...

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

I loved my 1.6 LWB Vitara, did 240K miles in 3.5 years.. Nice basic engine, and everything was easy to work on.

 

[96terrano]

Toyota Rav4? daihatsu sportrack with a petrol engine?

 

[clivvy]

I loved my 1.6 LWB Vitara, did 240K miles in 3.5 years.. Nice basic engine, and everything was easy to work on.

cool, that's what I want (same with the Maverick) simple and easy to work on. I just need to get something that's a bit cheaper to run. A vitara is, but I don't loose too much in terms of practicality and days like today, id PROBABLY be able to get out and about...I think...ground clearance looks ok, can you confirm??

 

[clivvy]

Toyota Rav4? daihatsu sportrack with a petrol engine?

hmm..dunno, im not a RAV4 fan, as for Sportrak, good, but I can get a Vitara for the same or less money and itll be a better car.

 

[96terrano]

hmm..dunno, im not a RAV4 fan, as for Sportrak, good, but I can get a Vitara for the same or less money and itll be a better car.

fair enough, what year vitara would you be looking for?

 

[clivvy]

fair enough, what year vitara would you be looking for?

not sure, but I have my eye on this one..http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif.../postcode/hd34yu/page/1/radius/1501?logcode=p

 

[trophymick]

I had a Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin a couple of years ago. !.8 petrol 5 door, it was a cracking little car and I got 30 to 33mpg from it.

There's two different engines, the GDI has the full four wheel drive with high and low box and two gear-sticks, and the MPI is permanent 4 wheel drive (50/50 to each axle) with one gear-stick, which made it a better proposition for my wife.:kissy

I had it through the last really bad winters we had (a couple of winters back it was minus 18 Celsius up here) snow and packed ice didn't faze it.:thumb2

I'm not sure what prices they are going for though, I sold mine in 2011 for £2000, it was a 52 plate.:nenau

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

cool, that's what I want (same with the Maverick) simple and easy to work on. I just need to get something that's a bit cheaper to run. A vitara is, but I don't loose too much in terms of practicality and days like today, id PROBABLY be able to get out and about...I think...ground clearance looks ok, can you confirm??

Not quite as much ground clearance as the T2, my T2 has 16" wheels, the Vitara only had 15", and of course the Vitara does not have a LS diff as standard.

I used to off road my road legal "company car" one, and all I did was fit sill protectors, and BFG AT tyres.

 

[clivvy]

MIck - Pinin I have looked at, and I really like them,. They seem to be quite cheap, although I think they have some sort of common fault? ill look it up, but ill put them on my list:thumbs

Clive - wow, clearly a capable car as standard, and I doubt id be doing that sort of off roading, so Vitara is definitely on my list. So far I have worked out that they are a little bit cheaper to run. Tax is the same, MPG is a smidge better and insurance a fair bit cheaper, so well worth considering. They are a lot smaller too, ill only go for the 3 door-they look really short and boxy, just what I want. the Pinins though are tiny, but the engine size bothers me. Obviously capable going on Micks description, but I wonder if the engines suffer in some way?

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

i have had a lot of GVs, the best is the 2000cc petrol 5 door that is a grand vitara not a vitara!

 

[clivvy]

ah I see, I cant afford a Grand Vitara, but I think that would be more expensive to run than a Vitara anyway...what im trying to achieve is to own a decent 4x4, but on a tighter budget without compromising TOO much over the Maverick...!!

 

[cncfabs]

I had a Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin a couple of years ago. !.8 petrol 5 door, it was a cracking little car and I got 30 to 33mpg from it.

There's two different engines, the GDI has the full four wheel drive with high and low box and two gear-sticks, and the MPI is permanent 4 wheel drive (50/50 to each axle) with one gear-stick, which made it a better proposition for my wife.:kissy

I had it through the last really bad winters we had (a couple of winters back it was minus 18 Celsius up here) snow and packed ice didn't faze it.:thumb2

I'm not sure what prices they are going for though, I sold mine in 2011 for £2000, it was a 52 plate.:nenau

He just sold the maverick due to rot i dont think pinin would be a good move given there reputation for rust:lol