Which 4x4?? Help me choose!

[Rb25sil80]

Hey guys, I got the 4x4 bug about 12 months ago about bought a Daihatsu Feroza to do beach runs and a lil bit of work in the local state forrest ect...

After incredible pain owning the Daihatsu I have decided to trade upto a real 4x4. Initial thoughts were a 4 Runner, Dual cab Navara or a Dual cab Hilux.
Whatever I get, it must have seating for 5 people and a decent amount of storage space in the back. I like the 4 runner due to the wagon style of it, but they dont appear to be made later then 1996. Even a 96 model your paying 16k for something with 150000+ kms on it. This seems a bit over the top.

Hiluxes and Navaras in dual cabs can be had for 15-20k with sub 120 000km. Mainly 98-2001 models. I think im leaning towards these. I couldnt find a tech bible on either car, just wondering if owners of any of these vehicles could tell me any potential problems, or issues they have had with there cars?

This Daihatsu has been nothing but trouble for me, I bought it to replace my sports car that used to blow engines on a monthly basis, this thing isnt much better so I am desperate for a good reliable car to use as a daily driver.

I am not interested in a big landcruiser or patrol, just the mid size 4x4s !

If anyone has any other suggestions of models I shoudl be looking at, let me know, im open to ideas!

Cheers
Brad

[wrksux]

Add the Pajero into the mix, its mid sized great value for money and has tons of potential.

Its worth noting i own a patrol not a pajero! but mum has had 5 pajero's amd loves em to death.

[ed.]

Not sure if you'd like this suggestion but early model (02-04) petrol Terracan's can be had for sub 20's.

Just a re-skinned Paj I think.

[Rb25sil80]

Thanks for the feedback guys ! Ill pass on the Terracan thanks, cant get past the hyundai factor

Pajero eh, hadnt really looked at them to be honest. As far as fuel consumption goes, do they fit in with the mid sized 4x4s at around the 14l/100km or are they up with the landys/patrols around the 20l mark?

Might have a look at Pajeros now actually, see wot sorta money they can be had for.

I think id really like to stay with a Nissan or a Toyota this time, dont really want to venture outside the norm and like the idea of all the boltons available.

[MQSWBUTE]

dont play round go get a gq long wheel base 5 seats room in the back so many parts its not funny coil spung get a gq i would say the bang for the buck is crazy btw i would go diesel

[just cruizin']

What type of driving do you want to do? All of these have torsion bar IFS which will limit how much lift and modifications you can do. I had a 4runner with a commy V6 and that was near unstoppable if you gave it enough right foot and didn't mind bruised kidneys.

How much do you want to spend? A dual cab with one of those flash rear canopies is practically the same as a wagon looks wise and has the flexibility of being able to take it off and use the tray. Rear seating position in the runners is better then the dual cabs, not quite as upright therefore the rear passengers are more comfortable if you care, it's their problem your drivers seat is quite comfy thanks very much.

[Rb25sil80]

dont play round go get a gq long wheel base 5 seats room in the back so many parts its not funny coil spung get a gq i would say the bang for the buck is crazy btw i would go diesel

As said in both my posts, im not interested in a patrol/landcruiser. Cant afford the fuel bill, rego, insurance & service costs. I dont plan on doing any really insane 4x4. I enjoy just doing the fire roads around the state forrests. Im yet to have any trouble on these in the Feroza so I dont think getting a truck with different suspension setup is a very high priority.

Justcruisin: im looking to spend anywhere in the 15-20k range, thats why im leaning away from the 4 runners. Most exxy one ive seen has been 16k for a 95 model with like 180000km. Too many kays for that sorta money. Id rather pay 19k for a Navara/Hilux of this century!

Im quite keen on a dual cab with a canopy as you say, they are quite good. Some even have a window you can access the rear with from the backseat. Not to worried about comfort in the rear, I just want to have a backseat! Cant take any friends campin in the feroza, backseats have to come out to fit gear !

Cheers

[wrksux]

for that sort of coin you would be able to get a nice 3.5l paj thats resonably new, id go upto 99/00 before they went to the funny irs/ifs.

economy i dont know, mums is on LPG and is great

[ed.]

Nissan Pathfinder
Toyota Prado

If you want to stay mainstream.

[PK]

Jeep Cherokee, Grand Cherokee.

Smaller than Patrol/Cruiser, but solid axles, heaps of power and cheaper! You'll pick up a 98/99 Cherokee for under $10K with say 140000kms, or a 1999 Grand V8 for about 18-19

I better say here that I own 3 Jeeps and love them all!

[dirtyGQ]

i would say go the pajero diesel sister bought a 2001 for $20,500 and is quite economical. I have to disagree with you on the patrol being heavy on fuel i have a 4.2 diesel and get 770 km out of 90 litres of fuel. and that is with 33'' muds

[DamTriton]

Not sure if you'd like this suggestion but early model (02-04) petrol Terracan's can be had for sub 20's.

Just a re-skinned Paj I think.

don't discount them. They have the same basic running gear and chassis as the old Paj (pre IFS/IRS). TD seems to be ok too (no reported reliability probs in 4 yrs).

Hyundai's general quality has improved a lot since the "Excel" days.

[mudmacaca]

I would say go anything with a solid front axle. I have a ifs 4runner and its great for touring and sand little bit of mud but you may just find that one day going up a bouldered creek bed or steep rocky hill, big arse wash out etc GIVES YOU A BIG FAT and a rush better than anything and you will be sorry you got an ifs rig.
The best stock 4by is probably the pootrol but it comes down to personal preference as to what you like personally give me a hilux any day they get those rear wheels air borne going downhill it gets the blood racing.
If you want an ifs pajero etc check out the auctions a mate has been looking for a new rig and said they is going cheap as.
get a hilux

[tweak'e]

for reliabilty go toyota, with nissan 2nd.

imho mitsi are cheap and nasty. deisels don't last and auto gear boxs are fragile. a mate has a pajero, petrol/auto and it drinks gas like crazy but even he said no way would he touch the deisel.

surfs/prado's are ok but remember they are usually upmarket compared to the hilux hence higher priced.

i don;t know price or advailabilty for over there but just do your homewrk as no matter what you get they all have their faults, its just nice to know BEFORE you buy

[4x4Monkey]

Not sure if you'd like this suggestion but early model (02-04) petrol Terracan's can be had for sub 20's.

Just a re-skinned Paj I think.

don't discount them. They have the same basic running gear and chassis as the old Paj (pre IFS/IRS). TD seems to be ok too (no reported reliability probs in 4 yrs).

Hyundai's general quality has improved a lot since the "Excel" days.

Oh so its Good news that Hyundai has Axed the Terrcan lol
no more pajero........ oops i mean Terracan
(no reported reliability probs in 4 yrs).
bahaha thats a joke.

[MQSWBUTE]

for reliabilty go toyota, with nissan 2nd.

aww thats not right as EVERYONE would know nissans are a whole lot better as far as motors and drivetrains go

on the other hand toyota are good good for their chassis
best 4wd would be nissan motor gearbox transfer diffs etc into a toyota chassis (if u chould do it)

and for diesel motors they last they last a whole lot longer then petrol motors (if driven the right way)

diesel motors are coming of age for how simple they work and how long they last when they do breakdown its costy but in the long run diesels shit on petrol all day long and yes i know petrols go harder

you get more km's per litre in a diesel over petrol anyday if driven right

justin

[dirtyGQ]

for reliabilty go toyota, with nissan 2nd.

imho mitsi are cheap and nasty. deisels don't last and auto gear boxs are fragile. a mate has a pajero, petrol/auto and it drinks gas like crazy but even he said no way would he touch the deisel.

surfs/prado's are ok but remember they are usually upmarket compared to the hilux hence higher priced.

i don;t know price or advailabilty for over there but just do your homewrk as no matter what you get they all have their faults, its just nice to know BEFORE you buy

nissan toughness and unbreakability against weak toyota driveline any day

[MQSWBUTE]

for reliabilty go toyota, with nissan 2nd.

imho mitsi are cheap and nasty. deisels don't last and auto gear boxs are fragile. a mate has a pajero, petrol/auto and it drinks gas like crazy but even he said no way would he touch the deisel.

surfs/prado's are ok but remember they are usually upmarket compared to the hilux hence higher priced.

i don;t know price or advailabilty for over there but just do your homewrk as no matter what you get they all have their faults, its just nice to know BEFORE you buy

nissan toughness and unbreakability against weak toyota driveline any day

sir thank you
lol toyota stronger then nissan hahahaha

[DamTriton]

Not sure if you'd like this suggestion but early model (02-04) petrol Terracan's can be had for sub 20's.

Just a re-skinned Paj I think.

don't discount them. They have the same basic running gear and chassis as the old Paj (pre IFS/IRS). TD seems to be ok too (no reported reliability probs in 4 yrs).

Hyundai's general quality has improved a lot since the "Excel" days.

Oh so its Good news that Hyundai has Axed the Terrcan lol
no more pajero........ oops i mean Terracan
(no reported reliability probs in 4 yrs).
bahaha thats a joke.

Re: reliability, I was referring to the engine..(cf Nissan TD3 litre, Toyota big ends on some models,)

[mac1cruz]

Mate all i can say is take a Narvara for a test drive on road, sand, ect get a Hilux do the same.Make sure you have ya mates in there with ya so it fully loaded maybe throw some stuff in the back for extra weight cause no doubt youll have camping gear eskeys ect and see which one performs the best then you will know which one you like.Also do a google search and see if you can find anything on common problems that they both have.

[tweak'e]

i actually have both, toyata and nissan, so i'm heavy bias i don't like mitsi's!

they all have their weak points. tho i must admit the "weak toyota driveline" comment has me puzzled. they have got a repution for being strong and reliable...unlike many other makes.

[known 2]

u say u like the 4 runners as far as i know they only came in v6 and 2.8d have a look at some later model surfs u get the same shapes with heaps of extra kit and a good turbo diesel.

i'd also 2nd the pajero mainly the 3.5l v6 lots of power and comfort with a strong drivline.

as for all u head strong nissan drivers braging just cos it's got stronger diffs and gearbox dun meen squat if your touring, reliabilty counts when ur in the middle of knowere and just one look at how many old toyotas are still getting around still should answer any argument to that. a car has to earn a reputation like that and has bin doing this
for the last 30 years,

basicly if u wana do hardcore stuff and run big tyres buy a gq u want comfort refinment and longtivety buy a toyota.

i know a bit off topic but i had to say somthing.

[MQSWBUTE]

u say u like the 4 runners as far as i know they only came in v6 and 2.8d have a look at some later model surfs u get the same shapes with heaps of extra kit and a good turbo diesel.

i'd also 2nd the pajero mainly the 3.5l v6 lots of power and comfort with a strong drivline.

as for all u head strong nissan drivers braging just cos it's got stronger diffs and gearbox dun meen squat if your touring, reliabilty counts when ur in the middle of knowere and just one look at how many old toyotas are still getting around still should answer any argument to that. a car has to earn a reputation like that and has bin doing this
for the last 30 years,

basicly if u wana do hardcore stuff and run big tyres buy a gq u want comfort refinment and longtivety buy a toyota.

i know a bit off topic but i had to say somthing.

would you agree the hardcore 4 wheelin is the benchmark for touring
outback challenge for example testing every part of the 4wd find the weak ponits in supension performace recovery gear etc

family friends i know had just gotten back from a 11,500km trip nissan troubles...cracked in diff

toyota gearbox had been replaced transfer case been replaced rear diff problems supension problems

im not saying nissans are better for touring
u want a nice soft crusie in the outback your commodre can do it now
toyota chassis are strong driveline is not perfected
nissan drivetrains much better
4wds have there good ponits and bad ponits all makes and models
im a nissan man i would rather drive a gu in the outback then a 100series that my choice but u cant say the crusier is more suited then a patrol
unless of course you have done that across australia trip in both a nissan and toyota of the same era

[Ezookiel]

The direct injection DiD diesel in the Paj is supposed to be very economical.

I love the Hiluxes, wife's uncle has one on the property and it's fantastic.
If I had a reasonable budget for a midsize 4by, I'd be buying a Diesel Prado. Supposed to be fantastically frugal on the fuel. Many came standard with 180 litre tanks giving phenomenal range. Amazingly capable vehicle.

However, I've always thought that a canopied 5 seat ute like Hiluxes etc are the ultimate vehicle: has the same seating as a normal sedan, but has larger storage area than a wagon, and you can throw rubbish in it for the tip then just hose it out, or throw valuables in there and lock it.

So to summarise:
Prado or Lux would be my suggestion

[Loanrangie]

For that money you can get a nice TD5 or V8 discovery and have change.

[dirtyGQ]

u say u like the 4 runners as far as i know they only came in v6 and 2.8d have a look at some later model surfs u get the same shapes with heaps of extra kit and a good turbo diesel.

i'd also 2nd the pajero mainly the 3.5l v6 lots of power and comfort with a strong drivline.

as for all u head strong nissan drivers braging just cos it's got stronger diffs and gearbox dun meen squat if your touring, reliabilty counts when ur in the middle of knowere and just one look at how many old toyotas are still getting around still should answer any argument to that. a car has to earn a reputation like that and has bin doing this
for the last 30 years,

basicly if u wana do hardcore stuff and run big tyres buy a gq u want comfort refinment and longtivety buy a toyota.

i know a bit off topic but i had to say somthing.

the 80 series bearing and gearbox troubles are major and the 4.2 diesel nissans just keep going .........

[just cruizin']

Nissan 3.0lt diesels engines self destructing and 5 speed boxes loosing gears. The Nissan boys have short memorys don't they.

[daveo]

Hiluxes and Navaras in dual cabs can be had for 15-20k with sub 120 000km. Mainly 98-2001 models. I think im leaning towards these. I couldnt find a tech bible on either car, just wondering if owners of any of these vehicles could tell me any potential problems, or issues they have had with there cars?

Not getting into the Toyota vs Nissan debate but to answer your question here are my experiences.

I have a 98 dual cab hilux 3.0 diesel. The type of driving i do is touring and a lot of beach work, not rockcrawling/hardcore etc.

What i like about it - For my driving type i find the hilux fantastic. have room for 5 people, lots of room in the tray for gear, i have an 80l water tank under the tray, its economical, great on the beach, good on dirt roads, good on the highway, good round town.

What i would like to improve - I would like a canvas canopy with roof tray for the tray that i can remove when round town but is easy to put on for a camping trip, would make it a very versatile setup. Need a suspension lift just have other financial priorities at the moment. Some new seats because mine are buggered.

What i dont like - Overtaking on the highway is poor (easily fixed with a turbo ) The ride when empty is a bit bouncy/rough but it is a ute so to be expected. Few other minor things that are easily fixed.

All the problems that i have had wit it, and theres not many, have all been caused by dodgy servicing at Toyota dealerships but i have now found a good mech so that is a thing of the past.

bit long winded but i hope this helps
dave

[evanstaniland]

fark if u want a nissan Vs toyota thread then make one, this fella want help chosing a car not a damn debate which is better between patrol and cruiser because he has already said he doesnt want one!!

mate my old man has a 99 prado yea its IFS, but it has gone all the places we have wanted it to!! you can purchase after market IFS kits if you want a little lift to run 33s. i use my dads Prado as my recovery car when i go playing in my bundy. it performs also well on the beach and the V6 gives out plenty of power (got it airborn on the dunes) it has also been used touring west OLD and also no problems.
as for size the boot area holds a fair bit, i made up some draws for the back when we go camping but also with out is a good size. also they are coming down in price!!

but as you said its not going to be used hardcore, and it will be a step up from the Daihatsu!!

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Toyota-Landcruis ... dZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/1999-Toyota-Land ... dZViewItem


Evan..

[mudmacaca]

fark if u want a nissan Vs toyota thread then make one, this fella want help chosing a car not a damn debate which is better between patrol and cruiser because he has already said he doesnt want one!!

mate my old man has a 99 prado yea its IFS, but it has gone all the places we have wanted it to!! you can purchase after market IFS kits if you want a little lift to run 33s. i use my dads Prado as my recovery car when i go playing in my bundy. it performs also well on the beach and the V6 gives out plenty of power (got it airborn on the dunes) it has also been used touring west OLD and also no problems.
as for size the boot area holds a fair bit, i made up some draws for the back when we go camping but also with out is a good size. also they are coming down in price!!

but as you said its not going to be used hardcore, and it will be a step up from the Daihatsu!!

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Toyota-Landcruis ... dZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/1999-Toyota-Land ... dZViewItem


Evan..

Is'nt a prado a landcruiser anyway?


Brad is on the right path with a hilux or navara if he ever wants to go harder he can alway do a sas. I also think a jeep is a good option the only drawback being that its auto which has pros and cons. But for the money he is willing to spend the world is his oyster I would'nt spend over 10 grand and prefer 5grand on the rig 5grand on mods as for fuel economy you cant beat the 4cyl turbo diesels in the navara and hilux. All the year models he has stated run ifs so he could also look at rodeos,jakaroos, explorers as for problems with any of these rigs I dont know as I'm not in the market for one I'd prefer an 83 lux or 85 4runner.
I suggest you start by test driving them and visiting auctions

I do have a 88 ifs 4runner on 35s and keep blowing diffs but sounds to me like brad aint going to drive the places I like. I rekon if your hart aint in your throat and your not in a cold sweat whats the point