Outer Limits 4x4 Board

I probably should introduced myself but ehh...

My parents are thinking of replacing their Nissan Terrano II with a new 4WD. Because they're also getting a boat, they can't spend all that much and they want a new one. So they are looking at getting a Hyundai Terracan. It should hopefully be able to pull the boat as the Terrano is having engine trouble and the 4 cylinder engine would likely be strained pulling a boat anyway.

So I want to ask here, does anyone know much about the Terracan and if it has any issues or problems ?

Would it have any problems towing a boat of about 5 metres...?

Would it perform at least as well as the Terrano offroad ? (Don't take the piss, even though its a soft-roader my dad has been able to take it most places his friends with more serious 4WDs have... it even pulled a LandCruiser out of the sand. )

Lastly, any general comments on the Terracan would be useful.

edit: and yes I do know its a Hyundai.... and that Hyundai is generally considered crap. Even though they have improved a bit.

Acca Dacca wrote:I probably should introduced myself but ehh...

My parents are thinking of replacing their Nissan Terrano II with a new 4WD. Because they're also getting a boat, they can't spend all that much and they want a new one. So they are looking at getting a Hyundai Terracan. It should hopefully be able to pull the boat as the Terrano is having engine trouble and the 4 cylinder engine would likely be strained pulling a boat anyway.

So I want to ask here, does anyone know much about the Terracan and if it has any issues or problems ?

Would it have any problems towing a boat of about 5 metres...?

Would it perform at least as well as the Terrano offroad ? (Don't take the piss, even though its a soft-roader my dad has been able to take it most places his friends with more serious 4WDs have... it even pulled a LandCruiser out of the sand. )

Lastly, any general comments on the Terracan would be useful.

edit: and yes I do know its a Hyundai.... and that Hyundai is generally considered crap. Even though they have improved a bit.

Terracan uses old generation Mitsubishi Pajero running gear, possibly uses the same chassis too.

Yeah, 4wd media reports the Terracan to be a copy of the Gen 2 Pajeros, but with a few minor suspension niggles.

They have enough power for most people, dual range transfer case, fairly well protected underside and a very conventional suspension setup. Most suspension complaints seem to revolve around spring/damper matching, suggesting ride quality isn't the best. I also have vague recollections that the springs are quite soft, leading to sag when loaded.

With some decent tyres and any suspension problems sorted I expect they would surprise most 'Yota/Nissan die hards on anything but the roughest of tracks. But don't expect to take Tuff Truck by storm...

But I may be biassed...

Scott

I read in the paper that someone took one round the world so I thought they may be fairly offroad capable. They'll probably get it then. Just wanted to make sure it wouldn't fall apart or something. When they do get it I"m going to miss the Terrano.... the time it pulled out the LandCruiser will be forever remembered, I still can't believe it managed it. Not bad for a soft-roader.

there not too bad.........build quality getting better over the yrs......running gear is older gen pajero......will do the job 4 towing boat etc.....

Hyundai have been making them for a while (going back to the early '90's under the name "Galloper" (Pajero clones - Mitsubishi was a technology donor to Hyundai in the earlier days), so they are reasonably sorted.

GaryInOz wrote:Hyundai have been making them for a while (going back to the early '90's under the name "Galloper" (Pajero clones - Mitsubishi was a technology donor to Hyundai in the earlier days), so they are reasonably sorted.

the early galloper's had pretty bad build quailty as i used to work on them overseas........i must admit most problems related to hyundai's side of things the only mech problem i saw was elec hubs not locking and engine failure due to lack of servicing.

hienuf wrote:... and engine failure due to lack of servicing.

Surely that's just crappy design! They spend millions of dollars designing these things, sell them for tens of thousands of dollars, and THEN have the cheek to ask us to pay more money to keep them running?

Bloody rip-off merchants, I tell you!

Scott

Acca Dacca wrote:Would it perform at least as well as the Terrano offroad ? (Don't take the piss, even though its a soft-roader my dad has been able to take it most places his friends with more serious 4WDs have... it even pulled a LandCruiser out of the sand. )

I wouldn't call the Terrano II a softroader. It has low range. Which is the predominant factor in whether it is a softroader or not IMHO. Doesn't have to be a Cruiser/Patrol to be a real 4wd .

Besides the only reason that the Terrano II couldn't have pulled the Cruiser out of a sand bog would have been that the Cruiser is too heavy. Not that the Terrano II isn't tough enough.

I saw a comparo vid with all the shopping trolleys tuffing it out. Most were Grimace.........

The ifs cruiser faired better.......

and the terracan spanked all of em

If its a paj copy it can't be too bad. They're a good light duty bus

Utemade, my opinion is that it is a softroader mainly because its not meant for serious offroading. Seeems more like a people mover with 4WD ability to me. But still it does go quite well offroad. The kind of car though that you wouldn't want to bush bash too much with though, might scratch the paint or worse... cause some small dents.

Main thing about pulling the LandCruiser out was that it is so heavy, but also that the Terrano has a pissy little 4 cylinder engine. Never said it isn't tough, but the Terrano has to pull its own weight with such a small engine and then you add in the weight of the behemoth LandCruiser. Personally I think its a bit of an achievment.

Acca Dacca wrote:Utemade, my opinion is that it is a softroader mainly because its not meant for serious offroading.

So going by this the only 4x4s that are not soft roaders are the solid axled Patrols, Landrovers and commercial Landcruisers. Even those models straight from the factory floor aren't that great when the going gets really tough.

When I mentioned about the softroaders before I was just pointing out that the term 'softroader' is a commonly accepted term for refering to a 4x4 with no low range. So it is like calling my Rodeo a 'sports car' just because I drive it like one sometimes.

There is a fine line between a soft-roader and a genuine 4WD. The KIA Sorento has low range... yet I personally would class that as a soft-roader. Maybe you wouldn't because it has low range, which of course defines everything.

In my personal opinion the Terrano II is a soft-roader, a capable one but still a soft-roader.

Exciting as this is I'm just going to have to say. Whatever

I drove the Terracan at the caravan & camping show test track at rosehill (sydney) this year.
For a vehicle you would look at an thumb your nose at as a softroader it preformed very well.
It impressed everyone of the drivers with its ability. The traction control was one of the best systems I have tested so far. It really made the vehicle, the V6 was no slug either.

yup rebadged '97 NL GLS Pajero

diesel terrys have been known to have fuel pump failures & some have even had a whine from the rear diff
petrol terracans are rare compared to the diesel
there has been no report of the petrol models having any problems
though most terracans do have the tendencies to have the LH steering idler arm fail as this is a weak point

although my petrol model uses a bit more juice than the diesel it pulls trailers a lot better & has lots more grunt than the diesel
most of the time I get the timing right when the traffic lights turn green & I can leave all the other traffic miles behind.
I would never trade my auto terry as it's the perfect daily driver/weekend/touring rig

P.S. I've got a 4"(combined suspension & body) lift & 32" muddies & I'm not afraid to use it off road, I've taken on some reasonable tracks too(killy loop, slippery rock when it was open & a few other in my local area)
I'm thinking of doing what ppl do to the gen 2 paj's & fit patrol rear coils to give 3-4" lift out the back & wind up my torsion bars another 2"s(currently only wound up 1") oh & of course shave my bump stops to regain wheel travel

Hey OGJON,

Can you shed some light on the Terrano II fuel pump issue. I have a feeling mine is soon going to be part of that statistic, and would like to rack your brain on the issue.

ogjon is talking about the terracan fuel pump not terrano