4 X 4 car for on / off road use

4 X 4 car for on / off road use

Author
Discussion

slurpysi

Original Poster:

102 posts

199 months

Thursday 22nd October 2009
quotequote all
Hello all,

I am about to search for a secondhand car which will be mainly used for road use, but the occasional off road excursions. Need to be able to carry large loads / mountain bikes etc so ideally a hatchback or estate.

Any ideas on what is any good - budget up to £5K


haircutmike

21,998 posts

211 months

Thursday 22nd October 2009
quotequote all
Disco td5, get the highest spec for your money, can't go wrong!

I use mine for family, work, pulling a 2 ton trailer, off roading and has even been used for pulling out stumps and lengthening my sons Polo, (using winch), after he crashed it!

All that with a/c, electric everything, self levelling suspension, traction control, abs and a shed more equipment.

All standard with a 2" lift, tyres, winch and protection, all for relative peanuts.

Just don't go "jap" rolleyes.

Lefty Guns

16,675 posts

209 months

Friday 23rd October 2009
quotequote all
haircutmike said:
Just don't go "jap" rolleyes.


Yeah, cause all Japanse 4x4's are st.

rolleyes

pugwash4x4

7,558 posts

228 months

Saturday 24th October 2009
quotequote all
Lefty Guns said:
haircutmike said:
Just don't go "jap" rolleyes.


Yeah, cause all Japanse 4x4's are st.

rolleyes
lol- don't get het up lefty guns.Its not as if people ever go from LR to Japcrap and see the light (oh no not me- i didn't have 10LRs in a row and then buy an 80 series landcruiser- that would make no sense at all!)

normalbloke

7,713 posts

226 months

Saturday 24th October 2009
quotequote all
haircutmike said:
Disco td5, get the highest spec for your money, can't go wrong!

I use mine for family, work, pulling a 2 ton trailer, off roading and has even been used for pulling out stumps and lengthening my sons Polo, (using winch), after he crashed it!

All that with a/c, electric everything, self levelling suspension, traction control, abs and a shed more equipment.

All standard with a 2" lift, tyres, winch and protection, all for relative peanuts.

Just don't go "jap" rolleyes.
"can't go wrong!"

The most ironic thing posted in a Land Rover comment,ever.....

mat13

1,977 posts

188 months

Saturday 24th October 2009
quotequote all
haircutmike said:
Disco td5, get the highest spec for your money, can't go wrong!

I use mine for family, work, pulling a 2 ton trailer, off roading and has even been used for pulling out stumps and lengthening my sons Polo, (using winch), after he crashed it!

All that with a/c, electric everything, self levelling suspension, traction control, abs and a shed more equipment.

All standard with a 2" lift, tyres, winch and protection, all for relative peanuts.

Just don't go "jap" rolleyes.
A discovery is a good shout just not a td5, crappy engine, full of electrics that dont like to get wet and components located in stupid places for a car supposedly designed for offroading. The previous tdi200 and 300 were much better engines, more reliable, more torquey and a lot cheaper and easier to repair when things go wrong (and they will go wrong its a landrover its just part of the fun).

haircutmike

21,998 posts

211 months

Saturday 24th October 2009
quotequote all
Come on, you are just being cruel.

Car hasa done 130K plus now and pulls like a train.

Sure it hasn't done as much off roading as my old 300 tdi but what it has done has been brilliant.

Did a trail over a proper rocky road in the Peak district last year, so bad mointain bikers had to carry their bikes for about 1/4 mile.
The look on their faces was priceless as we slowly passed them often balancing on 2 wheels, (impossible without the traction control)!

Peter.

Lefty Guns

16,675 posts

209 months

Saturday 24th October 2009
quotequote all
Hey don't get me wrong. I love Landies and have owned four (two defendes an two series). There will always be a place for a landie in my life but to dismiss anything japanese is, frankly, silly.

I'd never run a landie as an only vehicle...

haircutmike

21,998 posts

211 months

Saturday 24th October 2009
quotequote all
Lefty Guns said:
Hey don't get me wrong. I love Landies and have owned four (two defendes an two series). There will always be a place for a landie in my life but to dismiss anything japanese is, frankly, silly.

I'd never run a landie as an only vehicle...
Know what you mean, but the jap's lack soul.

I have run disco's as my main vehicle for a while now.

300 TDi,
4.0 Mk2 Manual,
4.0 Mk2 auto,
TD5 current car.

Of course there has been the odd hick-up, small fire on a V8 caused by a seized water pump and the belt catching fire, I put it out with a can of coke I had in the car yikes, and a few other minor things, but never let me down, yet!

P.


haircutmike

21,998 posts

211 months

Saturday 24th October 2009
quotequote all
We actually came across it while looking for a scenic place to walk, I had my "Satmap", (great gadget), turned on, on the dash and just came across it.

P.

pugwash4x4

7,558 posts

228 months

Saturday 24th October 2009
quotequote all
stanage is interesting going up, but no problem going down in most things- we've had SJs and Vitaras down there with no problems.

haircutmike

21,998 posts

211 months

Saturday 24th October 2009
quotequote all
We went up it and continued from there.

We were staying at the same hotel where we attended Roar 08 (Tivvers), a few months previous,(Mooreside Grange Hotel), a great area for TVR's and Landies!

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

197 months

Friday 30th October 2009
quotequote all
mat13 said:
haircutmike said:
Disco td5, get the highest spec for your money, can't go wrong!

I use mine for family, work, pulling a 2 ton trailer, off roading and has even been used for pulling out stumps and lengthening my sons Polo, (using winch), after he crashed it!

All that with a/c, electric everything, self levelling suspension, traction control, abs and a shed more equipment.

All standard with a 2" lift, tyres, winch and protection, all for relative peanuts.

Just don't go "jap" rolleyes.
A discovery is a good shout just not a td5, crappy engine, full of electrics that dont like to get wet and components located in stupid places for a car supposedly designed for offroading. The previous tdi200 and 300 were much better engines, more reliable, more torquey and a lot cheaper and easier to repair when things go wrong (and they will go wrong its a landrover its just part of the fun).
TD5 is a much much better engine than a TDI. Electro ice and the engine have proven themsleves
time and time again. Yes stock location of some parts is not idea but fine for normal use. If you plan do to anything more extreme you should prep any vehicle.

As for more torque WTF?? the worst thing with a TD5 is the naff tune as stock which is far worse on the Defender. Someone like Twisted Performance can sort it out for like £400 and it'll piss over any Tdi engine all day long.

BTW I'm an owner of a modded 200Tdi smile

pugwash4x4

7,558 posts

228 months

Friday 30th October 2009
quotequote all
300bhp/ton said:
mat13 said:
haircutmike said:
Disco td5, get the highest spec for your money, can't go wrong!

I use mine for family, work, pulling a 2 ton trailer, off roading and has even been used for pulling out stumps and lengthening my sons Polo, (using winch), after he crashed it!

All that with a/c, electric everything, self levelling suspension, traction control, abs and a shed more equipment.

All standard with a 2" lift, tyres, winch and protection, all for relative peanuts.

Just don't go "jap" rolleyes.
A discovery is a good shout just not a td5, crappy engine, full of electrics that dont like to get wet and components located in stupid places for a car supposedly designed for offroading. The previous tdi200 and 300 were much better engines, more reliable, more torquey and a lot cheaper and easier to repair when things go wrong (and they will go wrong its a landrover its just part of the fun).
TD5 is a much much better engine than a TDI. Electro ice and the engine have proven themsleves
time and time again. Yes stock location of some parts is not idea but fine for normal use. If you plan do to anything more extreme you should prep any vehicle.

As for more torque WTF?? the worst thing with a TD5 is the naff tune as stock which is far worse on the Defender. Someone like Twisted Performance can sort it out for like £400 and it'll piss over any Tdi engine all day long.

BTW I'm an owner of a modded 200Tdi smile
indeed- there is a reason why a LOT of the challenge boys now run TD5s- as long as you stop the oil problem in the ECU loom issue, and then stick the ECU up high, you can get a ridiculously powerful engine. I'm an LS1 fan and even i can see the benefits of a tweaked TD5.

The ECU has some pretty good tricks too- the anti stall is very very clever- as good as it gets really.

haircutmike

21,998 posts

211 months

Friday 30th October 2009
quotequote all
We have just come back from a green lane trip in Hampshire.

I always forget just how capable a TD5 Disco is.

It just goes up anywhere you point it, just a pity the local authority has leveled the infamous "rock steps" at Hindhead, that was it's
party piece, crawling up there with a party of 4 on board!

Excellent day, bonus of a week day, didn't see another vehicle.

P.

Andy Sargeant

2,371 posts

212 months

Saturday 31st October 2009
quotequote all
Always budget double the price of a TD5 for "WHEN" it goes wrong.

IMHO I think a 300TDI Jap import would be your best bet, no rust so you can waxoil underneath befor the horse bolts and an engine which is easy to fix.

Have been repairing L/Rovers for years and love them to bits but they have got worse over the years, lucky L/R owners have thick skin.

Andy.

haircutmike

21,998 posts

211 months

Saturday 31st October 2009
quotequote all
True, we have thick skins, and sometimes rose tinted glasses!

Luckily though, a Land Rover is a Land Rover and the volume out there speaks for itself, (and keeps the indies busy).

I believe a lot of the attraction for L/R owners is, parts are cheap and they are very DIYable.

When I loose interest in Landies and still need a 4 x 4, I might be persuaded to buy elsewhere, but as of now and the last 10 years, I just love them!

P.

Rum Runner

2,338 posts

224 months

Saturday 14th November 2009
quotequote all
Don't bother with landies otherwise every time you go out you will spend twice as long fixing it.
Spend a lot of time towing and driving on beach/off road and mostly now i drive a landie for that job and its sinks compared to the light Jap stuff on the beach. We have to run with about 5 PSI in the tyres.The previous Suzuki SJ walked allover it and in low box had enough grunt to pull most boats.
Sorry Landies are stupid money for what they are/ age of vehicle and not good on the road.
I have for personal use a have mint very late Mk1 Vitara which is superb on the soft stuff good on fuel and easy to squeeze into tight parking spaces. Also a 09 Wrangler Sahara unlimited which again is better than a landie in nearly all areas and especially on the road. Oh and about half the price and the worlds only 4 convertible.

antond

26 posts

182 months

Wednesday 18th November 2009
quotequote all
The landrovers are great for 2nd hand use as long as you keep clear of all the older discos and rangeys. parts are eye watering. stick with series and 90's or 110's.
had a 109, great car, needed lots of tlc but loved it.
If you dont want to get under the bonet yourself go Jap and buy an extended warranty. Terranos (had one) tops, jap pickups rugged and reliable (hi lux we all know about)
good luck

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

197 months

Thursday 19th November 2009
quotequote all
antond said:
The landrovers are great for 2nd hand use as long as you keep clear of all the older discos and rangeys. parts are eye watering. stick with series and 90's or 110's.
had a 109, great car, needed lots of tlc but loved it.
If you dont want to get under the bonet yourself go Jap and buy an extended warranty. Terranos (had one) tops, jap pickups rugged and reliable (hi lux we all know about)
good luck
Most of the major and minor mechanicals on a Rangie or Disco are the same as a Defender. Even arguably similar to many Series parts.