Help me spend £2k – on a 4x4 that won't bankrupt me

[ismellburning]

HELLO.

It is thinking-about-a-new-car time here. Budget is SMALL, £2k or so. I would like, before the NO2 brigade make them impossible to drive, a chuggy diesel 4x4. Like the driving position, like the room, I have a kid and a DIY habit, so something spacious would be good. I don't mind the higher tax and have seen plenty of 4x4s with claimed mid-40s MPG on motorways, which isn't far off what I get now.

Things I keep seeing in my budget and would love to hear owner input on:

Leggy Nissan X-Trails
Old Mitsubishi Shoguns / Pajeros

A billion Land Rover Defenders and Freelanders, both of which I presume I should steer well clear of?

All thoughts enormously appreciated

[TurboHatchback]

Ok here's some thoughts:

• Don't buy a Landrover. £2k doesn't buy a working Defender, there is no such thing as a working P38 Range rover and Discoverys will be either too rusty, too thirsty or too expensive depending on which you look at. Early Freelanders are dreadful in every way hence best avoided.
• I'd avoid Toyotas at your budget. Landcruisers will not be worth owning at £2k, the Hilux Surf/4Runner is attainable but they are prone to cracked heads, blown head gaskets and parts prices can be silly for anything not available on the aftermarket.
• Have a look at the WJ Jeep Grand Cherokee 2.7 CRD. They have a few known issues, one of them being the rear injector seal failing and being impossible to get at but they are excellent value and unlikely to be rust pits like many of the alternatives
• The Isuzu Trooper is available within budget, reliable and a proper 4x4.
• Any proper 4x4 will not do 40mpg, even on the motorway. Some soft roaders might but I don't know much about them.

[BugLebowski]

For your budget, I'd look for an old style Suzuki Grand Vitara, pre '05 I think. Bulletproof 2.0 litre diesel without a DPF. Timing chain instead of belt. Proper 4x4 low range box with genuine off road ability. It's definitely not a looker but they're priced accordingly.

One massive caveat though: find one that isn't rusty, Suzukis rust away to nothing.

[anonymous-user]

Jeep. Old, petrol, sod the MPG.

But you need a 300bhp/tonne to reply, really. (He'll insult you and tell you that an X-trail will only be good for Doris at the shops, and that most people talking LR down are pricks, but he usually has good alternative suggestions.)

[grumpynuts]

How much room do you need? Try a Toyota Rav 4, they are pretty bombproof, and early ones are permanent 4x4, later ones part time 4x4, so better on fuel. Petrol engines are really good, and cheap as everyone wants diesel. Any "big" 4x4 at £2k will be a wreck and potential money pit.

[Freds]

There are some tidy old Foresters about at that money, it's amazing how many 10-12 plus year old ones show up with full dealer history and one or two owners.

[300bhp/ton]

ismellburning said:

have seen plenty of 4x4s with claimed mid-40s MPG on motorways

Hugely unlikely.

ismellburning said:

Leggy Nissan X-Trails
Old Mitsubishi Shoguns / Pajeros

Two completely different types of vehicles... bit like saying MX-5 or 7 Series BMW as both are rwd.

ismellburning said:

A billion Land Rover Defenders and Freelanders, both of which I presume I should steer well clear of?

If you live in the UK and you steer clear of Land Rover you are being a bit bonkers. Huge selection of models over a long long production period. Cheap spares, loads of places to buy bits, loads of places who will and can work on them.

Why do you think you see so many for sale? Could it maybe be that they are hugely popular?

[GiveItSomeWellie]

I paid about £1200 for my 1999 Discovery Td5 (Manual) in March, has only cost me a new genuine LR top hose (£70) and a genuine LR rear ABS sensor which was broken by me (about £200 fitted IIRC).

Other than that, I've serviced it myself (£80 all in), and on the road tyres it averaged an easy 24mpg around the lanes, though more like 20-21 with my BFG MTs fitted.

Chassis isn't perfect, but it should last me another couple of years before throwing some big bills.

Parts are cheap and very plentiful, fairly easy to work on too, and a ton of guides online.

Steer clear of a £2k Ninety/One Ten, they will be rotten or in need of serious work at that price point. Ask me how I know!

[BugLebowski]

300bhp/ton said:

If you live in the UK and you steer clear of Land Rover you are being a bit bonkers. Huge selection of models over a long long production period. Cheap spares, loads of places to buy bits, loads of places who will and can work on them.

Why do you think you see so many for sale? Could it maybe be that they are hugely popular?

I'd agree with this if this if the budget wasn't £2k. The days of decent cheap defenders are gone I'm afraid.

[300bhp/ton]

BTW - there are loads of 4x4's. But you need to say what you want to do with it. e.g.

Will it be for off roading, if so what sort?
Will it be for towing?
Will it be for hauling, either people or stuff?
Are you wanting something to mod and tinker on?
Are you after the 'look' or high up driving position?

£2k will give you a reasonable choice depending on what you want from it.

[300bhp/ton]

BugLebowski said:

I'd agree with this if this if the budget wasn't £2k. The days of decent cheap defenders are gone I'm afraid.

Defenders maybe, but Disco's and Freelander's are good vehicles and likely in budget.

[toasty]

grumpynuts said:

How much room do you need? Try a Toyota Rav 4, they are pretty bombproof, and early ones are permanent 4x4, later ones part time 4x4, so better on fuel. Petrol engines are really good, and cheap as everyone wants diesel. Any "big" 4x4 at £2k will be a wreck and potential money pit.

+1 Ours has been used and abused for 150k miles now.

[VolvoT5]

How about a Kia Sorento?

Edited by VolvoT5 on Monday 21st November 14:14

[300bhp/ton]

I've been quite pleased with most/all of my LR and 4x4 products. None cost close to £4k.

I know lots of other people who have bought as this price range too.

[toasty]

Paddy_N_Murphy said:

Ravs aren't very big though are they ?

True, they are smaller than the Xtrail but that has benefits too. Plenty of room for us.

[KevinCamaroSS]

Outside the SUV box, have you considered a Skoda Octavia 4x4 TDi? Loads of room, 4x4 for when you need it and a genuine 45+mpg.

[anonymous-user]

DELETED: Comment made by a member who's account has been deleted.

Bloody tiny inside though. Had one for work for 6 months, I'm well under 6 foot and had the seat as far back as it would go. If you're in the taller 60% of the population, you'll probably be too big.

[anonymous-user]

Surely an old Subaru Forester?

[anonymous-user]

toasty said:

grumpynuts said:

How much room do you need? Try a Toyota Rav 4, they are pretty bombproof, and early ones are permanent 4x4, later ones part time 4x4, so better on fuel. Petrol engines are really good, and cheap as everyone wants diesel. Any "big" 4x4 at £2k will be a wreck and potential money pit.

+1 Ours has been used and abused for 150k miles now.

Mine is for sale right now at this budget

[Super Slo Mo]

300bhp/ton said:

BugLebowski said:

I'd agree with this if this if the budget wasn't £2k. The days of decent cheap defenders are gone I'm afraid.

Defenders maybe, but Disco's and Freelander's are good vehicles and likely in budget.

Nothing particularly wrong with a Discovery.
I've had 2 V8's (300 models), and a mate recently bought a S2 TD5 Auto. I'm currently in the process of putting a new front propshaft on it as the old one fell off on the local bypass , but work has paused while we source some additional parts (and are both away for a couple of weeks with various work jobs).
It's not too rusty though, body is remarkably good, chassis could use a good waxoyling as it's starting to show mild signs of tin worm

You just have to be prepared to get your hands dirty with a Land Rover product! Drive and forget they generally are not.

And as for 40 mpg, , downhill with a following wind, maybe, really needs the engine to be switched off to achieve this