Talk to me about shite soft roader/small 4x4s

[Stanky]

Wife_Stanky is making noises about wanting a new car as I got one a few months back, she's quite keen on a Nissan Juke (!) but as they are still north of £8k round here it aint gonna happen.

 

However, she is keen on something that looks, in her words 'like a jeep'. She nearly bought a daihatsu terios with a deeply suspect head gasket a couple of years ago, but we went for the Kia Rio instead as it was newer and less blown head-gaskety.

 

So, I'm asking for advise on the genre at the moment. Funds don't permit an immediate purchase, but I'm looking to see what is worth looking at and what isn't.

 

It will never go of road. It must be under 1.8 litres. It should be newer than 2000 to prevent too much grumbling. It should not be too big. It must run on petrol. It must have 4 doors.

 

Discos, defenders, pajeros, shoguns, land cruisers, chevy blazers are all out due to the above.

 

I'm thinking rav-4, CRV, Terios, Shogun Pinin (maybe?), Kia Sportage, Hyundai santa fe (maybe?), ford kuga.

 

It needn't have 4 wheel drive, as long as it LOOKS like it might that'll do. In fact for myriad reasons I won't go into, Id prefer if it had conventional FWD but can open my blinkered eyes if the right thing comes up.

 

Over to you.

[Mr A Lawrence]

Rover streetwise, cheap, rugged off road looks and super reliable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll get me coat.

[Mr A Lawrence]

Seriously, think the Rav-4 would be the one to go for from your list.

[Ghosty]

Terios.

Also you haven't mentioned the Suzuki Vitara or X90 at all.

 

Santa Fe will be too big, and I'm puzzled as to why you've suggested a Kuga, but I have no idea what the budget will be.

[Jim Bell]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2001-HONDA-HR-V-BRONZE/221836085333?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3D846fd7f3f6a54048907d69491302dddf%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D171869076516

[Matt]

It must be under 1.8 litres.

Jimny.

 

It should be newer than 2000

Jimny.

 

It should not be too big.

Jimny.

 

It must run on petrol.

Jimny.

 

It must have 4 doors.

Fuck.

[Vin]

Papa Vin has just got married. Thus they are trying to shed a couple of cars. One of those is an 04 plate Shogun Pinin. 60k mile 1.8 petrol. It's the SWB version though, so only has 2 doors unfortunately...

[Guest Breadvan72]

I rented a Rav 4 in France in 2010.  Thought it was ace.  Did some moderately chunkly off roading, snow included, as well as roads.

 

Also drove a Lada Samara a year or so back.  Ace in a very different way, but ace.  Crude.  Prob not what you are looking for.

[wuvvum]

The only one in that list that will be under 1.8 litres is the Terios.  Think you could get the HR-V as a 1.6, but it won't be 4wd (if that matters).

 

Smallest Santa Fe is 2.4.

[Ghosty]

Oh! Try the Ignis: fairly high up but a tiny FWD thing.

[Honey Badger]

HR-V shirley?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-HR-V-1-6-5dr-4WD-Estate-/251997743944?hash=item3aac3c6b48

 

You want the Vtec ideally, and you want it to be Orange.

 

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-HR-V-1-6i-5-Door-JUST-80K-MILES-NEW-MOT-/361336270712?hash=item542151ef78

 

[Noel Tidybeard]

Jimny.

 

 

Jimny.

 

 

Jimny.

 

 

Jimny.

 

 

Fuck.Honda  FRV

[skattrd]

Terios, a mate of mine (and serial Daihatsu botherer) has recently acquired one and thinks it's ace.

[Ghosty]

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2007-SUZUKI-IGNIS-GL-1-4GL-5-DR-HATCHBACK-LONG-MOT-1-OWNER-FROM-NEW-/111710442733?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1a027614ed

[Junkman]

DKW Munga.

[Asimo]

RAV4 comes in front wheel drive / 1.8 flavour, but possibly only in 3 door form. Much loved by a neighbour who has had hers for 13 years.

 

I understand from the Landrover banter on this forum that most early Freeloaders will be two wheel drive by now, many of those are 1.8 .

[brickwall]

One of the Kia thingies. Sportage or the other one.

[John F]

Alvis Stalwart.

 

That fails to meet almost every one of your criteria, so should be the ideal vehicle.

[scdan4]

Dads got a crv and loves it. Practical and trouble free.

 

think they're all 2 litre though. 

 

mk2's get a chain rather than a belt, which is nice. Cost a good bit more than the cost to do a belt though.

[taxi paul]

Mazda tribute. Only in 2.0 ltr petrol though. Just sold my my 03 plate for cheap. Great car just need to like welding , have a mate who likes welding. Super reliable just like to rust away . Well mine did. If you have a slightly higher budget then Chevrolet Captiva in 4 or 2 wd . But again a 2.0 diesel.

[Christine]

Most on here said i should have an HRV vtec , someone said juicy.... right , yeah.. 20 quid for 68 miles  ! Not happy ..

 It is 4x4 only when fronts lose traction . Vtec is hardly seamless.. gutless ,no torque until 5000 rpm , then it goes like a scalded cat , but you have to go to 7000 otherwise its off the power band for the next gear... Don't like it much..

[Stanky]

Is it just the 1.3 litre Terios that blows head gaskets, or is the 1.5 similarly afflicted? I think it'd be the ideal vehicle for her and this is about the only weak spot I know of.

 

Happy to have other sub-optimal pieces of design painfully illustrated to me to ruin the whole thing.

 

Sadly the number of doors is probably the least negotiable thing in the 'non-negotiable' list due to Micro_Stanky requirements.

 

Also, I don't think Kuga is what i meant. I'm not sure what I mean and may have dreamt it but isn't there a Ford SUV thing thats smaller than a maverick? (is that the one thats like a Nissan Terrano?)

 

Budget is probably somewhere around £2k though I'd like to spend less if I'm able to without buying something utterly shit and worthless.

[J-T]

We had a SWB RAV4, it was ace, drove really nicely, nothing went wrong with it (other than the fact it was driven head on into a tree, which it did not survive but made sure it's occupant did!). It would occasionally throw on the EML and show a lambda fault (I think there's 3 of then) but it would clear itself. It was also dead economical for what it was; 2.0 auto and used to do about 35mpg without trying. The engine and box were nicely matched too.

 

We also had an L-Series freelander, it was woefully underpowered and utter shit. Don't bother! That ended up 2wd after it shat the dif.

[Bear]

Subaru Forester with two of the injectors removed.

[Bear]

(Of the cars suggested, the Suzuki Ignis 4Grip is the one to grab, btw - nice Toyota-related VVTi engine, fun chassis, clever - albeit cheap feeling - interior and relatively unknown). I saw a Seat Altea with weird jacked up suspension the other day...

[UltraWomble]

FFS chaps you are missing the key piece of info - its for a WOMAN

ergo there is only one 4x4 suitable

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1997-P-reg-SUZUKI-X-90-4WD-1-6-T-BAR-LONG-MOT-RARE-CAR-ALLOYS-1495-/281749262055?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4199908ee7

 

Just sorry I couldnt find a pink one.

 

[Ghosty]

Is it just the 1.3 litre Terios that blows head gaskets, or is the 1.5 similarly afflicted? I think it'd be the ideal vehicle for her and this is about the only weak spot I know of.

 

Happy to have other sub-optimal pieces of design painfully illustrated to me to ruin the whole thing.

 

Sadly the number of doors is probably the least negotiable thing in the 'non-negotiable' list due to Micro_Stanky requirements.

 

Also, I don't think Kuga is what i meant. I'm not sure what I mean and may have dreamt it but isn't there a Ford SUV thing thats smaller than a maverick? (is that the one thats like a Nissan Terrano?)

 

Budget is probably somewhere around £2k though I'd like to spend less if I'm able to without buying something utterly shit and worthless.

 

Ford SUVs:

 

Explorer.

Hell no.

 

Maverick:

 

Questionable-  didn't someone on here have one?

 

The other Maverick:

 

No idea what these are like. It's a Ford US model (see Escape) though so don't expect a small engine.

 

You don't want a Kuga:

 

Or the Brazil built EcoSport (why do they sell these and the Kuga? Also, I've spared you the front, it's fugly):

[UltraWomble]

 

 

Maverick:

 

Questionable-  didn't someone on here have one?

 

 

 

Both me and Dolly have had them, he liked his, I fucking hated mine. Its all subjective

Reasons I hated mine

 

Fucking thirsty for a diesel.

Fucking slow for a 2.7

Fucking cramped inside and no way can you sit 5 in the 5 seats unless they are Warwick Davies and his family

Drove exactly like a Leyland 262 on the road.

Leaked like a sieve with extra holes drilled in it then shot with a 12 bore.

Looked like a Mk1 Nissan Micra inside ( same dash & steering wheel)

About as much space as a Mk 1 Nissan Micra inside

 

Reasons DW liked his ( he may be along shortly)

Drives OK off road, aided by the LSD.

Can be fixed with a hammer

Has the same engine as the London Taxi

[gordonbennet]

The mk 2 CRV is a peach of a car, surprisingly trouble free with the 2.2 Diesel too, so don't necessarily rule it out.

My son and his mrs have a Diesel one which she uses all the time, got plenty of room, despite its daily short journeys via nursery or here then to the station, rinse and repeat on the way home it never misses a beat and has been totally reliable, they also use it for long runs as its the family car, she gets about 40mpg out of it dodging about, my lad who drives far more aggressively (gets it from his mother) gets less.

Its 05, they've had it some 4/5 years now i reckon and she loves it, the engine has plenty of grunt and unlike some modern Diesels has enough grunt off turbo to still be tractable enough to make driving easy and not like some of the bastard things a pain in the arse.

 

The one and only problem it had (some 140k miles now) was diagnosed by Honda as front drive shafts..vibration..meself i think it was my lad regularly dropping the clutch and driving it like a twat that done it, serious quote from Honda, you don't want to know, but we slipped in recon exchange   driveshafts from factor one weekend for about £200 all in, problem solved.

Honda servicing surprisingly cheap, they've kept that up because of the low cost, but genuine parts can be bloody stupid prices.

 

They'll have another without a doubt and i'll recommend without question.

[taxi paul]

There is a TATA safari . On ebay at the minute for £260.00. No bids , couple of hours left. No mot but he says its all working.