4x4 your favourite?

[mbuk]

After reading a few threads now I thought I'd share my list of 4x4s and pick some highlights and invite others to add to it with their experiences.

I've been lucky enough to have quite a few over the years so I'll split them in to "true off-roaders" ie with Low Ratio gear box. And "Urban 4x4" without. All diesel except were stated.

Each list in order of ownership

True off roaders
Lada Niva Cossack (petrol)
Isuzu Trooper x2
Nissan Navara
Hyundai Terracan
Nissan Pathfinder (current)

Urban 4x4
Land Rover Freelander (original model petrol)
Honda CrV
Nissan Xtrail
Nissan Qashqui


So the awards from me, based on driving experience, value, reliability, suitability for outdoor lifestyle.

Best True Off Roader
Nissan Pathfinder

Best Urban 4x4
Nissan Xtrail

Worst
Land Rover Freelander (mainly due to reliability, so may have been a lemon!)

Best value
Hyundai Terracan

Most Fun
Lada Cossack


To be clear these are only based on my experience ie I am not saying a Pathfinder is better off-road than a LR 90!

So what's your list and awards?

Mike


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[crosslandkelly]

First and worst but best fun 1962 Austin Gipsy, 2.2 petrol SWB. That was back in 82/83.

Presently an 03 L200 Animal. Boring, reliable, but a good off roader, for my needs.

 

[bilmo-p5]

I've had 4 LRs and they were all my favourite, but if I could have one of them again, I think it'd be the S3 lightweight...

 

[santaman2000]

Interesting choices mbuk. I've never even driven a Nissan Pathfinder but they have a horrible reputation among off roaders and reviewers; I'm glad to see your take on it.

As for the ones I've actually driven my favorites are:

1) Jeep Wrangler = most fun and most serious off roader

2) Toyota 4WD pickup (older 1980s model) = best compromise of fun to drive + fantastic off road capability (particularly mountain/rock climbing) + cargo carrying ability + tow capability

3) Jeep Cherokee = best compromise between off road capability and comfort

4) Ford Bronco II = best compromise between off road capability and tow capability

 

[MT606]

-1944 MB Jeep best for fun and everyday use and getting anywhere off roading.
-1943 WC54 Dodge best sound, for towing things out of mud like there was nothing even there, being used as a camper van and having other vehicles take the hint that I aint movin over for their ponced up piles of poo!
-LR90s/110s/wolfs for not worrying about fuel costs n faults, but having the crappiest driving position I've ever known in any form of MT!
-DAFs and MKs for not worrying about fuel costs etc or about drowning in when in water as its so feckin high up!

I'd have the Jeep out of them all though...wunderbar!

 

[Big Stu 12]

I've had a few Landys, and a couple of others.. which included 2 x Mitsi L200, Subaru Justy, Ford Ranger driven many other... On Road.. Green Laning and Off roading including Trials, and as a 4x4 Responder.

Most favorite has to be the Landy Series 3 109" Safari.. loads of Soul liked this better then the Series 2 109"

Most Abused a modified Disco 300tdi.. just kept going...

Most comfortable Disco 3 2.7 v6... not a lot of Landy soul in that... its a shame.. cause its a good car.

Most Reliable miles 150,000 in four years Series 1 Freelander never broke down.... just serviced at Main dealer from new

Most Surprising ... Subaru Justy... was that plucky little thing that just did not give up trying... great in snow drifts.... was so light it just skimmed over the top.. but just did not cut the mustard for anything else.

Did not like the Mitsi L200's only had them for a month each... found them too long at the back for off roading, and too light on the back..

 

[British Red]

Best True offroader was a Toyota Land cruiser. Awesome car off road and on. Ate Landrovers and spat out the rust!

 

[mick91]

Old Suzuki jimny. Don't worry about rolling them over they'll graft till the end of time. Or a defender. Totally

 

[Laurentius]

For my money it has to be a Mitsubishi Pajero, I have never had a more reliable motor.

 

[Imagedude]

Best day-to-day on-road vehicle - 2002 Hilux though at 170,000 miles with full service history and a history of mostly motorway work unladen at 65mph the vehicle is now beyond economical repair. Failures include failed radiator, sump perforated by corrosion at only 4 years old (very common), gearbox bearing failure (very common also), deep chassis corrosion. Fortunately mine did not suffer from the often fatal injector washer failure.

Most soul - Series 2a Landy or maybe my Series 3 Lightweight. Apart from a cracked injector pipe and a few minor faults they were reliable but crude.

Best to drive - 1983 Range Rover. 300,000 faultless miles but used 20,000 gallons of petrol in the process.

Most dissapointing. Toyota Landcruiser Amazon. Suffered the usual pipe cracking in the auto gearbox. On road use only.

Ford Explorer. Did the job without fault but never really liked it. Otherwise a fine if souless vehicle.

Mitsubishi Shogun. Had one in Oman and it had various major issues including cylander head, seized diff bearings and unreliable AC pump.

If money was no option - a rebuilt 1983 RR of perhaps one of the better Mercedes G-Wagons.

 

[Silverback 1]

Been running a Subaru Legacy for the last 5 years, ultra reliable, great in snow, ice and good off road but limited use because of poor ground clearance, no complaints apart from it being greedy on juice.
Previous motor was a Daihatsu Fourtrack that i battered for 6 years off road, it was a bullet proof and legendary shooting bus for me.

 

[tiger stacker]

Soft spot the Pinzgauer worth the ride.

 

[Robson Valley]

5+ years in a GMC 3/4T Suburban. Came loaded with all options. 2HI with HI and LO range 4x4 pushed by a 454cid mill.
Shift on the fly, no hubs to lock. When there's been a 36" snowfall overnight, it is a blessing, gas hog that it is.
I am retired so no need for a daily driver. No appetite to slosh around in mud puddles just for fun.

 

[Countryman]

Currently run an XTrail which is excellent and replaced the Volvo XC70 and at £10k cheaper still ticks the boxes and is a better shape. Unfortunately the design of the new ones doesn't work for me so next year I will be trying the Discovery Sport.

I think both a Jimny I had for a while and a Vitara I ran as a fun car for years were better than the Land Rover Series 3 and early 110 CSW in terms of performance and reliability but not as fun to tinker with and probably nothing in the world has the presence of a 110 CSW.


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[demographic]

Pretty much all have very limited internal space, even long wheelbase landys are pretty tiny inside (I have a Transit van and need that internal space) so everytime someone mentions needing a 4WD I automatically think that the extra driven wheels isn't worth the loss of internal space.

Pickups are useless for me as the load bed holds such a small amount, its got very limited headroom when its got a roof and unless its covered by a roof everything in it gets wet and is in full view of thieves.

So in that vein, I would say something like a Transit county 4WD van.

 

[santaman2000]

Pretty much all have very limited internal space, even long wheelbase landys are pretty tiny inside (I have a Transit van and need that internal space) so everytime someone mentions needing a 4WD I automatically think that the extra driven wheels isn't worth the loss of internal space.

Full sized pickups and Suburbans have loads of internal space.

Pickups are useless for me as the load bed holds such a small amount, its got very limited headroom when its got a roof and unless its covered by a roof everything in it gets wet and is in full view of thieves.

A full sized pickup with an 8 foot bed has loads of cargo space. Yeah everything in the cargo bed is open to weather and/or thieves unless you add either a topper or a tonneau cover. I'm not sure what you mean by "headroom" in the cargo bed though?

Downside = full sized trucks are fuel hogs.

 

[demographic]

Pretty much all have very limited internal space, even long wheelbase landys are pretty tiny inside (I have a Transit van and need that internal space) so everytime someone mentions needing a 4WD I automatically think that the extra driven wheels isn't worth the loss of internal space.

Full sized pickups and Suburbans have loads of internal space.



A full sized pickup with an 8 foot bed has loads of cargo space. Yeah everything in the cargo bed is open to weather and/or thieves unless you add either a topper or a tonneau cover. I'm not sure what you mean by "headroom" in the cargo bed though?

Downside = full sized trucks are fuel hogs.

Well you could have a point there but the pickups we generally have over here are much smaller.
By headroom in the pickup bed I mean its not got much height between the pickup bed and the top of the roof.
Much less than a van has. Plus they usually have a massive long bonnet (hood to the US members) which means they are very long for the internal space they provide.

In my opinion anyway.

 

[Imagedude]

It's a shame that the Diahatsu Fourtrak is no longer made...

 

[Robson Valley]

Maybe, some day, I'll downsize. In the meantime, my GMC Suburban is the longest selling GMC label, ever. Period.
That suggests some enduring value and load space (when you learn how to pack it) is substantial.
Quite frankly, the 1991 Chev Caprice full wagon had far more load space than the Burb plus a bunch of clever hidden compartments.
But her frame rotted and could not jack the baby up for winter wheels one year.

By law in winter here, you are required to run snows on all 4 wheels. If not, the cops will be happy to have you pay the vehicle storage fees
until such time as you equip your vehicle with genuine winter boots. 2WD or 4WD, you ruin the same meat all around.

 

[cbrdave]

Only owned two,

Worst was the r reg 2.5tdi frontera,
Currently run a r reg 2.8tdi shogun, rust has got to the rear chassis and engine is rattling old lump but she takes all my bedroom fitting tools and handles amazingly well off road,
Tempted on. Discovery 2.5 td5 next.