Cheapest 4x4 on a budget?

[JDO330]

From experience I can say the Vitara's are a pretty good little 4x4, much more capable than people give them credit off road and fairly good on it. They cost next to nothing to buy and run, spares are very easy to come by and I dont recall mine costing a lot to insure. They do suffer with rust around the wheel arches, especially the ones with extended arches and also head gasket failure. You can get a decent engine for about £100 if needed, chassis wont fail you either. From 1992 (ISH) they were (single point) fuel injected, multi point from 1995 so no messing with carbs and better fuel economy. They are light weight but dent easily. Fairly comfy on a long run too but not great for carrying people and baggage combined. Grand Vitara's are fairly good as well plus you can get diesel and auto but only 5 door (early ones) and generally going for about £1300 / £1500 for a decent one with Tax & MOT - in which case the Pagero is an excellent alternative. A friend of mine has just bought one for £1000 - 2.8 engine, auto, elec everything, air con etc. It looks pretty tough and its not much worse on fuel than his diesel, auto Grand Vitara!

Hope this helps, Jon.

 

[JDO330]

I can vouch for one of these and they do what they say on the tin fantastic!!!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MITSUBISHI-DE...7508011?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item19c57d562b

I do like the look of those, would love to have one set up as a camper.

 

[nuggets]

save up and buy a landrover !!!!!

 

[EdS]

save up and buy a landrover !!!!!

because you'll never have any money once you own 1.

 

[Faz]

Hilux Surf 3.0 td, bullet proof. I have seen one or two coming in around the £1000 mark. Just keep your eyes out for them. I have had one, I paid £1500 a few years back and it had 117,000 miles on it when I got it. Best car I ever had and would love another.

 

[santaman2000]

because you'll never have any money once you own 1.

It could be worse you know. He could be saving to buy a boat (powerboat anyway); defined as "A whole in the water into which you pour money." There are thre days that bring great joy to a boat owner:

Day 1. The day you buy it
Day 2. The day you have the loan paid in full
Day 3. The day you sell it.

 

[Badger90]

Disco 1 models are complete rust buckets, if you're handy with a welder and a set of spanners then it's a good investment.

Other than that, pick up a Fiat Panda 4x4

 

[Badger90]

save up and buy a landrover !!!!!

I assume you mean a Series/90/Defender style ?

He wants one on a budget, not an endless love affair with his bank manager....

 

[spartacus]

I can vouch for the Suzuki's. Started with the little one then had thre grand vitara's and well pleased with all of them. Good consumption too.

 

[Laurentius]

I got myself a 1993 Pajero for £999 recently, it's not unusual to find them for around that price, it wasn't the first I looked at. Beware though the insurance could cost you more than the purchase price unless you shop around.

 

[Muddy Boots]

Hilux Surf 3.0 td, bullet proof. I have seen one or two coming in around the £1000 mark. Just keep your eyes out for them. I have had one, I paid £1500 a few years back and it had 117,000 miles on it when I got it. Best car I ever had and would love another.

I've got the 2.4 tdi version 2nd Gen I've had for the last 6 years.

Got the uprated head fitted and it now has 12 months MOT after new CV joint and rear shock was fitted.

It was my daily up till the last couple of months ago.

I love it but sadly now need to sell it to fund another project.

Personally I reckon you can't go far wrong with ones of these but like all 4x4s they love a drink.

 

[mountainm]

How about a road legal quad bike for occasional use?

 

[mrcairney]

I assume you mean a Series/90/Defender style ?

He wants one on a budget, not an endless love affair with his bank manager....

WINNAH!

 

[BillyBlade]

I had the same dilemma. Being a married guy with kids, I'm always on a budget, and after the lousy winters of the last two years, I wanted a cheap 4x4 that could get through the worst of it.

I tried looking a the usual Land Rover offerings etc, but all the landies in my proce range were heaps of junk. All needed welded, had rust patches, noisy bearings, leaking engines etc. Forget it. Fourtracks all seemed to have spent life on farms, and being a country lad, I know that if anyone knows when to get rid, it's a farmer. Enough said.

In the end, I went for a sub £1k Mitsubishi Pinin. It has a short wheelbase (as I wanted) and a powerfull 1.8 petrol engine that kicks back 30+ mpg. It also has a proper 4x4 setup, with low range box, lockable diff, torsen arrangement in the rear axle etc. Serious stuff. So far, it's been a revelation, just brilliant off road with pretty good manners on road as well. Oh, and being petrol it fired up first kick last winter, while all my neighbours with diesels who couldn't get them started in -16°C ended up having to abandon theirs due to fuel waxing.

Turns out, contrary to popular belief, you can mod them as well. Lifts, snorkels etc.

All in, for a three figure purchase, these things are belting. Well recommended.

Good luck in whatever you get

 

[Grendel]

Well time to sell the MR2 since sadly it's not big enough now i have more hobbies and going down the Pajero route i though untill i found freelanders seem the same price?

So which is better Freelander or Pejero?

 

[TeeDee]

Well time to sell the MR2 since sadly it's not big enough now i have more hobbies and going down the Pajero route i though untill i found freelanders seem the same price?

So which is better Freelander or Pejero?

I've been warned off the Freelander... Not that I know 'nuffink about 4x4's but I haven't noticed many actual farmers driving them , the Horsey lot seem quite keen on the Pajeros. Maybe something in that.

 

[spoony]

Its the petrol freelanders you have to watch, have a look t a jimny great little 4x4s

 

[Grendel]

Oddly enough its the 1.8 Petrol Freelanders I looked at that seem to be cheap. Why is that?

 

[TeeDee]

Quick bit of digging, I'm not saying the persons correct , but they obviously felt moved to create a website about it.

http://www.freelanderheadgasket.co.uk/

 

[Laurentius]

I had the same dilemma. Being a married guy with kids, I'm always on a budget, and after the lousy winters of the last two years, I wanted a cheap 4x4 that could get through the worst of it.

I tried looking a the usual Land Rover offerings etc, but all the landies in my proce range were heaps of junk. All needed welded, had rust patches, noisy bearings, leaking engines etc. Forget it. Fourtracks all seemed to have spent life on farms, and being a country lad, I know that if anyone knows when to get rid, it's a farmer. Enough said.

In the end, I went for a sub £1k Mitsubishi Pinin. It has a short wheelbase (as I wanted) and a powerfull 1.8 petrol engine that kicks back 30+ mpg. It also has a proper 4x4 setup, with low range box, lockable diff, torsen arrangement in the rear axle etc. Serious stuff. So far, it's been a revelation, just brilliant off road with pretty good manners on road as well. Oh, and being petrol it fired up first kick last winter, while all my neighbours with diesels who couldn't get them started in -16°C ended up having to abandon theirs due to fuel waxing.

Turns out, contrary to popular belief, you can mod them as well. Lifts, snorkels etc.

All in, for a three figure purchase, these things are belting. Well recommended.

Good luck in whatever you get

I have seen the Pinin, and I wouldn't say no to one. Currently I am driving a Pajero which cost me 900 GBP, apart from tax and insurance (that being the biggest expense) all I have spent on so far is a new tyre. I know it is going to need attention soon and the MOT runs out in March but the way I am thinking at the moment is that if I can run it into the ground until then and it is too expensive to fix, then I am sure I will be able to find another easily enough to last me a year.

If I had all the time and money and energy in the world I would go back to Landies, but I have none of those things and it has to be said that Mitsus are astonishingly reliable and turn in better fuel economy than any Landie.