Optimystic wrote:Not being a big expert on cars but... ive come across a new 4x4 on the market for those of us on a budget.. a brand new Dacia Duster (sold by renault) is only £11k.. they are basic cars without all the added extras, The top gear bloke says its one of the best cars of its kind on the market.
Worth a looksie!?
I'd avoid anything new as new cars are a waste of money. You drop most the value the moment you drive it home.
Good point.. only prob with this car is there are no second hand models out there yet as its only been in production here since July.. and for a second hand car you have to have cash up front usually, which a lot of us dont have x
A lot of people slate Land Rovers as being unreliable, however some Japanese 4x4s can be just as bad. I spend a lot of time in scrap yards and i see more jap 4x4s than Land Rovers. As has been mentioned shoguns have faults, Isuzu's 3.0 diesel engine is a lemon. Patrols rust. If you look into any car you will find many happy and unhappy owners, good cars and bad. Why do i like Land Rovers? They are plentiful,cheap and easy to fix. Lots of upgrades available. A lot of the faults they have, can and have been engineered out either by Land Rover themselves or specialist companies. Personally i would choose a 200/300 tdi Defender. Those engines are strong and can run on veg oil with no mods. I know this as i have done it. I regret selling my 110 defender as i used the money for a house deposit, but will get on very soon again. On veg oil i got 32mpg. As for reliability i had the lift pump fail(pre veg oil). And that's it. If your handy with the spanners you could get a pre 1990 90/110 and drop a Discovery 200tdi in it, don't forget to use the Discovery's transfer box as this gives you a higher cruising speed at lower engine revs. Thus giving better fuel economy. Other than a landy i would love to try a G wagen, but my pockets are not deep enough to buy one.
JOE90 wrote:Those engines are strong and can run on veg oil with no mods. I know this as i have done it.
Also along with Heating Oil, Jet Fuel. With some type's of fuel like Heating Oil you need to add a lubricant, like hydraulic oil. But there are a lot of things you can add, to the list that the 200/300tdi can run on.
Joe90 so what you're saying is that all the faults that LRs have can be cancelled out and not occur anymore? I love the looks of them but reliability is my priority. Does anybody know how much can 110s tow?
As for other cars: the Hilux Surf although great car isn't an option for me as it can only tow 1200kg, not enough for a maxed out caravan full of preps, Shogun/Pajero look good and am still thinking about the Land Cruiser but they usually come with an automatic gearbox which I'm not sure of especially off road.
Technik wrote:Joe90 so what you're saying is that all the faults that LRs have can be cancelled out and not occur anymore? I love the looks of them but reliability is my priority. Does anybody know how much can 110s tow?
As for other cars: the Hilux Surf although great car isn't an option for me as it can only tow 1200kg, not enough for a maxed out caravan full of preps, Shogun/Pajero look good and am still thinking about the Land Cruiser but they usually come with an automatic gearbox which I'm not sure of especially off road.
Landys have been made long enough now that problems are well documented and can be diagnosed and rectified. They are by no means perfect. They rust in the chassis, so lots of companies make galvanised chassis's. Theres a lot of upgrade parts out there that perhaps may not be made for jap stuff, i know people may say "ahh but the jap stuff doesn't fail on that". In my experience jap 4x4s can be just as bad and as good as a landy. My personal experiance with landys was great, when they did have faults i could fix it my self with real basic tools. I have friends who live in Africa(kenya) and they say that Japanese 4x4s appear better but very rarely last long on the roads due to the cost and complexity of parts. They like landys because they can be fixed, bodged to get you home, kicked, abused and everything else thats bad to a car. And they survive! Its like any tool you buy, some might say a Gerber knife is better than another brand, such and such makes a better gas stove than someone else. For me i will fly the flag for Land Rover any day. As for towing? I saw many a 110 towing another 110 on a trailer to landy shows. I don't know specific figures but that alone should give you an idea. On the down side of Land Rover nowadays they are diluting their brand identity for fashionable SUV designs. Have you seen the design concept for the new Defender? I can't see farmers, squaddies or the national grid buying them up in the 100s like they do at the minute. The current Defender is a blank canvas for you to build your ideal vehicle, you can modify chop and change it easily because of the way its designed and built. The only thing that comes close is a G wagen, but as i said they can be pricey.
Thanks Joe90. I'm really puzzled now what to get but still got time as haven't sold the van yet (haven't put it up for sale yet). Best thing for me to do is to make a simple list of things that I want the truck to be/have and compare let's say Defender against Pajero. Will probably do that.
Technik wrote:Thanks Joe90. I'm really puzzled now what to get but still got time as haven't sold the van yet (haven't put it up for sale yet). Best thing for me to do is to make a simple list of things that I want the truck to be/have and compare let's say Defender against Pajero. Will probably do that.
I can't remember which engine it is on the pajero had the timing chain, i think it was the 2.8 not the 2.5. Apparently the 2.8 is the one to get. I drove a Shogun which is the uk version off road and it was ok.
I think reliabilty statistics can be a bit misleading. Yes landys break down, my own is just back after 6 months off the road. However there are far more old landys running aroynd than any other make. When you consider there life as well, the bulk have been military, agricultural or utilities owned. Not the most forgiving lives! Mine for example is 25 years old in december, 16 years in the army, 4 years running heavy loads around ad towing parascenders off road followed by three years sat unused in a farmyard. Started first time with a bit of boost when i bought her. Carried us up and over the alps the following summer. forget to check the oil and knackered the engine. Put a 200tdi in with some basic tools and a dab of welding. She's only been off the road due to a minor fault I couldn't find!
Not saying they're the best as that depends what you want. But if you want ruggedness, good offroad capability out of the box and relatively cheap repairs, parts and mods but aren't bothered by comfort and luxury....
