Which 4x4 (that isn’t a truck)?!

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.Skinner.

Well-Known Member
Hi all :)

Just after a little advice. I have been desperate for a 4x4 for a long long time, but have never been able to justify the cost. Now I am doing a bit more shooting I am starting to seriously consider getting one, and wondered what people’s thoughts are on which. My dream is to one day get a brand new pickup truck - something along the lines of a Hilux or Ranger... however I would never be able to afford to buy and run a truck at the moment (also need a petrol for reasons I’ll give below) so need to look at something a little less exciting.

I am only a recreational stalker/pigeon shooter so only need the 4x4 element occasionally for rough farm tracks, hauling decoy equipment across fields etc. I also have a dog and having a more spacious 4x4 appeals to me over my current tiny hatchback, especially when she’s caked in mud and I have shot a deer too! My work (which is totally unrelated to shooting) is a 4 mile commute, so I’m thinking engine will have to be petrol as short journeys ruin diesels?

Apart from that, want as good fuel economy as possible, although realise I’ll have to make the classic decision of ‘newer, more efficient car but lots of miles’ or ‘older, thirstier car with less miles’!

Oh and as good as they are, not a Jimny.... probably a tad small!

Budget likely to be around £6k -ish.

Any advice or suggestions much appreciated.

Many thanks

Ben.
 
Grand vitara I have had mine nearly 16 years still on original exhaust replaced a cam sensor cost £20, tyres and windscreen wipers.Never let me down
 
Subaru Forester or Outback
Dual purpose plenty of room and with the right tyres will go more or less anywhere
I personally prefer the older petrol versions with high/low box

Paul
 
There is probably no right, or wrong, answer to this but I really liked my old shape X-Trail and it went everywhere I needed it to go and in 7 years only needed a relay changed. The downside with them is that it can be tricky to get a reasonable choice of AT tyres for some wheel sizes, though the selection now seems much better than it was when I got the X-Trail at first. I now run an L200 and would say that the X-Trail is a better general purpose vehicle, yes there are a very few places the L200 will go that the X-Trail maybe couldn't have got to but there isn't much in it.

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This is one of the very few places that I don't think the X-Trail would have got to and it would be due to the overhangs as it was out here quite a few times before they dug the ditch out, I had a spade in the back so simply "undigging" the ditch would have solved the problem for the X-Trail:

01.jpg
 
Skoda yeti is definitely worth considering. Really like ours, we use it on the farm to tow fuel bowser etc and we are impressed where it goes. Fun to drive and comfortable, good on fuel too.
 
The best small 4x4 I ever had was a Daihatsu Fourtrack. I've had a couple of them over the years. They'll go anywhere. Shame they don't make them anymore. If you can find a good one you should buy it. I would. In fact I've got my eye on one belonging to a very elderly neighbour. Immaculately maintained. Eventually he's going to have to give up driving....
 
VSS said:
The best small 4x4 I ever had was a Daihatsu Fourtrack. I've had a couple of them over the years. They'll go anywhere. Shame they don't make them anymore. If you can find a good one you should buy it. I would. In fact I've got my eye on one belonging to a very elderly neighbour. Immaculately maintained. Eventually he's going to have to give up driving....
Click to expand...
built like a proverbial brick sh** House.
 
Have a look at a Dacia Duster 4x4 either petrol or diesel - at least you can get Goodrich All Terrains for it (They do not do the size to fit my 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe - 235/65/17).
 
Would be a Subaru Forester for me. Had one seven or eight years ago and regret selling it still.
 
I can recommend Fiat Panda 4x4 Cross. I’ve had a Jimmy, as you say too small, poor on fuel and nasty to drive on motorways particularly if it’s windy. Had Shogun and Pinnin, Skoda Octavia Scout and BM Xdrive but the best off road has been the Fiat. It’s not too bad on the road either, can get 60mpg from its 85hp diesel, cheap tax, insurance and servicing; room for 4 with boot space or 2 with loads of dog and gear room.
I know it sounds too good to be true, but it goes anywhere and often where pickups, discoverys etc get stuck. It’s also ridiculously good in snow.
 
I have a Jimny and I no you said you don't want one because of the size however, I've had a big red in mine with my gsd, trigger sticks, rifle and fiance at once. Bit of a squeeze mind. Averages 36mpg doing 40 miles a day, 2 inch lift, oversized all terrains and a lockrite rear diff not been stuck yet and that goes through some nasty places! And at £500 you can put the rest of the money to a new rifle and scope...:thumb::thumb:
 
.skinner.
Several good suggestions already that would put you right. We’ve had four crossover 4WDs in the last 15 years as family cars capable of rough wet muddy tracks, heavy loads, hunting / camping, dogs. The best crossover 4WD vehicle we’ve ever owned is the current Toyota Highlander but I don’t think you can get them in the UK. Why? 3.5L V6 power, road manners, loose / rough surface ability, 8 seater and perfect reliability over 100,000km so far.

The next best was a 2009 Subaru Outback diesel that the wife did 65,000km in 18 months with in central WA outback on rough dirt roads. Incredible economy for a big heavy car and easily capable of handling rubbish conditions in the mud and rough lumpy tracks, fantastic 4WD system. If I wanted an all rounder that I didn’t mind getting dirty inside and out lugging a deer and gear, a good 2nd hand Outback would be in the top 3 to choose from. Nice low loading height at the rear - very important. All we ever spent on it was for off road tyres and a bull bar.

Before the Outback we had the previous generation Outback which was petrol and a little thirsty and a bit coarse, but also very reliable.

The worst one we owned by far was a 2003 Audi Allroad which had persistent problems with the adjustable suspension and engine error codes, it had a fairly hard life but just couldn’t deal with it and was the worst car reliability wise I ever owned.
 
We've been pleasantly surprised by our Dacia duster. It was brilliant in the snow and ice recently with the tyres that it came with. Think they class them as mud and sand. It doesn't have a low and high gear box but first and second gear are short so although you change gear quickly on road off road or on snow put it in first and it just pulls its self along no fuss. We've not tried anything to adventurous off road but I'm sure with more aggressive tyres it would do really well. There are several clips on YouTube of dusters doing off road courses that would get my Land Rover sweating a bit
 
I brought the new vitara as most of my stalking is in Scotland so it's an 800 mile round trip about a dozen times a year, the wife uses it as a runabout whist at home so didn't want to go down the truck route. When I first got it I thought that maybe it wouldn't be as good as the old vitara as the separate 4 wheel drive box has gone if favour of electronics however now I've had it for a year or so I'm very impressed, it's gets us to Scotland in reasonable comfort and economy and hasn't let me down off road in Scotland yet, mainly forestry tracks and some open fell.
only down side is the 4x4 version only comes in the top of the range with all the other gizmos so it's not a cheap option
all I have done is put better tyres on it
 
hendrix's rifle said:
I have a Jimny and I no you said you don't want one because of the size however, I've had a big red in mine with my gsd, trigger sticks, rifle and fiance at once. Bit of a squeeze mind. Averages 36mpg doing 40 miles a day, 2 inch lift, oversized all terrains and a lockrite rear diff not been stuck yet and that goes through some nasty places! And at £500 you can put the rest of the money to a new rifle and scope...:thumb::thumb:
Click to expand...
Hey, hendrix,
I take it you let the big red ride in the passenger seat? ;)
Ken.
 
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