Mitsubishi 4X4

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ChesterP

ChesterP

Well-Known Member
I'm looking for a bit of advice really. I'm after a cheap 4 x 4 for winter use to prevent our main vehicle being protected from the worst of the salt over winter and for my occasional off road tracks for shooting. I have been offered land that to access it needs a decent 4x4 due to narrow, rutted and very steep woodland tracks.

I've been offered what looks like an immaculate condition high-ish miles Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin estate (5d) with the 128bhp petrol engine (no cambelts to change as it's chain apparently) which benefits from a fresh mot and service plus new clutch. At a fair way over 100K miles things like exhausts and suspension may want looking at if not already done. It's been offered to me for £1600. I was thinking of an older RAV4 or CRV or anything that is reliable with semi-decent off road ability but not for serious mud slugging. More for rutted tracks, steep terrain, snow and such.

Those of you already familiar with the Shogun Pinin.any advice? Would this one be one to buy or avoid on reliability etc?
 
one of the big problems with petrol 4x4s is they suck fuel. For that money you could pick up a nice diesel trooper. Albeit older.
aside from that keep money back for repairs as something that old will want some work done at some point.
 
Both those are too big for what I'm after. I've checked this one out and underneath it's solid, recent clutch replacement, drives superbly, no nasty knocks or rattles, gearbox and engine seem good and bodywork is remarkable for age. It won't be used for long trips or put up high miles. There's not a lot about in this mini-4x4 category worth looking at in that range. I had thought of a vitara 2.6 swb as that ticked most boxes but there's not many about in that price bracket, same goes for Suzuki Jimney. plenty of Xtrails about but they're just too big for getting a 3rd car on our driveway and in running costs. It's the Pinin I was after feedback for really unless there's a better alternative in that class of compact 4x4's? At that price I get it that you pays your money and makes your choice...it's a gamble, but so is any 4x4 at 15 plus years old.
 
I was going to suggest a Nissan Terrano, but if an X-Trail is too big that won't do you at all. I had a 3.0 SVE for a few years, and there was nowhere that truck wouldn't go! I've read good things about the Pinin though, so if it's in as good order as it looks I don't think you'll go too far wrong
 
Woodsmoke said:
I was going to suggest a Nissan Terrano, but if an X-Trail is too big that won't do you at all. I had a 3.0 SVE for a few years, and there was nowhere that truck wouldn't go! I've read good things about the Pinin though, so if it's in as good order as it looks I don't think you'll go too far wrong
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Yes, the drive has room for 3 cars and we already have one large suv which is the family car. We wanted something that we wouldn't mind getting the odd ding in for off road work and for winter. By all accounts the Pinin is as good as any true small off roader with decent ground clearance, good axle clearance, and selectable low range. The engine's only a low tune (128BHP) petrol 2 litre so I'd expect mid the high 20mpg. Few off roaders will better that except maybe a smaller Jimny or Panda 4x4 but can't find any local.
 
ChesterP said:
The engine's only a low tune (128BHP) petrol 2 litre so I'd expect mid the high 20mpg. Few off roaders will better that
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You're right! My 3.0 Terrano managed 32 on a run, with my automatic 3.2 Shogun only doing 26! I have a RAV4 now, that struggles to get over 32 (mind you, it's a T180, right enough) That's the trade-off you have to swallow if you need to 4x4 performance though. The RAV has that, with the added fun that it goes like the proverbial off a hot shovel so I can put up with the high mpg
 
Isn't VED something stupid like nearly £400 for the Pinin? The partner of a friend had one a few years back and he said it was crap. I cannot remember why but he is a mechanic and seemed to hate it.

I would be looking at an early 2000's Suzuki Grand Vitara if you want a smallish and very capable and bulletproof little 4x4. Finding one is probably the issue. My mate has a 3 door 1.6 version. Little thing goes anywhere and is light so does little damage to fields and tends not to get bogged down. It definitely gets 2 blokes, guns and dead stuff in the back.
 
Cottis said:
Isn't VED something stupid like nearly £400 for the Pinin? The partner of a friend had one a few years back and he said it was crap. I cannot remember why but he is a mechanic and seemed to hate it.

I would be looking at an early 2000's Suzuki Grand Vitara if you want a smallish and very capable and bulletproof little 4x4. Finding one is probably the issue. My mate has a 3 door 1.6 version. Little thing goes anywhere and is light so does little damage to fields and tends not to get bogged down. It definitely gets 2 blokes, guns and dead stuff in the back.
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There a pain to get parts for and work on!
 
I would strongly suggest a Subaru Forester 2.0 NA petrol. Had one for years and was possibly the best AWD system I can come across. On and off road.

That wagon went places that we couldn't dream of with the other jeeps we had including a big heavy V8 Range Rover that was too big and clumbsy for a lot of our terrain.

Plus reliability was second to none!

Peter
 
Some good shouts there and it'll be more for monthly off road trecks a mile or two down badly rutted steep tracks. I have found a Rav 4 5 door which I had initially discounted as being maybe too road biased to have genuine off road ability but if it does work off road well enough, it's back in the running. 100K miles, pretty immaculate on an 04 plate on XT4 5 door trim without the silly side skirts that limit off road clearance and he wants £1900 for it with full service history, no visible rust anywhere.

A mate had the Subaru and it was fantastic except for running costs which round here (everywhere you go has a hill involved....I live not far from you Woodsmoke but up in the Cotswolds south east of you) amounted to about 20mpg. Nice and light and tough as boots though.

From what I'm hearing the Rav 4 seems to be a decent bet. Another mate in Cornwall owns a Grand Vitara and really rates that but I can't find one within budget. It doesn't seem that different to the Vitara though.
 
Cottis said:
Isn't VED something stupid like nearly £400 for the Pinin? The partner of a friend had one a few years back and he said it was crap. I cannot remember why but he is a mechanic and seemed to hate it.

I would be looking at an early 2000's Suzuki Grand Vitara if you want a smallish and very capable and bulletproof little 4x4. Finding one is probably the issue. My mate has a 3 door 1.6 version. Little thing goes anywhere and is light so does little damage to fields and tends not to get bogged down. It definitely gets 2 blokes, guns and dead stuff in the back.
Click to expand...

It's £330 VED. The one I'm looking at is immaculate though...5 door version, one elderly lady owner and service history. Lots of cars I've owned have been pigs to work on but that hasn't put me off but a mechanic mate who runs his own garage local to me reckons the Pinin is under rated, the best small 4x4 off road and bullet proof reliable. Spoke to him about a Rav and he says its swifter, cheaper on juice, more comfortable and a better road car but if any serious off road stuff is on the cards the Pinin is the better car. He wasn't too bothered about reliability as both seem to be good reliable motors. I don't envisage using the car for long trips, probably 50 miles max. Tough call. If the Rav 4 can be relied on to do more than a muddy field it would be easier on my knackered back!
 
I had a rav 4 ,,until the AA stole it,,,,would recommend every time,,now have a x trail great with the right tyres go for engines.
 
At that price and with that provenance you would be hard pressed to lose out...better to risk a known quantity in good nick than a different model with another bell or whistle but also an unknown history.

If it will do the job and you like the look of it and driving it, I would go for it.

For similar reasons to you plus the need to tow a little digger around I bought a then 19 year old Discovery 300tdi for £700 and despite previous crap maintenance it has gone through its 4th MOT for a sum total of just over a grand...purchase plus parts...£300 of which was a set of nobbly tyres. If it conks out tomorrow it will still be the cheapest motoring ever.

What's the worst that could happen? :)

Alan
 
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