Around the 2003 vintage ? Anything to look out for ?
Mitsubishi 4X4
- Thread starter ChesterP
- Start date
Around the 2003 vintage ? Anything to look out for ?
The Mitsubishi Pinin , pininfarina designed & built in Italy , uses Mitsubishi 2.0 GDI engine , a direct injection petrol engine these had a multitude of problems injectors , injector driver , throttle bodies & susceptible to coking up & requiring regular decokes parts are quite expensive , as an off road vehicle reasonably capable , build quality & reliability were never brilliant & they suffered from corrosion within a few years of production , i had many years working for a Mitsi dealer , hope this helps
Having sold my mitsubishi pinni to a fellow member on the sd ( and regretting)
53 plate / 100 thousand miles 5 door loved it!!!! only downsides 28 to the gallon £326 Road tax 2ltr petrol / (never did diesel). And ( I'm not sure about the cam chain) mine had a cam belt ??? . Put the back seats down and you can get some big fallow carcases in the back .
Any questions pm me
53 plate / 100 thousand miles 5 door loved it!!!! only downsides 28 to the gallon £326 Road tax 2ltr petrol / (never did diesel). And ( I'm not sure about the cam chain) mine had a cam belt ??? . Put the back seats down and you can get some big fallow carcases in the back .
Any questions pm me
ChesterP
Well-Known Member
I don't doubt anything you've said, but on the balance of info received, and bearing in mind the one I looked at has a bigger mileage than yours on it, I think it wise to err on the side of caution, plus the rav4 5d should have as much if not more room?
G0JSM
Well-Known Member
I run a Jeep Grand Cherokee too nice to off road although it is very capable. this is my second one and they are a great vehicle but road tax on the older ones rules them out. I use a Suzuki jimney built for off road bigger tyres two inch lift and geared down transfer box go anywhere and has the best heater of any vehicle I've ever owned. Ive tried quad bikes cold and get wet, and don't like it boggy with low ground clearance. Ive had what I refer to as eight wheel bath tub unless buying near new to expensive to keep going and was always replacing chains. Polaris diesel without doors windscreen fogged up even while moving and that noisy every deer in a five mile radius heard it coming although it was quite capable once I had fitted winches. L200 v6 was greedy but capable on dry ground. Ill keep my Jimny great tool quiet can sneak up on the deer midges can't me if I'm just sat watching.
Big dog likes it too. Just a rambling sorry
Big dog likes it too. Just a rambling sorry
ChesterP
Well-Known Member
All useful stuff...please keep it coming! Besides the Rav4 I have also found a nice tidy x trail for the same money with low miles. In fact there's a choice of two. One's a 2.2dci with manual box and one's a 2.5 sve petrol with an auto box. Torn really between them as the x trail seems to be a more genuine mud slinger? Any issues to look for or preferences between the 2 x trails? Both at 80k miles....2005 plates
pete evans
Well-Known Member
I have had a jimny and currently have a rav4. No comparison the Jimny was far superior off road. Im getting rid of the rav as its not up to much more than headlands and tracks. The clearance on the rav is poor.
ChesterP
Well-Known Member
I'm mainly concerned about how it fairs on snow covered roads with decent winter tyres, as most tracks I use whilst a bit gnarly, aren't beyond a light 4wd car, except for a few rutted slopes which might need difflock. Not sure of the Rav has difflock? I've read conflicting reports where some have electronic lock via a button on the dash whilst others don't. Is there a Rav model which is the one to look for? The one I'm looking at is 05 plate XT4 petrol spec.
Jimneys hold their value really well and there's none close enough in budget to look at. My choice seems to come down to these three:
Something I haven't mentioned is that I've been diagnosed with a serious illness and will need regular hospital appointments and my wife, tragically, has just been diagnosed with cancer, so again, over the next 6 months, regular hospital visits are necessary, so what is important to me is something that stays reliable for the next year or so, and can be relied upon to get through any snow the winter might throw at us where my current SUV would get trashed or stuck. Access to my shooting grounds is merely a bonus all things considered, rather than parking up and having to trudge a mile (no fun with a munti on your (bad) back!).
Jimneys hold their value really well and there's none close enough in budget to look at. My choice seems to come down to these three:
- afore mentioned Mitsubishi Pinin Shogun (excellent condition all round, 110K miles, mot and recently serviced) with good tyres;
- Rav4, 2005, XT4 petrol some service history, excellent condition all round, new winter tyres fitted, mot present, 100K miles;
- Xitrail 2.5sve petrol...80K miles, 2005 plate, cheap as chips, short mot but in good all round nick, auto box.
Something I haven't mentioned is that I've been diagnosed with a serious illness and will need regular hospital appointments and my wife, tragically, has just been diagnosed with cancer, so again, over the next 6 months, regular hospital visits are necessary, so what is important to me is something that stays reliable for the next year or so, and can be relied upon to get through any snow the winter might throw at us where my current SUV would get trashed or stuck. Access to my shooting grounds is merely a bonus all things considered, rather than parking up and having to trudge a mile (no fun with a munti on your (bad) back!).
Ive just bought one for £800. Auto but cant have everything.
Facebook marketplace has its uses.
ChesterP
Well-Known Member
Yes. I looked at a couple. One had a flashing 4wd warning light flickering randomly. The seller swears it's all working fine as he had the engagement of 4wd checked whilst it was on the ramps but it won't get though an mot like that. The other had a little rust on it on the rear inner wheel arches and a fair amount of surface rust underneath. Hub rear brakes was quite a shock to see on a modern car! The cheapest so far has been a Rav4 which has decent chunky winter tyres fitted and was bob-on solid with no rust anywhere with 110K miles up. Not sure if it has electronic diff lock...anyone here with one know the answer to that?
Must admit, decent spec x trail petrols for reasonable money and mileage seem thin on the ground. They appeal most.
ChesterP
Well-Known Member
Right. It's now come down to two, both of which I have got all the details and history for and both are sound mechanically. Provisional deal agreed on both so got to pick one
One is a 2004 Rav4 5 door, decent Bridgstone Dueller chunky tyres, immaculate inside with a few scuffs outside, 94K miles. MOT'd and serviced. Auto diff lock permanent 4wd.
The other is a 2005 Mk1 Vitara...really tidy inside and out. No visible rust, paintwork remarkably good...two tone scheme. New winter tyres fitted, new MOT, last service 5K miles back. 1 owner from new but no service history with the car. MOT showed only an advisory for one tyre (changed). Underneath the ladder chassis is rot free and pretty sound. No leaks. Under the bonnet, a lot of surface rust where water collects but nothing major. 115K miles. switchable 2/4wd, diff lock, low ratio gears.
Both are about the same price. Both have similar ground clearance (about 7 1/2 inches), both have good tyres. Rav is cheaper to run and has the unburstable 2 litre vvti motor. The Vitara has a weedy 2 litre of less power but is under stressed. Both use chain drive cams and both are rattle free.
Difficult decision!
One is a 2004 Rav4 5 door, decent Bridgstone Dueller chunky tyres, immaculate inside with a few scuffs outside, 94K miles. MOT'd and serviced. Auto diff lock permanent 4wd.
The other is a 2005 Mk1 Vitara...really tidy inside and out. No visible rust, paintwork remarkably good...two tone scheme. New winter tyres fitted, new MOT, last service 5K miles back. 1 owner from new but no service history with the car. MOT showed only an advisory for one tyre (changed). Underneath the ladder chassis is rot free and pretty sound. No leaks. Under the bonnet, a lot of surface rust where water collects but nothing major. 115K miles. switchable 2/4wd, diff lock, low ratio gears.
Both are about the same price. Both have similar ground clearance (about 7 1/2 inches), both have good tyres. Rav is cheaper to run and has the unburstable 2 litre vvti motor. The Vitara has a weedy 2 litre of less power but is under stressed. Both use chain drive cams and both are rattle free.
Difficult decision!
Flip a coin?!
ChesterP
Well-Known Member
I think it's flip a coin time. As ground clearance is similar on both, I wouldn't be taking one anywhere I wouldn't take another and decent chunky tyres would make the Rav a bit more sensible off road. Ladder chassis and low ratio make the Vitara the choice you'd make on the specs, but not necessarily with the head if most driving was on road. Now to find that coin...
Jimny
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