Car shopping help: After an economical soft roader...

[Jimbo4x4]

Hi all, with Laura due in March I need to trade in the MR2... after something that will take on a little mild green laning/beach driving yet still be comfortable on longer road journeys. It has to be economical (at least 40mpg on a run), have 5 doors, ideally be toting under 120k and unfortunately as cash is tight it also has to come in on our £2500 budget..

The obvious choice would be a Phase 2 Rav4. Only the roughest of the rough or high milers come in on budget in D4D form, and I'm worried a petrol might not hack the lanes or return the mpg we're after.

We've also looked online at the X-Trail, the Santa Fé, and the Grand Vit. All diesel manuals. All are looking about right at around the 100k mark and 10-12years old for our money. Does anyone have any experience of these? Or other suggestions would be welcome.

Alternatively, if someone can allay my fears of the petrol Rav not cutting the mustard off road (I want it to do Strata on a dry day as the most extreme use it will get, and yes I realise some of the vehicles I've suggested will need under body protection, and all will require careful going to do it), then please go ahead as I'm definitely a Toyota man at heart!

Thanks in advance.

Jim.

 

[Chris]

Jim, not sure that the Rav is an especially economical vehicle. Virtually no mod parts available, half decent off hard roads, comfy and reliable. But not frugal as far as I have heard. And that's the oil burner! My S.I.L has have several in a row and drives from Chesterfield to Rotherham everyday and fuel consumption has always been a bone of contention. I think her first was a MK II version.

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

Out of your choices I would go XTrail. Only on the say so of a friend (4x4 enthusiast) who has one, but Terrano's are well thought of as well.

Andy

 

[Bodhi]

I have a mate who runs an x-trail, not a bad vehicle but his is pretty low slung for a 4x4 and I don't think he get's 40 mpg out of it.

 

[Shayne]

With that budget i'd be looking for a D22 Navara doublecab , don't know much about them but it seems to me that when they came on the scene Toyota jumped through hoops to catch up with the market . Also at that age and mileage i would have more faith in something that was primarily designed to be a work truck .

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

Older Navara= big end failure!

Andy

 

[greengrass]

I think your going to struggle with the 40mpg with most vehicles in that class. My mate has a 2012 BMW x3 diesel he struggles to get 40mpg from that more than a couple of times a year. Rav is a great little car but not up to much in the way of off roading no low range for a start. I struggled to get much more than 25mpg from the petrol one I had. My mate is on his 3rd Santa fe without any real complaints, it's pretty similar to the kia I think it's called a Sorento. Never driven one or know anything about them but hyundai made another 4wd looked kinda boxy like the 70 you had called a teracan I think. They might go for reasonable money.

 

[Jimbo4x4]

Hi Chris, thanks. I have heard differing stories about Rav mpg. The book states 39mpg on a run for the petrol which isn't scary considering I'd prefer a Toyota over anything else anyway, and 46mpg from the diseasel. Doesn't mean alot I know but I know a guy with a D4D like the one I'm after and he reports 40mpg is easy to achieve, although he's never had anything more than 45 even sticking with the wagons...

Andy/Bodhi, thanks for the votes. I thought about the Terrano but mpg is poor and they're known for being incredibly sluggish (from the man who had an LJ78...)

Shayne, thanks, but we're after a family car here that will achieve 40mpg on a run and fit in your average supermarket parking space. Not a 25mpg dcab pickup truck. Thanks for giving it some thought though.

The X-Trail is looking pretty good, even though I cringe at the thought of being a "Nissan driver". Lots of reviews saying the diesel makes a good all rounder, if a little agricultural under the bonnet (suits me). The petrols are thirsty, but reports of 45mpg+ from the oil burners.

Greengrass, thanks, a friend of my dads has a Santa-Fé which seems to do pretty well, but I'm unsure of the build quality on the earlier models. The terror can is rare and seems to hold it's value, I can't find anything remotely within my price range :-S

Any other helpful suggestions welcome.

Thanks again

 

[stumog]

i had a d22 navara and used to get about 38+ on a run. it make a good family car with a canopy on the back. the big end issues is no worse then a 80 is to be fair. they are much better then the l200 which why you might think they are crap on fuel and park. they are good vehicles.

the x taril is pretty good off road and a nice choice.
why not just get a 95.
the cost of the extra mpg would easly be out weighed by the comfort and usabilty of it as a family car witha fun side aswell. it all depends on milage you do getting to and from work?

the 90 could be the family people carrier as well if you get a uk spec one.

stu

 

[greengrass]

Just done a search on autotrader for 4x4 £2000-£2500 throws up quite a lot of stuff. Some little gems in there plus some big v8 guzzlers with low miles hmmm

 

[Yorkshire Devil]

Out of your choices I would go XTrail. Only on the say so of a friend (4x4 enthusiast) who has one, but Terrano's are well thought of as well.

Andy

If you go for the Xtrail put money aside for a new turbo as they commonly go and try and buy one the has had the DPF removed as these are problematic on the Xtrail too.

 

[clivehorridge]

I drove an 8 year old Hyundai Sorento just before Christmas and it's a nice car to drive.

Leather seats, 5 door, 5 adults, good toys, cruise control, steering wheel radio controls, etc.

Its rear wheel drive until you select Low, then it's 4 WD.

No idea of consumption or cc but it was a diesel.

 

[Rob Cowell]

I drove an 8 year old Hyundai Sorento just before Christmas and it's a nice car to drive.

Leather seats, 5 door, 5 adults, good toys, cruise control, steering wheel radio controls, etc.

Its rear wheel drive until you select Low, then it's 4 WD.

No idea of consumption or cc but it was a diesel.

Shirley, some mistake? Kia Sorento, or Hyundai Sante Fe?

 

[clivehorridge]

Corrected! Kia... Sorry guys

 

[chadr]

I'd also recommend doing the "numbers" on a 95 - they may add up for you .

Yes, it maybe £500 or so more expensive to start with and fuel consumption isn't the best, However depreciation would be less than most of the other choices and depending on your annual mileage, fuel costs may not be too bad. IMO it is a far more versatile vehicle for your (broad) requirements. Loads of mods available, certainly in comparison to the other choices and you can always source some of these used, if budget is tight. Most parts will be available from Milners et al or even breakers and if you are handy with the spanners, most jobs are DIY. Not to mention all the advice and support from this forum!

I don't have any personal experience with any of the others on the shortlist but just to add some info;

All models of the Santa Fe seem to do well in surveys and is generally a well regarded vehicle. The Santa Fe's sibling is the Kia Sportage which might also be worth a look at.
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/hyundai/santa-fe-2001/
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/kia/sportage-2005/

The early models of the Kia Sorento were a proper ladder chassis 4X4 (current models are not) and is well regarded too. I would think it would be more than OK with your offroad requirements.
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/kia/sorento-2003/

AFAIK the Terracan is basically an older Shogun with a slightly different body - make of that what you will.
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/hyundai/terracan-2003/?section=history

Good luck

 

[Jimbo4x4]

Thanks for all the replies chaps, much appreciated. Point taken re the d22 stu, however Laura never liked driving Rex because it was a 'big' vehicle. X-trail and santa-fe are on her limit size wise really. Thanks for the links chad, will have a look through them now

 

[Duvs]

hey Jim,
look out for a bargain: my A6 quattro cost me just over £2k when 6yrs old, and I had a fantastic irmischer Bighorn with new BF Grabbers init for £700 once too, both incredible machines and value for money.

while I was looking for a truck earlier this year (before I got distracted and carried away with rex) I was l looking at spending about £1500-£2500. I wanted something rugged that I could overland and sleep in, and for that sort of money there were some really smart looking Pajeros and Surfs to be had. These may be too big for your current needs though? For economy a lot of those Surfs will run on vegoil with no mods or be already be broken in.

I agree with others above about the 90series being a great option though, and in hindsight it would have been a more sensible choice for me too. It's solid, safe, smart, depreciated, very capable etc - bodhi's truck looked enviously sweet for the money!

To offer an alternative to what's already been suggested though, have you ever considered a Scooby Forester? not too big for daily driving, great space for family, a remarkably capable 4x4 system, and an addictive flat-four throb! They sometimes come up quite cheap. This one on ebay right now is a above budget but is the sort of thing I'm talking about, smart, with LPG.

good luck!

 

[Chris]

I had a Kia Sorento (04 plate) and whilst a nice drive and a decent 4x4 system too, consumption was shocking. I was in a Sorento club back then and it was one of the main gripes. I bought it for work so MPG was crucial. Best I ever managed was 26mpg. They were all the same. Dunno if the improved but if they did, they'd be a newer model and more money of course. Did have a lot of issues with it and the dealers were complete idiots. But as a car, generally, nice.

 

[wobbly]

X-trail.

My mate has one for sale, £2000 if I recall, selling as times aint easy.

If I wanted to be more car like, at low budget, that would be my choice.

Or, how about a Vitara ?

Pete

 

[stumog]

Pete if you use the V****** word again you will be band thats worse then the lr word!!

stu