Thread: Budget Family 4WD

Hi All,

This is my first post on this forum, hope you guys can help me out with this one.

I recently started 4WDriviging around South Island when I realized my 2005 Toyota Kluger isn't exactly an off-road vehicle.
(ground clearance and the TRAC that cant be powered off are the major issues)

Doing some research online and visiting 4wd forums (NZ and AU) I found 2 options that fit my budget, under 15K.

Nissan X-trail Diesel 2012-2013 (petrol comes with CVT)
Suzuki Grand Vitara/Escudo Petrol 2008-2015

My needs:
Family off-roading/camping/ski field
Most of them by myself (only one vehicle)
Able to go through tracks like Nevis Rd, Porika Rd, Macaulay Hut Track
Able to do some river crossings
Daily usage (Christchurch city)
Driving about 10.000km per year, mostly in town

My requirements are:
As newer as possible.
Mechanical reliability (easy to source parts)
Below 120.000 Km
Automatic
Low maintenance cost, including fuel.

I am wondering,
Overall, what would be the best option?
Does X-trail diesel have any significant problems to be aware of?
What is the best engine option for GV? 2.0, 2.4, 2.7 or 3.2? (cost x benefit)
The easiest to modify (lift, tyres, underbody protection and so on)

Any other options I should consider?

Thanks for your help.

Marllon Braga

avoid the xtrail cvt is not a good thing in a 4wd family tourer as i see it added unreliability for no benefit over a standard auto, would go Suzuki all day plenty of part available aftermarket to make it better off-road

terrano.....ours costs us about a grand a year to keep it on the road...currently running off road tyres and it looks like we going to get huge milage from them...

Macaulay hut track,hmm id want something a tag higher than you mentioned above.MDs terrano or a surf or hilux.

2000+ pajero 3.2 turbo diesel, heaps of power well behaved on the road and with a set of mud tires suprisingly capable off road with heaps of room and all the creature comforts (cruise control, 4hi/lo center diff lock, rear lsd, air con)

Originally Posted by dannyb

2000+ pajero 3.2 turbo diesel, heaps of power well behaved on the road and with a set of mud tires suprisingly capable off road with heaps of room and all the creature comforts (cruise control, 4hi/lo center diff lock, rear lsd, air con)

And totally underated!!

Again with this....
I thought I had put you lot straight on this issue.

Consider Pajero (avoid GDI model if looking at petrol), Prado, Bighorn/Trooper, Terrano
Something with a manual or auto box, not CVT. Suzuki is low slung but can have some height added.
You'll want ground clearance and as already stated something that has aftermarket parts availability, suspension, snorkel perhaps, the ability to fit a larger than factory tyre.
Look at slightly older diesel vehicles and use a bit of your 15K to set it up for the touring and 4wding?

Marllon...

Please don't attempt any river crossings in the kind of vehicles you have identified as options.

That's a disaster waiting to happen and could have very serious consequences for you and your family.

River crossings are dangerous and vehicles capable of doing this safely are proper 4WDs, not the vehicles you have mentioned.

At the very least, you are risking expensive repairs to drivetrain and electrics should you exceed the max wading depth of these vehicles, which is very shallow indeed.

I was looking at a suzuki vitara, Nissan x trail a Subaru forester. Not sure about off road capabilities but the Subaru hands down a better drive on road.

Originally Posted by 40mm

Again with this....
I thought I had put you lot straight on this issue.

Attachment 199367

Your Toyota is too shiny , I enjoyed my van for the few years I owned it.

Was about to mention the same as Flyblown - electronics are not friends with water and these vehicles can handle a splash but really dislike immersion. Something as simple as water getting into a loom plug can bring up a diagnostic alert which makes the ECU think it's rooted and raise the index finger at you. It's something that can be expensive to track down and fix - but worse than that you can end up stuck in the wops with a pissed off wife and screaming kids. That ain't fun... I'm having a pesky electronic gremlin with a Ranger at the moment, it would appear from the datalogging so far to be related to an injection component not dumping pressure out of the fuel rail quickly enough but I haven't been using the thing enough on long trips to generate the fault and confirm it.

On from that, the softroaders are OK for dry work but even 'flash' vehicles like the VW 4wd's have had issues with water in their looms. I would not take them over their rated wading depth and even then I would hesitate about it.

Originally Posted by No.3

Was about to mention the same as Flyblown - electronics are not friends with water and these vehicles can handle a splash but really dislike immersion. Something as simple as water getting into a loom plug can bring up a diagnostic alert which makes the ECU think it's rooted and raise the index finger at you. It's something that can be expensive to track down and fix - but worse than that you can end up stuck in the wops with a pissed off wife and screaming kids. That ain't fun... I'm having a pesky electronic gremlin with a Ranger at the moment, it would appear from the datalogging so far to be related to an injection component not dumping pressure out of the fuel rail quickly enough but I haven't been using the thing enough on long trips to generate the fault and confirm it.

On from that, the softroaders are OK for dry work but even 'flash' vehicles like the VW 4wd's have had issues with water in their looms. I would not take them over their rated wading depth and even then I would hesitate about it.

...And that's part of the reason a Nissan Safari worth 6K 3 years ago is now selling for 25K!!!

Originally Posted by ROKTOY

Attachment 199379
Your Toyota is too shiny , I enjoyed my van for the few years I owned it.

That is just a random image, i shall try find a picture of mine. Done some fun sstuff, but dont want to bash it up too much as it is a camper

If you can get a Hack (no longer regesterable) and have the space to store it that really is the go

4wding just wrecks vehicles

either that or get a trailer and a cheep quad and go ten times the places,