Compact 4wd for hunting

Hi all,

Recently sold my 1990s hilux as it was getting on and a prick to drive around Wellington.

Just wondering what people’s experiences with compact 4wds are? Most of my hunting is with 1-2 mates and just involves getting up some road ends to the start of walking tracks (although they are sometimes quite rough and require 4wd).

At the moment I’m leaning towards the 2007-2015 Suzuki Vitara/escudo as it has some of the features I want for daily driving while not being to small, and of course, it has a 4wd offering.

What have other people’s experiences been and what would you / would you not recommend.

Cheers!

I was using a Suzuki escudo for years, it was a bit earlier than what you are looking at. Off road it was really good for what it was. On road still good but not the quickest thing but it wasn't designed to be. I ended up killing it through no fault of its own and miss it. I replaced it with a 2010 rav4. The comfort and road speed is good, its not a true 4wd and Im still running road tyres. My shooting/hunting consists of farm races and paddocks and road ends so no real serious 4wding. It has done ok in summer but will be pretty shit in winter. I'm going to put a set of at tyres on it soon which will make it a bit better but its a more road suited vehicle as it doesn't have low range but still pretty capable. My theorie is once my vehicle wont go any further its time to get out and walk anyway

I have been running an older ('96) Vitara for years Ben really good. The newer ones are not really me they get biggger as they get newer, both in engine (1600cc up to 2 litre or more ) but the jimny has grown to effectively be what the Vitara was. The new 5 door jimney is about the same size as my old vitara. I guess it depends on whether you reuire creature comforts and newer versus older and 'less' refined.

Not sure if a 3 door jimney would be big enough for three- that would depend on the size of the three, I guess......and the 5 door jimney has only just landed so not much chance of second hand yet.....Its well out of my budget and I am not adverse toolder vehicles..I have 6 vehicles and the only two that are on 2 month wof are a 2004 and a 2001....Nothing under 20 here.... (and one just hit 40....)

definitely Vitara

Can you still get the diesel ones ?

A RAV-4 is always a good bet, for 4x4/ commuter vehicle, had a 98 Vitara for last ten year's, finally got too rusty,

Got a 08 5 dr escudo maybe moving on in a few weeks if keen auto 2.4 motor 185 ks 7k funny its got more cab room than my for ranger .

@sometimes has made a hunting machine out of his

My 2007 Pajero - petrol but i love it for getting into the hills. Had it for 7 yrs now. Got rid of my diesel 4wd, wasn't maintenance friendly.
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The diesels and v6 ones are mazda engines. Parts are getting a bit thin for them. 1600s have a habbit of cracking heads and check on the block down behind the altenator they crack between the 2 frost plugs. Easiest thing to do if you get one like that is put a 1500 in it out of a cultus. The problems go away and you wont notice the drop in power. Its a pretty easy conversion. Some people seem to need 9 million hp to crawl along tracks my one took us on some adventures it was lifted about 50mm and just had a set of at tyres on it.

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Originally Posted by 7mmsaum

definitely Vitara

Can you still get the diesel ones ?

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They exist the diesel ones, but the petrol is probably the better option although I would avoid the V6 version - Maf/Map sensor for one and a few other critical sensors have a rep on those motors for giving issues and are not easy to find second hand and still OK. New those sensors aren't cheap as well..

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Originally Posted by blip

The diesels and v6 ones are mazda engines. Parts are getting a bit thin for them. 1600s have a habbit of cracking heads and check on the block down behind the altenator they crack between the 2 frost plugs. Easiest thing to do if you get one like that is put a 1500 in it out of a cultus. The problems go away and you wont notice the drop in power. Its a pretty easy conversion. Some people seem to need 9 million hp to crawl along tracks my one took us on some adventures it was lifted about 50mm and just had a set of at tyres on it.

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Ha jinx - must have posted as I was typing! Yeah I'd agree with that - the saving grace for the 1600's although a little underpowered is that there were a lot more of them on the road. Downside, the grey road snail crowd is competing with you for them!

@m101a1 thanks mate, looking for something with a few less kms. PM me if you do though, I may be keen.

Thanks for the input team. Forgot to mention I’m not interested in diesel, been there done that, and not one for creature comforts either. The only creature comfort in my last vehicle was the heater and a Bluetooth stereo ��

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Originally Posted by No.3

Ha jinx - must have posted as I was typing! Yeah I'd agree with that - the saving grace for the 1600's although a little underpowered is that there were a lot more of them on the road. Downside, the grey road snail crowd is competing with you for them!

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yea mine came from a grey roader. High kms but most of them would of been towed ks

I’m a Suk fan. I have a later Hilux as well but for those off road adventures my Samurai is so agile. Mines repowered with a 1600 injected Vitara engine and has ARB lockers fitted and there’s not many places it won’t go. I have changed the transfer case gearing but it’s not a beast on the bitumen. I’ve had mine for the thick end of 15 years.

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What transfer case gearing did you go with and what was the original factory?

Got a few mates out the beach, I'd say everyone at Scott's fairy has a Suzuki Vitara of some description out there

I really can't say enough good things about suzuki jimnys, I've got a 2016 and once I put it on all terrains there's bugger all places it can't go.
it's small enough to go around washouts, narrow enough to squeeze down tracks you'd normally take a 4 wheeler down and if it does get stuck its only just over a ton, getting it out isn't a big deal.

I've taken mine a bundle of places guys with me in hiluxes bailed on.

they just really don't like deep water, the whole light plus square thing means the current pushes them around a lot.
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