Thread: Thinking out loud - cheap 4x4 options?

So, I've started doing a few trips away with the whanau to my old stomping ground where I spent a lot of time as a nipper - has the good old kiwi summer past times, hunting, fishing, diving beach river etc etc.

Where this comes to be interesting, is not wanting to end up driving the new 2wd family car on the beach for the obvious reason (long walk home if it doesn't want to keep going forwards haha) and also don't really want to tow a trailer with a quad down for the odd week we spend there. Kids are at the point of wanting more options, i.e. going down the beach for fishing missions etc.

Have been looking at cheaper 4wd vehicles, and for the job in question cosmetically rough is fine but would need to be wof/reg and mechanically sound and safe along with reliable.

Did I mention cheap, i.e. if it gets trapped on a beach or covered in salt not a panic to clean it after recovery sort of deal.

Other things I would like is four door SUV body (I started looking at 3-door smaller vehicles but just not practical for taking a weeks crap for four people with us). I'm not wanting to go huge, Patrol/Landcruiser are too big I think and also they are worth too much more than what I'm looking at spending I feel. Don't really want a soft roader which I think counts out X-trails, Outlanders, and most of the lighter 4x4 with CVT trans as some of the beach access tracks are reasonably rugged and the lighter 4x4's would probably get quite banged up.

Also, I'd like younger than 2000 year - or one WOF per 12 months. After 2000 would mean higher k's and maybe some minor mechanical repairs which I'm fine to sort out. Not too bothered about fuel type, petrol would probably be easier I guess though.

I keep seeing Mitsi Pajeros in the ball park, as well as Land Rovers, Jeeps, with a smattering of other options. Land Rover and Jeep have a fairly major question mark for me though as all of the cheaper options are being sold with either trans issues, electrical problems or body (rust) repairs required.

Is there anything else that would fit the bill that should be on my radar? I am figuring that this is the same market that everyone looking for a toy 4x4 is shopping in, but I'm not in a hurry at the mo!