Need a new/used 4x4, please recommend.

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Hey

I've got a Nissan Terrano, infact the original Terrano. Japanese import back in the day. Bought it from Adelaide, for $4500, with Just over 100,000 km on the clock.

Its a proper four wheel drive, half the weight of a prado, and lower to the roof, so you can get more places. Very similar to the pathfinders, but with a 2.1 diesel like the navaras.

I love it, and i'd suggest sticking with what you know!
 
If you are not in a rush a hilux would be the go. You can get a good second hand one less than 10 years old with under 200000km for around 15k
 
I've got a 2007 Forester, the non-turbo version. It's a manual AWD with low range and a 2" lift, have also added sump and diff protectors.

It's great on long trips and has gotten me everywhere I've needed to go off road. In fact it's gone some places a bigger 4WD couldn't go, like where I've had to squeeze between a couple of trees.

Plenty of room in the back, even more with the back seats folded down. I know some folks that sleep in the back of them. Easy to get parts and plenty of second hand bits like bull bars etc floating around.

Well worth considering.....

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Yeah I'm liking the Forester's more and more. Defiantly something I could commute in to the city with and use out bush in the weekends.

Seem's to be plenty second hand ones online and none are relatively old or abused from what I can see.

If any wise heads know some common gotcha's to look out for with the various years, damage and so on.

For example how many km's is to many km's? I know this depends a lot on luck and other factors but any idea of a limit where you would not touch it with a bargepole
 
Okay I am going to chime in on this topic.
Some may not agree with what I say, that is fine, but they are based on actual personal experience.

I will start with Forester's, since that is what I am seeing in the last post. If you are not going to be tackling anything offroad / make your own tracks / heavily eroded terrain then the forester would make a good compromise. Keep in mind their ground clearance is not the greatest, so you are limited to where it will go. I had a lot of experience with the forester via an emergency service and they loose the plot in very loose gravel and if in very wet/slippery dirt tracks they can be scary.

Would I go into a remote area with one? No.
The Triton above would be a much better investment.

Landrover / Landcruiser are very highly respected throughout 4x4 circles.

Toyota Patrol - Had one, 4cyl version. Excellent vehicle, almost unstoppable especially if you do some work on them. I had spent several thousands of dollars on mine, only to have the turbo fly to bits and destroy the motor. As such I am not real keen on anything with a turbo. Yes, some have them and never have any problems, but if the turbo keels over - you go nowhere! Something to keep in mind.

Toyota 4Runner - Got one, current vehicle. Absolute dog to work on in the field. To get to some areas requires removing quite a lot of other pieces. I am not sure if there is a diesel version, if so go for it over the petrol. Mine is a V6 SR5 Ltd. They can be picked up very cheaply these days. My advice if you did get one, spend a few bucks and replace all hoses, radiator and any water carrying hoses. They are prone to splitting and perishing from the inside out. Definitely replace the ones at the rear of the engine near the firewall, there are two, heater bypass hoses I think they are - do this before you go anywhere, because they are a brute to change.

Relocate the fuel filter, once you find it you will see what a retarded spot it is in for a 4WD. Bloody hard to get to out in the sticks to.

Other then this I have not had any major problems with mine. Although it is up for a new rear main seal - that is just wear and tear though. It has done over 300 thou and still runs very well. Only additions I have planned for it, for when I get out detecting (I do want to have a look in WA) is a bull-bar and a roof rack if possible, for extra carrying capacity. A dual battery system and that would be about it. Maybe a snorkel if I got really excited.

They are pretty hungry on the juice around town and on short runs, but on the open road they are very economical. I got 8+ K/PL on the way back from Sydney. They are pretty torqey, but swing around a lot in the rear on loose gravel - put a fridge and a few things in the cargo bay fixes this.
 
I own a 2010 Forester XT 2.5 turbo petrol, it handles very well in loose gravel and on most firetrail and offroad situations that you would likely encounter in the goldfields in nsw or vic and certainly all situations that would not require a low range 4x4. The only main consideration I make is if it has been particularly wet and the roads are clayey as with road tyres it can get a very slippery particularly steep sections (same goes for all vehicles without A/t or Mud terrrain tyres).

In loose gravel/rocky sections the traction control systems and driving aids work great, even at higher speeds, they offer good assistance to the driver if caught out, in slower sections and where it is a bit more technical a bit of left foot braking can be useful.

I regularly travel the firetrails and forestry roads in Oberon, Sunny corner, Turon, wauchope and on the Central Coast and cannot fault the forester, i have even had a few trips on the beaches. Remembering that it is not a low range rock crawler. they are narrower and lighter than a traditional 4x4 so that can give them an advantage as often i can go around or straddle difficult sections of tracks that even low range 4x4 would struggle with, no shame in taking the chicken track you dont always have to drive in the ruts.

The newer foresters have their air intake at the base of the bonnet so you have a pretty good wading depth without needing a snorkel and they have no trouble in crossing firm sandy creeks, rubbly creeks and causeways, although i haven't gone through anything more than about knee high.

As for ground clearance as it has the same stock ground clearance as a landcruiser/pajero - believe it or not, where they differ in clearance is in the ramp over, approach and departure angles.

I reckon it has only limited my prospecting expeditions a couple of times in the last few years and hasn't yet warranted the upgrade to a vehicle with low range 4x4, it is a very comfortable car for commuting and city driving it has a good turning circle and gets good economy.

If you are keen on a forester and will use it a lot off road i would invest in a set of +1 size AT tyres and a good quality set of bash plates. i still have highway terrains on and will look at A/ts when they are ready for replacement, main consideration for this would be how much highway driving you do and an increase in road noise - many of the newer tech at's will still handle respectably on road even in the wet.

I have owned 6 Subarus from an early Liberty to Imprezas/forester and my wife drives the tribeca, I have experienced them to be very reliable if the basic maintenance is kept up, they have have minimal mechanical issues even when they are long in the tooth, as they get older they Can be a bit fussy over what oil is used and i have had to change oil brands a few time in the liberty and older forester to reduce the tappet noise, once i found a oil that let them run quietly all was good.. 3 of my cars i moved on with over 300,000ks still running well.

I like Subaru and i know them pretty well mechanically and would not hesitate to recommend a forester to anyone as a good all purpose vehicle that plays nice on and off road, is safe, economical (fuel and maintenance) and has enough room for the family/camping/prospecting gear.

you can get yourself into a lower km, later model forester then most brand/models of 4x4.

Low range 4x4 definitely have their place in some regions particularly in remote locations and one should consider all aspects of where and how the vehicle will be used before deciding what will work best for them.

Cheers,
 
roddosnow said:
Low range 4x4 definitely have their place in some regions particularly in remote locations and one should consider all aspects of where and how the vehicle will be used before deciding what will work best for them.

Cheers,

yep, where you live and plan on going can dictate everything from fuel type to tyres to make of vehicle.
 
Hi All,

I just wanted to thank you all again for the feedback and ideas.

So the end result is I have just purchased a 2003 XS Forester with 138K on the clock from an actual Subaru dealership. As part of the roadworthy and handover they are replacing the head gasket (not currently failed) so that provides some initial reassurance considering it's something that fails on these cars and apparently they are good for 150K

I figure with my annual work commute being 20K and then 0.2K in the weekends would put about 30/k on each year. So, all going well with maintenance, should get about 5 years out of it before hitting the 300K mark on the odometer.

Fingers crossed :)

Now where is all this Gold at again?
 

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