Older pathfinder wasn't a bad bus
jeeps have always been wank
new and old

Steer clear of both. Nissan never recovered after the GFC and have been asleep at the wheel on R & D. 95% of Jeeps ever made are still on the road... the other 5% made it home.

Mmm... what should I buy? I drive 98% of the mileage on sealed roads (want at least an AWD for the rare holiday/surf trip), I don't want a car with 250k km, and my budget is around 10/15k $... mission impossible

Perhaps better to buy a VW golf and go rent a 4wd when needed ??

Mark _australia said..
Jeeps fall to bits in ways that are so regular that you'd think it was deliberate.
The X-Trail is kinda OK but the turbo will cost you heaps, they are rubbish offroad.

$10K and get down the beach? A older Pathie / Pajero / Challenger that was owned by old folks and serviced tons but not used to pull a caravan. Preferably petrol. A bit smaller? Kia Sorento is lasting well and surprisingly good offroad.
Maybe an Outback?

hang on in one breath you say jeep's fall to bits , xtrails are rubbish offroad yet kia sorrento's are good offroad ?

so much bollox

What about a Rav 4?

Series 3 (S3) Subaru Forester...

I have two - one 2008 manual with 165,000km (bought new from dealer); one late 2011 (MY2012) auto bought 12 months old with 18,000km on the clock, now just tipped 100,000km. Both go really well on the beach and will go further than you might think off-road (220mm ground clearance), but will get stuck in very deep ruts.

I can also fit a 9'6" mal in mine and still close the tail gate comfortably.

I'd never buy one but came across this vid whilst looking for capable vehicles
Experienced driver , like to see the vid coming back down

HotBodMon said..
I'd never buy one but came across this vid whilst looking for capable vehicles
Experienced driver , like to see the vid coming back down

impressive! but I am not really involved in those things mate, that would have rolled the grocery bags all around the boot, tomatoes running around and wife would be so mad for that, not a happy ending for the day :D

btw there was an easier/faster way to get up there surely :)))

Land cruisers are great . Nothing ever goes wrong with them unless they are thrashed.
I love mine , V8 petrol , only one small problem , they suck fuel . Kinda ok on highway cruising and hardly any worse towing , really bad in stop and go traffic.
Mines got 300,000 ks and doesn't use or drip one drop of oil.
Undernieth is completely dry , not even the slightest of oil weep anywhere. I'm impressed with that.
Everything feels tight , should do another 300.
By then Ive used enough to fuel to raise the earths temp by 2deg polar bears are overrated
Wife has a Rav , not bad for a softroader.

Imax bought up a decent suggestion (get a cruiser, my v8 diesel does 12 lt/100 round town), have you considered a RAV4 as part of the mix? Plenty on the road and just a capable as an x-trail off the road.

80 series landy petty auto 22l / 100 factory was 16 l

190k kms on clock one owner.

Couldnt pay me to get another landy or any 4wd for that matter. Never once NEEDED to go proper 4wd in 8 years

causehecan said..
80 series landy petty auto 22l / 100 factory was 16 l

190k kms on clock one owner.

Couldnt pay me to get another landy or any 4wd for that matter. Never once NEEDED to go proper 4wd in 8 years

It's amusing. 50 years ago you could go anywhere you wanted in a 2wd EH ute weighing just over a tonne. Now with about 3 times as many tracks criss crossing the countryside you can't get anywhere without having a 4wd just short of 3 tonnes.

Ian K said..

causehecan said..
Couldnt pay me to get another landy or any 4wd for that matter. Never once NEEDED to go proper 4wd in 8 years

50 years ago you could go anywhere you wanted in a 2wd EH ute weighing just over a tonne. Now with about 3 times as many tracks criss crossing the countryside you can't get anywhere without having a 4wd just short of 3 tonnes.

almost 40 years ago... my first [licensed] car was a corolla wagon, it went places and did things that many 4WD's never get to go or do [including an area later found to be full of UXO's]

might not have been the classiest set of wheels, but jeez it was reliable - never faltered, never broke down, always made it back home

Heads-up for you crew,
2mates of mine both have fairly recent Ford Rangers, both 4wd's have had a similar low speed "misshaps" on dirt roads.

One at our rifle range -
Tight left hand corner on full lock at low speed [I can run faster - which isn't very fast]
The outside wheel dropped into a small potholy-depression and the steering on that wheel "over-centered', resulting in that wheel being Jammed and unable to respond to steering wheel input.
As a result of the jammed steering the ranger speared into a tree stump which is right on the edge [and apex of the corner] of the track.

The other was almost identical circumstances on a farm track, tight very low speed turn under full lock with the outside wheels suspension under full compression, locking the steering.

After a close look underneath - it looks like the lack of bump-stops are the problem.

Mark _australia said.. What age Rangers?

not sure - but one at the rifle range track is a company car, so I imagine it is fairly recent, the farm track one is a bit older, but same model.
I will sling them an email and get better info.