4WD; What do you drive and why?

[iamagoldenoldie2]

Bought new Ford Ranger 3.2 litre auto 5 cylinder diesel last year , because I could, just retired , drives like a limmo , goes most places I dare with standard tyres , bloody dangerous on the freeways 130 kmh just idling with the other makes blowing black trying to get past, didn't chip it, all the chip does is it dumps more fuel into the donk, theres alway a good arguement about chipping and fuel economy, the ranger has all these computers to help with driving at the turn of a switch, yep the injectors will cost about 2500 $$$ at 100000k but the volvo made diesel owned by ford with its 5 cylinder and a lazy revving engine will last and pull 3 1/2 ton to boot , its horses for courses the V8 toyota costs $100000 mine was $60000 now a mate has the old datsun G20 or ford maverick twin built like a tank drives like a tank and is bullet proof, goes anywhere and didn't cost much , the white cloud on a cold morning start up is something to be believed bit it does have 500000 k on the clock with the only work being done so far was the injector pump and a few suspension rubbers a true off roader, my first choice was going to be a toyota series 80 but the window for repairs would be approaching, when a vehicle gets a few 100000ks on it its wear and tear in all areas not just the engine , now for the auto vs manual arguement, I used to be a manual man but the autos have proven themselves over and over , picture this in a manual, a very steep incline picking your drive line , what revs , is the gear selection right , one foot on the brake the other on the throttle and the 3rd on the clutch, with the auto drive line and throttle control is all I have to think about apart from will something break like what you see on extreme 4wd youtube videos

 

[Solid Luck]

now for the auto vs manual arguement, I used to be a manual man but the autos have proven themselves over and over , picture this in a manual, a very steep incline picking your drive line , what revs , is the gear selection right , one foot on the brake the other on the throttle and the 3rd on the clutch, with the auto drive line and throttle control is all I have to think about apart from will something break like what you see on extreme 4wd youtube videos

Last steep incline I did was wet and very slippery. Plus a very steep edge if I was to go over, with a few meters drop. I redlined it in first and chucked into second as quick as i could. Thankfully all the wheels bit and got me out of there. I'm no expert driver and do tend to gun it when in those situations, brakes do not even come into it for me. Been lucky so far.
One day I"ll go to far.

True, autos have come a long way since way back. But it's what you can afford that counts.

 

[casper]

Nothing wrong with an Auto in the Bush.... I thought the same until I got one... Nothing else for me now.... After all, us Humans were only made with 2 legs...

Diesel (Latin for Die and Sell)... ]

LW...

Auto's do real well in the bush and depending on your driving style, when for example if you're in the more challenging areas of the Victorian High Country you'll burn out a manual transmission clutch before you kill an Auto Transmission. If your mate has a diesel and yours is petrol fueled you're in luck cos he has room to carry the spare fuel you'll need to get home.

casper

go here https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=10196#p10196 to see my 4wd pictured just 4 short years ago halfway up the infamous Harts Track (off Humffray Track) in the Wombat Range, Victorian High Country. She's 17 years old and kept well maintained mechanically. I'm the 2nd owner having had her for just 7 years and she's never let me down and has always got me home.

casper

NB: in a later post in the linked topic i named the track incorrectly as Hernes Spur Track however it's equally notorious as Harts track and we did both that day

 

[DrDuck]

I have a 2011 D-Max, which I have been very happy with.

But I found this post which may be relevant to those with an interest in the pros and cons of Toyota's.

https://indd.adobe.com/view/071fc91f-85e8-408e-ba28-82cdf2646bd5

 

[LC76]

The better half and I currently share a 2012 Subaru Forrester and love it so far.

But recently I was offered $5000 by my in-laws(I think they like me)so could get my own set of wheels.

So after some research I think I might settle for a Mitsubishi challenger between 2001-2008..... Seems like a reliable 4wd for the local bush tracks and running the kids around.
https://www.productreview.com.au/p/mitsubishi-challenger-2009-present/m/pa-1998-2008.html

 

[LONEWOLF]

LC76......Nooooo, My Local Wrecker has a yard full of them.. Although most are post 2007, so you might be ok... What-ever you buy, look long and hard...

LW...

 

[user 4485]

Drive: 2014 Mitsubishi Triton 4x4 diesel dual cab
Why?: Had it on a 3 year lease through work & never had any problems (touch wood). Still 2 years warranty left when lease was up & didn't want or need a new one. Bought it outright off the lease company for under $20k (edit: also only 75,000km done Ironrock) with nearly everything on it that I want - canopy, ute drawers, snorkel, steel bullbar, tow pack. Better the devil I knew I guess. Plenty of horror stories on most makes/models if you want to find them.

 

[Magilla]

Before anyone buys any car they should remember Google is their friend, one persons experience with a car may not be indicative of everyone else's.

 

[jethro]

Let me just say at the outset that Ive been turning spanners for 35yrs but most of it was in a road transport fleet maintenance environment. Ive only been working on cars for the last 4 yrs. I don't usually give advice on what car to buy but thought I would chime in with a few observations Ive had from working in a country town auto repair shop. they are as follows
If you are on a budget stick with mainstream 4wd vehicles pre common rail diesel. All vehicles have there Issues some have more than others some are more expensive to repair than others. Know when to cut your loses, I see a lot of people spend close to the market value of the vehicle with high kms on say brakes tyres etc only to turn around a month later and do the same on suspension or engine tune etc, these are only examples btw.
Stay well clear of eurotrash, Audi & Mercedes Benz being the worst. Volkwagen cars seem to be reasonably reliable but are expensive to fix if something major goes wrong. Not sure about amorok
Japanese 4wds.. Older Landcruisers are generally pretty good but they do leak oil and the constant 4wd models develop a lot of backlash in the driveline with higher ks. Hiluxes 2.4 & 2.8 have plenty of issues mostly caused by poor mantenance and the 3lt common rail models are prone to doing injectors and siezing balance shafts. D40 navaras have lots of issues if not serviced regularly all of them expensive, eg, timing chains breaking. The D22s with the 3lt motor are ok apart from turbos coming loose and transfer case chains breaking. The older square patrols with the 4.2lt diesel are bulletproof but thirsty. these would be my pick for a dedicated bush truck.
My son has an RA rodeo which doesnt seem too bad just a bit noisy at Highway speeds and a few minor electrical issues .
Id stay away from any of the mitsubishi V6 petrols cam belts warter pumps and hoses are a real pain to do.
The older mazda bravo / ford courier 2.4lt diesels have issues with heads cracking. as do petrol 6 ford mavericks.
I could go on but probably the worst thing we see is someone who buys a car without getting a roadworthy or inspection first and then get a nasty surprise when we tell them they,ve got another 2k of repairs.

 

[7.62marksman]

Nice report Jethro makes very interesting reading :Y: :Y:

 

[Davent]

I have a 2011 D-Max, which I have been very happy with.

But I found this post which may be relevant to those with an interest in the pros and cons of Toyota's.

https://indd.adobe.com/view/071fc91f-85e8-408e-ba28-82cdf2646bd5

Good read doc.
When I decided to buy my hilux, I read horror stories about the injectors leaking when they were parked on hill! I read so many bad things about them, and still I saw hundreds on the road up here.
I bought mine 2nd hand. A few months after I bought it, I got a letter from our local Toyota dealer, with a recall on some wireing harness.
They were great fixed it, and also fixed a potential problem with the tray, no cost.
I've had it for 4 years now, all I've dine to it, is servicing, tyres,and put diesal in it.( and some scratches and dents from off road driving).
They hold their value, but that's not important to me, I'll drive it till it dies. It sits on. 140 on the highway all day,and gets reasonable fuel economy. Off road, it lacks a bit of clearance,but apart from that is pretty good.
From what I've seen , the d Max's are a nice car, I know a few blokes with them, only fault that I know of, is the chassis could be a bit stronger for off road work.( that's not from what I've read, that's from the owners who have had a few cracked welds from serious abuse on corrugated roads,towing boats, trailers suffered worse!)

 

[ProspectorPete]

Just sold my 2001 '79 series 1HZ 4.2ltr Diesel non turbo 2 days ago for $20k best vehicle I've owned, no issues at all, I bought it in Feb 2014 with 181,000 kms and sold 3.5 years later with 225,800 kms
Only sold it because it was too hard getting the wife, 2 Jack Russells and myself in the front for trips away and wife refused to come away until she get's her own seat :lol:

My new ride which I pick tomorrow is a 2003 100 series Sarah 4.7 V8 auto petrol with 225,700 kms for the same price.
Needs good tyres, dual battery system and driving lights or light bar.

I've had a 60 series wagon 2H non turbo Diesel, 75 series Troopy 2H T/D prior to my '79 series 1HZ ute, I was sworn to Toyota Diesels but my decision to go a V8 auto petrol this time around was because of

1. the low K's I do each year, it's only my weekend vehicle and average around 10k a year.
2. V8 auto because I hate sitting on the Monash car park coming back from a trip away and my work van is auto (Merc Sprinter) and have come to love the ease of driving, V8 so there's power when needed.
3. Petrol because reasons 1 & 2 mean fuel economy is not really an issue, I don't do full-on 4x4 and it's not my daily drive.
4. probably most relevant, I'm starting to get lazy as I get older and appreciating comfort over reliability.

I can't speak of other makes but agree you can't go wrong with a good well maintained Toyota, also agree you'll pay more for one but there's a good reason for that.
I'm not knocking any other make though, I just haven't owned any to comment about them.

Good luck in your search and most importantly, don't rush into buying something until you're 100% happy with your decision, at least if it ends up needing money spent on it, it softens the blow knowing you were happy with your decision to start with, if buying something rushed or not 100% about it really hurts more when you find it has issues and you'll be kicking yourself.

 

[Tassie Daz]

Like it or not I bought a brand new Triton dual cab ute, diesel with a canopy. My wife and I have driven Mitsubishi since 1992, sometimes have two in the drive, a magna and a Lancer. With retirement came the opportunity to set ourselves up for the rest of our lives, given we have a van and we go to the goldfields each year with a heap of stuff needed to live off the grid for 8 weeks or so. The Triton allows us to pull the van with its full load along with a decent load in the ute. All up we can put about 5t on the road so that's enough for us. We don't travel fast when we have the van on the back so at 90K's itll lope along all day at that speed. Luv it.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Just sold my 2001 '79 series 1HZ 4.2ltr Diesel non turbo 2 days ago for $20k best vehicle I've owned, no issues at all, I bought it in Feb 2014 with 181,000 kms and sold 3.5 years later with 225,800 kms
Only sold it because it was too hard getting the wife, 2 Jack Russells and myself in the front for trips away and wife refused to come away until she get's her own seat :lol:

Congrats Pete , Nice Truck/SUV, I totally understand, It can be tough on the Mrs when doing a long trip, I prefer the SUV/Wagons now, If ya not over loaded you can pull over and have a camp in the back if needed and they are a bit easier on ya body too, don't get me wrong I love the Utes and the Troopy's are my favourite, But the comfort of these big wagons means you don't arrive feeling worn out.

John.

 

[Dihusky]

The older style diesels are the bullet proof ones,
ALL of the new common rail diesels are far from it, whether it be toyota, nissan ect.
The main problem with the newer style is poor fuel quality and lack of lubrication in the fuel. Water in the fuel is the major cause of injector and fuel pump failure.
To combat this, a extra filter should be fitted with water separator before the factory filter and a injector cleaner/lubricant should be used as diesel has less sulphur than before which is a lubrication for injectors and fuel pump. Another issue is carbon build up in the manifold and egr, this is caused mainly by gasses from the rocker cover being recululated through the intake, In this a case a catch can will catch oily fuel and leave dry air. All in all with some mods frequent oil and fuel filter changes they can last a long time.

Run a 2007 Patrol, and yes fuel quality is critical!. Have dual filters on mine, first in the line is 30micron and the final is 5 micron, leak proof PWR inter-cooler plus a Catch Can, and a blanked off EGR. Common rail and still purrs at 280k klms. Did have a rattly turbo on the last trip, so had that replaced, ouch!! but after 280K on the road, has to be expected at some time soon.

Just encountered two people with new V8 petrol patrols, both went wading (don't know how deep) and blew the crap out of the electronics, one was 2 wks old and the second 6 months and irrepairable, so much for then being $WDs!!

Give me diesel any day, but yes I don't like electronics so currently shopping for a Perentie! We are planning un umpteen yrs living on the road!

 

[Gravity]

Picked up my new LC200 VXTD the other day very happy, Let the mods begin :Y:

I've deleted my photobucket account, hope they rot in cyberspace.

 

[ProspectorPete]

Nice one Gravity, very clean and smick looking LC200.

 

[ironrock]

Good job guys, ya all given me some things to think about, i`ve been looking at 2010-2012 navara`s , looking at all the other popular models navara seems likes the only one that has the auto option, and plus it`s only a 4cyl, so it dosen`t scare me as much. I guess the 2 most common and expensive things that would need to be replaced, would be injectors/pump maybe both or the turbo, but one cant be to touchy, just need to find one that`s been looked after and is not a lemon, then could get many years of trouble free use.
I`ll keep researching and thinking and hopefully will have my chariot fairly soon.
Just remember, when your out detecting and you come across a large deep signal, (think to yourself) that must be ironrock`s 500oz nugget, so i better leave it there for him!!!) Ha ha ha, just putting it out there!!!
Living in this s***hole that is South Australia ( is a s***hole because of very little available gold bearing land available for detecting) i really cant wait to get out to the goldfields, i seriously have withdrawal symtoms as it was 4 weeks since my last detect, giving up smoking, i stopped at least 10 times cold turkey, it`s a bloody cakewalk compared to the withdrawal i have from not being able to detect, gold fever, hell yeah and i`ve got it bad.
Bloody hell, save me some okay guys!!!!!

 

[madtuna]

Hi mate, as far as turbos go... I've never owned or known a vehicle to not get somewhere because it didn't have a turbo. But I've owned 2 and known a few more that never arrived because they did!

 

[Diamo gold]

Hi mate, as far as turbos go... I've never owned or known a vehicle to not get somewhere because it didn't have a turbo. But I've owned 2 and known a few more that never arrived because they did!

Very well said madtuna , and very very true