23.01.2009
These past five years I have been searching for the perfect vehicular solution to my family’s motoring life. It has been an interesting quest through various price and market segments that has yet to yield a single, reliable solution to our needs. They are these:
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26 Comments
Pedro Sousa aka Ginga
January 23, 2009I’ve seen one of those already. It’s just a mighty machine!
Practical, rubust, reliable… ‘good old’ Toyota stuff refined enough to do what you need, when and where you want.
A very trustable car… For some reason it’s said to be the best selling 4×4 for UN missions!!
Pedro Sousa aka Ginga
January 23, 2009I’ve seen one of those already. It’s just a mighty machine!
Practical, rubust, reliable… ‘good old’ Toyota stuff refined enough to do what you need, when and where you want.
A very trustable car… For some reason it’s said to be the best selling 4×4 for UN missions!!
Richard - DR
January 23, 2009There’s no doubt that the Land Cruiser has remained true to the needs of people who genuinely require the abilities of a big, robust, unfashionable 4×4. In a funny way I look on it in the same way I look upon Mrs M’s old Subaru Forester. We resisted the temptation of a Turbo and have owned it for all but 7000 of its 145,000 miles. Until this afternoon all we’d had to replace beyond tyres and oil was a clutch. Now we can add a broken front coil spring to the ‘list’, but I think we’ll forgive it this small failure…
It gets used every single day for short and long journeys, always has two somewhat smelly canines in it and often tows a large horse trailer. It has a few knocks and a thick layer of mud plastered all over it (inside and out) but to me it’s a thing of beauty because it’s a tool, pure and simple. The shame of it is there’s nothing that could directly replace it because the makers of modest-sized 4x4s have replaced the utility of steel wheels, cloth seats and simple unpainted plastic bumpers and rubbing strips with urban glitz and black windows. Shame.
Richard - DR
January 23, 2009There’s no doubt that the Land Cruiser has remained true to the needs of people who genuinely require the abilities of a big, robust, unfashionable 4×4. In a funny way I look on it in the same way I look upon Mrs M’s old Subaru Forester. We resisted the temptation of a Turbo and have owned it for all but 7000 of its 145,000 miles. Until this afternoon all we’d had to replace beyond tyres and oil was a clutch. Now we can add a broken front coil spring to the ‘list’, but I think we’ll forgive it this small failure…
It gets used every single day for short and long journeys, always has two somewhat smelly canines in it and often tows a large horse trailer. It has a few knocks and a thick layer of mud plastered all over it (inside and out) but to me it’s a thing of beauty because it’s a tool, pure and simple. The shame of it is there’s nothing that could directly replace it because the makers of modest-sized 4x4s have replaced the utility of steel wheels, cloth seats and simple unpainted plastic bumpers and rubbing strips with urban glitz and black windows. Shame.
Pedro Sousa aka Ginga
January 23, 2009Your right about the lack of simple 4×4′s in the market.
I rekon that in some markets there still is the ‘striped’ landcuiser available but in essence, all you see today is a blur of “4×4 wanabe’s” that barely go over a speedbump.
We can think about Defenders but saying that, we’re entering non-everyday car territory!
p.s.- Check the Community Group for Toyota Owners
Pedro Sousa aka Ginga
January 23, 2009Your right about the lack of simple 4×4′s in the market.
I rekon that in some markets there still is the ‘striped’ landcuiser available but in essence, all you see today is a blur of “4×4 wanabe’s” that barely go over a speedbump.
We can think about Defenders but saying that, we’re entering non-everyday car territory!
p.s.- Check the Community Group for Toyota Owners
Alan
January 23, 2009A couple of questions Chris,
Have you bought one ?
How in the world did you get your other array of cars up the lane ?!, I’m thinking of M3/RS4/gallardo
Never mind the UN buying them, I suspect the Arabs also have a genuine reason for buying them too
Alan
January 23, 2009A couple of questions Chris,
Have you bought one ?
How in the world did you get your other array of cars up the lane ?!, I’m thinking of M3/RS4/gallardo
Never mind the UN buying them, I suspect the Arabs also have a genuine reason for buying them too
Robbie
January 24, 2009Having run a 3.2 D Shogun (7 seater) here in Spain, I would contend that this car is better than Landcruiser certainly on value for money and reliability although I accept the Toyota will probably be just as reliable!
The jeep has been in our family since new in Sept 2003 and has done everything from sand dunes, hikes to Sierra Nevada, school runs, and autopista runs to airport and back. It will happily cruise at 160 kph (100mph), all day and is extremely comfortable. The room in the back for the kids is more than ample and the additiuonal two seats in th back fold away beneath the floor (when not in use!) and leave massive area for every family’s rubbish and large supermarket shop. The car was also involved in quite a major collision many moons ago where the offending vehicle (a Punto) was completely written off. The jeep had only a damaged left wing. And my son who was in the jeep at the time said it felt like mum had clipped the kerb!! We drove the jeep home. The policia who drive Nissan Jeeps were mighty impressed with how well the jeep held up to the collision.
Robbie
January 24, 2009Having run a 3.2 D Shogun (7 seater) here in Spain, I would contend that this car is better than Landcruiser certainly on value for money and reliability although I accept the Toyota will probably be just as reliable!
The jeep has been in our family since new in Sept 2003 and has done everything from sand dunes, hikes to Sierra Nevada, school runs, and autopista runs to airport and back. It will happily cruise at 160 kph (100mph), all day and is extremely comfortable. The room in the back for the kids is more than ample and the additiuonal two seats in th back fold away beneath the floor (when not in use!) and leave massive area for every family’s rubbish and large supermarket shop. The car was also involved in quite a major collision many moons ago where the offending vehicle (a Punto) was completely written off. The jeep had only a damaged left wing. And my son who was in the jeep at the time said it felt like mum had clipped the kerb!! We drove the jeep home. The policia who drive Nissan Jeeps were mighty impressed with how well the jeep held up to the collision.
chris harris
January 24, 2009Alan
I’m having a quiet look at Amazons -they’re very cheap at the mo and I think one would solve many of our family car-problems. Just waiting to see if I can pinch one for nowt!
Ground clearance isn’t a problem here, mud is. Lambo used to graunch a little, worst was that 996 GT2′s front splitter: I did one-a-month when I owned it!!
chris harris
January 24, 2009Alan
I’m having a quiet look at Amazons -they’re very cheap at the mo and I think one would solve many of our family car-problems. Just waiting to see if I can pinch one for nowt!
Ground clearance isn’t a problem here, mud is. Lambo used to graunch a little, worst was that 996 GT2′s front splitter: I did one-a-month when I owned it!!
Chris
January 24, 2009A friend of mine used to work at Grinnall sportscars, and they had a 4.2VX for many many years, and 300,000 miles if I remember correctly. I presume they still have one. He’ll still regale tales of how that car towed the whole motorshow stand and accessories at 3 figure speeds… but the best one was when he noticed when he worked on the gearbox that they were little hooks for slings so you could work on it in the middle of the desert on your own. Amazing machine.
Chris
January 24, 2009A friend of mine used to work at Grinnall sportscars, and they had a 4.2VX for many many years, and 300,000 miles if I remember correctly. I presume they still have one. He’ll still regale tales of how that car towed the whole motorshow stand and accessories at 3 figure speeds… but the best one was when he noticed when he worked on the gearbox that they were little hooks for slings so you could work on it in the middle of the desert on your own. Amazing machine.
Steve
January 24, 2009At last a post about 4x4s here on DR and yet all this talk about towing small houses and stripped out utility seems a world away from my sporty X6.
Oh well, we’re off skiing in a few weeks so at least it’s diffs will get a workout in the slippy stuff.
Steve
January 24, 2009At last a post about 4x4s here on DR and yet all this talk about towing small houses and stripped out utility seems a world away from my sporty X6.
Oh well, we’re off skiing in a few weeks so at least it’s diffs will get a workout in the slippy stuff.
Dave
January 26, 2009Chris,
If you can live with a braked towing capacity of just 3000kg you could do worse than look at the Nissan Pathfinder. Insanely good value second hand at the moment and with all the toys on the Aventura (just paid £15,300 for a less than 5000mile example) makes a good kid hauler too. It looks the part in an understated way and has a very good off road capability (so I’m told)
Just my 2p’th
Dave
January 26, 2009Chris,
If you can live with a braked towing capacity of just 3000kg you could do worse than look at the Nissan Pathfinder. Insanely good value second hand at the moment and with all the toys on the Aventura (just paid £15,300 for a less than 5000mile example) makes a good kid hauler too. It looks the part in an understated way and has a very good off road capability (so I’m told)
Just my 2p’th
Scotty
January 27, 2009What model were you looking at Chris? Current spec is the 200 Series but I would probably recommend the 100 Series, as I can’t see the 200 being any more capable in any of the areas that matter to you and it is smaller (the 200 is just ridiculous) yet plenty roomy.
The only experience I have of the 100 series is from the passenger seat in an unlikely venue, rally stages. You would just not believe how capable these things are as performance cars on the gravel. So much grip that the car in question once ran as Zero car in a rally and was setting 2nd outright stage times. Its had a much harder life than most Group N rally cars yet has only ever had a water pump break in 200,000k’s (although suspension has been a bit consumable).
I think you would find that it not only satisfies your practical side but your hooligan side to a degree too!
Scotty
January 27, 2009What model were you looking at Chris? Current spec is the 200 Series but I would probably recommend the 100 Series, as I can’t see the 200 being any more capable in any of the areas that matter to you and it is smaller (the 200 is just ridiculous) yet plenty roomy.
The only experience I have of the 100 series is from the passenger seat in an unlikely venue, rally stages. You would just not believe how capable these things are as performance cars on the gravel. So much grip that the car in question once ran as Zero car in a rally and was setting 2nd outright stage times. Its had a much harder life than most Group N rally cars yet has only ever had a water pump break in 200,000k’s (although suspension has been a bit consumable).
I think you would find that it not only satisfies your practical side but your hooligan side to a degree too!
chris harris
January 27, 2009I need to gen-up on my LC nomenclature, but the 100 series is the post-96 car isn’t it? If so, that’s what I’m looking at -everyone seems to confirm what you’re saying, that they’re very strong and get the job done.
Dave – my trailer is heavy and with any kind of small saloon loaded it tips-over 3000kg, so if I’m going to take the plunge then it really needs the 3.5 tonne capacity. I’ll have a look at one though!
chris harris
January 27, 2009I need to gen-up on my LC nomenclature, but the 100 series is the post-96 car isn’t it? If so, that’s what I’m looking at -everyone seems to confirm what you’re saying, that they’re very strong and get the job done.
Dave – my trailer is heavy and with any kind of small saloon loaded it tips-over 3000kg, so if I’m going to take the plunge then it really needs the 3.5 tonne capacity. I’ll have a look at one though!
Scotty
January 27, 2009Wikipedia says 1998-2007 so yeh I would say we are on the same wavelength. Of course ideally you would have a lifted 60 series on 38″ tyres and a stonking great V8 under the bonnet….but maybe not real practical everyday!
I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say keep us updated!!!
Scotty
January 27, 2009Wikipedia says 1998-2007 so yeh I would say we are on the same wavelength. Of course ideally you would have a lifted 60 series on 38″ tyres and a stonking great V8 under the bonnet….but maybe not real practical everyday!
I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say keep us updated!!!
David
February 6, 2009We too have a family of four plus large dog.. occasional need for towing and find the 7 seats useful now and again. No real justifcation for owning a big 4 wheel drive vehicle but find I use it more often than I would have thought…probably becasue I know I can. We have a Discovery 3 and find it a great all round vehicle … bridges nicely the luxury of RR and the ultilitarian sense of purpose that you liked about the Toyota. A touch slow off the mark but once the turbos are working easily keeps up with fast traffic. Early 3′s seem reasonbly priced but then so do most cars these days.
David
February 6, 2009We too have a family of four plus large dog.. occasional need for towing and find the 7 seats useful now and again. No real justifcation for owning a big 4 wheel drive vehicle but find I use it more often than I would have thought…probably becasue I know I can. We have a Discovery 3 and find it a great all round vehicle … bridges nicely the luxury of RR and the ultilitarian sense of purpose that you liked about the Toyota. A touch slow off the mark but once the turbos are working easily keeps up with fast traffic. Early 3′s seem reasonbly priced but then so do most cars these days.