I am moving to north-west QLD.
Looking to purchase a 2nd hand 4x4 to take there for adventuring. The region has a very heavy wet season and may need to drag a tinnie around aswell.
Budget is 20k. I have never owned a 4x4 before and don't know much about them.
I obviously don't need anything flash, just something reliable.
Any advice is appreciated!
Pajero. Underrated and awesome off road.
I like Toyota, but Pajero are better bang for buck.
Yeah, I almost went for Prado but couldn't justify paying more for lower spec, higher km models. Also I'm a member of both Prado and Pajero Facebook groups and most of the posts on Prado are about serious issues and problems (120 series) so I ended up going with Pajero and have been blown away with it. I've had 4x4's before too.
Hilux, Prado, Landcruiser, Patrol, Navara
I am moving to north-west QLD.
That's something you don't hear every day.
may need to drag a tinnie around aswell
Might be better with rooftop tinnie rather than dragging trailer. For serious offroading, dragging trailer behind can be more hassle than it's worth.
True, thats how much I know about it all.
The boys on all 4 adventure would beg to differ.
Been looking at Hiluxs 2000-2006 range under 20k which look good.
Anything in particular I should look for when buying in this range ?
I looked at the Hilux and read a few issues about the diesel and injector seals.
I also looked at the V6 petrol - it's a heavy drinker.
At 30,000km pa, the cost savings of the vehicle (vs new or different model) is outweighed by running cost.
Utes ride quite firm as their suspension is designed to carry a heavy load at the rear. If you've never driven a ute before I'd suggest taking one for a drive on a bumpy road before committing. I've been in a number of Hiluxes of varying ages and the ride's always been too firm for me. Something like a Prado would be luxurious in comparison. Having said that, if you are constantly carting around dirty or muddy items in your car, a ute obviously makes the most sense.
I test drove a 2008 Navara D40 today. $10.5k with less than 200ks on the clock.
I liked how it drove similar to a car in terms of handling and acceleration. I also like the idea of being able to have a fibreglass canopy for security.
If I am purchasing for 'soft roading' i.e taking onto a beach and light dirt tracks, do I really need to spend much to get me by?
The place I am going is quite isolated so if my vehicle has dramas I think it will he very expensive. The salesperson today was trying to put doubt in my mind about Navaras reliability….
I own a 2007 D40. I chose it because all others in the price bracket (2 years ago) were the smaller older models and the equivalent Hilux was more expensive or older because ‘toyota tax’.
Couple of things to be aware of are the factory clutch isn’t really strong enough and the single tow timing chain can let go and basically we’re the car off as it is too expensive to fix. But there are heaps of them around so they can’t be all bad. I’ve replaced the clutch in mine but not the timing chain. I might do the timing chain, but it isn’t cheap to do.
As for capability I’ve had mine in stock form in the beach and tackling some fairly gnarly trails and it goes well. few scrapes and bangs underneath, suck in the sand once, but easily dug it out then drove it out the first time in the beach when I got into the wrong area.
Cheers for the info!
Get a rental for 4WD, save yourself the liability
Rent a 4wd for 2 years ?
i figured you wouldn't be offroading/camping more than 4-5 times a year but perhaps not for regular use
OP I just bought an 04 Pajero a couple of months ago. GLS model with bull bar, UHF, dual battery with outlets run to the rear, lift kit, poly air bags for suspension, fresh Goodridges, 250km on the clock. 12k in Adelaide for your reference. Guy wanted 14 which was probably fair but not worth it to me.
If your budget is 20k you can obviously look at newer cars but IMO there is no point unless a manufacturer refreshing their platform is worth it for you. Look at the car before and after the platform refresh and ask whether the changes were worth it, don't pay for R+D that doesn't give you anything. Best cars for your money are the Pajero, Navara and Patrol from my time spent in market. If you find a bargain landy jump on it because it will not last long, otherwise those 3 are your best imo. Make sure you get a 3L Navara, buddy at work loves his Nissans but is not a fan of the 2.5. He currently has a D22 and love it, he said he wants to upgrade but is not happy enough with the D40 so is going to skip that and wait for a newy.
At 20k you're hardly buying a new car, you'll definitely pay the upper end of that if you can get under 200k for the stealership stat warranty. Consider the Paj (up to 2006), if you're looking at NMs make sure it's the 3.2L version and NOT the 2.8, NPs are a little nicer and that's what me and a mate both ended up with and both love them. They were made before the DPFs were out and about so you won't have to worry about limp mode at all. Good luck!
By the way, make sure your tyre kicking is thorough. I drove 5 NPs up the freeway here and 3 of them had issues that did not present in suburban driving. The fifth one was the one I bought. From my research there's no real issues with the Pajero or Navara platforms, just make sure the transfer case works and you can shift all the way through the 4WD modes with no issues. Remember, the more of their time you waste the better it's going to be for you. Make sure you take them for a long drive up your nearest freeway/highway, you're buying something with a turbo in it so flog it a bit just to make sure it's all good.
I can throw a controversial one. You can get a Mitsubishi Challenger with your budget and is a quite capable 4WD. Based on the Triton so spare parts and accessories should be easy to get.
Let us know what you end up getting.
Good luck
Ranger PX2 XLT.
Or bitty fitty