Help - New Car Recommendations For Weekend Warrior Family

Starting to plan out a purchase for hopefully this year so would be grateful for recommendations. Happy to push out later in the year if good models to look out for are known to be released later this year.

Who’s riding
- 2x Adults
- 1x Child
- 1x Giant dog (80kg)

Recreational requirements
- Lots of family camping trips, so need room for the portable fridge and all the other bulky equipment, bikes etc
- Must be comfy for long journeys for both driver and passengers – our trips generally more than 3 hours but less than 8 hours a stretch
- Must handle well on beach and gravel tracks so prefer a 4WD or AWD over 2WD.
- Very occasionally bush tracks and sand dunes but not likely ever crossing rivers or dirt tracks in bad weather so not a deal breaker if it can’t handle hard-core 4WD’ing

Daily commute
- This will be our second car, which I will also use for the work commute. Our current compact AWD will be the mum taxi
- Daily work commute is a < 5km round trip, so not overly concerned about fuel efficiency but definitely a nice to have

I foresee in the future…
- Maybe a second child
- Likely a family caravan or trailer tent to tow

Budget
- ca.$50k (Redraw from HL)

Other considerations
- Prefer something less than 5 years old, but open to good reasoning to get something older if it fits the bill
- I like the idea of a 7 seater SUV for the cargo size, and in all honestly third row would probably remain down so there’s little care for that last row to be overly spacious.
- A 4WD ute would be considered, like a Hilux or Ranger but not sure if it’s okay to have the dog in the back without air conditioning on long trips - even with a canopy it must get pretty hot. Would be interested to see how other people have managed with large dogs in the back of utes for long trips in hot weather.
- Open to either petrol or diesel, convince me what's best

Poll Options expired

  • 0
    Sorrento
  • 2
    SantaFe
  • 21
    Prado
  • 1
    Everest
  • 1
    Fortuner
  • 0
    Grand Cherokee
  • 2
    Ranger
  • 1
    Hilux
  • 1
    Navara
  • 9
    Other - Please specify

Comments

    • 1x Giant dog (80kg)

    Clifford…?

    • +1

      Cujo ?

      • +2

        More like Marmaduke

        • +1

          nawww … way cuter !

  • +5

    80kg dog? I can't imagine feeding or even worse cleaning up after that. Whatever you do, don't buy a Jeep.

    • Are jeeps really that bad? I thought the latest Cherokee got decent reviews but I'm hearing from a few people to avoid them.

      • +1

        Reviewers do not usually stick around when sh hits the fan

      • Have a friend on his 3rd Jeep. Every one of them has had major issues and basically been a write off within 5 years of owning them (not from accidents, just general driving). I keep asking why the hell he keeps getting them - Its a Jeep thing, I wouldn't understand. You got that right!

        • +1

          I keep asking why the hell he keeps getting them - Its a Jeep thing

          I’m like that with cars or bikes that have “made in Italy” stamped on them. I’m a mechanic and I should know better, but this is my cross to bear… :(

          • @pegaxs: Surely not a fiat

            • +1

              @MS Paint: And 4 Ducati motorcycles and a Vespa! Make it stop, I feel so dirty… :(

              • +1

                @pegaxs: No one knows how to paint them red like thd Italians

      • They have really bad quality assembly. I.e. a wire not put together right, a bolt not right, a rubber seal not in the right spot and as a result people face multiple little niggles which over time result in a big issue every now and again.

  • +3

    I would have said dual cab, but have no idea how it would go with the dog.

    IMO just get a 4wd, a proper one not an AWD. Sounds as though you have the potential to use it properly and having it available might make your adventures that little bit more adventurous. Despite what many people think they are pretty capable in stock form so you won’t need to go all it with lift kit, winch, bars etc.

    We have a Pathfinder (the old shape) and last week the 4wd came in handy to get us to a better swimming spot while on holidays. Fits family with comfort well, room for the fridge in the back plenty of tow capacity for the caravan.

    From the list above check out the fortuner. A mate recently bought a Pajero Sport and is pretty happy with it too. Both are ute based, proper 4wd and wagon style. Also check out the MUX suooosedly good vehicles and would be on my list if a replacement for he pathfinder was needed (it’s not yet)

    • Thanks for the feedback - i hear what you are saying about 4WD. On a recent trip in our AWD we took an excursion to a nearby cave off a bush track and got within a km of the entrance but I didn't dare do the last leg without a proper 4WD - was a real bummer after trecking all the way out there!

      The MU-X looks feature packed for the price. Infotainment looks a bit rubbish though (I just don't understand why some companies don't include Android Auto or Apple Car Play these days) but maybe something an aftermarket unit can fix.

      Pajero Sport looks like a solid option too - I really like the option of a 5 seater here, so will definitely check this out.

      • +1

        Keep the dual cabs in mind once you find out about hauling the dog, it know their limitations.

        My ‘work truck’ is a Navara dual cab. Just as good off road and the tub is handy for carting oversize or dirty stuff around. I don’t have a canopy and would lose some of the versatility of oversize stuff but security does suffer. with a car full there is very limited internal space for stuff, everything needs to go in the tray - like the groceries which isn’t ideal.

        I prefer the wagon for family trips, but glad I have a ute too. Boys and their toys won’t go into a hatchback!

  • -2

    New Santa fe Elite, so beautiful or a Sorrento

    • These seem to be an OzBargain favourite as a well priced urban people mover but I haven't actually heard much about how they perform for light off-roading or for towing - any insight?

      • -1

        I have one and could not recommended it enough. I would go as far as saying it handles fine for light to medium off roading. Regarding towing this it's only downfall with a 2000kg towing limit and 150kg towball weight (with tow pack upgrade otherwise 100kg). But as far as driving and handling it's superb and doesn't feel like you're driving a boat (eg Prado, MU-X, Pajero Sport which we also considered). Strongly suggest you take one for a test drive.

        • handles fine for light to medium off roading

          A centre diff lock is useful but the ground clearances in the soft off road SUVs are quite low.

      • Don't bother with the Sorento. They no longer offer the 150Kg downball tow pack, so your limited to 100kg. Dumb considering how its essentially the same as the Sante Fe.

  • +2

    Just get 4x4 dual-cab ute with a lockable canopy on the back. Will keep the dog smell out of the car. You will thank me come resale time… And open the back up and let the air in and I dont know of a dog that doesn't like to hang their head out the side of a ute.

    Triton, Ranger or Hilux are my pick (in no particular order, so people, dont get all butthurt thinking that.)

    • How do you find the back seats in the dual cab for kids who'll eventually grow - Comfy for long journeys? That's my only real concern with them.

      • I've had a few different dualcab vehicles over the years as work vehicles and have an 8 yo daughter. I actually don't find the space an issue and neither does she. It's easy to get her in and out due to the height and there is lots of room to spread her travel crap around in the back.

        If my kids were 14 and onwards and had 2 or more of them, it may get a bit cramped on long trips, but for younger kids, heaps of room.

        Best thing to do is to go down to a stealership and load everything and everyone in to see how they fit. If the kids are young enough, by the time they outgrow it, it may be time for something new anyway…

        Oh, and utes are so much easier to get things like bicycles and scooters in and out of.

      • More recent dual cabs have rear seats that adults can use. Some of the older ones had really small back seats.

        I picked a D40 Navara as it was the most spacious at the time for the budget I had, now most current models are similar sized, but some better than others in different ways.
        Just go and check them out. Sit in the back etc. I have had adults in the back a few times and while not for extended journeys they are fine around town.

  • +1

    I watch those Bogged at INSKIP vids and others on Youtube.

    It's an eye opener.

    • Tyre pressure - 14 to 16 psi and you can do that in rear wheel drive.

      • Have you done that?

        (Do agree that lower pressure will get you a lot further)

        • Yes plenty of times, I never do more than 16psi. Try it next time and I guarantee you will be able to crawl through a spot like Inskip. At 16psi you can go 60kmh down eastern beach at Fraser, sometimes even 80kmh but only when it's dead flat not when the sand is soft and churned up.

          • @TheBilly: I was on the beach last week. No Inskip but a few soft and dry spots. I think we were around 18psi, but hard to tell with the accuracy of the gauge I had, but a smidge under 20. No problems. However as soon as I tested 2wd the back wheels just dug in. Back into 4wd and we crawled back out again no problems.

            At 60 or 80 you could probably do it at full pressure in a 2wd vehicle. It’s about getting up to speed where the issues with traction are.

            • @Euphemistic: I have been bogged to the sills on 22psi, it was one of the first times I ever went beach driving and it was pretty bad. After that point the guy who recovered me said to always run 16psi. I have never had an issue since or been bogged.

              At 14-16psi You don't need to accelerate too much on take off as the initial jerk digs your tyres in, if the momentum is consistent and soft you will be fine. Take your foot off the brakes and let the torque do it's bit.

  • +1

    I would highly highly recommend you get a proper 4wd and not the awd type systems that get marketed to adventurous unsuspecting families.

    You may not do hardcore, but you may, but you will more than likely only purchase once. I can count on 1.8 hands the number of people that have regretted not making that few thousand dollars extra purchase when they had the chance.

    It's like getting to the finish line, falling over and ending your career forever, but the kicker is you saw the rock you tripped on, you just thought you could step over it or around it.

    Just don't do the AWD thing. Get a proper high / low range 4wd.

    Any minute now you might hear from a Subaru fanatic shortly in response to this saying "but my Forrester is this and that" or some Toyota Kluger driver who parks on the grass at weekend netball… Just no.

    You need high range and low range.

    I've done it enough and I've seen the result. Most recently a BMW X5 in a remote beach location facing a multi thousand dollar tow bill.

    • +2

      Ok but re Subarus, many actually have a high and low range… my Outback does. And also, even without it, Subaru's AWD is a lot better than 99% of the competition's so I'm a little offended by the comparison with a Kluger!

      This is just one example re Subaru's AWD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCuvwYd9JuE

      But also, it really depends what OP is going to do. I would take my Outback 99.9% of the places that most people who own a real 4wd would go. If you're itching to go that last 0.01%, you'll need a proper off roader and even then probably some mods (or… an Outback with a lift kit!).

      Just for fun here's a Subaru with a lift kit wrecking some real 4wds! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RafVwMjOKY

      • +1

        Ok but re Subarus, many actually have a high and low range… my Outback does. And also, even without it, Subaru's AWD is a lot better than 99% of the competition's so I'm a little offended by the comparison with a Kluger!

        I had a forester manual with dual range. The low range wasn’t very low, unlike ‘true’ 4wds. Also, the talk on he forester forums was that when off road the auto gearbox without dual range was much more effective.

        Often with modern 7,8,9 speed autos first gear is so low that low range isn’t needed, especially with the torque converter being able to happily crawl along without burning out a clutch

        I’d still rather have a Manual with low range for a 4wd. Not becuase it’s better though. Auto is probably more effective.

        • Had a manual Navara now an Auto. I prefer the manual for Low Range work.

      • Not being offensive but a mud pit like that is hardly 4wding in my opinion, it's definitely something a beginner will get excited over, but once you have done proper 4wding it's a nuisance as you just end up with a stinky boggy car at the end of the day for little adrenalin or excitement and every time you need something on the roof or get in the engine bay it's a stinky pain.

        Go and do the tough tracks in the Victorian High Country or Lithgow where you wheel lift, get stuck in ruts, drive on the edge of cliffs up 45 degree angles.

        A stock prado can do all that. At the measly sum of a few thousand dollars more than an AWD vehicle, an AWD cannot.

        It's more than just 4 wheels spinning. It's about wheel size, clearance, articulation, carrying capacity and GVM, fuel efficiency and distance, chassis and strength engineering etc.

        Now I'm not saying it is for everyone. But OP clearly will use 4wd and is an outdoorsy individual, it is only a matter of time they go further and further and try more things. So why sell yourself short. You don't buy a vehicle everyday, maybe once every 5 years if your wealthy. Over a few thousand dollars, why opt out when you can opt in and make sure you are properly equipped.

  • +3

    Prado is the perfect vehicle for you as the poll shows. Rugged, reliable and best all rounder. If you didn't have the dog, would have said a clean FJ Cruiser (same chassis and parts as Prado but smaller). Both do incredibly well off road.

  • +1

    I'm not a Toyota Salesman but.

    Prado

    Pros

    1. Fuel = 87L can upgrade to a 223L tank
    2. High range / Low range
    3. Wagon = no dust / Ute = Dust everywhere
    4. Disel
    5. Auto
    6. Toyota = proven reliability
    7. Comfy
    8. Large cab
    9. Boot space for fridge and drawers
    10. Large roof for racks
    11. Great resale
    12. Massive aftermarket
    13. If higher end - KDSS suspension
    14. One of most capable stock with no mods
    15. Not as 'optioned' as other brands

    Cons

    1. Price
    2. Dog in cab
    3. Not as 'optioned' as other brands
    4. GVM - not great
    5. Rear coils bad for towing can

    The 2.8L is a great engine but if you can find a nice clean 3.0l (upto 2014 I believe) they are such a nice engine, plenty of torque low down.

    I have a Hilux would not recommend back seat for kids as they get older. But I love it and Toyotas otherwise.

    • +1

      Prado has a 149L fuel tank on the Diesel (so long as you keep the regular door and don't change for the open lifting door as this will move the spare wheel under the car and use the space where the auxiliary tank is).

      • Even better

  • -2

    Subaru Outback

    • Interesting it was down-voted, but no comments, I've re-read the OP and think it ticks most boxes.

      You do want to carry lots of gear, a small boxed 6x4 trailer would be perfect for bikes, fridge and the bulky stuff, frees up the boot for the dog!

      edit - Outback 3.6 might be better for towing, might just get it in budget….

  • +1

    Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Exceed. (The Pajero Sport is getting a major make-over for 2020, so you should be able to get a good deal on any 2019 models.)

  • Tank. Nothing says warrior like a tank.

  • -6

    You are more all over the place than a 4X4.
    Why don't you jot down your priorities then toss out half.
    You need a large vehicle to tow all the junk you are talking about… then you want to commute in this monstrosity.
    Don't take me wrong, this is only constructive criticism to assist in your decision making —-I feel you have an inferiority complex, i.e late dog, large, vehicle, large caravan.

    • +9

      Thank you for your input and somewhat broad sweeping assumptions and judgement, however I think you may have misread the post. You see, I was looking for weekend warrior and not keyboard warrior advice.

      • +1

        Someone get the aloe vera.

  • I have 2014 Holden Colorado 7.
    Bang for buck, its very good.
    Great towing + plenty of room. Seats fold down flat.
    Tows like a dream, Suspension good out of the box for basic offroading

    I got ex demo with 600km + tow pack for $40K

  • An AWD might be okay on some beaches and tracks, but given what you want to do, I think you'll quickly regret buying one. You need a proper 4WD.

    MU-X drives like a tractor. If you are upgrading from an older 4WD you probably wouldn't notice (I didn't at first), but compared to its competitors it can be a bit loud, a tad underpowered, heavy steering, and just not as nice to be in or to drive. It feels its age. It's also very light on with features.

    Prados might make similar power to its rivals on paper, but are dangerously underpowered in the real world. I had one for a week as a hire car and just couldn't live with it. Shame though because aside from a relatively high pricetag, they're a solid car.

    I bought a Pajero Sport. Perky engine and transmission, lots of useful features and tech, upmarket interior, factory rear diff lock and off road modes - I am very happy with mine. My only complaint is that the ride is a bit wooden. Both the MU-X and Prado soak up the B-grade roads a lot better. But a suspension upgrade is an easy fix. Plus regardless of car, I'd probably upgrade the suspension given I've added a steel bullbar and bash plates.

    The only other car I'd consider is an Everest. I didn't drive one but they're meant to be good. But also very expensive. You could probably pick up a brand new Pajero Sport Exceed for $50k, whereas I don't think you'd even get into an entry level ex-demo Everest for the same price.

    Dual cab utes are bloody long and ride terrible. Hiluxes in particular are rough on road. I wouldn't buy one unless I was a tradie or I was out camping every weekend.

    • +1

      Good to hear a lot of positive stories about Pajero Sport. I'm planning to pull the trigger with the updated version due this year.

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