What car to buy? 20k

[6_litre_man]

Well after having my pride and joy silver ssv ute stolen a week and a half ago :bawl::bawl: RIP, i am already thinking about what im going to get as my next car.

As i leased the ute i was able to afford spending that much on a car but seeing as im not keen on leasing again, im only allowing myself a maximum of $20,000.

I was thinking of going down the 4wd track and getting a navara, hilux or triton. Something that i can go off road with and have some fun and to go camping with, but the thought of leaving the v8 world is a bit sad for me. I have thought about getting a good condition vu ss ute or a vy ss ute but i just cant help thinking if i do ill be constantly dissapointed because ill constantly comparing it to what i had with the ve ssv.

If i go down the 4wd track i will buy the car and wont spend much more on it, allowing me to spend money else where and do other things i love, however if i go the down the ss ute path, i will be happy having a v8 and a powerful car but will just then want to spend more and more money on it and not having as much to pursue other hobbies.

Just wondering what other people would doif they were in the same situation or what path people would take?

Cheers
Matthew

[UTESRULE]

one word HILUX

[csv rulz]

If you go down the 4wd path you wont spend much money - your kidding yourself. The 4wd bug will soon bite.

[6_litre_man]

If you go down the 4wd path you wont spend much money - your kidding yourself. The 4wd bug will soon bite.

nah that bug wont bite me, i dont really have the interest in spending dollars on a 4wd in the way of lift kits and uhfs and big tyres and all that stuff. Just would get a nice capable 4wd that can let me have some fun and go camping with and get me to and from work everyday. that way i can chase others interests and hobbies.

[added]

Land Rover Discovery TD5 - The most comfortable 4x4 I've been in (and owned). I'm pretty sure with 20K you will be out of Dark Horse (Lucas Electronics) territory, so no electronic failures. Has one of the best off the shelf 4x4 capability.

Land Rover Defender TD5 - Horrible ride. Has one of the best off the shelf 4x4 capability. You also wont feel bad about getting it dirty.

Nissan Patrol - Pick of the lot. One of the best drive lines available for a 4x4, be sure to get a 4.2 TD. They are hard to find in good nick, if you do get one don't let go because it wont let you down. Also - Modifying these to go faster is as simple as a boost gauge, Pyro, Intake with a bigger cooler, 3"-4"-5" exhaust (The bigger the better).

Dont buy a Navara or a Hilux, people will say they are awesome. But then you will buy one and after a month or two you will realize you bought an over-hyped Piece of crap and wished you bought one of the above.

Land Cruisers are OK. Just OK.

[255-LS1]

75 series cruiser ute. unbreakable. i love ours.

[csv rulz]

Land Rover Discovery TD5 - The most comfortable 4x4 I've been in (and owned). I'm pretty sure with 20K you will be out of Dark Horse (Lucas Electronics) territory, so no electronic failures. Has one of the best off the shelf 4x4 capability.

Land Rover Defender TD5 - Horrible ride. Has one of the best off the shelf 4x4 capability. You also wont feel bad about getting it dirty.

Nissan Patrol - Pick of the lot. One of the best drive lines available for a 4x4, be sure to get a 4.2 TD. They are hard to find in good nick, if you do get one don't let go because it wont let you down. Also - Modifying these to go faster is as simple as a boost gauge, Pyro, Intake with a bigger cooler, 3"-4"-5" exhaust (The bigger the better).

Dont buy a Navara or a Hilux, people will say they are awesome. But then you will buy one and after a month or two you will realize you bought an over-hyped Piece of crap and wished you bought one of the above.

Land Cruisers are OK. Just OK.

My old man bought a 99 Landrover Discovery 3.9L V8 - dropped a brand new Range Rover 4.6L V8 in it, and worked it. This thing is a friggin beast (dunno the exact details). He also put it on gas and put extra gas tanks in for a longer range, old man emu suspension, the usual uhf, bullbar, fridge, 2 batteries etc. He loves it and has an absolute ball doing stuff to it and going out with the local 4wd club.
Just some crappy phone pics - camping at mallacoota!
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff246/bj-alfetta/untitled1.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff246/bj-alfetta/untitled.jpg

[Tecca]

Land Rovers are they way to to....fark everything else.

[6_litre_man]

Land Rover Discovery TD5 - The most comfortable 4x4 I've been in (and owned). I'm pretty sure with 20K you will be out of Dark Horse (Lucas Electronics) territory, so no electronic failures. Has one of the best off the shelf 4x4 capability.

Land Rover Defender TD5 - Horrible ride. Has one of the best off the shelf 4x4 capability. You also wont feel bad about getting it dirty.

Nissan Patrol - Pick of the lot. One of the best drive lines available for a 4x4, be sure to get a 4.2 TD. They are hard to find in good nick, if you do get one don't let go because it wont let you down. Also - Modifying these to go faster is as simple as a boost gauge, Pyro, Intake with a bigger cooler, 3"-4"-5" exhaust (The bigger the better).

Dont buy a Navara or a Hilux, people will say they are awesome. But then you will buy one and after a month or two you will realize you bought an over-hyped Piece of crap and wished you bought one of the above.

Land Cruisers are OK. Just OK.

hey mate thanks for the info, really helpfull.

looked at patrols, i should have specified though im chasing a 4x4 ute, hence y i was looking at navaras, hiluxs or tritons. out of the 3 im leaning towards the triton as a mate had a 99 model and you couldnt kill the thing.

[dawkinsdisciple]

one word HILUX


Land Rovers are they way to to....fark everything else.

ergh. might sound weird coming from a fellow commodore owner but seriously man if youre doing the 4wd thing, have a crack at smething besides a lux or cruiser, something a bit left field... have a crack at a rover, resales to shite on landies (rovers or disco) so should find a good one second hand. i just can't help but think of tojos as either sterile fridges, keeping up with joneses soccermobiles or redneck transport plastered with rmwilliams stickers and festooned with spotties and dog cages. jmho.

[Shulkor]

Meet half way maybe ..VY II Adventra ? 4wd v8 plenty for sale in your price range with well under 100k kms.

[added]

If you are looking for a ute I've heard nothing but good things about BT-50's and Rangers. My uncle owns a 4x4 one, and he only complains about how highly geared 1st is. My Brother by law has a 2wd version and he says that it is great, he was trying to compare it to my ss and said "It spins on gravel through 4th!". 2.5 TD and 3.0 TD engines both have decent power/torque. Plus mazda make a good car, not unlike Mitsubishi mind you.

With simple mods Triton's can make plenty of good safe power.

There is a video on youtube of a Mitsubishi Triton 2.5 TD making 360 Hp 640 Nm.

[BECAUZ]

hey mate thanks for the info, really helpfull.

looked at patrols, i should have specified though im chasing a 4x4 ute, hence y i was looking at navaras, hiluxs or tritons. out of the 3 im leaning towards the triton as a mate had a 99 model and you couldnt kill the thing.

Patrol is perfect. I had a 4.2 TD patrol ute, best 4wd/ute i have ever owned. Seen some very harsh terrain working in isolated area on the tracks and geez did i have some fun.

Ill go through some old pics and post some up for you. It was a few years ago but i bought it for around $32000 back in 2007 and it only had 60K on the clock

[Jonesy40]

only thing i have found with our 4.2 TD patrol at work is that it drinks 18-20l per Hundred city or highway. saying that put a tonne on the back of it and a tralier and it still does the same.

[GODSMACK]

Navara FTW...

[XUV]

Cross 8 , Cross 6 , Cross 6 1 TONNER .......... unless you're gunna go down a goat track .

[ADAM 26]

80 series cruiser or gq patrol.

no mater wat 4x4 you get, you need to set it up for bush with a few simple things.

tyres, at very least 33 inch,
at least 2 inch lift with good shocks.
good steel bull bar, no alloy toorak tractor crap! winch will also come in handy, so get a winch bar.
spotlights, good ones.
uhf
recovery gear, drag chain, snatch strap, first aid kit, RATED SHAKELS.
snokel ( better to spend a few hundred on that then a few grand on a new motor)

alot of tracks have been ripped up by trucks with 35-38 inch tyres, so keep in mind that the ruts are deep as sh1t! i had 33s and was getting hung up all the time on the diffs, a 80 series can fit 35s with 2 inch lift and no guard cutting.

[GODSMACK]

only thing i have found with our 4.2 TD patrol at work is that it drinks 18-20l per Hundred city or highway. saying that put a tonne on the back of it and a tralier and it still does the same.

Thats to be expected when it weighs 2.3T and has a 4.2LTD donk..

[Jonesy40]

Thats to be expected when it weighs 2.3T and has a 4.2LTD donk..

true but if iwas driving around everyday i would hate to be paying the fuel bills just something to consider

[ADAM 26]

what about a petol motor converted to lpg? or dual fuel. our 80 series is on gas and has done 400000+km, yes it uses a bit, but gas is cheap. still has plenty of grunt.

[GODSMACK]

true but if iwas driving around everyday i would hate to be paying the fuel bills just something to consider

The 3.0LTD might be a better option, although ive heard of them having issues with turbos around the 100k mark..

[ADAM 26]

The 3.0LTD might be a better option, although ive heard of them having issues with turbos around the 100k mark..

the 3.0l are a time bomb. lots of them have trouble.

[CRA16Y]

no navara, they are shit. if your going a patrol watch the kms on them as the zd30's like cracking pistons, hiluxes are good tryed and tested cars, but diffs and gearboxes cost a arm and leg. havnt had much to do with the others, but i wuoldnt pick them as parts would be more scarce i wuld think.

[ADAM 26]

our 80 series we had since new, done over 400000km on gas, its auto, its been off road, towed everything, driven everyday, nothing mechanical has ever failed, its such a good car, we would never sell it. it doesnt get driven lightly either. iv had it doin 4 wheel slides on grass, holdin it on limiter, headers glowin, temp off the dial, still loves it! cant kill the thing.

[justin_d]

Navaras are the biggest POS 4x4 around. Would rather try my luck with a Territory off road. Lost count of the number of times Navaras ripped off their sumps (hang too low and are a really poxy aluminium job), had issues getting into 4x4 or just died in the arse because of "dodgy fuel" where every other truck, HiLux and Land Cruiser worked just fine whilst I was at work. This is in the Pilbara so a pretty good test of 4x4 abilities. HiLux's hang low but a mate told me the SR5 version sits about an inch higher so it doesn't have as many clearance issues??? :confused: Tritons seem to be not too bad and go like a bat out of hell. In a nutshell, I wouldn't touch a Navara with a 10 foot Krusty the clown pole. :stick:

[ADAM 26]

Navaras are the biggest POS 4x4 around. Would rather try my luck with a Territory off road. Lost count of the number of times Navaras ripped off their sumps (hang too low and are a really poxy aluminium job), had issues getting into 4x4 or just died in the arse because of "dodgy fuel" where every other truck, HiLux and Land Cruiser worked just fine whilst I was at work. This is in the Pilbara so a pretty good test of 4x4 abilities. HiLux's hang low but a mate told me the SR5 version sits about an inch higher so it doesn't have as many clearance issues??? :confused: Tritons seem to be not too bad and go like a bat out of hell. In a nutshell, I wouldn't touch a Navara with a 10 foot Krusty the clown pole. :stick:

A mate of mine has a nav, we all bagged the sh1t out of him, till we went off road, this thing goes bloody well, we were all suprised buy it.

[Carby]

Hmmm could get a brand new Ute for a few bucks more.......comes from a place where a lot of rice is consumed........it would be new!:eyes:

[added]

No! No great wall!

Something noone has mentioned: SSangyong Rexton RX270 XDi
They are in your price range and they come with some damn good equipment compared to the other vehicles being tossed around. I'm pretty sure they still run a Mercedes drive train. The same uncle who has the BT-50 has one and it is damn good in all aspects. Definitely worth checking out as well.

[R8tourer]

A 4x4 is a great decision. I am buying one for the same reason as you mate.

Except I am giving up my VE HSV Tourer for one. Purely for the reason to have more freedom, go camping, 4wding, throw the motorbikes on the back and off we go... I can't wait for that extra bit of freedom.

The HSV is restricted to a well surfaced road and thats about it, i'm over it.

Looking at buying a property with 50+ Acres next year too so I want something more appropriate to suit.

Good luck with the decision as there are a few options. Personally, I am going a Hilux SR5 with 32s, bullbar, 2" lift, snorkel and maybe a few other things down the track. A very tough rig and I drive one for work and goes through hell at the mine sites.

I tested the Navara and did some research, i felt like it would fall apart as soon as it went off road plus the clearance didn't seem too great.

All other ute's i wasn't really a fan of, I think the Hilux comes out on top for a reliable off road utility! Your limit is 20k, my mate picked up an immac white SR5 for that much and he loves it.

[justin_d]

A mate of mine has a nav, we all bagged the sh1t out of him, till we went off road, this thing goes bloody well, we were all suprised buy it.

That's nice. When I work out in the Pilbara where if your vehicle decides to $hit itself it could mean the last of you I'll take my chances with anything other than a Navara. I'm not having a personal dig, just a dig at the vehicle which I have seen fail time and time again.

[oranpark_addict]

Parents business have got a petrol one(Navara that is and 04 model) and what a piece of shit. Everything gas gone wrong. Gasket and other head issues etc. Not a good experience. Seems like your revving a brick above 3000rpm

[HARMSY]

Food for thought....you can get a direct plug in loom for an LS1 into a patrol. Get yourself a neat patrol ute, add 1xLS1, conversion kit, plug and play loom and your set!!! best of both worlds, 4x4 and an LS1:smilesandbanana:

[6_litre_man]

A 4x4 is a great decision. I am buying one for the same reason as you mate.

Except I am giving up my VE HSV Tourer for one. Purely for the reason to have more freedom, go camping, 4wding, throw the motorbikes on the back and off we go... I can't wait for that extra bit of freedom.

The HSV is restricted to a well surfaced road and thats about it, i'm over it.

Looking at buying a property with 50+ Acres next year too so I want something more appropriate to suit.

Good luck with the decision as there are a few options. Personally, I am going a Hilux SR5 with 32s, bullbar, 2" lift, snorkel and maybe a few other things down the track. A very tough rig and I drive one for work and goes through hell at the mine sites.

I tested the Navara and did some research, i felt like it would fall apart as soon as it went off road plus the clearance didn't seem too great.

All other ute's i wasn't really a fan of, I think the Hilux comes out on top for a reliable off road utility! Your limit is 20k, my mate picked up an immac white SR5 for that much and he loves it.

Yeah mate pretty much the exact same reasons im not going back to a v8 ute.

Cheers for all the replies guys, some real helpfull info here, yeah decided not going to go with a navara, so pretty much down to a hilux or triton. not real interested in going against the grain and getting something different.

Found a few nice tritons kicking around, mostly turbo diesels, How much does everyone know about the turbo diesel engines in the tritons? my mates 3 litre v6 petrol in his triton was awesome, never missed a beat but dont know much about the diesels.

keep the info coming guys, its really helpfull :goodjob:

[throttlehappy]

new 4wds are sh*t
get an old one

[jono0309]

mate, get another SSV, buy a second hand one with couple of KMs from a dealer with warranty for a low price...end of financial year and all that...
see what deals they got going now..cheers

[justin_d]

When I worked in Walhalla we had a couple of Tritons. They never seemed to have any issues but the model before the current one had an ordinary turning circle and was a bit of a slug. The one that looks like Cindarella's pumpkin carriage goes like a bat out of hell. :burnout: Both were diesels.

[team illucid]

we used to have a Bronco .. tough as anything, go anywhere (even through steel posts in the end :) ) but heavy and thirsty ... on Gas, doing moderate K's it was a full-to-empty cycle every 2 days .. but oh boy, you could powerslide that thing anywhere .. such a fun tough vehicle.

[6_litre_man]

after having owned a ve ss-v for just over 2 years, if i was to take a step back and buy a vu or vy ss, would i still love driving it or would i just be constantly dissapointed cause i would just be comparing it to the ve.

To all those with a ve, could you go back to driving a vu or vy ute if you had to?

[XU1_VE6]

Patrol 4.2 you can't go wrong, absolutely bulletproof. Navara diesel, haven't heard a bad report yet, but in Patrol's anything other than 4.2 Diesel or 4.8L Petrol don't bother.

Rangers or BT50 aren't a bad ride for the money, cheap thailand built ute pretty reliable not a lot goes wrong. NO GREAT WALL......... RUBBISH

4wd's have higher running costs as a daily drive too to keep in mind, having a set of road wheels for it is a good idea.

[PLASTED]

hilux is the go

[blu ute]

75 series cruiser ute. unbreakable. i love ours.

yep i agree
:yup:

[theVman]

Most diesel Mitzu's have very little issues. The 3.2 DID is great but from what I am hearing the newer 2.5 DID is even better.

Against a Hilux they would be pretty even. It will come down to what you can get for the price and which one suits you taste. There are a lot of after market components for each - Hilux obviously has a tad more.

I have an old 2.8td Paj as a daily with a lift and only 31 inch muddies. I am really suprised the places it makes it into and out of. I would probably go a Triton or perhaps a new Challenger if I upgrade soon.