Used Four-By: Suggestions?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Murcie_LP640
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Murcie_LP640

Murcie_LP640

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Murcie LP710
Just want to get some ideas for a possible used 4x4 to head up north to Cape York in Queensland next year. My budget is about AU$2,500-4,000 and for that the usual suspects have been a Nissan Patrol/Ford Maverick, Suzuki Vitara and the Toyota Land Cruiser. I can immediately say that as a Nissan fanboy I'm going to rule out the Toyota; Patrols are a lot more bulletproof and capable from what I've seen than the Land Cruiser. That really just leaves the Patrol, Vitara, or any other suggestions people can come up with.
 
Nissan might be your flavour of choice but Toyota's are everywhere. If you are going that far noth and something does go wrong, chances are a ToJo will be most plentiful in the parts department.
A Defender wouldn't be a bad choice to look at either.
I would also consider a short wheelbase as this is a more nimble configuration.
 
My dad and a mate of mine both own Patrols and parts are pretty easy to acquire for them as well as the Suzuki Vitara. It's more which is less likely to break down going over the rough stuff than which one is going to be easier/cheaper to fix as all three are pretty decent in that area.

The SWB was the reason why I was looking at the Vitara. It may have a 1.6L engine but it's small, light, and nimble and it would make a decent second runabout too if something ever goes wrong with the Skyline that I currently own.

And as for the Defender, the cheapest I have seen is going for $10,000 which is completely out of my price range. If I had that sort of cash I would have gone for a Defender without hesitation but I don't so it's out of the question.
 
Jeep CJ/Wrangler? thought they'd probably be kinda rare and hard to get parts for over there...
 
The only Jeeps in my price range are late-90s Cherokees which don't really interest me at all. And something about just doesn't really scream "great 4x4". I think it might have something to do with them technically being Chryslers.
 
Jimny!









Jimny!










JIMNY!!!

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Seriously, though... don't discount the LC... an old short wheelbase BJ40 is tough as nails, cheap to fix and cheap to run.
 
Murcie_LP640
I can immediately say that as a Nissan fanboy I'm going to rule out the Toyota; Patrols are a lot more bulletproof and capable from what I've seen than the Land Cruiser.
Click to expand...

The whole of the Middle East would disagree with you. Way more Land Cruisers than Patrols over there.

The Patrol is good, I'm just not sure if it's quite as good as the LC.
 
Again that seems to be more a popularity vote than anything to do with how good either of them go off-road. Which, stock-standard, my mate's $1000 GQ Patrol has always out-performed every Land Cruiser we've come across.

The thing is though I'm actually very attracted to the Vitara SWB. Never really seen how they perform but apparently they can go anywhere the big boys can. There would also be the added convenience of keeping it as a cheap runabout should the Cereal Box (my R31) ever need repairs or, if the time arises, modifications.
 

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