REAL Off-road built like a tank that doesn't break the bank?

[J4x4K]

Avdb said:

Off-road built like a tank...

It was already discussed in the beginning of the thread. Too small, too expensive and honestly I'm looking for a bit more road manners and comfort. It's barely a notch above the Defender on that.

[HustleRussell]

J4x4K said:

Off roading will be on weekends and road trips during vacations once or twice a year. But daily road driving 5 days a week the whole year.

Again, it sounds like you need two cars- a practical daily for doing practical daily stuff with and a weekend off-road toy.

[J4x4K]

HustleRussell said:

Again, it sounds like you need two cars- a practical daily for doing practical daily stuff with and a weekend off-road toy.

Why, if I can get one which can do both?

Besides for vacation and road trips, such as cross country trips across Europe, I would hate to do it on something like a Defender anyway. If I had a dedicated off road it would be a 2-door. So if I had a Defender 2-door, for road trips I would have to put it on a trailer and pull till when I need to off road. Too complicated.

I need something viable for both off road and the road. Something viable for road trips will be viable for daily use. But something viable for road trips has to be viable for off roading when we get where we are going or on the way off roading. No matter what I need a vehicle that can play well on both.

Besides if I get a daily driver for myself and an off road for weekends we will end up with four vehicles, which we really don't need or have the space for. If I get my off road we will end with three vehicles as is. Because my wife will drive the station wagon, I will drive the off road and I already have a "toy car", which I'm keeping.

[Hainey]

J4x4K said:

HustleRussell said:

Again, it sounds like you need two cars- a practical daily for doing practical daily stuff with and a weekend off-road toy.

Why, if I can get one which can do both?

Besides for vacation and road trips, such as cross country trips across Europe, I would hate to do it on something like a Defender anyway. If I had a dedicated off road it would be a 2-door. So if I had a Defender 2-door, for road trips I would have to put it on a trailer and pull till when I need to off road. Too complicated.

I need something viable for both off road and the road. Something viable for road trips will be viable for daily use. But something viable for road trips has to be viable for off roading when we get where we are going or on the way off roading. No matter what I need a vehicle that can play well on both.

Besides if I get a daily driver for myself and an off road for weekends we will end up with four vehicles, which we really don't need or have the space for. If I get my off road we will end with three vehicles as is. Because my wife will drive the station wagon, I will drive the off road and I already have a "toy car", which I'm keeping.

No, you think you can do both. Trouble is you're on a sub 5k budget, which is cock all in the off road word as you are finding out.

[J4x4K]

Hainey said:

No, you think you can do both. Trouble is you're on a sub 5k budget, which is cock all in the off road word as you are finding out.

Sorry, don't get your point.

[mikeh501]

id agree on the 2 cars thing. even though a vehicle "could" do some semi-serious off roading, you have to be prepared to break it. If I knew that was my daily driver I just wouldnt do it, no matter how capable the vehicle. Doesnt matter how good it is, if you drown it, bend a track rod, dent a road wheel etc. It will be just as broken - just that the more road biased stuff, or LC's and Patrols - anything will be more expensive to fix.

The other consideration is tyres. if you want to off road, especially on muddy terrain you need mud or extreme mud tyres to make progress. these are rubbish on the road, and i wouldnt want them on a daily driver with my kids in the car because in an emergency it just wont stop or go around corners as well as more road biased rubber.

I off road regularly at P&P's (twice a month type stuff) and have a 1994 Defender 90 soft top with all the gear required. It does a great job. I drive a Disco4 as my daily. Id guess the Disco is pretty capable off road, but you can be sure as hell i wouldnt want to try drowning it in deep water or bogging it up to its doors in mud.

[mikeh501]

J4x4K said:

I did think of the Pathfinder. I used to like the 1985-1995 first generation ones. But it is a bit on the small side. I want something larger.

you can count the vehicles which are bigger than a pathfinder on the fingers of one hand lol. why on earth would you need something bigger; its absolutely cavernous!

[Aus90]

First post, after lurking for several months.....

What about a Foers, thats the manufacturer, Ibex F8


http://www.ibexf8.com/downloads/Brochure12web.pdf

[Hainey]

J4x4K said:

Hainey said:

No, you think you can do both. Trouble is you're on a sub 5k budget, which is cock all in the off road word as you are finding out.

Sorry, don't get your point.

Six pages in, a myriad of helpful advice from some really clever and experienced people on here, and your refusal to look at certain makes such as this cherry of a statement from you below:

'If you would like to contribute and suggest something that wasn't suggested you are welcome. But as long as it's not anything from Audi, VW, Volvo, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Land Rover, Kia, Hyundai, Opel or Ford. I have considered all these brands have to offer and written them off for one reason or another. Also please do not suggest a crossover, station wagons, vans and minivans regardless if they are 4x4. Do not suggest anything that is not a 4x4 large-mid or full-sized SUV with four doors.

If you have no suggestion it's fine. But please drop the safety talk. I already said I will be happy with the level of safety something like a Patrol or Land Cruiser offers.

End of story.'

...and no, I'm not surprised you don't get my point.

Personally I think what your looking for doesn't exist at the lemonade money end of the budget your playing in and your really just wasting peoples time now. Is that plain enough to get my point?

[SHutchinson]

Aus90 said:

First post, after lurking for several months.....

What about a Foers, thats the manufacturer, Ibex F8


http://www.ibexf8.com/downloads/Brochure12web.pdf

What's it like working at Foers (the manufacturer) these days? ;-)

[J4x4K]

mikeh501 said:

you can count the vehicles which are bigger than a pathfinder on the fingers of one hand lol. why on earth would you need something bigger; its absolutely cavernous!

I guess it's a matter of perspective. To me cavernous is a Land Cruiser 100 series.

Still, I want something larger than the Pathfinder. And it's not just that. There are a few vehicles I would go for before a Pathfinder.

But thanks for the suggestion just the same.

[J4x4K]

Aus90 said:

First post, after lurking for several months.....

What about a Foers, thats the manufacturer, Ibex F8


http://www.ibexf8.com/downloads/Brochure12web.pdf

I knew about that vehicle. But probably way too expensive and I'm not sure about it as a daily driver.

[J4x4K]

mikeh501 said:

id agree on the 2 cars thing. even though a vehicle "could" do some semi-serious off roading, you have to be prepared to break it. If I knew that was my daily driver I just wouldnt do it, no matter how capable the vehicle. Doesnt matter how good it is, if you drown it, bend a track rod, dent a road wheel etc. It will be just as broken - just that the more road biased stuff, or LC's and Patrols - anything will be more expensive to fix.

I understand your concern. But it will be one vehicle for both, daily driving and occasional off roading. This decision is made.

Keep in mind though that this won't be the only vehicle in the family. We will still have two more cars apart from the off road.

mikeh501 said:

The other consideration is tyres. if you want to off road, especially on muddy terrain you need mud or extreme mud tyres to make progress. these are rubbish on the road, and i wouldnt want them on a daily driver with my kids in the car because in an emergency it just wont stop or go around corners as well as more road biased rubber.

I thought this was the normal so I didn't specifically mention it. But when I had my Niva I had two sets of tires and only put the hardcore off road tires when I would go off road. I will definitely have different tire sets.

[J4x4K]

Hainey said:

J4x4K said:

Hainey said:

No, you think you can do both. Trouble is you're on a sub 5k budget, which is cock all in the off road word as you are finding out.

Sorry, don't get your point.

Six pages in, a myriad of helpful advice from some really clever and experienced people on here, and your refusal to look at certain makes such as this cherry of a statement from you below:

'If you would like to contribute and suggest something that wasn't suggested you are welcome. But as long as it's not anything from Audi, VW, Volvo, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Land Rover, Kia, Hyundai, Opel or Ford. I have considered all these brands have to offer and written them off for one reason or another. Also please do not suggest a crossover, station wagons, vans and minivans regardless if they are 4x4. Do not suggest anything that is not a 4x4 large-mid or full-sized SUV with four doors.

If you have no suggestion it's fine. But please drop the safety talk. I already said I will be happy with the level of safety something like a Patrol or Land Cruiser offers.

End of story.'

...and no, I'm not surprised you don't get my point.

Personally I think what your looking for doesn't exist at the lemonade money end of the budget your playing in and your really just wasting peoples time now. Is that plain enough to get my point?

Oh, OK. I think I get it now. You were trying to tell me what I can and cannot do. Well, sorry. You don't get to. The decision is made. It will be only one vehicle for both.

And why are you assuming because I want to pay 5K for the vehicle it means I won't even be able to afford maintenance? I set the limit at 5K because I don't think more money will buy me more utility, just more luxury and fanciness. Also, whatever I buy I will still spend more money on it to customize it. A lift and a second set of tires is a given. Bottom plates, sliders and other add ons too. When all is said and done it will be a lot more than 5K. And I don't want to buy a vehicle which already has those because it will mean it will most likely be an abused vehicle.

So just to get this out of the way, I'm not interested in getting two vehicles. We do not need four vehicles. I believe a real off road is more than capable of filling both roles and this is my plan.

If you think I'm wasting your time, please feel free to not reply anymore to the thread. Thanks for your contribution thus far.

P.S. I didn't refuse to look at any certain makes. I looked into them all. The ones I wrote above just don't offer anything for me. Either because they are luxury vehicle instead of off roads, Chelsea Tractors, posers, have bad reliability reputations or are overall wrong for me. But I didn't refuse to look. I did look but found nothing. This is very different.

Sorry if you own a vehicles from any of those makes and I offended you. I'm sure it is serving you well. But it's not for me. Move on.

[Aus90]

J4x4K said:

Aus90 said:

First post, after lurking for several months.....

What about a Foers, thats the manufacturer, Ibex F8


http://www.ibexf8.com/downloads/Brochure12web.pdf

I knew about that vehicle. But probably way too expensive and I'm not sure about it as a daily driver.

As a new one, yes theyll be £30k plus depending on spec, but they do crop up on ebay and similar from time to time, although a compromise is required on what the PO thinks is a perfects spec....

P.S. I don't work for em, just an observer, and I appreciate the product.

[Aus90]

J4x4K said:

Aus90 said:

First post, after lurking for several months.....

What about a Foers, thats the manufacturer, Ibex F8


http://www.ibexf8.com/downloads/Brochure12web.pdf

I knew about that vehicle. But probably way too expensive and I'm not sure about it as a daily driver.

As a new one, yes theyll be £30k plus depending on spec, but they do crop up on ebay and similar from time to time, although a compromise is required on what the PO thinks is a perfects spec....

P.S. I don't work for em, just an observer, and I appreciate the product.

[Impasse]

J4x4K said:

Oh, OK. I think I get it now. You were trying to tell me what I can and cannot do. Well, sorry. You don't get to. The decision is made. It will be only one vehicle for both.

This thread has been going on for a month. A month to buy a five grand shed. Do you actually intend to purchase a vehicle or are you just here to intentionally frustrate those who have offered advice and opinions?

[J4x4K]

Impasse said:

This thread has been going on for a month. A month to buy a five grand shed. Do you actually intend to purchase a vehicle or are you just here to intentionally frustrate those who have offered advice and opinions?

Why is it that most human beings get frustrated when they offer advice but the advice is not taken? Is it a thing of the ego? So am I supposed to take all advice given by all? That would be impossible since even the advice go against each other here.

This is just not how advice works. Anybody who thinks they advice should be taken no questions asked is the type of person who thinks he is always right and others are always wrong.

Having said that, I did take some of the advice given here. Like I said it would be impossible to take all of it. But I took advice. I don't know why I have to keep reminding people of that. I started the thread aiming for a XJ Cherokee and now I'm basically open to a Patrol, Land Cruiser and possibly Pajero in good condition. How is that not taking advice?

And why people still insisting that these three options are not good enough? To me it is starting to look like ego again. People are maybe frustrated because I dismissed their precious SUV by selecting only the three above. Because otherwise it doesn't make any sense all the bickering.

As for your question to why I have not bought a car yet, I'm taking my time with this, yes. I don't want to jump on the first rusty truck I see. I'm not desperate. We have two other cars already. Also, the Patrols and Land Cruisers are very rare around here. If you want Prados they are all over the place. But the real/proper Land Cruiser you barely see on the road, just like the Patrol. The Pajero is more common though.

But I'm taking my time to find what I want. Can I not or what?

Edited by J4x4K on Wednesday 10th June 10:30

[J4x4K]

Aus90 said:

J4x4K said:

Aus90 said:

First post, after lurking for several months.....

What about a Foers, thats the manufacturer, Ibex F8


http://www.ibexf8.com/downloads/Brochure12web.pdf

I knew about that vehicle. But probably way too expensive and I'm not sure about it as a daily driver.

As a new one, yes theyll be £30k plus depending on spec, but they do crop up on ebay and similar from time to time, although a compromise is required on what the PO thinks is a perfects spec....

P.S. I don't work for em, just an observer, and I appreciate the product.

Well, maybe so. But if I'm having a hard time finding a good selection of Land Cruiser and Patrols around here I don't expect to find a 4-door Ibex for 5 grand. Keep in mind, for those who skipped to the end of the thread or didn't read through, that I'm not in the UK. I'm in central Europe. Never saw an Ibex here in my life time.

[IroningMan]

If you're in central Europe then I'd have thought that a G-Wagen would be the logical answer - parts support, specialist indy workshops and aftermarket bits will be a piece of cake compared to something Japanese which only ever sold in vanishingly small numbers.