Best 4x4 in hot and sandy conditions
Discussion
I have used many on the beach as sailing instructor and as broker...plus owned many of different types styles big and small and as a x spanner shifter I can say I have fpund the light ones are best 3door Vitara or Jimmy.
They float rather than sink...you can have all the fancy lockers etc but weight and contact patch...low pressure in tyres massively helps.
I also lived in the Caribbean and 3 door vitara is the standard tool of choice ( petrol) ....easy to fix with basic tools.
The 5door 98 to 2005 model is better than the later in many ways and nearly as capable as the 3 door ... .2.5v6 is quite quick.
They float rather than sink...you can have all the fancy lockers etc but weight and contact patch...low pressure in tyres massively helps.
I also lived in the Caribbean and 3 door vitara is the standard tool of choice ( petrol) ....easy to fix with basic tools.
The 5door 98 to 2005 model is better than the later in many ways and nearly as capable as the 3 door ... .2.5v6 is quite quick.
Edited by Rum Runner on Sunday 16th February 23:36
Within the budget there are 3 that spring to mind:
Toyota FJ Cruiser: Great in the sand but suffers from very cramped back seats and a tiny boot. Not enough space for a serious day trip UAE style with kids. Also on a practical note, can be difficult to open the back doors in confined spaces as you have to open the front doors fully to clear the rear doors - so no squeezing into parking spaces. Being a Toyota, suffers from little depreciation in the UAE.
Nissan X-terra: Almost as good in the sand as the FJ but with added practicalities of space. downside is its a a bit dull......
Ford F150 / Chevrolet Sierra / other full size pick-up: My personal favourote in this part of the world. Actually an incredibly pracitcal family car in the Middle East. Get the full twin cab and the there is nore space in the back seats than any full size SUV. pick up bed is perfect for bikes, dirty bbqs, fire wood, camping equipment etc etc. Can get everything filthy on the beach and then throw it in the back. Sufficiently capable off road performance with a big V8 for power. And the best car in terms of personal safety in the region - even landcruisers dont bother tailgaiting and flashing. My wife learnt to drive on one of these and wouldnt swap to anything smaller.
Toyota FJ Cruiser: Great in the sand but suffers from very cramped back seats and a tiny boot. Not enough space for a serious day trip UAE style with kids. Also on a practical note, can be difficult to open the back doors in confined spaces as you have to open the front doors fully to clear the rear doors - so no squeezing into parking spaces. Being a Toyota, suffers from little depreciation in the UAE.
Nissan X-terra: Almost as good in the sand as the FJ but with added practicalities of space. downside is its a a bit dull......
Ford F150 / Chevrolet Sierra / other full size pick-up: My personal favourote in this part of the world. Actually an incredibly pracitcal family car in the Middle East. Get the full twin cab and the there is nore space in the back seats than any full size SUV. pick up bed is perfect for bikes, dirty bbqs, fire wood, camping equipment etc etc. Can get everything filthy on the beach and then throw it in the back. Sufficiently capable off road performance with a big V8 for power. And the best car in terms of personal safety in the region - even landcruisers dont bother tailgaiting and flashing. My wife learnt to drive on one of these and wouldnt swap to anything smaller.
We tried a lot of different cars in the desert. The Land Rover Defenders were useless.
The Landcruisers were the most reliable and didnt get stuck too often. The Landcruiser pick ups were not that great.
The best we had were around 2005 era Landcruiser Amazons on skinny desert tyres.
Faster than anything else and didn't get stuck, parts easy to come by and relatively easy to maintain.
The Landcruisers were the most reliable and didnt get stuck too often. The Landcruiser pick ups were not that great.
The best we had were around 2005 era Landcruiser Amazons on skinny desert tyres.
Faster than anything else and didn't get stuck, parts easy to come by and relatively easy to maintain.
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