Need Euro4 petrol 7 seater with wheel on back. Shogun/XL7?

[Chromegrill]

As thread title.

I'm looking for a car that will seat at least six people (four adults, two small children) and that has its spare wheel on the back door (long story but my wife and I were given a wheel cover as a wedding present so we try to keep a car in the fleet that has a rear door mounted spare wheel...) Further considerations are that we'd prefer an automatic, and the car must be Euro4 compliant due to forthcoming pollution charges where we live, Fuel economy isn't top priority as we have a low mileage.

I've only found two cars that appear to meet these requirements, the early 2000s Mitsubishi Shogun and the contemporaneous Suzuki Grand Vitara XL7. Other than that the Shogun had leather seats and the Suzuki had flannel material, I can't see much between them, nor can I see any alternatives within our constraints. Used prices for both are within £5000 which seems fair game.

Can anyone offer any suggestions about which would be the better/easier to live with car, and have I missed any alternatives that tick all the boxes?

[Vanordinaire]

I've got a 2002 Shogun and love it. The 3.2litre engine is absolutely brilliant, doubt whether the Suzuki compares, but I don't think the Shogun was Euro4 compliant till 2007 and I doubt whether you'll find one newer than that for your budget.

[Chromegrill]

Thanks, typing reg plates from Autotrader ads into the London pollution charge website says that even 2002 Shoguns were Euro4 compliant. I don't get it as my current car (2002) isn't compliant yet it was still being made in 2006 with the same engine and 2006 advert registrations are showing as compliant. The Suzuki also shows as Euro4 compliant.

[Toed64]

Shoguns are BIG, and very comfortable. A good one is a fine thing, but for the same asking price, there are loads of polished up wrecks. Shoguns rot really badly under all the plastic trims. Open the rear doors and look at the wheel arches and the back ends of the sills. If it's rotten there, the rest of it will be dreadful under the plastic trims.

I'm on my 2nd cheap Shogun. It's a 2002 and it's mechanically excellent, looks great and it's (as I expected) rotten. I've cut out and welded up one side and I'll have to do the other side before the MOT. These repairs would be expensive if you have to pay for them. The advantage of the plastic trims is that they cover the welded up bits, so I didn't have to paint it! I spent most of a weekend cutting out the rot and welding new metal back in and you'd never know.

I don't know anything about the Suzukis, but they are a more lightweight vehicle. They might be described as a medium sized SUV, whereas the Shogun is, BIG!

If I were to be buying a 7 seater 4x4 with a budget of about £5000, I'd probably buy a Shogun, but I'd also look at Toyota Landcruisers.

Edited by Toed64 on Sunday 19th August 23:05

[Nickp82]

Contemporaneous, nice. Just need an opportunity to squeeze that one in to a conversation now.