Cheap unusual 2nd car ?

[Alan99UK]

I bet you this produces 20+ different cars but here goes

Over 20 years ago I had ( not at the same time ) a series 3 Landrover, a 4.0 XJ Cherokee and a Nissan Patrol

The landrover went because my wife was fed up having to get in a sleeping bag every time we went to Wales in the winter to visit her mum, the cherokee went because at the time it was a toss up between mortgage payments and fuel costs and the Patrol went as the turbo blew up and at the time we didnt have £1500 to fix it

How I wish I had kept them because basically they were fun to drive even with all their 'quirks'. Then as now we have two big dogs so they took us anywhere is style ( depending on how you define style lol )

...which leads me onto the question. We are now in the position we have buy a 2nd car for a bit of 'fun'. Likely to do less than 4k miles a year

What sort of sub £4k car could we get that would be unusual maybe, rugged, reasonably dependable ...

Pref big suv but open to suggestions , prefer petrol too. only thing we want is not to pay more than £415 tax per year

I know £4k sounds silly but I'm willing to watch and wait if I know what to look for

Thanks

[pidsy]

I wonder of you can find a Hilux Surf in budget.

Had an SSR-G a few years ago and it was great fun to drive, very comfy - huge in the back and unstoppable.

[silentbrown]

Porsche Cayenne?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202412197...

Any big £4K SUV doing only 4K miles will have low running costs, right up to the point where something expensive happens...

It's a case of 'how big a money pit do you want?'

[Oberheim]

An early third-gen Subaru Forester might fit the bill.

[KingGary]

P38 Range Rover is the correct answer. I bought one 2 years ago as a hobby and I love driving it. It’s a proper Land Rover, yet comfortable and practical. Ignore people who say they are unreliable, they are very robust mechanically and all the weird electrical maladies are well understood and fixable. If you get a good one and look after it, it’ll look after you.

Here’s mine:



A good one will cost you £4-5k. Mine has full service history, a petrol V8 and fruity, stainless exhaust so it sounds a bit like a TVR.

Edited by KingGary on Friday 10th January 17:30

[Alan99UK]

pidsy said:

I wonder of you can find a Hilux Surf in budget.

Had an SSR-G a few years ago and it was great fun to drive, very comfy - huge in the back and unstoppable.

I'd love a surf or landcruiser but I think almost all are diesels and people asking silly money now

[Alan99UK]

Re the cayenne..

Interesting idea.. 14mpg..Mmmm.. also the interior would make me ill ... lol

[Alan99UK]

[quote=KingGary]P38 Range Rover is the correct answer. I bought one 2 years ago as a hobby and I love driving it. It’s a proper Land Rover, yet comfortable and practical. Ignore people who say they are unreliable, they are very robust mechanically and all the weird electrical maladies are well understood and fixable. If you get a good one and look after it, it’ll look after you.

Another car I would love to own...but surely the running costs ( air suspension etc ) would be astronomical ?

[KingGary]

Alan99UK]ingGary said:

P38 Range Rover is the correct answer. I bought one 2 years ago as a hobby and I love driving it. It’s a proper Land Rover, yet comfortable and practical. Ignore people who say they are unreliable, they are very robust mechanically and all the weird electrical maladies are well understood and fixable. If you get a good one and look after it, it’ll look after you.

Another car I would love to own...but surely the running costs ( air suspension etc ) would be astronomical ?

Nope, parts are cheap, available from Island 4x4, e.g. air suspension bags are £80 per corner. Cheap tax and about 17mpg, which isn’t horrendous on modest mileage.

The fun bit is tracking down trim parts on eBay, I buy stuff I don’t need just for the fun of it.

Everything is serviceable by the keen amateur mechanic. New air suspension compressor £200, or rebuild yourself for about £20.

Edited by KingGary on Friday 10th January 17:35

[Snow and Rocks]

P38s are unreliable - people knowing how to fix them doesn't stop them breaking in the first place. Ours was a basketcase when it was nearly new - can only imagine what they're like 25 years later.

[KingGary]

Snow and Rocks said:

P38s are unreliable - people knowing how to fix them doesn't stop them breaking in the first place. Ours was a basketcase when it was nearly new - can only imagine what they're like 25 years later.

No they’re not. Just because yours was, doesn’t mean they all are. As I said, everything is fixable and unlike modern cars, they will never go into limp mode or leave you stranded. Usual “Land Rovers are unreliable” nonsense.

https://www.landrovermonthly.co.uk/articles/buying...

[Huzzah]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406210...


Freelander 2 default option around these parts, petrol V6 makes it unusual.

[BuyaDuster]

I would recommend my ruggedised "army spec" manual LR3.

The most Land Rovery Land Rover ever built!

They are not for the novice, but if you have half an idea about cars its the best thing out there.

Not an LR4 (the twin turbo). They can detonate if you are unlucky.

Not the automatic either, as if they let go with no warning its game over.£££

No sunroof, cloth seats and registered before 23rd March 2006 to avoid the high VED that comes in for vehicles manufactured after this date. It falls under the band K exemption so Its under £400 to tax. So a 54/55/06 plate one.

I like the "S" spec the best. Not the GS or the HSE, Not interested in leather or expensive to service headlamps.

It has a brilliant stereo with the amp under the seat. You can plug in a modern head unit for Spotify/Google and use the Aux socket in the back for the factory sound output. It has an under-bonnet diesel heater as standard too.

The de iceing is better than anything else we own and everything is chunky buttons and knobs. Ventilation and interior space is superb.

Fantastic diesel V6 engine with a brilliant 6 speed manual gearbox. Tows 3,500 kg. Whisper quiet.

I changed the air suspension to springs with a 2 inch lift, like a defender. This was just for reliability. Took me a morning in the shed.

I watched LR Time and followed all there advice. I bullet proofed then engine by adding a new oil pump with a thicker rotor, did all the belts, brakes fluids. Our local Land Rover garage did all this work and changed the oil grade as recommended as I asked them to. I have a new clutch, discs, and all the bushings.

I also added a cheap second hand (but new) set of new defender steel wheels from Ebay with increased the wheel offset and slightly increased the rolling radius of the tyres.

It averages over 30mpg, seats 7 in comfort, will cruise at 80mph at 2,000 rpm and everyone in the family wants to borrow it.

Purchased for £1,200, it stands me in at £5k all done. I have cleaned the whole underside and waxed it to so it lasts forever.

It is mint in all ways, even though it has 182,000 miles on the clock.

The most important advise I could give anyone is

1)Check for rust in the sills, door shuts and chassis. Check the MOT history for rot.

2)Avoid one that has been used as a truck.

Even the dogs love it and my prediction is these early ones will be the next big thing in collectors Land Rovers.

Parts are dirt cheap at the moment too.

Eveything else can be fixed.

[eth2190]

I bought a v8 WJ Grand Cherokee two years ago for the same reasons (aside from not being a dog owner). I have no regrets about choosing the WJ, having previously had a Hilux Surf, Nissan Patrol, and Wrangler.

This one looks quite decent if you were to fit a normal bonnet and remove the chrome stuff: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405139...

Edited by eth2190 on Friday 10th January 18:06

[Alan99UK]

Huzzah said:

Freelander 2 default option around these parts, petrol V6 makes it unusual.

Thanks

[gmaz]

Subaru Outback?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202411196...

[ZX10R NIN]

ML500, a bit more friendly on the wallet than the Porsche but it'll still drink some fuel:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202412127...

Subaru Tribeca:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202411186...

3.0 X5:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202410225...

Leftfield

SRX:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202408062...

[Simon_GH]

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Suzuki Jimny but the ride is pretty barbaric.

[geeks]

BuyaDuster said:

I would recommend my ruggedised "army spec" manual LR3.

The most Land Rovery Land Rover ever built!

They are not for the novice, but if you have half an idea about cars its the best thing out there.

Not an LR4 (the twin turbo). They can detonate if you are unlucky.

Not the automatic either, as if they let go with no warning its game over.£££

No sunroof, cloth seats and registered before 23rd March 2006 to avoid the high VED that comes in for vehicles manufactured after this date. It falls under the band K exemption so Its under £400 to tax. So a 54/55/06 plate one.

I like the "S" spec the best. Not the GS or the HSE, Not interested in leather or expensive to service headlamps.

It has a brilliant stereo with the amp under the seat. You can plug in a modern head unit for Spotify/Google and use the Aux socket in the back for the factory sound output. It has an under-bonnet diesel heater as standard too.

The de iceing is better than anything else we own and everything is chunky buttons and knobs. Ventilation and interior space is superb.

Fantastic diesel V6 engine with a brilliant 6 speed manual gearbox. Tows 3,500 kg. Whisper quiet.

I changed the air suspension to springs with a 2 inch lift, like a defender. This was just for reliability. Took me a morning in the shed.

I watched LR Time and followed all there advice. I bullet proofed then engine by adding a new oil pump with a thicker rotor, did all the belts, brakes fluids. Our local Land Rover garage did all this work and changed the oil grade as recommended as I asked them to. I have a new clutch, discs, and all the bushings.

I also added a cheap second hand (but new) set of new defender steel wheels from Ebay with increased the wheel offset and slightly increased the rolling radius of the tyres.

It averages over 30mpg, seats 7 in comfort, will cruise at 80mph at 2,000 rpm and everyone in the family wants to borrow it.

Purchased for £1,200, it stands me in at £5k all done. I have cleaned the whole underside and waxed it to so it lasts forever.

It is mint in all ways, even though it has 182,000 miles on the clock.

The most important advise I could give anyone is

1)Check for rust in the sills, door shuts and chassis. Check the MOT history for rot.

2)Avoid one that has been used as a truck.

Even the dogs love it and my prediction is these early ones will be the next big thing in collectors Land Rovers.

Parts are dirt cheap at the moment too.

Eveything else can be fixed.

I hate reading things like this, I really really want to swap my Frontera out for a D3!

[Silvanus]

ZX10R NIN said:

ML500, a bit more friendly on the wallet than the Porsche but it'll still drink some fuel:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202412127...

Subaru Tribeca:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202411186...

3.0 X5:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202410225...

Leftfield

SRX:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202408062...

I was going to suggest the Subaru and Cadillac. A few others, Dodge Nitro V6, Mazda CX-7 2.3T, Nissan Murrano V6 and Infiniti FX.