Modern 4x4 are quite rubbish?
Discussion
Thanks for replies guys. This is our 3rd car so i want to keep cost as low as possible.
I did test drive new Dacia Sandero Stepway + Duster and used Suzuki Grand Vitara models.
Sandero is a half good for small car. Plenty of space for it size (too small for me tho), good engine and good suspension for bad roads. However it is too nervous when driving in highway and in the end i propably want that 4 wheel drive for winter. It is true that FWD car is good in snow, but we live in the country side, so sometimes roads are not plought in the morning.
Dacia Duster was a good and honest car. Engine was good, ground clearance was good, suspension is comfortable etc. It is little bit of agricultural, but that doesn't bother me. It has adjustable 4 Wheel drive which is handy when you need it. It was surprisingly fun in gravel too.
Suzuki Grand Vitara diesel. This particular one was little bit of rough around edges. However it did have a low gearing 4 Wheel drive which is nice to have. Being an old diesel i'm not sure how reliable it is... Interesting option for sure. Fairly expensive car to buy. Any comments on this model? I know that diesel engines are not Japanese car makers strongest assets,,,
What about Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 CRD? I looked one in my local shop. It is a big car with merc diesel engine. It feels solid, dependable and comfortable. Does anyone know how ruinous are these to own?
I did test drive new Dacia Sandero Stepway + Duster and used Suzuki Grand Vitara models.
Sandero is a half good for small car. Plenty of space for it size (too small for me tho), good engine and good suspension for bad roads. However it is too nervous when driving in highway and in the end i propably want that 4 wheel drive for winter. It is true that FWD car is good in snow, but we live in the country side, so sometimes roads are not plought in the morning.
Dacia Duster was a good and honest car. Engine was good, ground clearance was good, suspension is comfortable etc. It is little bit of agricultural, but that doesn't bother me. It has adjustable 4 Wheel drive which is handy when you need it. It was surprisingly fun in gravel too.
Suzuki Grand Vitara diesel. This particular one was little bit of rough around edges. However it did have a low gearing 4 Wheel drive which is nice to have. Being an old diesel i'm not sure how reliable it is... Interesting option for sure. Fairly expensive car to buy. Any comments on this model? I know that diesel engines are not Japanese car makers strongest assets,,,
What about Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 CRD? I looked one in my local shop. It is a big car with merc diesel engine. It feels solid, dependable and comfortable. Does anyone know how ruinous are these to own?
^ Have you figured out if you want 4x4 or if you want all wheel drive?
Only the Jeep and the Vitara are 4x4. There seem to be more negative reports about Grand Cherokees than other cars once they are a few years old, but I've never owned one so that is just what I've read. OTOH you get a lot of car for the money and at the moment if you buy new you get 0% APR and about £8,000 off before you even ask for more discounts.
Only the Jeep and the Vitara are 4x4. There seem to be more negative reports about Grand Cherokees than other cars once they are a few years old, but I've never owned one so that is just what I've read. OTOH you get a lot of car for the money and at the moment if you buy new you get 0% APR and about £8,000 off before you even ask for more discounts.
I know it is too big for our 3rd car, but it is cool as hell. I wan't to keep costs as low as possible, but i don't need to, if you know what i mean. Interesting car anyway.creampuff said:
^ Have you figured out if you want 4x4 or if you want all wheel drive?
Only the Jeep and the Vitara are 4x4. There seem to be more negative reports about Grand Cherokees than other cars once they are a few years old, but I've never owned one so that is just what I've read. OTOH you get a lot of car for the money and at the moment if you buy new you get 0% APR and about £8,000 off before you even ask for more discounts.
No, i don't necessarily need to have a proper 4x4. They do have a few tricks in their sleeves which could be useful in tight spot, but i'm not sure do i ever need those... I have been in off road driving course but i don't drive off road in my free time. Mainly bad or really bad roads and maybe easy trails. So i think AWD with good ground clearance could be good enough for me.Only the Jeep and the Vitara are 4x4. There seem to be more negative reports about Grand Cherokees than other cars once they are a few years old, but I've never owned one so that is just what I've read. OTOH you get a lot of car for the money and at the moment if you buy new you get 0% APR and about £8,000 off before you even ask for more discounts.
The Grand Vitaras had a PSA diesel engine up until about 2005/6. Suzuki then swapped to an aged Renault engine. Neither were problem-free.
The previous version of Grand Vitara (MKIII) was an excellent car, especially in N/A 2.4 petrol. Downsides were 34 mpg and hefty VED.
The current G.V. AWD gets good reviews but Suzuki UK have dropped all diesels. The new Jimny AWD is imminent, but is very compact. Also, Suzuki UK prices are a bit too high for many models. They often reduce them in the winter.
There's also the SsangYong Korando which is 'much better' than previous cars, says the press.
A lot Dacia Duster owners seem happy with them. I had a Sandero for a few months which was cheap, but not lovely, whereas the Logan estate DCi is one heck of a bargain. But not AWD.
The current Renault 1.5 DCi engines are very good but need a cam-belt, about £600 or so every six years.
Used Duster DCi models tend to hold their prices. There might be a few more on the market now the 2018models are here. Laureate DCi spec gets you the Nav unit, electric mirrors and so on.
The previous version of Grand Vitara (MKIII) was an excellent car, especially in N/A 2.4 petrol. Downsides were 34 mpg and hefty VED.
The current G.V. AWD gets good reviews but Suzuki UK have dropped all diesels. The new Jimny AWD is imminent, but is very compact. Also, Suzuki UK prices are a bit too high for many models. They often reduce them in the winter.
There's also the SsangYong Korando which is 'much better' than previous cars, says the press.
A lot Dacia Duster owners seem happy with them. I had a Sandero for a few months which was cheap, but not lovely, whereas the Logan estate DCi is one heck of a bargain. But not AWD.
The current Renault 1.5 DCi engines are very good but need a cam-belt, about £600 or so every six years.
Used Duster DCi models tend to hold their prices. There might be a few more on the market now the 2018models are here. Laureate DCi spec gets you the Nav unit, electric mirrors and so on.
Edited by Slushbox on Sunday 29th July 07:46
Pica-Pica said:
No. 4x4 means simply, 4 hub ends, and all 4 capable of being driven. Nothing necessarily to do with height or off-road capability.
Compare Lamborghini Murciélago with HMMWV
Although SAE J1952_201804 prefers the term AWD, then sub-categories, but does not appear to limit definition to ground clearance. Just saying.
I would slightly disagree.Compare Lamborghini Murciélago with HMMWV
Although SAE J1952_201804 prefers the term AWD, then sub-categories, but does not appear to limit definition to ground clearance. Just saying.
Edited by Pica-Pica on Sunday 22 July 23:52
I would call the Lamborghini a 4wd rather than a 4x4
I think a lot of people equate 4x4 with landrover type cars.
ZX10R NIN said:
The Grand Cherokee is a good car as you already know it has the Mercedes ML running gear they're very capable & good cars.
Yes, 4 Wheel system, gearbox and engine should be a very reliable? Can you tell me what kind of car it is to own? And what to look when going to test drive?As i said earlier, it is a very cool car which feels quite rugged. MPG isn't great, but what i read it isn't complete hog either. I believe i can achieve 31mpg on the run. I don't drive in city that much which helps a lot, but on the other hand i drive almost 20k miles in a year in our 3rd car.
Edited by LasseV on Sunday 29th July 15:07
Slushbox said:
The current G.V. AWD gets good reviews but Suzuki UK have dropped all diesels. The new Jimny AWD is imminent, but is very compact. Also, Suzuki UK prices are a bit too high for many models. They often reduce them in the winter.
There's also the SsangYong Korando which is 'much better' than previous cars, says the press.
A lot Dacia Duster owners seem happy with them. I had a Sandero for a few months which was cheap, but not lovely, whereas the Logan estate DCi is one heck of a bargain. But not AWD.
The current Renault 1.5 DCi engines are very good but need a cam-belt, about £600 or so every six years.
Used Duster DCi models tend to hold their prices. There might be a few more on the market now the 2018models are here. Laureate DCi spec gets you the Nav unit, electric mirrors and so on.
New Jimny is interesting, old one is good too. Strong maybe. Being a really compact car is not that big problem, because Jimny can be modified to carry a lot of stuff. Need to thing about this. There's also the SsangYong Korando which is 'much better' than previous cars, says the press.
A lot Dacia Duster owners seem happy with them. I had a Sandero for a few months which was cheap, but not lovely, whereas the Logan estate DCi is one heck of a bargain. But not AWD.
The current Renault 1.5 DCi engines are very good but need a cam-belt, about £600 or so every six years.
Used Duster DCi models tend to hold their prices. There might be a few more on the market now the 2018models are here. Laureate DCi spec gets you the Nav unit, electric mirrors and so on.
Edited by Slushbox on Sunday 29th July 07:46
I will skip south korean ones. I know that they are good cars, but sometimes it is quite difficult to find spare parts etc.
Is there any other weak spots in Duster than cambelt? Cambelt is not that big problem for me, because i think i can change it myself. Or does it need some special tools ala Alfa Romeo?
Btw, i live in Finland. Our car prices can be quite crazy
And real winter etc etc...Edited by LasseV on Sunday 29th July 15:24
LasseV said:
Yes, 4 Wheel system, gearbox and engine should be a very reliable? Can you tell me what kind of car it is to own? And what to look when going to test drive?
As i said earlier, it is a very cool car which feels quite rugged. MPG isn't great, but what i read it isn't complete hog either. I believe i can achieve 31mpg on the run. I don't drive in city that much which helps a lot, but on the other hand i drive almost 20k miles in a year in our 3rd car.
There really isn't a lot to look for but check for oil leaks around the front of the sump as the gaskets sometimes leak.As i said earlier, it is a very cool car which feels quite rugged. MPG isn't great, but what i read it isn't complete hog either. I believe i can achieve 31mpg on the run. I don't drive in city that much which helps a lot, but on the other hand i drive almost 20k miles in a year in our 3rd car.
ZX10R NIN said:
There really isn't a lot to look for but check for oil leaks around the front of the sump as the gaskets sometimes leak.
Yes, i think i'm loosing my control about this… Does anyone know which is better choice for daily driver, WJ 2.7CRD or WK 3.0 CRD? I can do little bit of maintenance by myself and i know good yank motor specialist if that helps.Man maths: from Duster to Jeep.
Gary C said:
Pica-Pica said:
No. 4x4 means simply, 4 hub ends, and all 4 capable of being driven. Nothing necessarily to do with height or off-road capability.
Compare Lamborghini Murciélago with HMMWV
Although SAE J1952_201804 prefers the term AWD, then sub-categories, but does not appear to limit definition to ground clearance. Just saying.
I would slightly disagree.Compare Lamborghini Murciélago with HMMWV
Although SAE J1952_201804 prefers the term AWD, then sub-categories, but does not appear to limit definition to ground clearance. Just saying.
Edited by Pica-Pica on Sunday 22 July 23:52
I would call the Lamborghini a 4wd rather than a 4x4
I think a lot of people equate 4x4 with landrover type cars.
LasseV said:
ZX10R NIN said:
There really isn't a lot to look for but check for oil leaks around the front of the sump as the gaskets sometimes leak.
Yes, i think i'm loosing my control about this… Does anyone know which is better choice for daily driver, WJ 2.7CRD or WK 3.0 CRD? I can do little bit of maintenance by myself and i know good yank motor specialist if that helps.Man maths: from Duster to Jeep.
LasseV said:
ZX10R NIN said:
There really isn't a lot to look for but check for oil leaks around the front of the sump as the gaskets sometimes leak.
Yes, i think i'm loosing my control about this… Does anyone know which is better choice for daily driver, WJ 2.7CRD or WK 3.0 CRD? I can do little bit of maintenance by myself and i know good yank motor specialist if that helps.Man maths: from Duster to Jeep.
I have decided that i buy either WK 3.0 CRD or KJ with 2.4 gas engine or 2.8 CRD. Now i just have to decide which is better for my needs. WK feels MUCH more ground up, like Mercedes or something. That is a good and bad thing in the same time. Strong engine.
KJ feels more toy, in a good way. 3.7 v6 was a peach but it does drink too much. 2.4 is guttless but not hopeless. 2.8 CRD engine is made by VM and thats the scary part TBH. Insanely expensive parts but fairly reliable i think.
Interesting times i have to say….
KJ feels more toy, in a good way. 3.7 v6 was a peach but it does drink too much. 2.4 is guttless but not hopeless. 2.8 CRD engine is made by VM and thats the scary part TBH. Insanely expensive parts but fairly reliable i think.
Interesting times i have to say….
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