Buying a secondhand 4×4
Re-paid my subscription costs for the site the other day and realized I should probably make some use of it. Cue temporary bout of blog updates until the same time next year.
It’s quite frustrating not being able to drive my bike to various MTB trails, so I figure it’s about time to sort out some transport. I initially looked at getting a small van, something like a Fiat Doblo, or a Renault Kangoo. They have small enough engines, so low motor tax and plenty of space. It would be nice to be able to just throw the bike into the back of the van, no need to take off wheels or any fiddling. That was the plan for a while. I’m in the middle of changing my mind though, and am looking at buying a 4×4 with decent cargo capacity. I like the idea of taking it off-road. Part of why MTB is so much fun is being able to go places you normally can’t. 4×4 can offer the same and there are a few clubs around. I can still fit the bike in, and also have the option of passengers in the back. My general requirements are:
- Cheap – I don’t want to spend over €5000
- Reliable - Obviously
- 4 wheel drive – Fun!
- Small enough engine – Motor tax above a 2 litre engine starts to get prohibitively expensive
- Easy to service – I want to do this myself
- Cargo space – Either with seats folded down, or just a large boot. Perhaps a commercial.
- Diesel – Appears to be able to handle a lot of miles, if serviced regularly.
When I started looking around for recommended 4x4s, the 4×4 forum on boards.ie was quite useful. There were several threads asking about secondhand 4x4s, mostly because of the snow over December. From these threads, the following were recommended:
- Range Rovers – Freelander, Discovery and Defender
- Toyota Landcruiser
- Mitsubishii Pajero, Shogun
- Isuzu Trooper
- Nissan Pathfinder, Patrol
- Subaru Forester, Impreza, Legacy, Outback
- Suzuki Grand Vitara, Jimni
Out of those, what most closely fit my requirements are the Landrove Freelander, Subaru Forester and Suzuki Grand Vitara. These are all 2ltr or less, have good 4 wheel drive and decent size. The others have big, expensive engines or are too small.
Landrover Freelander
Suzuki Grand Vitara
Subaru Forester
I just don’t like the look of the Forester, it’s more like a station wagon/estate. The Freelander comes with a 1.8 petrol engine. I read that these engines are almost guaranteed to need major servicing within around 100,000 miles. There are two other engines it comes with, a V6 and a Diesel, but I haven’t seen these options on local secondhand sites. The Grand Vitara seems to be the best option at the moment. I’m not in any major rush to buy, and with the weather as it is, 4x4s are selling for more than usual. I will most likely wait for few months, but will keep reading up on various options. I’ll put up more details that I find about the GV, just as a references for myself.
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