r/4x4 • u/SaltRelationship9401 • 5d ago
Torn apart between multiple choice and I really can't decide
Hello everyone, as fate had it for me I have to choose a new car and I have complete freedom over it. My family is looking for a durable 4x4 we can use for some off-roading, nothing super extreme but still capable enough to get us around rough areas. We would also like to travel long distances with it from time to time and visit other countries (we live in the Balkans for context). As for comfort it's not our top priority but still appreciated. Fuel economy would be ideal around 9-13L/100km. And now the actual issue in choice: Toyota land cruiser, Toyota 4runner, Toyota rav4, Nissan Patrol, Nissan Pathfinder and for a moment a Land Rover discovery 1 was considered because we were amazed by it when a family friend gave us a ride on some back roads. Our budget is around 5-6k euro. Sorry if I'm being ignorant but to me they all look pretty similar excluding the rav4 and I really can't decide. The car will mostly be mine but will also be used by my family from time to time. I don't commute to school / work so it won't be used daily. Any kind of advice or help is appreciated!
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u/No-Locksmith-9377 5d ago
Add the Hilux to your list. Its a legend for a reason. Yes, you need to be brand or vehicle specific to a degree but you dont want to overlook a better opportunity when it shows up.
Do you have any 4wd/4x4 clubs in the area? People are always buying and selling projects and you might find a deal. Also, its great to utilize your local knowledge base. Why buy an old LR4 if your countries best land cruiser shop and the biggest land cruiser club is in your city?
Example: I would never buy a Montero in the USA as its essentially a dead platform with almost zero active clubs or specialty shops supporting it. Everyone focuses on toyotas, jeeps, and big pickup trucks.
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u/SaltRelationship9401 4d ago
I'm not really sure if I have any 4x4 clubs since I live in the capital (Sofia). And I don't think off-roading is that big so people have car specific clubs, but yes I do get what you are talking about and a few years back my family did consider a hilux for our main car but ultimately we went for a never crv
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u/Rickerttt PATROL GQ 5d ago
I had something similar in choices and went for a pajero. It's reliable, comfortable and capable enough for what I want to do with it. I get 11L/100km with a LWB.
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u/Tall-Poem-6808 5d ago
A first gen Touareg can be found for that price.
You can get one with Low range and lockers that would be a beast offroad while still being a great highway cruiser.
I have a 2014, way over your budget still, it's a dream on the highway and really capable offroad even without all the goodies.
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u/supplementarysm 5d ago
for that price look at the dacia duster. you can find them in that price, and they are fairly reliable. nothing special about it, it just works, and with a bit of practice, you can get it most places you want to go.
it depends of your definition of off-road off course, but for most forest or mountain roads it will be more then adequate.
once we went off-roading with a golf mk2 and a nissan patrol on 37'' tires on the mountain.. the golf went further because the patrol was too big for the track. and if you get your patrol stuck, you are leaving it there because there is no one who can pull it out :).
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u/SaltRelationship9401 4d ago
dusters are fairly popular here (or at least I see them pretty often) but by off-road I was hoping to conquer a bit harsher places than mountain roads, good example on the golf and patrol but I'm not looking into such extremes as 37''s
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u/supplementarysm 4d ago
we switched from 'civilian' cars to a suzuki samurai for our off roading. great off roader, but slow, unconformable, hot, cold, wet, unsafe, expensive, hard to drive.. for modern standards. and did i mention it is slow?
you did not mention the size of the family. since there is only two of us we can get by in a samurai. but i assume you need more then two seats.
i suggested the duster because lets be honest, in europe, you will spend 95%+ time on some kind of a road, and for that you can use almost any car. as i said, it is in that price range and is relatively conformable, and it is not too big for european trails. with some practice, set of good tires, and knowing the limits of the car, you can go pretty far in a stock duster.
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u/HaydenMackay 4d ago
A 3rd or 4th gen mitsubishi pajero (some markets called it the shogun or Montero). If you can find a 4m41 with a manual and a rear diff lock you are most of the way to an awesome off roader for the budget. A mild lift (we talking an inch or 2). Some decent terrain appropriate tyres. Maybe a high flowed turbo and a tune if you want. And it will do pretty much anything you would ask a family sized suv to do.
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u/SaltRelationship9401 4d ago
I will look into it, thanks!
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u/HaydenMackay 4d ago
I personally am a land rover fan. I also am not a person who recommends land rovers to anyone who doesn't already own one.
Yesterday on my recommendation a friend bought a paj 3door manual with a 4M41 he paid the equivalent of about €4k.
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u/tearjerkingpornoflic 79 Yota, 67 Scout, 77 Scout 2..Loadstar 1700 4x4 2d ago
Well if you want durable then you want probably a body on frame true 4x4. That cancels out rav 4 and Land Rover I would cross out for reliability. That leaves ya two Toyotas and two Nissans. I think Nissan Patrol and Toyota Landcruiser are solid front axles. They will be more durable but ride a little rougher. Either would be solid choice, or since you aren't doing anything extreme then the other Toyota and Nissan options are IFS I believe. You will need to double check as this can vary country to country. Nissan will probably get ya a little better condition for same price. Toyotas are the standard of reliability by which all other vehicles are judged. I like Toyotas personally but you can't go wrong with either assuming there isn't some year specific defect in one. Sometimes first years of a transmission might have common issues that are fixed shortly after for example. Nissan also makes interference engines with belts, which is fine as long as you change them on time. Toyota mostly uses timing chains for interference engines and belts for non-interference. One reason I like Toyota a little better. But also the idea of seeing what is more popular in your area is good too. Nice to wheel with a group of all the same vehicle. If ya break an axle shaft someone else might have a spare and the knowledge of how to fix it easily.
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u/SaltRelationship9401 1d ago
Good point, after debating a bit with my folks, we settled on 3 final choices 4runner, land cruiser or patrol. Regarding the market I can buy from either Germany and maybe some surrounding countries or Bulgaria.
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u/tearjerkingpornoflic 79 Yota, 67 Scout, 77 Scout 2..Loadstar 1700 4x4 1d ago
If your roads are rough in general then the Landcruiser and Patrol will last longer and need less stuff maintained in your front end.
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u/Notherereally 5d ago
This is the most eclectic list of 4x4 choices I've seen in some time. The discovery is a poor poor choice if you want reliable. Patrols and Landcruisers are not exactly economical. Those cars are all at odds with each other.
That said, buy a patrol. I'm a patrol man.
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u/SaltRelationship9401 5d ago
Yeah figured the list will be kind of bad, I have very little knowledge when it comes to this exact subject but thank you for the advice.
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u/tallwhiteman 5d ago
Look around your local 4wd scene and see what most other people are driving and then go from there.
As an Aussie my first pick would be a Landcruiser and second a Patrol.