navara, hilux, L200, ford ranger

alan2009

Hi everyone,

I need bit of help, i am interested in getting a 4x4 with a budget of 7k euro i had been looking at early discos 01-04 and found many expensive problems with them, i looked at land cruisers but not in my budget especially as i am looking at passenger vehicles. So i have changed my outlook and have been doing some research about crew cabs the likes of navaras and hilux and such. It will be off road not often and i will be pulling a trailer again not everyday or week at that. I want to keep it to 2.5ltr and something reliable that will last me a few years. Just to throw this out what do people think of the pajero sport? I havent been able to test drive many crew cabs, i am wondering if there is much room in the cabs as i am 6'4.

So any help on this will very much appreciated. Any experiences good or bad will be greatful

Eric Cartman

the engine in the navara especially the d22 (pre 2006) is dirt , the 2.5 in the hilux is underpowered , cant vouch for the ranger , especially if towing you wont notice the fuel economy difference in the 3 litre , same commercial tax rate for both and insurance isnt any dearer . Id say find a mk5 hilux 3.0 or an isuzu d-max 3.0 - both excellent engines and nice crewcabs

alan2009

the thing is i have to insure the vehicle privately so capping it at the 2.5ltr is a must seeing it is 948 for tax and 1500 for the 3.0ltr

greysides

I think you'll have to sit into the crew-cabs to check them for space. I'd be inclined to say you'll not like them. They tend to have the seat very close to the floor leading to an uncomfortable seating position. If you intend carrying passengers check the rear seats. The seating in the geneneration of L200 before the current version was diabolical. Low front seats combined with a high dash leaving you feeling like you were looking out a slit and rear knee room an 8 y.o. would complain about. I like the defender seating position, like sitting on a kitchen chair but elbow room .................... is an acquired taste *cough, splutter*.

YMMV, so sit in them all before you decide on a model.

The crew cabs are skittish to drive without weight in the back, particularly on wet roads.

(I'm always surprised that this amazes people..............what do they think they were designed for?)

They are generally 2WD with a form of 4WD not suitable for roads unless completely frozen or snowed over.... no centre diff to allow slippage between the two axles. So not the best vehicle for intermittent bad road surfaces.................. designed for off-road use.


So, they are a load-carrying vehicle for off-road use, the reason they have back seat? Well, the clue is in the name 'crew cab'.

Why did they become so popular then?

They look cool, they're a sign of previously affluent times and they're butch.

Would I like to drive one? You bet! Hilux for me please.

But my LandCruiser has a better seating position, still not great though, a 4WD system that suits my on-road needs better and is more comfortable to drive in.... did I mention the Hilux gets a load carrying suspension..... I wonder why?

Like I said, YMMV, they do look good and may suit your needs but do try them out first.

Incidentally, they won't tow as good as a car type 4WD, too much space between the rear axle and tow hitch...........probably because it needs a load carrying area because it's a ...........................

Eric Cartman

alan2009 wrote: »

the thing is i have to insure the vehicle privately so capping it at the 2.5ltr is a must seeing it is 948 for tax and 1500 for the 3.0ltr

id have a look away from the crewcab direction then, if your paying private tax may aswell get a normal passenger 4x4, a bit more comfort, have you looked at a Kia sorento , 2.5 , bulletproof reliable , does 28mpg easy , can be picked up with leather, automatic and all the toys on it within your budget, nice to drive and a good body on frame construction and excellent for towing

either that or the old reliable - LWB landcruiser

http://www.carzone.ie/search/KIA/Sorento/2.5-PASS/201101200757714/advert?channel=CARS theres a perfect example, looks clean, low mileage and has climate control, electric leather seats and all the other toys

Blankety

Hi, I am in a very similar position to the OP, but I can tax commercial. I would like the rear carrying capacity of a crew cab as occasionally I throw pallet of goods in the back every now and then. I was considering a 2005 Dmax 2.5 but it is very difficult to get information on older models especially 2.5 version.

Would like to know your thoughts on MPG, reliability, handling etc for this model.

Eric Cartman

Blankety wrote: »

Hi, I am in a very similar position to the OP, but I can tax commercial. I would like the rear carrying capacity of a crew cab as occasionally I throw pallet of goods in the back every now and then. I was considering a 2005 Dmax 2.5 but it is very difficult to get information on older models especially 2.5 version.

Would like to know your thoughts on MPG, reliability, handling etc for this model.

the old model d-max (pre 2007) 2.5 is absolutely useless and while towing can end up using more fuel than the 3 litre, the old 3 litre is excellent , the d-max is reliable and reasonably comfortable to drive as a pickup and cheap to run, i get 28-30mpg out of the new 3 litre model, old one isnt too far off that ,

Blankety

Thanks for the prompt reply, amazing what a good nights sleep can do, I realise that I would only use the rear compartment in the crew cab once or twice a month, so I would sacrifice a whole heap of comfort for functionality I rarely use. I could just hang on a trailer when need on the back of a landcruiser, Pajero or Sorrento.
I have 2 months before I absolutely have to buy, so I have a little time to shop around. I do around 350-400 miles per week so something >30 MPG would be necessary.

Eric Cartman

Blankety wrote: »

Thanks for the prompt reply, amazing what a good nights sleep can do, I realise that I would only use the rear compartment in the crew cab once or twice a month, so I would sacrifice a whole heap of comfort for functionality I rarely use. I could just hang on a trailer when need on the back of a landcruiser, Pajero or Sorrento.
I have 2 months before I absolutely have to buy, so I have a little time to shop around. I do around 350-400 miles per week so something >30 MPG would be necessary.

you wond find many vehicles in your price range that do above 30mpg and can still tow , if its mostly motorway my sorento did 32mpg on long motorway runs, 28 is mixed 60/40 motorway/city

Blankety

My word those 5 seater 4x4's are expensive, ended up talking to a guy with a Navara 2.5 2006 twin cab for sale, 130K miles, reckons he is getting 36 MPG does that sound reasonable?
I had a look in the UK, popped his model into the VRT calculator and the Current OMSP determined by Revenue is €7583, he is looking €11K....... I wish I could get one from the revenue.

BTW towing only needed very rarely, what are the Navara like for reliability?

101sean

There's no way you'll get 36mpg out of a big 4x4 unless you sit at 80kph on a level motorway, even then I'd be surprised. 28-30mpg in everyday use without towing would be nearer the mark for an older big commercial if you're lucky (I'm rejoicing if I get over 25mpg :rolleyes:). Economy and big 4x4s do not go together, if that's a worry you are looking at the wrong type of vehicle.

Mycroft H

The ford ranger aka the nissan terrano isn't a bad old wagon.

Really comfortable and fitted with a bulletproof 2.7 turbo diesel (the same fitted in many london taxies). It will average about 27-32mpg in normal use and is a great tow car. Its okay off road, comparable to the pajero but not as good as the defender, landcrusier or the trooper.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1776281


Should be quite cheap these days, 3-4 grand will see you a clean 2002-2003 model.


If you need it for any serious off road work, stay away from crew cabs, there too long and designed more for going round a building site rather then serious mud plugging

101sean

Think you meant Ford Maverick/Nissan Terrano

Mycroft H

101sean wrote: »

Think you meant Ford Maverick/Nissan Terrano

That i did.... its been a long day

101sean

My neighbour's Terrano (a non turbo version) has survived a lot of abuse through ignorance and lack of maintenance, I'm amazed it's still on the road. His daughter crashed it, was repaired but as a result last winter the heater core split then the rad went through lack of anti freeze :rolleyes: I sourced the parts from the UK at not a lot of cost, seems a surprisingly tough mid size 4x4 (still wouldn't catch me driving one )

Mycroft H

101sean wrote: »

My neighbour's Terrano (a non turbo version) has survived a lot of abuse through ignorance and lack of maintenance, I'm amazed it's still on the road. His daughter crashed it, was repaired but as a result last winter the heater core split then the rad went through lack of anti freeze :rolleyes: I sourced the parts from the UK at not a lot of cost, seems a surprisingly tough mid size 4x4 (still wouldn't catch me driving one )

tough enough for the garda to be using them :P


We had a '01 one for four years and apart from routine servicing (oil change ect, no timing belt as there was a chain as far as i remember), all that went wrong was a leaky injectors which were cheap and easy to replace. The oil filter was a pain in the rear to get off though

It made a great tow car coupled with the low box and the great tourque of the 2.7 diesel.



EDIT:

I never saw a SWB one down south but was in enniskellen last week and saw 3 separate SWB jeeps. Never knew that they made a SWB version till then

alan2009

hi everyone

Since my orig post i have test drove most or the crew cabs i couldnt get to see the ranger i drove the hilux navara d-max l200 and i must say the drive position on them are god awful i am 6'4 and prone to back problems and i couldnt get comfortable in any of the crew cabs so i have to really think this one out i might have to re consider them and go for passenger like lwb cruisers or pajeros and the kia sorrento.

I have to say a little disappointed in the crew cabs, but my search will have to go one gonna test drive the sorento at the weekend, so will let u know how that goes.

101sean

Crew cabs are a bit of a compromise especially for someone of your stature! Sounds like you'll be doing a fair bit of test driving anyway, hope you find something you like.

Eric Cartman

Im 6'2" and the driving position in the new d-max seems fine to me, the headroom isnt much of an issue, but aside from vans I dont think theres many vehicles to suit us long people

Blankety

alan2009 wrote: »

hi everyone

Since my orig post i have test drove most or the crew cabs i couldnt get to see the ranger i drove the hilux navara d-max l200 and i must say the drive position on them are god awful i am 6'4 and prone to back problems and i couldnt get comfortable in any of the crew cabs so i have to really think this one out i might have to re consider them and go for passenger like lwb cruisers or pajeros and the kia sorrento.

I have to say a little disappointed in the crew cabs, but my search will have to go one gonna test drive the sorento at the weekend, so will let u know how that goes.

Hi, my research is coming to the same conclusion, I currently drive a transit and needed the extra passenger space, the crewcab gave me the option of taking pallets of goods every so often.
From this forum, other forums, visiting garages, test driving (only Navara and L200) & talking to other crewcab owners it appears older crew cabs, pre 2008 which is my price bracket, are just not comfortable or economic. 2 crewcab owners reckoned I would run the transit and an economical car like a 2008 Citroen C5 (low road tax for this year) for the same money. Ever notice how many sellers of crew cabs on donedeal are looking to swap for panel vans......

Still ever since I started looking at crewcabs I think they look fabulous the flexibility offered is great, but when diesel reaches €1.50/liter, which equates to the next OPEC price point for increase in oil production, the running costs will see many more for sale on donedeal.

Lurching

landyman wrote: »

The ford ranger aka the nissan terrano isn't a bad old wagon.

Really comfortable and fitted with a bulletproof 2.7 turbo diesel (the same fitted in many london taxies). It will average about 27-32mpg in normal use and is a great tow car. Its okay off road, comparable to the pajero but not as good as the defender, landcrusier or the trooper.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1776281


Should be quite cheap these days, 3-4 grand will see you a clean 2002-2003 model.


If you need it for any serious off road work, stay away from crew cabs, there too long and designed more for going round a building site rather then serious mud plugging

In regard to that Terrano in that ad, never buy a KE or LK reg commercial 4wd in Ireland, it very often means they were previously owned by either Ascon or Roadbridge, having spent the majority of their lives off road on very unforgiving surfaces with drivers in a hurry.

Speaking from experience here as I worked for both companies.

Pkiernan

alan2009 wrote: »

...l i am 6'4 and prone to back problems and i couldnt get comfortable in any of the crew cabs so i have to really think this one out i might have to re consider them and go for passenger like lwb cruisers or pajeros and the kia sorrento...

To go a bit OT, I have a buddy in Stuttgart who is 2m tall - about 6'6" I think - the only car he has been comfortable in that he can afford was a Smart FourTwo!

greysides

Do VW do a Transporter in crewcab with a synchro 4WD in this country?

They should be comfortable, fore and aft, and have good cargo capacity.

Something like this......

Lurching

Pkiernan wrote: »

To go a bit OT, I have a buddy in Stuttgart who is 2m tall - about 6'6" I think - the only car he has been comfortable in that he can afford was a Smart FourTwo!

Thats crap to be honest with you, im 6'6" and drive a hilux comfortably.

In the likes of an audi tt, hyundai coupe, mazda rx7, ferrari 328 im quite uncomfortable driving.

air

greysides wrote: »

Do VW do a Transporter in crewcab with a synchro 4WD in this country?

A friend has a crewcab Transporter - 2009 I think (non syncro) and loves it.
Not sure if its available in the syncro variant or not.

Eric Cartman

Lurching wrote: »

In regard to that Terrano in that ad, never buy a KE or LK reg commercial 4wd in Ireland, it very often means they were previously owned by either Ascon or Roadbridge, having spent the majority of their lives off road on very unforgiving surfaces with drivers in a hurry.

Speaking from experience here as I worked for both companies.

the vast majority of KE commercial 4x4s are not ex ascon/roadbridge, lots of people in the north kildare (leixlip, celbridge, maynooth, kilcock direction drive them as normal vehicles before the tax law was enforced and now they still make a nicer option than driving a panel van. People should just look at a vehicles history when buying it , if owned by a company that uses vehicles offroad a lot then dont buy it , dont tar all KE reg 4x4s with the same brush