smallish jeep for farming

Wessel3

looking at changing current estate work car for small jeep , 4x4 and higher clearance, any recommendations
cheap and cheerful. budget<2k
looking at Suzuki vitara / types, anything to go wrong, current Octavia estate so boot size needs to be similar or bigger

_Brian

Many of the smaller jeeps wouldn’t have near the bot space of the Octavia estate, or a regular Octavia either.

I have a VW Tiguan and the boot is tight.

Wessel3

it can hold a serious amount of stuff brian, just ground clearance and 4x4 needed .
also should be using 4x4 for cattle trailer
grand vitara xl7 seem to have good bot in them for holding boos/tools etc

_Brian

The Octavia estate comes as a 4wd with 4 inches extra clearance. It’s called the scout.

I test drove one, loved it but couldn’t strike a deal, ended up buying the Tiguan, when changing again I’ll go looking at a scout again.

blue5000

Which Nissan has the nasty habit of splitting the chassis behind the cab? Would you consider a hyaundi santy OP? Good few satisfied drivers around here anyway.

Wessel3

im open anything cheap blue , don't want to go l200/ shgun etc as couldn't justify it ,
just looking ore stability and grip
the scout would be a half assed attempt, seen them but theyre not a jeep
love the Octavia, just not ideal for trying to drive though fields ruts etc

Limestone Cowboy

_Brian wrote: »

The Octavia estate comes as a 4wd with 4 inches extra clearance. It’s called the scout.

I test drove one, loved it but couldn’t strike a deal, ended up buying the Tiguan, when changing again I’ll go looking at a scout again.

Have you a 4 motion tiguan Brian? Herself is mad to get one but they seem to hold their money very well.

_Brian

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Have you a 4 motion tiguan Brian? Herself is mad to get one but they seem to hold their money very well.

Yes 4motion

Dickie10

bought a 98 landcruiser a few months ago great job go forever

tanko

Dickie10 wrote: »

bought a 98 landcruiser a few months ago great job go forever

Is high insurance a problem wirh old jeeps like it is with old cars?

_Brian

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Have you a 4 motion tiguan Brian? Herself is mad to get one but they seem to hold their money very well.

Honestly I doubt I do enough towing to warrant the 4motion, I’d happily go with a 2wd Tiguan if for nothing else then the improved mpg.

Dickie10

yea a nightmare

rushvalley

blue5000 wrote: »

Which Nissan has the nasty habit of splitting the chassis behind the cab? Would you consider a hyaundi santy OP? Good few satisfied drivers around here anyway.

The navara is the one snapping in two. There's a group on fb called Nissan navara snapped chassis and alot of them are red rotten over in the UK.

tanko

Has anyone got a Santa Fe 4WD, they're not dear secondhand. Know a couple of vets with them and they seem to like them.

Green farmer

tanko wrote: »

Has anyone got a Santa Fe 4WD, they're not dear secondhand. Know a couple of vets with them and they seem to like them.

Yes, The older ones are meant to be brilliant 2002 ish but the model that replaced them aren't meant to half as good.

_Brian

Green farmer wrote: »

Yes, The older ones are meant to be brilliant 2002 ish but the model that replaced them aren't meant to half as good.

Friends had a 2006 and it gave awful bother.
I test drive an older 2002, wouldn’t like to do much mileage in it but aparantly fairly decent yoke.

greysides

Dickie10 wrote: »

bought a 98 landcruiser a few months ago great job go forever

In terms of longevity, its the chasis thats the critical item. Rust.

Wessel3

i only threw the freelander in as a wild car for the poll and its ahead. are they not balls of shee-ite? have yet to hear a good report about them .
anyone use the likes of a vitara or the 7 seat version for farming , carrying tools and towing?

Who2

Wessel3 wrote: »

i only threw the freelander in as a wild car for the poll and its ahead. are they not balls of shee-ite? have yet to hear a good report about them .
anyone use the likes of a vitara or the 7 seat version for farming , carrying tools and towing?

Unless it's commercially taxed it will stand you around 11-1500 depending to tax them, and they can't be converted anymore.

wrangler

A few friends have four wheel drive caddys now instead of jeeps and find them very economical.....like do people need all this ground clearance...it's going to be on the road most of the time anyway.

I like my Hilux though, but if you're looking for a smallish jeep........

Muckit

I wouldn't mind your car OP. They supposed to run on fumes. Nct instead of doe. Lower tax and insurance. Decent towing @ 1800kg.

Wessel3

60mpg and will tow anything. But when you have to get the tractor to tow you out of ruts and sticky.bits because shes too low.

Bullocks

Wessel3 wrote: »

60mpg and will tow anything. But when you have to get the tractor to tow you out of ruts and sticky.bits because shes too low.

If the ground is bad maybe it's an option to just use the tractor for towing those loads .
Jeeps do get caught out aswell especially with a few cattle behind them

Wessel3

I know surely, for things like fencing etc having the tools in the car, sometimes there ruts and holes that you can get beached on, done it many times this year and had to tow myself out which isn't easy driving two machines
Just looking something that isn't a gas guzzler like the pickups and big 4x4 shoguns discos etc yet something some way practical with a big boot, high clearance, selectable 4x4 and low box

Floki

Economical - Check. A 660cc petrol engine.
4wd - Check.
Low range box - Check.
High ground clearance - Check.
Room for tools or a bale of hay/straw - Check.

A modified Suzuki Carry.:D

_Brian

Floki wrote: »

Economical - Check. A 660cc petrol engine.
4wd - Check.
Low range box - Check.
High ground clearance - Check.
Room for tools or a bale of hay/straw - Check.

A modified Suzuki Carry.:D

600cc, lacking a bit of torque

_Brian

Wessel3 wrote: »

I know surely, for things like fencing etc having the tools in the car, sometimes there ruts and holes that you can get beached on, done it many times this year and had to tow myself out which isn't easy driving two machines
Just looking something that isn't a gas guzzler like the pickups and big 4x4 shoguns discos etc yet something some way practical with a big boot, high clearance, selectable 4x4 and low box

Very hard to get a practical economical 4x4 with a low box..
I had a 2006 X-trail before the Tiguan and it was better off road, the diff lock was great, but in reality it was too highly geared for towing much off road, a low range box would have been brilliant

Base price

OP I would hold onto your Octavia and buy a cheap 4x4 solely as a farm jeep that will not be used for road work.
You can pick up older 4x4's that have either failed the CVRT test due to minor issues or are older passenger models that are too expensive to tax. I have one here and it is used on a daily basis, other boardie's use farm only jeeps as well.

selectamatic

I've been keeping an eye on all possibilities regarding this topic for a while now, ones to consider could be:

Kia sorento 2.5crdi 2800kg towing capacity and some models have a 3000kg and 3500kg towing capacity. Very much a mixed bag reliability wise some say they're great others have had nightmares with them. (Timing chain/injectors) a well minded one for less than 2k is doable though. As far as towing capacity this is the winner hands down for non full size 4x4's

Volvo xc90 d5 2250kg towing capacity great engine some issues with the drivetrain can crop up.

Pre 2003 grand vitara (2.0td 90's Mazda lump) 1800kg towing capacity generally very reliable as long as the cooling system is kept in check. After 2003 they moved to a psa 2.0hdi engine again not too bad but not as hardy.

Hyundai Santa fe again a mixed bag reliability wise some have a rear trailing arm rust issue that was a recall in the UK but many here were never fixed/checked over. Towing capacities range from 1800kg to 2200kg

Rav4 2.0d4d again mixed bag and not Toyota's finest moment the 2.2's (headgasket eaters) have a towing capacity of 2000kg where as I'm near sure the 2.0 ones are 1800kg

The freelander are again somewhat alright if well minded 2.0td bmw engine that's pretty decent as long as the turbo filter is changed to the vortex one and the cooling system is kept in check. towing capacity 2000kg.

XTrail 2.2 are again pretty good need to be well minded engine wise and well serviced. Good on the road. 2000kg towing capacity.

The terrano would be in with the full size 4x4's and only viable in commercial form

All the above can be got for sub 2k but they all have their issues and aren't very durable the old School td vitara would probably be the toughest but with the way towing regs have gone I'd view anything with a towing capacity of sub 2000kg as kinda pointless. Even 2000kg isn't great. Anything 2.5 or under is doable on private tax once you go above that the cost jumps are too big.

If you're currently on private insurance you will find it difficult to make the move to commercial a good broker might be able to mirror your private ncb and get ya a decent quote but if you have to start from scratch with no ncb then it'll cost you. If you go commercial then you're as well off with an older, tougher and simpler full size 4x4.

And as always any of the above are only as good off road as the tyres they're wearing.

Wessel3

selectamatic,
thanks for very informative post there,
mechanic im friendly with says the 2.0 Peugeot engine good but Renault one that followed , 1.9 in the vitaras is ****e,
ive looked at tax and there are no differences between a trooper for talk sake and vitara, which sort of makes the inbetween suv a bit pointless unless they are more economical

selectamatic

Wessel3 wrote: »

selectamatic,
thanks for very informative post there,
mechanic im friendly with says the 2.0 Peugeot engine good but Renault one that followed , 1.9 in the vitaras is ****e,
ive looked at tax and there are no differences between a trooper for talk sake and vitara, which sort of makes the inbetween suv a bit pointless unless they are more economical

Yep that 1.9 Renault engine is best avoided.

With regards tax a 3.0 trooper (very unreliable) will be near €1500 a year to tax privately whereas the 3.1 is over €1800.

2.7 terrano's or 2.8 yokes are no better coming in at a near €1400 per annum.

2.5 vehicles come in at €1080 and 2.0's are €710

In commercial form everything is €333 for the year but it's the cost of the move from private insurance to commercial insurance that's the issue here.

Green farmer

If you never have to go on the road again and just knocking around the farm, maybe consider a Suzuki jimny. For road worthy larger jeeps,a few quid might get you a decent vehicle but that might be offset by constant repairs. Even small fiddley stuff doesn't be long adding up. A lot of to said for your Octavia if its going well ain't costing you much.

Who2

Bite the bullet and buy a hilux .

kay 9

Who2 wrote: »

Bite the bullet and buy a hilux .

Was going to suggest that earlier but seen the budget of 2k and any of the older ones are near rusted out.
I got a clean mk5 a few months ago but paid over the odds for it but it'll hold value as I'm one to keep a thing right and immaculate as possible

Mf310

Limestone Cowboy wrote:

Have you a 4 motion tiguan Brian? Herself is mad to get one but they seem to hold their money very well.

We were selling a 2008 volkswagen tiguan during the summer had it for a couple of months at 8000 had to let it go for 4500€ in the end no interest at 8000.. dont mind the prices you see on donedeal i see a few of the tiguans that were there when we were selling our one are still on it at the moment

Siamsa Sessions

Mentioned earlier in the thread but worth repeating: most insurance companies won't even quote for anything over 15 years (2002). Some "specialist" ones will, such as 'Quote Devil' but you're looking at big bucks. I was quoted €870 for a 2000 Suzuki Vitara, 2.0l diesel.

If you go over 20 years though (1997), you might be able to get vintage cover?

blue5000

Dickie10 wrote: »

bought a 98 landcruiser a few months ago great job go forever

Dickie10 wrote: »

yea a nightmare

tanko wrote: »

Is high insurance a problem wirh old jeeps like it is with old cars?

Who did you get cover with after Dickie? Hopefully when no claims bonus kicks in it might get lower.

leoch

sorry it change the subject but does anybody on here with a 03/10 landcruiser have a very heavy short clutch it seems to be a fault in them is it ???