New car ideas needed.

[Busman]

Next door to us is an independant 4x4 specialist who has almost every 4x4 ever made in for servicing etc. So, on your behalf I asked him what his thoughts were on this. His reply?

''The only choice is witch Toyota will suit your needs better''

As some one on here said, if you want to go into the country, buy a land rover, if you want to go into the country and return, buy a Toyota.

[highlander]

My colleague drives a Toyota RAV4 2.2 turbodiesel - seems solidly built, and isn't as huge as the Toyota Landcruiser.

[jasper5]

I agree with leasing, preferably with a full maintenace plan included....I look after a sizeable fleet of leased vehicles, the leasing company pay me for my work and are very sharp on having work done properly and at the right time.

As for 4x4 vehicles....from my experience....
Toyota, Honda, Misubishi, Nissan...the Pathfinder is actually a proper estate car and not a pickup, I service a couple of those.I don't like the X Trail.

The Navara is an old fashioned pickup truck with old van type suspension, the engines did suffer problems with faulty crank bearings (the white metal bearing material melted away). I took a customers pickup to the local Nissan dealer once, they told me to park it in their compound and leave it for at least 6 weeks, it was number 8 on their list

If you can stretch to it, the BMWs have good reports these days.

[steve_earwig]

That was the old Navara, D21&22, apparently I was lucky to get shot of mine before it went wrong! The new Navara is based on the Pathfinder so it's got a much better engine but I'd think it was similarly set up as a load lugger, with similar (lack of) handling.

What don't you like about that N-trail? Is that aesthetically or from the perspective of fixing them after they've gone wrong?

[FarmerPug]

Pickups are not pointless at all our 2010 hilux is the crew cab so its not just a full load bay but even so it holds a pallet, bales, bags of peat, firewood, onece had 2 calves. Normally has the dog standing on the back (they love it). And also the hilux gets used the odd night for lamping some rabbits a good level surface when going slow.
One point I must say is that toyota make the best 4x4s

[steve_earwig]

They have their places but going to the shops isn't one of them.

[jasper5]

I didn't know there is a new Navara out, yes, I was on about the older Navara, had loads of trouble with those.

The X Trail dislike is from the older versions (2004/2006), not sure if there is a newer one and what that's like.

I had loads of turbo failures, handbrake faults...it seemed the dealers couldn't get them to work properly, but I could A bit like the 406.

There were always silly little niggles with the diesel models, they just get up your nose when they get like that, strangely enough they drive nicely and even more strange....I nearly bought one before I got my Terrano

[FarmerPug]

Last year, the cousin got a new navara at the same time we got our hilux, well there was about 2 days of difference, he thought the £3k less was a great saving, but he has been back to the garage for repairs under warranty of course but still repairs. We have only had ours at the garage for the servicing and to replace a damaged door. The hilux feels much more solidly made, starts much stronger, and is easier on the juice even though its got 3000cc vs the nissans 2500cc. Spec a hilux right and they are as luxurious as any merc. And as for the shops you can get a roller cover over the back to keep thieves away, and the rain out.

[DiscoPol]

cheers for all the input guys, im starting to think i might stay away from the pick up type things, it was just a suggestion from my accountant as over here they are classed as a commercial vehicle and there are other associated tax benefits when i am forced to register for VAT if i choose something with a defined load carrying area separate from the drivers area.

I got the Disco well and truly stuck today and had to wait nearly 2 hours for a pull out, hmmm maybe 4x4 is not the way to go, just accept that i should stick to tarmac and lease a 407 or something similar

Do the citreons still come with trick suspension?

as for the stranded session stand by for an essay when i get the time

[steve_earwig]

Citroens higher up the scale have uppy-downy suspension, base models don't.

[Doggy]

I got the Disco well and truly stuck today and had to wait nearly 2 hours for a pull out, hmmm maybe 4x4 is not the way to go, just accept that i should stick to tarmac and lease a 407 or something similar

Do the citreons still come with trick suspension?

as for the stranded session stand by for an essay when i get the time

I reckon our Disco's spotted a loophole - even if you can't claim 100% on his namesake, he may be able to claim some % of replacement cost. (Not to mention all them wheel bearings and such). Now if he can get documentary evidence he's buried enough Landy's around the Polish countryside, it could be a nice little scam. Sorry it could be tax-efficient.

Disco, your adopted countrymen may not be the sharpest, but I reckon they'll notice if all your vehicles look exactly the same......

[FarmerPug]

Citroens with the hydropneumatic suspension:
- Traction Avant late cars back axle only
- DS all models
- SM all models
- M35 all models
- GS and GS birotor all models
- BX all models
- CX all models
- XM all models, further up the range compuer controlled
- Xantia all models, hi spec activa cars have a zero roll system
- C5 mk 1 all models
-C5 mk2 only high end models
- C6 all models and what a car it is.

[Welly]

The new Picasso I had in Spain last year had uppy-downy sussy on the rear but that thing was super-dooper-comfy

Very useful family motor too.

[FarmerPug]

its not actually hydropneumatic though.

[steve_earwig]

It's pneumatic None of them seem to have hydro-pneumatic suspension

The rear pneumatic suspension enhances driving comfort by maintaining a constant body height whatever the vehicle load.

Hmm, there's a manual button so you can do the dancing car thing with your homies Ooh, even works in economy mode (que?)
Here's something watch out for:

It is essential that you should deactivate the system in the following instances:
- working under the vehicle,
- changing a wheel,
- transporting the vehicle on a truck or on a boot.

Reminds me, these boots I'm wearing are well grippy on the snow but they don't half pick up some junk.