Best Small 4X4S ?

[BlackdogPete 0]

I've just got myself a long wheelbase Vitara for knocking about with the dogs. Would recommend it highly, proper four wheel drive with low range is a real bonus.

[scarecrow243 24]

terious 1.3 are great wee trucks constant 4wd with diff lock only downside is very little space behind the rear seats

[comanche 2,799]

I ran a 1997 Vitara for the last seven or eight years. It had 40,00 on the clock when I bought it and only started showing its age with emission problems at 150,000miles plus. It cost me nothing but consumables like plugs oil-changes,tyres,brake pads and half an exhaust.MOTs were never traumatic. I only had to replace the clutch because the diaphragm had worn; the original plate at 140,00 miles had tons of wear left. Good enough off road for anyone not into the serious "let's go off-roading" assault course stuff even with road tyres. The trouble is that most of the old type Vitaras are all getting long in the tooth so unless you strike lucky a good one is going to be hard to find .

The Jimny replacement immediately struck me as a rather less substantial vehicle and a bit tinny but after a few months of ownership I have come to really like it.

It certainly nips about off-road well-enough for what I need . I replaced the original alloys with a set of wheels from my old Sj410 simply because I thought the alloys were naff,not for the extra quarter inch of ground clearance steel wheels give!

I've heard all sorts of horror stories about Jimny fuel consumption and all I can say is either some people have heavy feet or I've got a good one .

Obvious drawback is lack of luggage capacity but with an under-boot tool space at least you don't lose space to a tool box. Oh and the roof bars are deceptively weedy !

Edited August 18, 2015 by comanche

[davyo 27]

If your worried about fuel then,don't even bother looking at 4x4, I have had a jimny now since April and it's brilliant ( fuel is the last thing on my mind) the car goes anywhere & loads of room in the back with the seats removed and boarded out ( properly) .Had the grand vitara before,again brilliant but after I got the chance to drive a friends jimny( bog standard) in the rough,I went and bought one that same day.

[comanche 2,799]

Having done a fair bit of scouting about when I was looking for a vehicle and having read forum comments and reviews it seems that there are several good little generic 4x4s available .They all have their loyal following . If you like the jeep-look it seems hard to get a fag-paper between the Pinon ,Vitara and half a dozen others as far as performance and reliability are concerned. In fact you could probably mix up the badges on some of them em and nobody would know the difference .

With so many well-rated ones to choose from , the question" What's the best little 4X4?" is perhaps not the best one to ask.

More useful would be a list of the most diabolical,unrelieble ,uneconomical, rust-prone vehicle with rubbish off-road handling and unobtainable or expensive spare parts.

The question should be "What small 4X4 should I avoid at all costs?"

[Hunting loon 100]

If your worried about fuel then,don't even bother looking at 4x4, I have had a jimny now since April and it's brilliant ( fuel is the last thing on my mind) the car goes anywhere & loads of room in the back with the seats removed and boarded out ( properly) .Had the grand vitara before,again brilliant but after I got the chance to drive a friends jimny( bog standard) in the rough,I went and bought one that same day.

tidy love it

[Sweeney 316]

Jimnys are the mutts nuts!

[Hunting loon 100]

Jimnys are the mutts nuts!

must agree we you just pity we don't get the diesel one in this contry I am on look out for one myself

[Lenmcharristar 9,182]

grand vitara hdi. excellent mpg and rwd with selectable 4wd with low box, great off roaders

[jok 3,036]

What about the best four by four by far ??

[forest of dean redneck 11,190]

Defenders are all right but normally your woman wants bit of comfort and you nearly end up checking fluid levels and tweaking something every weekend.

[shootlodge 143]

Jeep crd ya canot go wrong !! some bargains out there too, check the oil & filter have been changed, if not ...CHANGE THEM !! There the original 4x4 Yank Tank !!

[Dewclaw69 484]

subaru forester. bulletproof engines and permanent 4wd with a high and low box. i've had 2 foresters and 2 jimnys. jimny ok for playing in the mud but the forester beats it hands down on all round useability and just as good off road

[dytkos 17,536]

subaru forester. bulletproof engines and permanent 4wd with a high and low box. i've had 2 foresters and 2 jimnys. jimny ok for playing in the mud but the forester beats it hands down on all round useability and just as good off road

Bit low though, my mate (who has offroaded farther in reverse than I have done forwards) won't follow my Jimmy in quite a few spots we've been on the moor.

 

Cheers, D.

[neil82 1,008]

you need to think about how you will use it, lots of off road its between the jimny and a landrover, even though I think landies are the biggest pile of shit ever produced in this country off road nothing beats them, do lots of road miles and the size and fuel consumption kills them both off, suzies skittish when your foots down and the other is just not nice to drive, do you need to carry stuff, if so look at a pickup, but what ever 4x4 you look at if you want running costs compared to a car forget it, their workhorses, and come with the costs involved be it tyres or insurance it will nail you somewhere