Thinking of doing the unthinkable. Suggestions?

[Dodgy Bob]

So it's been 3 good years with the 306, not fault free.... new rear axle, new heater matrix, 4 new rear calipers and a few little odds and sods. But engine wise a 100% reliable 3 years.
Anyway she's decided we need something newer and my only input is bigger and higher towing weight. Limit is roughly £2000 possibly raising to £2500 if we don't keep the pug.
Shortlist so far is:

Land Rover Freelander preferably 03>
Land Rover Discovery Series 2
Vauxhall Frontera mk2 Olympus spec only
Mitsubishi Shogun preferably 00>

So any suggestions other than above or what to look out for on them? I'm a diesel man myself so must be diesel, 7seaters are a desirable plus but not essential and prefer 5 door LWB models if available. Basically something's bigger family-wise but also something I can play with, mod, and maybe take on a few off road courses of a weekend.
Please don't shoot me.

[Toms306]

Thought about a Megane?

It's not really unthinkable or a shootable offence on here any more.

[Dodgy Bob]

She's thinking a Scenic mk2 but I tend to think of them being prone to electrical faults. I'm hoping for something a bit more rugged and big boys toys for me.

[1616six]

Freelanders are shite, absolutely awful
Disco 2, awesome but you'll also need to buy a welder
Frontera, weren't they one of the least reliable, unsafe 4x4's made?
Shogun = win, get an older one though. One of the ones that are always blue/silver. Run it on veg - I want one.

[Dodgy Bob]

Been offered a N-Reg shogun auto for £700 but been ummmming and arrring over it as not too sure was hoping for something a tad newer. She likes the frontera but apparently Freelanders are more capable but still prone to faults etc so really clueless would be first 4x4

[1616six]

Shogun would be great for £700 if it's in running order, my neighbour has one that he runs on veg & has made himself a straight through & it sounds epic! I'm hankering for one myself.

[Toms306]

She's thinking a Scenic mk2 but I tend to think of them being prone to electrical faults. I'm hoping for something a bit more rugged and big boys toys for me.

You've obviously not been on here for a while...it seems like half the forum have bought Meganes.


On a serious note though, my old neighbour rolled a Frontera on a 30mph village road... If they can't handle roads I'd hate to see them off-road.

[Dodgy Bob]

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.vie...ID=EBAY-GB

Loving this one but is a little out of price range.

---

Yeh one of drivers in work had a mk1 frontera he loves them but admits they're unwieldy and very tail happy even at low speed in slight damp

[Danny Wideboy]

Pajeros are awesome, shoguns are a lesser specced UK model.
Late imports will have seen less salt on the roads. 
They all munch veg happily. 
Exceed is the spec to get.  Super exceed for leather. 
It will be a completly different ride to a car, you'll think it's broken. It isn't. 
I've had five. 
They love a stage one tune,  just don't tell the POCUK, they'll lynch ya!

[JTaylor2005]

Toyota Hilux? Top gear showed us how good those things are

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-Hilux-s...2a551bf370

[Dodgy Bob]

Thought about them but kinda really got my heart set on the Shogun I've put above, knowing my luck by the time the credit union have sent me the funds it'll be gone, and even if it isn't its gona be a job talking them from £2.8k to £2k or aiming for £2.5k if i can get the pug sold for £500 sharpish.

[toseland]

disco or the shogan tbh, disco will need welding on the rear crossmember definately..

try to get the 300td (or prefrerably the 200td) over the TD5 ..

[cpikey316_]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Dis...3ab13ce9fb

Any good?

[Ruan]

If you want something cheap to actually run, don't go near a Td5 if it's old... They have no end of problems and parts aren't cheap. Diagnostics are a total twat on them too.

300tdi/200tdi are a safe bet, but as said, you'll go out one morning and it'll have washed down the drain, they rust BADLY.

Pajero/Shogun are a safe bet, although they're mostly autos and I've sat in more refined cement mixers.

[Pebbles167]

The trucks are dreadful on fuel. Get an MPV, the tow limit won't be much less.

[cpikey316_]

a 4x4 lite, such as a Nissan X trail you mean?

[insomaniac45]

being as i have just come the other way,

Frontera to 306. i can recommend the fronty. they are rock solid, and pull like a freight train. Never put her in 4x4 on the road, as the front auto lockers do not have a dif, they are locked.
but apart from that, they are really good, and quite cheap to buy a semi decent one, but for 2k i would expect it to be near mint


Here was mine.



this was before i did a minor respray of the roof and rear quarters, 2" body lift, and about £400 of extra mods. But engine wise, she was faultless.

[cpikey316_]

Got a shogun in my sights now! Any tips on what to look for? Apart from ear plugs for the tractor sound :p

[Seb_Ryan]

Got a shogun in my sights now! Any tips on what to look for? Apart from ear plugs for the tractor sound :p

Older shape 2.8tds are common for piston rings going.. And the way to hide is to keep the glow plugs on until its warm lol

[cpikey316_]

Its a 2000 3.2 diesel.

Read they are commonly stolen from abroad and sold here. When i tried to do a value check earlier. None of the sites recognised the reg number, the dvla did for tax purposes though. Will a text check highlight if its neen nicked from abroad??

[Matt-Rallye]

Get a 2.8 isuzu trooper. i wouldn't touch another heap of crap shogun. Love landrovers just not the landrover tax.

Isuzu is just the thinking mans pajero.

[cpikey316_]

Get a 2.8 isuzu trooper. i wouldn't touch another heap of crap shogun. Love landrovers just not the landrover tax.

Isuzu is just the thinking mans pajero.

Too late.......

[Dodgy Bob]

Update:
So the shogun I heard about for £700, spoke to him and he wanted only £600 and was only 1.5 miles from me!!! Went to view and test drive, well it pulled like a train and had ALL the toys and extras! BUT! T/C light was on and a warning for N/S/R??? supposedly it had new starter motor, recon alternator, and fuel pump seal done. It was on 138k, there was a greasy olily sludge in various places throughout the engine bay, the 2 boot seats had been removed and weren't present. a lot of rust on the chassis, pin had gone in upper boot door hinge, and about a 30cm and very deep patch of rust along with smaller equally deep patches surrounding the glass roof! stupidly awkward to weld..... and oh I can't weld and dont have a welder.
So even though cheap wasn't the family motor / weekend toy I was hoping for so walked away.
Since then as ever people / companies have come out of the woodworkand eroded the budget so now at most if the 306 is sold have about 1-1.5k available. So as it stands gona fully service the 306, change gearbox oil, hopefully get a set of a adjustable gear links of a fellow memeber & work colleague and 2 new tyres ad keep rolling for now, but getting sick of the drama every year now over the decat so probably will still be looking and hopefully as credit cards get paid down may have more funds available for another try in about 6 months time.