scarps WK2 moving on

[Hanna]

Originally Posted by Hutch

Good call Benno, Pajero is bit old hat, the original car dates back to 2001.

Hutch- Jeep GC blackhawk 2014.

Actually, it's even older than that:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubi...2.80.932006.29

1999!! That's the same year as my WJ!

[Hanna]

Originally Posted by scarps

Thnx guys, appreciate the thoughts and feedback. Yes, one of the vehicles I'm looking at is the FJ Petrol Cruiser. The other is the current model Pajero. Some say an oldie but a goodie.

My dilemma in choosing is that I need a vehicle that will both tow the 1200kg CT as well as perform in the Vic High Country as a standalone 4by.
I did think a solution was to own 2 different 4wd's but swmbo said no to that.

Scarps - just curious as to why you say that the current range of Jeeps don't suit your purposes? I would have thought the latest WK2 is at least equivalent to your 1st generation model in terms of capability. Are you concerned that yours is not up to serious 4WDing, or are you worried about damage?

For all intents and purposes the Pajero may fit the bill, but as already mentioned it is built on an ancient chassis and the CRD will be underwhelming compared to the WK2 (Most other CRD's will though). I wouldn't get a petrol FJ Cruiser because you'll be revving it's tits off to make power and consuming heaps of fuel. But then I don't particularly like them anyway. They seem like a poser's car to me.

A 200 Series Cruiser could be an option, but for what your WK2 is advertised for you'd have to get one about 5 years old and they're ridiculously big and floaty anyway. Plus, if you were going to spend that much on a car, you may as well just get a Land Rover Discovery 4 TRD - now that would be nice!

Your best options these days for something new to take offroad is probably a dual cab ute, like a Ranger, Dmax or Colorado. But they are a completely different kettle of fish as far as comfort and luxury goes.

Good luck!

[scarps]

Originally Posted by Hanna

Scarps - just curious as to why you say that the current range of Jeeps don't suit your purposes? Are you concerned that yours is not up to serious 4WDing, or are you worried about damage?

yes to both. My WK2 has performed very well to date on the Vic HC trips I have done, and I love all the positives it delivers on, however there are many parts of the Vic High Country I still intend to see before they take my licence away, particularly where there are some serious river crossings.

Plus I need to find one that swmbo is happy/comfortable to drive on occasion when we tow the off-road CT (1,200kg) on a long range round Oz trip.

Reality is there isn't one 4by that I've found to suit my needs. So I need to find one with the least amount of compromise.

[Big Dave]

Ahh the dilemmas of which 4x4 to get. There are always going to be compromises when wanting a vehicle to be good at 2 things. Good on road manners & comfort means less capability off-road and vice versa. The WK2 has few peers when cutting the balance, maybe just 2 in the Disco 4 & Rangie. Pajero is no comparison , good on road manners but old tech, slower and no better/tougher off-road. Prado perhaps a bit better off-road but a lesser vehicle dynamically on road and way down on power not to mention value. The FJ cruiser s just a different body on a petrol Prado chassis but with less creature comforts. Dual cab utes may be a bit better off-road but drive like trucks in comparison except maybe the Ranger/BT50 and Amarok. You keep mentioning your 1200kg camper that needs towing. That's less than half the recommend tow rating for almost all of the vehicles you'd be looking at so shouldn't be an issue anywhere. We tow our 900kg camper plus a full load in the car including 4 people with our trusty old 96 XJ with 135kw and 300nm with no hassles at all so what ever you're looking at it should be a doddle to tow 1200kg. Might get flamed here but you want robust off-road for around oz, get a Defender or Lancruiser 76 series wagon. Rough and ready but solid & dependable. There is even an auto conversion for the toyota now http://70seriesautos.com.au. Also I don't think either the Pajero or FJ will be any less prone to breakages off-road than the WK2. By the way love what you've done with the WK and would jump on i it if I had a lazy 45k.

[goog]

My two bobs worth. Used a 12 MY VRX Paj to tow an off road ct (1350KG) all over Eyre Peninsular and the Flinders. Never missed a beat and returned better then 11lt/100k. Yes the design is old but it was one of the first monocoque true off roaders available. They tow well, are great on the black stuff and very capable on the dirt. I also have it on very good authority that very little goes wrong with them if properly maintained. I agree that they are noisy compared to Toyota or Discos but also a lot cheaper. They are not as good off road as say a Wrangler but in standard trim they go most places you would want to pull a ct.

[Big Dave]

Originally Posted by goog

My two bobs worth. Used a 12 MY VRX Paj to tow an off road ct (1350KG) all over Eyre Peninsular and the Flinders. Never missed a beat and returned better then 11lt/100k. Yes the design is old but it was one of the first monocoque true off roaders available. They tow well, are great on the black stuff and very capable on the dirt. I also have it on very good authority that very little goes wrong with them if properly maintained. I agree that they are noisy compared to Toyota or Discos but also a lot cheaper. They are not as good off road as say a Wrangler but in standard trim they go most places you would want to pull a ct.

Yes I agree the Pajero is a proven 4x4, I was highlighting that it's not going to gain Scraps any off-road prowess or robustness over the WK2 as a Vic high country crawler and a backwards step re on road dynamics, power and bells & whistles.

[C0xy]

Originally Posted by Benn0

If I was looking for something a bit more offroad biased from the Grand, I'd be looking at the Ford Everest. I'm expecting they will keep 3.2l 5cyl from the ranger, and they have grafted on the rear suspension from the territory. With a bit of a tune it shouldn't feel too far off the Grand for drive.

From what I know the Everest is going to have the same front suspension as a PX Ranger and a Solid Axle rear