Buying advice

[GiveItAGoGavo]

Hi all!

Im new here, just wanting to get some advice on my probable future suzuki.
Im in the market for my first 4wd... wanting to use it for camping a bit more than just going out and getting dirty, but probably no major touring or anything just yet.

I was contemplating (and I guess I still am considering) something bigger, but to be honest it will be used as my day to day car 99% of the time, therefore something smaller is a bit more realistic.

I have a budget of up to 10k, but I would like to keep it as low as possible obviously.

So... I am giving serious consideration to the Vitaras, and the Jimny's. I am a bit more partial to the Jimny just based on its Sierra heritage and, from my understanding, better offroad ability. As far as I know however, the Vitara has better on road manners. I dont know much about the ability of the Grand Vitaras and I suppose a 4-door Grand Vitara is a "smarter" option because it lets me go on far bigger trips with its larger donk and storage capacity...

Anyway as you can clearly see, I am torn! Really not sure what to get, or what to look for...

To summarise...

I want the most fun, capable 4wd that will be suitable for short-medium trips for 2 people to as remote places as possible (really want to head further into the outback if I can... this was what made me consider some of the larger options)...

It has to be a hard top.


So, I guess Im asking for general opinions on what Suzi might be best for me, and some recommendations on what to look for on them. I dont think I will consider older Sierras at this stage, probably looking at Vitaras, Jimnys and Grand Vitaras.

Regarding these options, whats the best way of outfitting them for travel to more remote places? Is it possible to fit a roof rack with decent capacity to a Jimy for example? And how do people go about fitting in all their kit+water+jerry cans (since the tanks so small). Is it possible to tow a trailer with one and if so, how badly does this affect performance/fuel consumption/offroad ability?

Also, how does the Jimny go with a heavy load?

Sorry to ask so many questions I just wanna get a feel for what might suit me best and what I actually like most

Cheers!

Gav

[cj!]

You can use any of those vehicles and members do and yes, you can tow a trailer but there are some downsides to that depending on just what you are doing.

In my opinion I 'd look at a lwb (long wheelbase/5 door) Vitara or Grand Vitara from a comfort and space point of view plus they have bigger petrol tanks. The extra wheelbase apart from the extra storage also gives a getter ride. having said that I would also reccomend saving some funds for a suspension upgrade. ARB's Old Man Emu is quite a good option as you get a little lift and better ride and handling. You also wnat to at least run All Terrain (A/T's) tyres too

Your options are a 1.6 4cyl or 2.0 V6 Vitara or a later ('98 on) 2.0 4cyl or 2.5 V6 Grand Vitara. All are either 5 speed manual or 4 speed auto.

I wouldn't go crazy with overloading the roof. Use it mainly for light and bulky items. A couple of our members have made small trailers, one using a roof top tent on top of it which is quite good and the other is like a small T-van which he tows behind his Sierra for outback trips and has all the luxuries. For two people though you can get a lot of gear in a lwb Vit or GV, especially with a roof rack/basket. You just need to think about your camping gear purchases keeping in mind size and weight. For longer trips you can always remove the rear seat for extra space. I had a cargo barrier in mine and made up a shelf which helped but there are plenty of options with a little creative thinking such as drawers, racking (aluminium Qubelock or similar is not bad) with plastic tubs, removing the rear seat and building a platform that you can store under and on top off and tie down to or even use a roof top bag tied down on the platform with gear inside.

[andrew_wale]

G'day Gav.

I had a V6 (2.5Ltr) Grand Vitara for 10 years. Only recently have I sold it.
From 1998 - 2005 the GV is a great little 4WD and it is capable. I can not comment on the later models as Suzuki have totally changed the car. i.e Independent front/rear etc.

With mine, I did not tow anything so I can not comment on that but I did have a tow bar installed.
The only thing I modified on the GV was the ARB 40mm susspension lift and larger tyres 225/75 R16 Good Year MTR (Mud Terains).
I also added a TJM alloy bull bar to it and driving lights (IPF 940's which are no longer available new).
When I did go camping etc, I was ussually the only occupant of the car (my wifes camping experience is a 3 start hotell/motel).
As CJ mentioned, all you need to be midefull of is the size of the gear etc. With the rear seats moved, I was able to pack tent (6 Man), Engal 40Ltr Fridge, 20 Ltr of extra fuel and the other personal items without any problems. All this and had room for anothe passanger.

Eventually added a rear Diff Locker...

It was a great car and got me to places I would not even think of.

[gwagensteve]

I'd go with a GV over a jimny.

Even if you wanted to build the most capable car possible, It might still be easier to get a better result out of a GV than a Jimny. Jimny's are OK, but claiming sierra heritage is a pretty long bow - you could list on one hand the parts that are interchangeable.

I'd be going with an automatic V6 GV, adding OME suspension, crawler gears in the transfer case, and a rear diff lock. If you have trouble with the front diff, you could upgrade to steel XL-7 or manual GV parts later as it suits.

Set up like that, you'd have more power and room, better stability, people and luggage handling capacity, and much better road manners than the jimny, and surprisingly good economy.

This will be above your budget all in one hit, but stage the work over some time and it won't be too much of a stretch. Start with suspension then the diff lock.

Steve.

[GiveItAGoGavo]

Gday guys,

Thanks for the advice.

I reckon the GV is not a bad option at this stage... I think it will go 99% of the offroad places I want to take it... and those extra places it wont go, I probably shouldnt attempt until Im more competent.

So if I were to settle on a Grand Vitara, can anyone tell me what kind of kms I should be looking at and what kind of prices are acceptable? I think I read somewhere that 200k+ kms and they are getting on already... thats a bit of a worry.

Also Steve, why did you recommend the automatic over the manual? Are there any issues I should know about or is it just a preference thing? If its a preference issue and there is nothing wrong with the manual, Id take a manual any day of the week. My auto magna was ok but I felt extremely lazy driving it... much prefer having choice over gear changes.

So anything I should know about the Grand Vits? Fitting things on the roof and in a trailer sounds pretty good to me! Though I am not sure about touring with a trailer but thats another thread

[gwagensteve]

It's a bit more than a preference thing. The automatic used in the GV is an excellent unit - very strong, with good gearing. Automatics are superior to drive offroad. They're not easier to drive, but you get a much better return for your effort - the car is much easier to control (especially in a V6 GV - they are a revvy motor and are difficult to drive gently in the bush with a manual) and the effective gearing is better. Once you learn to drive an auto offroad, you'd never choose a manual.

On road, a manual is my preference though. ( I'ts not a GV thing - any 4WD I could buy in an auto I'd buy over the manual version, including the jimny)

I wouldn't buy a GV with over maybe 160km on it depending on how many Km's you plan on owning it for - it's a modern car, none of them go forever.

I can't comment on price.

Steve.

[cj!]

I'd have to concur, the auto is certainly my preference too. A GV auto with an OME suspension, some decent tyres and a rear locker is very capable offroad and will surprise a lot of people.

The biggest thing is to look for one that has been well serviced, in particular the oil changes. The two weak points are the No. 1 timing chain tensioner causing a rattle and the rear main seal can leak but if these aren't present then they are generally pretty good.

[GiveItAGoGavo]

Does the auto feel like a slow-slug on the road? I didnt completely detest the auto in the magna, but that had alot more power so it was a bit easier.. autos in lower powered cars I really have never liked...

Anyway offroad, I always understood that manuals were a bit more preferable offroad, especially for (forgot the name) hill-stalls? I personally wouldnt know, I just gathered that from my research into it... guess I gotta do a bit more!

Ill keep an eye out for those things thanks cj! is the timing-belt rattle a sign that the timing belt is going to go and if so, how bad is it on the GV? Timing belt failures on the magnas would be EXTREMELY expensive so I made sure I changed it.

Also, are aftermarket parts expensive? I read somewhere that the GVs are considerably more expensive, and less available than other stuff but I dont think it would be as bad as other things I was looking at (like a Daihatsu Rocky)...

I think the GV is the way to go, just gotta look for the right one.

Im checking carsales, tradingpost, actual auctions and ebay... any others worth looking at?

[cj!]

They have timing chains, not belts. If it all lets go in a big way then yes, it can potentially be costly. I had a tensioner fail on me and I still drove it a fair way with no additional damage and the same with the seal. I knew it had these problems when I bought it and the price was ok so it was not too bad. If you get a good one, do regular oil changes and I would also suggest changing the filter at the same time and possibly do an engine flush. It's when they start to gum up that the problems happen. It also pays to use a synthetic 5W30 like Castrol Edge or similar. If you do this then the engine should be good for at least 300,000kms plus before needing any attention and probaly more.

[GiveItAGoGavo]

Yes correct sorry, chain not belt.

Wow thats pretty straight forward and easy advice for me then I like it! I reckon I can start looking already.

I am a bit sad that I wont be getting a swb 2 door like I really wanted but cant have the best of both worlds I think... I wanna go on extended trips and a jimy or a swb vitara isnt going to cut it for that I reckon.