Which 4 wheel drive?

i am retiring in 2 months time. I am looking at buying a 4 wheel drive to go around and across Australia. Unfortunately, I don't know much about it. Which one is better, more reliable? I am thinking to get a one, one to three years old. Is it wise? Which brand and type would you recommend? Would you also purchase spare parts and which one?
I have been in the past in the "bush" on seal roads or near seal roads which and ordinary sedan and I like it, that's why I would like to adventure a little further inland. I won't venture outside unmark tracks to start. So what would you recommend? car, spares, equipment to fulfil my dream.
Thank you for your help.
Alain
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Reply By: bluefella - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 14:26

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 14:26
Hi Alain
tell us your budget, preference wagon, dual cab, single cab, large or small , will you be towing a caravan, camper trailer, the more info mate the more the we'll be able to help.

AnswerID: 513640

Follow Up By: Alain B - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 15:26

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 15:26
My budget for the car would be approx. 40 to 50K. I am looking for something comfortable and reliable. I won't tow a caravan, we will stay in caravan park when my wife comes with me. She likes her comfort and hot shower. But when I will be going by myself I will be sleeping outside or in the car if I can. Which makes me think of another question: Is it wise and safe to travel alone these days? Do you need any type of communication (phone, radio, etc...)
A wagon could do the job, but can it go on unseal road or off road? Does it have enough ground clearance?
Do Cabs are comfortable enough for long distance travelling?
Thanks blue for your time.
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Follow Up By: bluefella - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 17:46

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 17:46
If second hand is okay late model, low k's 100 series 4.2 turbo diesel super reliable, go all the places you refer to, comfortable, can sleep in the rear with second row seats down. $50K would get you a nice one. If new maybe a petrol Prado.
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Follow Up By: Alain B - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:23

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:23
Another thing to consider. Thank you for your comments.
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Reply By: Member - Coldee - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 15:59

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 15:59
If you are not planning to go on any 4WD tracks a 2WD will get you most places, even across dirt roads.
Suburu Outback was on my shopping list except I plan to go on the beach and want a bit more clearance. Nice car to drive and reliable. Also comfortable.

I ended up getting an Izuzu. They have been making trucks for years and the engine is reliable. 2013 model. Very comfortable and stable to drive. Top of the range is still very affordable. Go anywhere.

Get a swag and chuck it in the tub or an Oze tent to put up. Other bonus is you get 5 year Australia wide roadside assist. No good if you are on a track somewhere but if you are just going from town to town you will be right.

If you type "What spares to take" in the search button at the top you will find a good article in the archives about what to take.
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Follow Up By: Alain B - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:26

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:26
Thanks Coldee I will keep your suggestion in mind. I definitely go to" spares to take".
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Reply By: Idler Chris - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:35

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:35
It would be a good idea to join a 4WD club. You get training and lots of first hand advice.
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Follow Up By: Alain B - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:47

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:47
Never thought of that. It seems that I have so much to learn yet.
Thanks
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Follow Up By: Alain B - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:51

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:51
Thinking about it, I will need a 4x4 to join a club. And that is what I don't know which one to choose from.
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Reply By: mikehzz - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:51

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 19:51
You could get just about any of the diesel 4x4 dual cab utes new in that price range. Comfortable enough to drive, lots of space for gear, good off road, plenty of options to make them a good tourer, economical on fuel. Too many plus's to mention them all.
I usually travel alone and know quite a few others that prefer it too. The most dangerous part of the equation is driving on the road no matter where you are or who you are with. The idea of joining a 4wd club is a very good one. Free training and a wealth of first hand experience comes along with your membership. Look for one that is family and touring oriented, not one that has a heap of modified rock climbers. If the club accepts soft roaders, it's a good sign. Cheers
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Follow Up By: Alain B - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 20:03

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 20:03
Thanks mikehzz for your comments. It seems a lot of people are going for the 4x4 dual cab. I noticed that there is more that one dual cab. Any advice there? Which one do you have?
Good point also about the club and family oriented. it makes sense to me.
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Follow Up By: mikehzz - Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 20:14

Sunday, Jun 23, 2013 at 20:14
Mate I don't have a dual cab but plenty in my club do. Take your pick - Triton, Hilux, Ranger, BT50, Colorado, Dmax, Navara...they are all similar and can be decked out as fantastic camping machines. The usual modifications are- a little suspension lift, snorkel, rear canopy, bullbar, side awning, all terrain tyres, maybe a roof tent, a slide out tray in the rear, a uhf radio, maybe spot lights. It's actually quite hard to decide which brand is better. I've driven all of them.
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Reply By: Robin Miller - Monday, Jun 24, 2013 at 12:14

Monday, Jun 24, 2013 at 12:14
No hesitation to reccomend the type of car I drive - a 4800 GU Patrol wagon (petrol) Alain.

It terms of performance and suitability for the job they are without equal.

Heavy fuel use is there weak point (typ 17lt/100km) but with no towing its bearable and while they can be dirt cheap to run if on gas, I don't think the relaibility compromise is worth it.

This car is a strong very tough unit probably one of the most reliable around but beyond that they have been built from 2001 to 2011 ($15000-$40000) and so you can get them at any price and there is probably no car that has more after market accessories and parts available for it right across the country.

It has some unique features like being the most stable car out there with a 48 degree rollover angle , this sort of stuff is important as most of our serious accidents occur on fast and or dirt outback roads.

Its has coil sprung live axles front rear and a tough chassis - which is the best combo for the job.

Its level of technology/ and servicing is also near perfect - by this I mean you can do most things yourself low cost - whereas many of todays car are a nightmare to work on or need to go back to a dealer for issues.

As you are like me and won't tow things then you may consider dumping the rear seats and sleeping inside the car - this makes it very flexible (if a bit cramped) and fits very well with a life style of camping around and using caravan parks.

Make sure you test drive one at least !

Robin Miller

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Follow Up By: Alain B - Monday, Jun 24, 2013 at 17:35

Monday, Jun 24, 2013 at 17:35
Thanks Robin. After your read, I definitely will have a test drive and look around on the net for something similar.
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Follow Up By: mikehzz - Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 at 13:53

Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 at 13:53
An interesting comment the other night by Simon Christie on Your 4X4. He drives a petrol Patrol and said what a joke it was that such a thirsty car only came with a 90 litre tank as standard. You would think they could manage a decent tank on it for expedition trips. What does a Prado have...180 litres? If you do choose a petrol Patrol then a long range tank should be a serious consideration I reckon.
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Friday, Jun 28, 2013 at 08:04

Friday, Jun 28, 2013 at 08:04
Hi Mike

I find it more interesting that he dumped his diesel for his 4800 GU petrol wagon - but the fuel tank is undersized in a sort of a good way.

Actually they came with two tanks totaling 135lt for most of their long history except in the last model they cut them back to a single 95lt tank , makes it easier to fit a 75lt sub tank though.

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Reply By: Jeremy W - Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 at 00:42

Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 at 00:42
Hi Alain,

I noticed that the dual cab utes were mentioned. I have a Colorado and have just completed a 3 week trip to visit my sons in Qld. There was some heavy sand driving and inadvertent "mountaineering" (kind favor of the Garmin gps) this is the fuel consumption returned on this trip:

Average fuel consumption for the trip ( 6272 km, 511.48l diesel) was 8.16 l per 100km or 12.26 km per litre or 34.6 mpg. Crruising at 105 kph ( 2200 rpm on average).

This type of vehicle can be very economical ... The total load in the back was about 300kg

Jerry.
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Follow Up By: Alain B - Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 at 17:08

Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 at 17:08
Thanks Jeremy, It never occurred to me to take into account the petrol/Diesel consumption. Too many things to learn, to be aware of.
Thank you, I have another field now to investigate.
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Reply By: Member - Coldee - Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 at 19:28

Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013 at 19:28
I decided on a diesel because it is available just about everywhere. I was told that petrol may not always be available in remote areas but everyone has diesel.

Looked at crossing the Nullabor and that was the advice I got. I cannot verify it with experience.

I agree with all the advice and shop around, do a test drive and decide. Personally I took a tall friend with me and stuck them in the back. No fit, no buy. Some were too squishy.
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Wednesday, Jun 26, 2013 at 08:33

Wednesday, Jun 26, 2013 at 08:33
That really isn't an issue any more Coldee , and I have done most of the really remote stuff.

Bigger problem is lack of diesel pumps and time taken at servo's in melbourne combined with the fact that diesel is more and more suspect the further out you go.

The result is that with diesel, more people are filling up at places where they can be sure of the quality of the fuel.
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Follow Up By: Alain B - Wednesday, Jun 26, 2013 at 18:15

Wednesday, Jun 26, 2013 at 18:15
So what happen when the quality is not there and why is it in the first place. Is it everywhere in remote area? Should you have with you a kind of filter?
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 at 08:28

Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 at 08:28
There have been some good threads on this site about the issues Alain.

Diesel has an affinity for water and lots of underground tanks have been found to have cracks and hence contamination. Some water is always present in storage tanks and this can be managed. It usually is only a problem when the diesel in those tanks get low or has a very slow turnover rate.

As well as the above, modern diesel are much more high strung than older types and suffer a lot more costly damage when things go wrong.

The threads on this site refer to significant damage often $10,000 - $20,000 for repair - and they are not just isolated cases.

Most people who drive diesels don't find it an issue because they fill up in high turnover places.

Other threads here show that reasonable precautions can be taken with extra filters and or funnels that don't pass water when filling up.

The fuel pump and injectors are vital parts of engines and they can can cost thousands of dollars.
Another reason I reccomend the type of car I did is because its massively cheaper and more practical in this area - I even carry a spare fuel pump because it only cost $75 not $5000 of some other vehicles and also because it is practical to fit it yourself if required.

Whereas many of todays diesels can't even be easily started again if they ever run out of fuel.






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Follow Up By: Alain B - Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 at 11:03

Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 at 11:03
Thanks Robin, I wasn't aware of the water in Diesel tank and the impact. I will have to spend more time reading and reading as much as possible about pros and cons of petrol V diesel and eventually I will have to jump. Thanks again for your thoughts.
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Reply By: Crackles - Wednesday, Jun 26, 2013 at 23:08

Wednesday, Jun 26, 2013 at 23:08
A Toyota 120 or 150 Prado would make an excellent around Oz tourer in your price range ticking all the important box's. IFS for better road holding & comfort. Efficient diesel engine with 150+ L tanks standard. Quiet & very comfortable. Reliable with excellent parts backup. Capable off-road & easily modified.
Spares...... well if not venturing far off-road you wont need a great deal & there is no point me reprinting the many lists already available on this & other sites if you are.
What you need to decide on Alain is where you want to go exactly & what system of camping/accommodation you will use. This will determine how capable your vehicle needs to be, the modifications (if any) it would require & the space required to pack.
Best place to start is at a camping show to see what's available then speak to people directly at caravan parks while looking over their setups. Everyone's needs & wants are different so when you ask on here generally all you get is everyone recommending what they drive which in most cases wont even suit you. (And no I don't drive a Prado ;-))
Cheers Craig..........
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Follow Up By: Alain B - Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 at 11:10

Thursday, Jun 27, 2013 at 11:10
Hi Crackles. Thanks for your input. Never thought of going to camping show. It shows that I am really a new in the filed. Another thing to do on the list before deciding buying the car and the rest. And I thought I was going "bush" "tomorrow". How naive I was.
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