Terracan Questions/general 4wd questions

Q1. A couple of the people I have spoken to that own Terracans , say the suspension IS soft. Add a decent load to it (by adding Bullbar etc to the front , and towbar and towing at the rear) , and they said Aftermarket suspension is almost a MUST.

Q2. Petrol V Diesel. Age old debate. It boils down to personal preference. Maybe it depends on how you do those K's. Diesels are not particularily good at quick runs. Down to the shops and back. Petrols are better for that. If you aren't intending on travelling to outback places , again , the Petrol MAY be the better proposition. The V6 Petrol is the Old Pajero motor which is good , although , not the most fuel efficient motor very produced.

Q3. Personal Choice. I like my Auto , makes a lot of things a lot easier. Also , being a newcomer to 4wd's , its also a handy learning tool (cant stall an auto on hills). An auto on a Diesel is almost as good as it comes.

Q4. Generally , Diesels cost more to service then Petrols. More Oil , dearer filters , more often. Diesels really need to be serviced regularily to get the best out of them. A petrol can be neglected a little more without major problems.

Its something you probably need to do figures on , yourself. Amount of K's you do , Petrol V Diesel pricing (fuel) , servicing costs (dealer should know).

Whilst I'm a firm believer in adding things up and checking costings etc , and I like my Auto Petrol Patrol , when it comes to the Terracan , I would be lining up for the Diesel (auto if possible) , heart would rule over head for that one.

Hi

My wife's Terracan is about 18 months old with 20,000 kms. Fairly hassle free motoring so far.

In terms of your questions:
1. Recently upgraded suspension - this is a must as the factory setup is average to say the least.

2. Ours is unleaded as the diesel was not available. Fuel consumption would be similar to your Falcon - I have a BA. I would certainly consider a diesel if I was shopping again.

3. Ours is an manual - my wife prefers a manual. Probably would consider a auto if we were shopping again.

4. Servicing pricing is okay in comparison to my wife's previous Mazda/Suzuki.

Cheers
Chris

If price is an issue with getting an auto just shop around, I did and got the auto for nothing. also try www.discountnewcars.com.au they are like a broker and dont charge the ends user for the service. They are not allways the cheapest but give you a good starting point. also dont go by the price listed on their website as the price changes frrom time to time

Dave,

1. The standard suspension is very soft and the car rolls like a pig in mud. TJM do an upgrade for $900, 4 new shockers, new rear springs, tweak up the torsion bars and modifry the front bump stops. Handles a lot better, no sag in the rear when towing and 45mm lift for better off road ability. It is a necessity in my opinion.

2. Mine is petrol because I prefer petrol performance. Will use more fuel than a diesel but that is something I can put up with. Diesel will cost you about $2000 more to buy, so it takes a while before the diesel becomes cheaper overall. Keep in mind diesel is about 10 cents per litre more to buy. My petrol auto does 0-100 km/h in 10.5 seconds which puts you into normal sedan performance relms. Also when I nail it at around 90 km/h it kicks back 2 gears and really gets up and goes. Great on the highway. A diesel will not do this. Petrol is in my opinion far better for general driving.

3. I bought auto primarily for off road work. Never caught in the wrong gear. Experienced 4wd drivers may be able to pick the right gear for the right occassion but I like the option of being able to select another gear without loss of momentum (great in sand).

4. Can't comment. Perhaps check with the dealer about service costs and make your own decision. I choose to get mine serviced at 7500 ($95) because I don't like the idea of leaving oil in a motor for 15000 km. Just my choice btu I reckon an extra $95 evry 8 months on a 40 grand investment is chicken bleep .

One other thing, if you buy one, get new tyres fitted before you take delivery. Decent A/T's will cost you about an extra $700 for 5 tyres.

Finally, I'm very happy with my Jerry Can. Great value, great on the road and very competent off road. Just don't expect it to do things a Patrol can. Having said that, it has done far more than I ever expected it to. Fantastic in sand.

Cheers,

Jim.

Had my terracan from just after Xmas this year ,so far could not be happier.
I would most likely have got the deisel but the timing (money) was not quite right .But as we only really do about 15-20k deisel would not have been all that much cheaper in the long run.

I went from an EF wagon and while the rear luggage area is not as big as in wide and long ,the seats are higher .

Petrol usage is slightly higher (1.5 -2ltrs per 100) but i can live with that ,it goes like a cut cat but so does the gauge in the downward direction.
The suspension i can live with for now you just drive within the limitations ,but hey it is a 4wd.

The 15k service was quoted at 270 dollars so it's near the same as the old car.

hi terracan tim here buy the diesil and get the the auto. You will get better value for your mony on the trade in. Went to trade my petrol manual may 2004 model on the new diesil one mine has the lift kit and full replacement bullbar and dvd system They offered me $25000 for it I nearly dropped dead. So looks it looks like I will be keeping it for a while longer. All aside love the 4x4 well my missess does as I now drive a landcruiser myself.

Tim