suzuki sierra experiences

Novice.......I had one of these back in the mid 80's. Very capable off road but that's about it. They are as ruff as guts, bloody uncomfortable, noisy as all hell, slow as a wet wig and that's putting it nicely. This is only my opinion and experience so do your self a favour and see if you can rent one for a day or two and put it through it's paces. Hope this helps and if you do buy one get the seller to throw in the kidney belts he has.

NOVICE
`BEFORE YOU COMMITT TO THE SUZI`have a look at some rockys.afriend of mine has 1 and just come back from far west coast in it.its a 3l diseal and was loaded 2 the rafters but by geezus did this baby perform.his bro had a 60 seris cruzer 'i think' and over the sand hills it left it for dead. its a comfy ride with good room for gear and 2 people with back seats forward. only complaint was maybe abit low on ground clerance but nothing a lift kit wouldnt fix.overall in small 4wd classthis car is a absolute ball tearer and impossible 2 beat (sometimes wish i had 1).this is only my opion but do yoyrself a favour a try 1,good luck and let me know how you go . dc

dear dc, love to know more info about the rocky. unfortunatley my wife and i only have about $6000 to spend. anything decent for that price range?

Hi 4wdnovice
I would definetly have a look at some Rocky's try here
http://carpoint.ninemsn.com.au/marketplace/usedcarlist.asp
Sierra's are not a long lasting car and at your price range you will be buying one with lots of K's.

Try looking at a Suzuki Vitara, they handle high way driving better then the Sierra ( Bigger motor and more space ) and are not that bad in the bush provided you are carefull and stay within its limits. At the end of the day any 4 x 4 for under $6k is gonna be a compromise in some areas.
Best of Luck
AK

Last year I did a trip up the Canning stock route and a friend came along in his 92 Sierra. An amazing little car for the price and it could quite easily keep up with my Patrol and the other vehicles that came withus. They only car not to get bogged or have a puncture, hows that??
A great fun machine that will go almost anywhere. Yes they are rough but hey you only get what you pay for.

We had two Suzuki's, a Sierra and a Vitara.

Great little cars. Do have their down side but found them completely capable and virtually unstoppable. The Vitara would be a better option for touring as has bigger engine and more space.

The Sierra is great for the fun factor especially the soft top. Make sure the Soft top is new as the do leak and split if not maintained. I think that most 4wd started with a Sierra.

Most people have a little snigger at the Sierra but you can just smile and wave to them as you drive by as they almost go anywhere the big boys go.

As said if you only have $6000 to spend then you are limited! The comments on the Rocky is spot on and the later the model the better they got, but all had totally unbreakable drivelines!!! It is said to be the biggest overkill in ANY 4wd!!
The Sierras are also awsome, but can be rough!! Dont even look before 89, that was pretty much the cuttoff for the 1.3l and the 5speed wide body models! Anything before that (some exceptions) had 1l 4speed, skinny track and drum brakes!!
The later models with the coils (98? onwards) are a huge improvement on the leafs for ride but leaves are great and easy to play with which is what is really needed on any Sierra!
They are one of the most unstoppable 4x4 in standard for but the more you do the better they get.
The 1.3 l engine is a revvy little goer, you wont break any speed records but is more than adequate! I used to tow a 14 Quinny runabout with mine from Bris to Sunshine coast and got plenty of second looks!
I changed the transfercase to the skinny track to lower the gearing by about 10% just to make the towing a little better!
Then later I imported a 1600cc 16 valve swift motor and put that into it with a little work and it was a gem, went like an absolute rocket!! So I went back to the larger transfer case for better top end!
It was sad day when I parted with the little Zook but it is still running around Brissy!

As the owner of a Soft Top Vitara that has had it's fair share of rough knocks, and a regular on Suzuki 4wd Club trips in Melbourne (just moved to Bribane), I'd say that if you can find a Vitara for the price get that instead.

If you're a novice you probably won't be pushing it too hard so you probably won't notice that the 1.3 Sierra is probably slightly more capable off road (live axles and more ground clearance). But is a relative pig on road compared to the Vitara which you certainly will notice.

The difference in capability between them is easy to fix up - I'm running 2" suspension lift and 1" body lift with 30 inch tyres - with this costing under $1000 all up.

If you plan on buying one and using it hard offroad - look for one with less than perfect paint but good mechanicals - you should easily be able to find a Vitara in that price range then.

The Rocky is a lot rougher than the Vitara too. The Feroza would be a good match for the Vitara in a lot of ways but considering the price I'd go the Vitara.