Suzuki Vitara (or similiar) tips and buying info

Just some generalisations.

Feroza is a stronger vehicle than suzuki. Wide track models are the ones to look for.

The Sierra is a better rough and tumble fun vehicle.

The diesel Rocky in a swb will be the best performer in most offroad situations ... if you can find one for sale with out too much rust ... ( pre gal panels )

The Rocky in the longer wheelbase will let you fit more camping gear. Quite a few around in very good nick.

Vitara is quite reasonable and would probably be the better, regular bitumen use vehicle. The feroza was quite good but still had the solid, light truck, build quality in the running gear ... so was not as dainty to drive.

What makes you think the 2.8 diesel wont save you fuel ??? ... Loaded up your usage figures wont change much compared to a petrol having to perform harder. I used to get an average 28mpg out of the old 2.5l models ... empty or towing ... plenty of original ones still plonking around in paddocks with 400,000 + on the clock.

Hey there, Thanks for the reply Troopy!

Ok to try and sum up the answers, I actually just assumed that a 2.8D would cost more than 1.6petrol. I can understand the petrol has to work harder when fully loaded, but the flipside for me is that I do not think I will be 4wd'ing too much initially, and general driving will end up costing me quite a bit.

The other thing that made me look at the Vitara (or perhaps the Feroza) is the availability. There are practically no Rockies about for purchase, which makes me think its difficult to get parts. The Sierra is still sort of about but the kms are higher and the cost about the same as a later model Vitara.

Having said that, I really would like to get the most capable, but I have a strange feeling "capable" and "economical" are certainly not going to go hand in hand!

So I guess your opinion is that a Rocky is better than a Feroza which is better than a Vitara, but this is generally for actual 4wd use? I dont mind a bit more of a "truck" feeling on the Feroza, I just read somewhere that they are harder to buy parts for (and costlier), and modifications are more difficult due to an inavailability of aftermarket mods?

Well I agree that with what you have described to me here, and what I have read, the Rocky is a real hardy 4wd, and the Feroza is stronger than the Vitara, but like I said I am looking for something that isnt going 4wding by a super experienced person, and probably not even what you would call 4wd'ing, for some time at least. I know some people might use the argument that “a better 4wd is better for beginners because it can handle more mistakes” but there has to be some limit where cost outweighs strength for me.

The entire purpose of me looking at a Vitara is that its a small, light car being pulled along by a mere 1600cc engine. I expect to get extremely good fuel efficiency and while I know what your saying about how what matters with fuel is how much you get out of a tank, I doubt the tank sizes between the Vitara and something like the SWB Mitsubishi (I assume Pajero?) are comparable... so how I classify fuel efficiency is... how much do I spend each week doing what it is I usually do?

In my last car, a 98 Mitsubishi Magna, I would typically pay $30-$40 a week for driving. I expect that *pending no offroad stuff* I will get the same mileage from a mere $20 or so in a Vitara and I dont think I can get that with a bigger and heavier 4wd. In addition to that, I feel a bit wasteful driving a larger engined vehicle around all day when over 95% of the time, its being used in the city.. thats just wasting fuel as far as Im concerned.

So at this point I think I am sticking with my idea of a Vitara or a Feroza (the Feroza sure does look good to me, I am just a little scared away by the parts availability factor...).

This really is going to be a car for me, but I would like the capability to do some entry-level 4wding so I can have some 4wd fun and also take my girl camping to some more remote places.

But 2 cars is also a no-no.. I should have mentioned that right now money is not something I have in droves, or barely at all. This $5000 is going to be lots and lots of work for me to come up with, so double costs (and this is not just double rego, its double insurance as well as double initial costs like transfer fees etc) is out of the question for me unfortunately! :(

I understand what your saying.. you want me to get the best 4wd for my cash! I appreciate that, but I think that at this stage, with my experience (or lack thereof) and general requirements of the vehicle (which really is not going to be used for offroad stuff all that often), a smaller engined vehicle like the Vitara or Feroza is the choice.

The prices for the Vitara are actually less than the Sierras from what I can see, and the Feroza is sometimes a little cheaper, sometimes a bit more expensive, usually around the same as the Vit...

It seems to me that you had already made up your mind before posting and am just looking for confirmation from the forum.

Just buy what you want - overall the 2.8 diesel is likely to be the most fuel efficient over the smaller petrols.

Garry

Hi Gav,

"I have been looking on carsales.com.au and carpoint.com.au are there any other good places to look?"

You could also have a look at the following sites...

http://www.discountusedcars.com.au/

http://autoweb.com.au/

Good luck with your search!

Cheers, John

Hi guys,

Actually its not that I have definitively made up my mind, but a large point of the post was to get information on the Vitara or similiar cars that may help me make up my mind on which is more suited.

I still dont see how a diesel twice the size is going to save fuel? Is they really that efficient? (I honestly dont know, never driven/owned/worked on a diesel)... but ok, assuming thats true, the Daihatsu Rocky is still out for me because they are scarce as hens teeth! A search on every website listed here (thanks for the links!) showed only 2 Rockies... 1 in Qld for 10grand, and one in NSW thats in my price bracket but its missing a RWC and I was hoping to get one with a roadworthy if I can... anyway even if I found the perfect one, I cant imagine parts are easy to come by or cheap when I do... THATS the reason the Rocky is a no-go for me.

The Feroza is still in the running (as is anything else anyone can suggest that fits the bill... if diesels are THAT cheap to run, then I guess it opens my options a bit but I dont know what those options are? Mitsubishi Pajero 2.5L TD? Only found 1 of those online at the moment... are there others?)...

Also, I was really hoping to get info on what problems the Vits or Ferozas have... noone has said anything yet about the transfer case issue, is it even an issue? These are all factors that will help me make up my mind. Sorry to give the impression that I have made it up already but I havnt (though I do have preferences), just trying to get all the right info!

On that note, I am becoming pretty interested in the diesel option... I really didnt think a 2.8D would outdo a 1.6P day to day but if it does, I find that pretty good because a diesel was what I originally wanted when I started lookin at 4wd's... my understanding is (subject to preference) that they make better 4wds because higher torque, less chance of starting scrub fires, etc etc... so... are there other diesels that might fit the bill? Keep in mind though that my budget is meager!

Thanks guys.

Gav,
mEz has a Feroza, 93 model. Strong Vehicle, great on fuel, tank last me 2weeks going to work and back. I use it 90 on road 10 off road. Its my first off road vehicle too. I hope to set it up and use it more out in the bush.

I would go the Vitara my neighbour has had his since 1994 and it has never let him down. The Suzukis are easy to get parts for and are very capable offroad.
The comfort is one of the best for the era you are looking at.

Hey guys,

Wow heaps of replies Thanks!

The Rocky really used to get me interested until I searched and found they are so few and far between now. Something my old man always used to rub my nose in was that rare cars cost more for parts and I have seen that myself pretty often... not to mention difficulty in finding parts.

35mpg sounds pretty good to me? Although I had to use the net to convert it but yeah that sounds pretty fair. 28mpg for a diesel I think almost balances out with the difference in cost (last time I checked, which was about 5 months ago, diesel was cheaper than petrol) and the extra diesel power is nothing to be scoffed at but like I said, and others have also said, parts availability to me is important. I reckon I can handle a bit of work myself and the ability to go to most any wreckers to get something and not have to order it is pretty appealing to me.

So it looks like I am getting a few people with a variety of opinions and some are agreeing that something like a Vit or Feroza would be about my kind of thing but does anyone know of any problems associated with these? I did read a forum somewhere, somewhen, that mentioned a couple of the few problems the Vits have (something cracks and leaks something, somewhere... not very useful I know) and that was important and when I started to read about this sticking transfer case it seemed that alot of people would say (possibly about the sierras/samurais rather than the Vits), that a stuck transfer case due to a corroded shift-sheet was an inevitability... anyway if thats the majority of things to look out for, it really seems to me that the Vit is something I really want to be looking closely at.

Someone mentioned a SWB Jackaroo? I didnt even know they existed, Ill check them out. The Pajeros didnt turn up too much for me, and a Cruiser is just too big (I know its a fantastic 4wd, but if Im going away 3 or 4 times a year, I dont think it justifies a big engine for the other 95% of the time, thats why Ive been looking at something a bit smaller).

And thanks to all for these posts so far, specially Pete I found that pretty interesting to read!

But Ill keep this puppy open in case anyone knows of anything I should be looking out for on any of these vehicles, or might have another suggestion that fits my needs?

Thanks everyone

Since you are seriously giving other brands some thought as well ....

Daihatsu did not withdraw from the australian market .... toyota finally got a big enough shareholding to get rid of the competition.

The sales percentage of diesel 4x4 traybacks that toyota lost to daihatsu was quite amusing back in the early 80's not too mention the swb 4x4s.

A toyota badged Daihatsu F50 - the toyota Blizzard ( with toyota engines etc ) was a spectacular sales flop by comparison to the originals.

As toyotas shareholding grew ... the size (and opposition) of Daihatsus got smaller over time ... e.g. Rocky - Feroza - the pint sized Terios ... but they deny it ... LOL

click on this

toyota should still be responsible for the supply of spare parts.

click on this

This is one mob that were good to deal with and can organise rebuilds I think. ... Most Oz city & town councils used the daihatsu delta 2t / 3t tiptrucks/vans etc which used the daihatsu diesel engine so parts for them 2nd hand shouldnt be that scarce.

click on this

England / Europe has cult like Daihatsu groups ( internet ) much the same as the tojo / nissan "true believers" here ..... It will be up to you to sort the bulldust from the dust with everyones comments ... LOL

Have Fun

Whilst the Daihatsu is / was an excellent vehicle .... Im getting the feeling that the vitara may be better given the larger "in town" driving aspect of use ........ Still - the other might force your hand ... and send you off doing more exploring than you imagined ..... Not a bad thing in reality.

I know it's not on your radar but what about a 4 cyl 300tdi Discovery
There is the odd one about with full maintenance records-very capable!
Cheers,
Mary

Here is yet ANOTHER suggestion...

Suzuki Jimny... my understanding is that its the newest version of the Sierra. They seem cheaper than the Vitaras and, depending on who I talk to, they are more capable then them, despite having a smaller engine.

Any suggestions?

Hmm, alright maybe the Jimny is a no-go. Looks pretty tiny, but there is a pretty sweet deal (from the looks of it) in Sydney at the moment.

I looked at 4 runners and Pajeros today, not too much in the way of a diesel and nothing priced under $4,000... my budget has sort of fallen to $3,500 at the most.

The Rocky is still very potentially a go, plus there is a Vitara no reg or rwc in Vic (dont have to travel 7 hours!) with no reg, no rwc, and 280,000kms on the clock. The kms are super high but hes asking $2,700 for it, price negotiable. He said he thinks it just needs tyres but who knows what else... I think for that kind of deal (1994 model) I should get a bit of a better price on it, but I dont know about what it would cost to change out the engine when that finally goes, along with the running gear which I reckon is aging a bit. Also, I think its a bit of a worry that the ad says its a carby, when I thought they came out with EFI from 91 on.

Finally, there is a soft top Vitara, with reg/rwc Vit in NSW... this one seems really good, though surely there is SOMETHING wrong with it besides it being a soft-top.

Short of these, I cannot find much in the way of a Suzuki Sierra online... I got excited about these because besides their terrible safety record (same goes for the Daihatsu Rocky for that matter, according to howsafeisyourcar.com.au), the Sierra is so very easy to work on, and to modify. Seems like parts are relatively easy and cheap to source and work can be done by practically anyone, plus they are super light and cheap to run, though the 1.3 has to be pushed harder in sand.

I think a Vit might end up being out of my price range unless any of the aboves are ok or another sweet deal comes up, the Rocky is still very possible if its a good buy, and a sierra... well I dont know what it is about them but they are VERY appealing to me!

Gday
If you want to talk about the Rocky , give me a ring during working hrs.03 9580 4853
Murray

Gday guys, Sorry its been a while since checking in... its been a bit crazy here! But Im almost home...

And.. or should I say AND... things have *possibly* changed...

Instead of getting the best vehicle for $3,000 or so, I might now have a bigger budget... possibly up to $10,000.

So... I suppose that changes the whole equation...

I still want economy but, I have to admit... I have been looking at Mitsubishi Pajero 3lt Short Wheel Base models... they are extremely appealing to me.

Besides that and the Vitaras/Grand Vitaras, Im not really sure what else to look at... (maybe hilux, jack, prado even... though I dont think 10g will cover a prado and I think theyre a bit harsh on fuel) I think anything bigger than a 3liter petrol is just going to become stupidly expensive (relative to my needs and budget) to run and maintain. Even the Pajero is semi-pushing it.. but I have to admit I like the idea of having a "real" 4wd... Hope I dont offend anyone saying that, I just mean having something that has been recommended to me as 1 of the 3 best sorts to take if I am headed out to the middle of nowhere.

Anyway, I am just starting to shop around and figure my way around... I am thinking a 2 door paj would be ideal (I dont mind the 4dr beasts, but theyre a bit big for my day to day use and I dont want it to be a t-tractor, even 95% of the time)...

So I guess this changes my initial question! I think with this money I will be looking at bigger, better things but I still dont know how many kms to expect and such.

Maybe I should start a whole new thread?

Cheers,

Gav