Comment: Buying a 4WD

i reckon a toyoya cruiser is the way to go

Toyota 70 series
Also consider availabity of parts and service, and in remote areas you will have a chance with land cruisers, especially 1HZ powered models.

Definately a toyota cruiser, most of the work vehicles in the bush are cruisers. they are tough, have sufficient bells and whistles and there are plenty of dealers out there to service them for you. You could buy something a bit older and still get a good car for a bit less money. Cheers zenonie

Hi Meredith

Think carefully about your needs - that type of cruiser is tough and reliable , but also top heavy and rough.

Friends of ours have had to dump them or fit aftermarket seats from back problems.

Focus on what could go wrong - and the car sliding/rollover is probably highest on the list.

These days stability controls are fitted to most cars and should be a real consideration.

I don't anything about your general stuation and vechiles duties but for your $43000 you could even get dual cab utes (even new) and a few wagons.

Dear Meredith R
You are looking at exactly same vehicle we have, only we bought it brand new. We are very, very happy with our choice. We decide to buy 2009 Troopy on Anne Beadell Hwy. We met some people there and they told us about introduction of Federal Government Legislation of drives & passengers airbags. They told us that next shipment comes with drives & passengers airbags only. We were rushing from Anne Beadell Hwy to Sydney, lucky to buy last new no airbag Troopy in NSW. All Troopys comes only diesel and with manual only gearbox. With V8 motor they are strong working horses not a pleasure vehicles. If the one you looking at, have full service history it would make a difference in its value. Well look after Troopy, with full history, retains its value more than other 4WDs. People in remote areas will tell you that Troopy is the best choice. It is not only a strong vehicle, but also well known by mechanics and spare parts are usually available locally.

Total essentials for any 4WD:

Polycarbonate protectors;
(For bonnet and headlights of you vehicle)

Netting at least for radiator;
(Spinifex seeds can clock-up radiator and around vital parts under vehicle and vehicle catch a fire)

Fire extinguisher;
(Should be always placed in front of vehicle near door, so it is handy in case of emergency [we have it installed next a drivers seat from right side on raised floor …when you open door, you can see it rightaway])

Radio UHF;
(Best is to have new 80 channels with scanning possibility)

Satellite phone;
(Iridium Sat. Ph. by Motorola is still overall preferred by most people)

Bulbar;
(Winch bulbar, if you decide later to have a winch….)

Double wheel carrier;
(If you skip that, doors will sag sooner or later on any barn door 4WD. No one repair them ever 100% and dust inside vehicle will drive you banana)

Proper strong suspension;
(Suspension upgrade is always last to be installed on vehicle, so whole set-up is right)

Good luck Dana

Hi Meredith
The troopy is a great wagon, but as said not good for the back. If this 4x4 is to be your main transport and to explore then as suggested the Navara, Triton etc also buying new come with warranty. A second hand Hilux is a option or 100 seriers cruiser.
Good Luck
Richard

Merideth

Don’t listen to these guys - a bit of jealousy involved here.
Robin is a well known Troopy phobic.

All the big mining companies, outback ambulances, police, and fire and emergency services use them in the outback – what more can I say?

Meredith,
If it were up to me, I would not go past a Troopie for a vehicle to operate out there. They are built for it. They are not designed to corner at high speeds or be driven at 130kph. If I had to make a decision on whether to buy a troopie or something "more comfortable" I'd spend an extra bit of money on getting good shock absorbing seats to fit to the troopie to make it more comfortable. My experience with them was in a work capacity and they are tough reliable and built for the bush, not the highway. Mind you, driven sensibly, they're fine on the highways too. I cannot think of any vehicle on the market today that can compare. Perhaps the Nissan Patrol Ute 4.2 litre turbo diesel which I don't think is in production any more?

WBS

Thank-you all very much for your input and sound advice. We test drove the troopie and unfortunately it showed signs of being thrashed and not well looked after at all. What a shame! My absolute favourite car is the Landcruiser 70 series GXL wagon but it is out of our price range. We are going to look at a Toyota HILUX this weekend which has some of the extras already included and doesn't (so far) show any signs of not being looked after.

After thinking a lot about your replies my husband and I really thought about what we will be using the vehicle for. We are not using it to tow anything or for work purposes and will probably use it more for going to gorges and camping spots. We also like the idea of keeping it as our family car when we get back to Perth so a Hilux or something of the sort certainly fits the bill.

One big lessons I have learned during this exercise of buying cars is how cunning used car salesmen are! They just don't give it a rest! The more they push, the more my shutters go up and some of the meetings have ended up a little heated. Drove me nuts!

Thank-you all so much again for your help and I might see you on the GRR!