Cheers for the comments – all great advice.

Have a good one

Aaron

Aaron

just wanted to say, well done, thanks heaps and keep up the great work.

Aaron

Z

I kinda had a feeling you were going to say that.
I am highly tendant towards the Challenger. I have been 4WD’ing in one lately, and it performed extremely well in Kalbarri, so that was one of my options. Apart from that, the Prado seems to rate really well, so I might have to shop around a bit.

I was also looking at the dual cab Triton’s and Hilux’s. Would you recommend either of these? I am leaning towards the triton, but have higher faith in Toyota and their overall quality.
I haven’t yet thought about the Mazda BT-50.

I have also been considering the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and the Suzuki Grand Vitara.
I know the Wrangler is excellent for off-roading, but I’m not too sure about it’s city capacities. And I’ve heard many good reviews about the Vitara, but otherwise haven’t researched it.

Do you have any thoughts on these?

Thanks again,
regards Allan

Alternatively, you could look at getting a dual cab ute, like a Izuzu Dmax, or a Mazda BT-50. Both are capable enough for what you want, economical and great cars all round.

As all ways, make sure you look at a number of vehicles so you know what the right market value is for each model, and thus prevent getting ripped off by a car dealership!

Let me know your thoughts.

Aaron

I won’t be doing anything more than simple beach driving, and maybe a little bit of off-roading. The sands that I wish to traverse are very soft (eg, Kalbarri sands and Lancelin).

Preferrably I would love to buy something new (so that I can put some of the luxuries that I would want in the city. Like an in dash communication system, audio upgrades, and others, and have the benefit of 0 Km’s and New Car Warranty). Though I am willing to go down a couple of years and buy a 2nd hand car or demo model. No earlier than 2007, though. I have been keenly interested in the Landcruiser Prado, but a bit frightened by their price.
I definitely don’t want the Pathfinder, Patrol, Landcruiser or any Hyundai’s.

In terms of upgrades, I would be lifting the suspension, adding an aftermarket Bull Bar, Tow bar with alloy bumper bar, side steps, roof racks, and a 2nd set of tyres and rims. I have roughly $10,000 for those upgrades, but some can and will be delayed temporarily.

I guess what I’m asking is, can you recommend any NEW cars for less than $45K, with my particular specifications?
And if not, can you recommend any used cars, less than 4 years old at the same price with the same specifications?

Thank you Aaron for your previous reply and for the future replies.

Have you read my post on What 4wd? You are in a position to get almost anything that you want. What sort of four wheel driving do you do? If you are going after some of the harder tracks then you really want something with a solid front and rear axle. If not, an independent front axle vehicle would work well.

Are you going to use it for camping? How many people are going to sit in it? What modifications do you plan to do to it? Don’t be afraid to get an older diesel with a few kilometres on it, and save the money for fuel and more modifications. You would be able to do up an old GQ Patrol to tackle anything for under 20k, and it would still be super reliable.

Alternative, the 80 series land cruisers or 100 series are great cars. Consider whether you need the long fuel range that a diesel offers. Remember that by buying a common car parts are not hard to get a hold of when you are out in the bush.

My advice would be to make a list of what you want, and what you don’t and go from there.

Let me know some more information and I will keep helping

Aaron