what 4x4 for a 21 year old?

[chapel gate]

Ems brother is keen to get his first 4x4. The obvious main issue is the cost of insurance. He wants something bigger than a jimny etc. I suggested a toyota surf, he's waiting for a quote on the 3 litre, i told him to avoid the 2.5 because of the head gasket issues, although the quote he had for these was in his price range.
he keeps showing me an array of jeep things that i know nothing about but are cheap. Anyone know about these? Any other suggestions?

 

[Animal Mother]

Pajero 2.8 SWB
Daihatsu Fourtrak
Suzuki Gran Vitara
Hilux maybe?
70 series Prado

Looks like classic insurance is easy enough too: https://www.heritagecarinsurance.co.uk/insurance/classic-4x4-insurance/

 

[joinerman]

Can't bring myself to utter the words
i will just say Green oval

 

[fbnss]

I had a surf, brilliant fun to drive, dare I say more fun than the cruiser! The 3 litres do their heads too, mine did.

 

[Animal Mother]

I had a surf, brilliant fun to drive, dare I say more fun than the cruiser! The 3 litres do their heads too, mine did.

Mine too.

 

[Animal Mother]

https://www.gumtree.com/p/toyota/j-...nths-mot-/1308556163?utm_source=newsnow.co.uk

 

[Bob]

I'd be suggesting a Grand Vitara too. Not a bad entry to 4x4 and certainly bigger than a Jimny. Very reliable too. 2litre keeps insurance down.

As for classic insurance, usual stipulation is that you have an existing car policy as a daily driver.

I was 24 when I bought my Cruiser so can't be ruled out. Just the insurance thing really.

Jeep products aren't the worst, but I drove a Cherokee 2.5 diesel once, and it was slooooowww and a very low driving position.

 

[Shayne]

Flux wanted something like £3700 a year when my 27 years old step daughter passed her driving test just a few months ago to make my KDJ90 her car .

 

[Animal Mother]

Shogun Pinin?

https://www.gumtree.com/p/mitsubishi/mitsubishi-pinin-4x4-low-miles-great-car/1307707434

 

[Richard Turner]

Diahatsu Fourtrak used to be the cheapest on insurance, not an import though. Very tough but suffering from rust now. Sportrak was the 1.6 petrol smaller version, but very rare now.

I liked my Fourtrak but it was desperately slow, brake fade would occour every journey, terrible on fuel at much over 50mph, and did I mention slow...?

Shoguns were also a reasonably low insurance group but if I remember a lot more than the Fourtrak. A nice UK Shogun SWB would be great, esp in V6 with LPG.

If I was 21 I would definitely get a Jimny though. The only reason I can stop myself buying one is that they can't tow! Putting a 2.0 HDI Peugeot engine in one and it would be a really great machine... so tempting...

 

[Animal Mother]

Dacia Duster seem to be good little cars.

 

[Josh Tagg]

I bought my cruiser at 21, when I insured it at 22 it cost 900 quid and that's with my other half on who's a year younger. Difficulty is finding one more than insuring one in this case haha

 

[moggy1968]

Can't bring myself to utter the words
i will just say Green oval

A good way to learn how to spanner!!!
Everyone needs to own one sometime if only to be persuaded how good toyotas are!!
I started on a Suzuki sj410 and it was great.

 

[BobMurphy]

Dare I say "RAV4" ??

My daughters like theirs, they are quite tough and at 11 years old neither is showing much rust. The 2.2l D-4D can be quite economical with a light boot. No Transfer Box of course, just a locking viscous coupling or something on a six-speed manual gearbox.

On the downside - being Toyotas they're very costly to service or repair.

There are different trim levels, both ours are XT5s with leather, bluetooth, sunroofs, fancy audio/CD/Sat Nav fixture.

Ours have about 180,000 miles on them now - hence my frequent attention with spanners .

Bob.

 

[Dave_S]

Jimny - proper little 4x4, giant killer off road - loads of modification potential.

 

[Gav missin]

n

Diahatsu Fourtrak used to be the cheapest on insurance, not an import though. Very tough but suffering from rust now. Sportrak was the 1.6 petrol smaller version, but very rare now.

I liked my Fourtrak but it was desperately slow, brake fade would occour every journey, terrible on fuel at much over 50mph, and did I mention slow...?

Shoguns were also a reasonably low insurance group but if I remember a lot more than the Fourtrak. A nice UK Shogun SWB would be great, esp in V6 with LPG.

If I was 21 I would definitely get a Jimny though. The only reason I can stop myself buying one is that they can't tow! Putting a 2.0 HDI Peugeot engine in one and it would be a really great machine... so tempting...

my son in his 410. Having this totally restored for him when he passes his test even though that's 5 years away. Then he wants a swb collie just like shaynes then a 80!!!!

 

[Waldamar]

Little boxy XJ Cherokee - hopefully on some classic scheme if possible. Missus has one and all seems sound, well put together and proper 4x4. As he get's older plenty of mods/upgrades available. [added advantage is they're getting rare with certain future classic status]

 

[TALAMAN]

I have seen so many Suzuki Grand Vitaras sold on quickly at best or with the front diff broken. The front diff is aluminum and easily damaged offroad. I loved by Samurai - it was draughty and noisy but soo tough! Even in standard guise it was a giant killer and handled with ease obstacles that larger more modified 4x4s struggled with. Look at the diameter of the axle on a Samurai and compare it to the one on the Jimny, itself quite a good offroader but almost half the strength of a Samurai. That is my Suzuki 2 penneth!

 

[stumog]

I had a unimog at 19. Cheapest thing to insure as I could get ex mod vehicle insurance. It would be the same kind of deal for ex mod defender

 

[Animal Mother]

I had a unimog at 19. Cheapest thing to insure as I could get ex mod vehicle insurance. It would be the same kind of deal for ex mod defender

That's a good call.