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Ok, know there are few petrol heads and off roaders here so bit of advice. What would you recommend at the smaller end of the SUV/4x4 market?

I am thinking about an X Trail, but will test drive a Honda CR-V and Rav 4. Though I doubt I will get a Rav 4 but will try it. Any other suggestions about what I should look at, Mitsubishi?

I won't be going proper offroad with it but it will be using it for picnics to Fujairah/RAK etc. I will also be making frequent road trips to Abu Dhabi in it so would like something with a bit of road comfort too.

it's a NO for the rav-4 ,it easily gets damaged from underneath and all plastic protection as I recall.

if you are looking for this class I think the new nissan exterra ,its built for such a thing and got a powerful HP .

I agree with uaekid on the Rav4. Any Jeep will last you forever tho..

Go for a CR-V. Best engines, reliable, just 2.4, which is more than enough here, relatively inexpensive service, good offers from honda, very confident and professional staff in showrooms, as opposed to toyota's and mitsubishi's, which means ull get less unuseful BS to pay for. It matters if Uve got a family here to carry around, doesn't it? as well as if u concider getting a new car or a used one. Budget? Give ur people more details)).

Have a look at a Mitsubishi Pajero short wheel base. They last foever and are really well built.

Chocoholic wrote:Have a look at a Mitsubishi Pajero short wheel base. They last foever and are really well built.

I wouldn't agree on this one. That car needs rough moments, needs mud and sand. No need to pay extras for differentials and extra set of gear and cylinders, if not going to leave that highway. IMHO

I have been looking around the market, and to make your life easy, I will recommend the following:

1) First,decide whether you want an offroad vehicle or not,this is the most crucial part of the purchasing process. There is a substantial difference between offroad ready vehicles like Xterra, Fortuner, Pajero, and softroaders like CRV, Rav4, Xtrail

If its the latter, then CRV has a very good reputation, Nissan is the best in terms of price, you can get a leather interior, full options Xtrail for 90k...

Get a V6 engine for a different satisfying experience!
If you concerned about the budget, then Tucson V6 2.7L is the most affordable one (less than 70K) and I was satisfied.

Xterra is the best car for the money. Very powerful, very well built, I would go for that if you can afford it

I was thinking of the Xterra as well, as its quite fast and really good offroad. However its cons are:

1) Very basic cabin, when compared to CRV or even Fortuner

2) On road ride quality isnt that good.

If you think you wont be going proper offroading more than once a year, than it may be better to get a softroader and have better ride/driving quality

Toyota V8!... Boy that's Just made for these kind a stuff!!.......

BlackburnRovers wrote:I was thinking of the Xterra as well, as its quite fast and really good offroad. However its cons are:

1) Very basic cabin, when compared to CRV or even Fortuner

2) On road ride quality isnt that good.

If you think you wont be going proper offroading more than once a year, than it may be better to get a softroader and have better ride/driving quality

you can't hace it all my friend ... but if you are in hard core off road driving then don't go for the computerized ones. they'll break in the long run.

I remembered my 2006 Bmw 745 I heard a sound when shifting gears so I took it to the dealer and told me it's your clutch that needs a replacement so I said yaa go a head and do that ( thinking it wont coast me more than 3000) so the estimation was 40,000 ... (fuc* me ) I sold it the same week LOL

Save your money with the ghay soft roaders, You really dont need a offroader for anything non desert related, Unless your into some serious rock crawling going up sides of mountains at crazy angle. Which I HIGHLY doubt you will do.

Get your self the sedan/saloon of your choice 99% places have sedan friendly dirt tracks going all over the places for you little beach picnics in RAK and the east coast.

desertdudeshj wrote:the ghay soft roaders,

Ah, you like the macho, hard stuff, huh? Remember and play safe though.

desertdudeshj wrote: You really dont need a offroader for anything non desert related,

I actually need the space. I would get an estate car (station wagon) but they don't seem to be that popular here thus more of a liability.

desertdudeshj wrote:sedan friendly dirt tracks going

Maybe so but if they are not in the direction I actually want to travel in then they are no used to me though, are they?

Thanks to everyone else for the advice.

In that case get a pajero around 130k spanking new and fully loaded with all the bells and whistles, and some resale value.

Lower specs obviously cheaper

I have used the 2008 CRV and now drive the Hyundai Santa Fe. The CRV is a super vehicle if you are sure you will not be going off road.

One of the best vehicles I have driven

uaekid wrote:

BlackburnRovers wrote:I was thinking of the Xterra as well, as its quite fast and really good offroad. However its cons are:

1) Very basic cabin, when compared to CRV or even Fortuner

2) On road ride quality isnt that good.

If you think you wont be going proper offroading more than once a year, than it may be better to get a softroader and have better ride/driving quality

you can't hace it all my friend ... but if you are in hard core off road driving then don't go for the computerized ones. they'll break in the long run.

I remembered my 2006 Bmw 745 I heard a sound when shifting gears so I took it to the dealer and told me it's your clutch that needs a replacement so I said yaa go a head and do that ( thinking it wont coast me more than 3000) so the estimation was 40,000 ... (fuc* me ) I sold it the same week LOL

Huh that's funny because BMW doesn't offer a manual transmission in that model 7-series...so whoever told you the clutch was bad was OBVIOUSLY a trained BMW technician

40K is about right for a new automatic transmission, and if you were doing neutral-drive drops to "launch" the car then you deserved that final price

Auto boxes also have "clutch packs"

Yep but in order to diagnose a bad clutch packing assembly in the primary and secondary planetaries, the transmission has to be disassembled anyways. Any smart dealership will just replace the transmission before attempting a rebuild, especially if it's under warranty.

Depends on how the car was driven, what the damage could be...
Neutral-drop launches will put the hardest strain on the pump and valve body assemblies, clutch packs usually only get burnt out from overheating or the torque converter not locking up when in overdrive.

Oh well, not like Uaekid really cares what happened to that car ;D

And just yesterday somebody was bragging how tough ZF trannys are and meant to be non servicable item and good for the life of the vehicle if not more. And ZF transmissions do have impecable history used in every thing from Range Rovers, BMW's, Jaguars and a few luxury american limosines.

My 11 year landy also has a ZF with around 200k on it and still is silky smooth. But ofcourse they were not meant to handle the abuse of the likes of UAEKkid

You really have to go for it to bum one of thoses trannies outs.

Oh i'm sure he's "bummed" a few "trannies" with his "acceleration" techniques

Gimme a Ford C4 automatic any day, bolt in a nice manual valve body with trans-brake and upgraded 2nd and 3rd gear bands and throw any 1000+ hp engine you want in there

Dear all members!
I want to buy Mitsubishi pajero io, cupe(3 door), 1999-2000 years for cheap price about 4000 $.
If u have any information about where i can buy, please tell me.
Very thx for your attention.

GMC Siera pick up,big wheels and a supercharged engine,on road,off road you name it and as cheap as chips.


















Oh i did i mention that i am selling mine

i have had my patrol for the last 6 to 7 years it is 2003 model. Honestly speaking it is the best 4 wheeler I have driven. I have driven a pajero, a prado and a cruiser and they are not in the SAME league as the Nissan patrol for various reasons. As long as you service it and regularly maintane it, it will never give you a problem. However got to warn you that Nissans do have a problem with wobbling stearing wheels. But thats only because if you have drivers like me going over footpaths to take short cuts . Oh yeh whichever 4 wheel you go for dont go for a BLACK one.

I always heard a saab holds their value pretty well.




Some guy thrashing his old saab. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du6aFl-n_is

surprised there are no votes for the good old Wrangler. Rugged and good VFM

smoggie wrote:surprised there are no votes for the good old Wrangler. Rugged and good VFM

The Sheep is unrealiable, uncomfortable and with the range of a granny with a walker before it runs out of gas. Not to mention the lastest generation being ugly as Fark. And they have even more reliablity issues than the older ones.

canuckbid wrote:I always heard a saab holds their value pretty well.

Aren't they talking 4x4s?

First of all a Saab DOESNT holds its value well here. Infact anything other than the usual Japanese crap doesn't over here. And YES we are talking 4X4's not soccer mom AWD station wagons !

But I do this guy to does take is forrester/outlander ? out into the dunes !

Oh and BTW cannuck this is the way we like to drive in the desert so have an idea that we need a proper 4x4



Infact I'll post it as a new thread