Cars

[peekaboo_jones]

Thinking of getting something bigger than my Subaru impreza wrx hatch, to cater for a growing family + weekend camping trips etc. Nothing too serious but like to be able to tow a camper trailer and other things.

The wrx just doesn't have enough space in the boot. One pram just fits, shopping also, just. That's about it!

Willing spend limit 15-18k including sale of wrx

Holden Adventra LX8?
Ford Territory 5 seater diesel
Subaru outback or liberty wagon

I'm taking an Adventra for a drive this weekend and might hire a territory for a weekend too.

One plus of the Adventra is massive boot space and still similar to a regular car, kind of. Poor fuel economy compared to the others too but, meh that's ok with me. I think.

Cheers

 

[Camo6]

I'm an ex ford mechanic and reckon the Territory Diesel is a good family car. The Landrover engine is very reliable from my experience albeit a bit sooty when you give it the berries. A few suspension issues seem to have been fixed in the later models. Great fuel economy or so the BIL tells me.

 

[fraser_john]

I am on my second Territory, great vehicle. Had the six petrol AWD, now the TDci seven seater, we always have the third row folded away.

 

[droid]

i have a crewman X6 which is the AWD ute version of the adventra i think - it's been a great car in the country but thank the Lord it has gas otherwise i would have sold it ages ago - the fuel tank is too small imho. the ute version is really long too but i believe the wagon isn't as long - they aren't a small car though if parking in the city is frequent...

we also have a subi - the liberty B4, subi's are great, i had a WRX too but i wouldn't tow too much even with an outback, i've looked at the bigger 3.6 outback but wouldn't want to tow our pop top with it ~ not as the dedicated towing vehicle anyway

the mrs has a TDC or somesuch territory as a work car, she's not really a fan but then she's a bit of a euro fan girl having just bought a VW Toureg

if the towing thing is limited to a lightish camper trailer and not a van - i'd be all over a low k'd 2009+ (ed or younger) outback

 

[peekaboo_jones]

Yeah I really love the Subaru build quality and driving enjoyment. They are just too small in on opinion for what we want to throw in the back. The outback would be perfect if it's boot was a bit bigger.

I took a territory for a spin, it was quite nice to drive also. Car like handling really but I don't think they can go off road, ground clearance isn't much more than a Falcon.

Taking an Adventra for a drive this weekend.

This car will be parked in the carport 5 days a week and used for long trips and my outings on weekend when the wife is working.
The Mrs uses our current AU Falcon as a daily car. it's perfect for that purpose.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

Had outbacks for 10yrs onto my 2nd now, love em. Done heaps of beach trips. Seats fold flat heaps of room in the back for sleeping & gear IMO, you must have a lot of gear? Tarp/poles/table on the roof, mattress/eskies/clothes in the back.

 

[mckenry]

Like Droid, I have a crewman. Family of four, kids 15 & 17, family tent, boogie boards, cooking equip, esky with two taps and two kegs (very important) sleeping rolls and bags, clothing etc etc, all fit in the back. No need to tow anything (great if you go a bit off track), but will easily if you take a camper trailer. Not perfect off road though. Handles like a car.Shame they stopped building them.

 

[droid]

^yep couldn't agree more, we would have traded up by now, my old girl has gone fire wood collecting with a trailer through wet hilly muddy slops, just a nice smooth throttle and she cruises through no worries and there's no thought about space, we chuck everything in

Yeah I really love the Subaru build quality and driving enjoyment. They are just too small in on opinion for what we want to throw in the back. The outback would be perfect if it's boot was a bit bigger.

I took a territory for a spin, it was quite nice to drive also. Car like handling really but I don't think they can go off road, ground clearance isn't much more than a Falcon.

Taking an Adventra for a drive this weekend.

This car will be parked in the carport 5 days a week and used for long trips and my outings on weekend when the wife is working.
The Mrs uses our current AU Falcon as a daily car. it's perfect for that purpose.

sounds good!

 

[Dave70]

Not a bad idea to check if your car is or isn't on hit list, or has at the least been sorted before you buy.

https://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/952855

 

[Fents]

Another Ford Territory here, 7 seater titanium, petrol. Love it, wish i'd got the diesel but hey work pays for fuel anyway.

 

[doctr-dan]

I've had 2 crewmans a V6 and the 6.0ltr V8 ss
The back seats are super small, the V6 was the s model and came out with a 1 tonne load rating , your then stuck with light truck tyres and due to its length very easy spin on slippery roads. It was dangerous. You can get a engineers certificate for passenger car tyres so your insurance will be valid.

The ss was much better but its was manual and the gearing is way to high, it was a bitch in traffic or a steep driveway even. And 6th gear is way to high to be practical and keep a licence.

I sold it and bought a v6 auto Hilux 4x4, so much happier and cheaper on fuel

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

 

[Dave70]

Thats silly. OP said boot space is important and fuel consumption isn't.

P76 V8. Boxes ticked.

 

[Camo6]

Yeah I really love the Subaru build quality and driving enjoyment. They are just too small in on opinion for what we want to throw in the back. The outback would be perfect if it's boot was a bit bigger.

I took a territory for a spin, it was quite nice to drive also. Car like handling really but I don't think they can go off road, ground clearance isn't much more than a Falcon.

Taking an Adventra for a drive this weekend.

This car will be parked in the carport 5 days a week and used for long trips and my outings on weekend when the wife is working.
The Mrs uses our current AU Falcon as a daily car. it's perfect for that purpose.

If this is just a car for camping and holidays do yourself a favour and buy an 80 series Cruiser in good nick. You could get a decked out turbo diesel for less than 20 gorillas if you look around. Pre common rail so while you may consume more fuel and have a bit less power, any joe-blow can work on it and it's not likely to leave you stranded because it tasted a bit of water. On my second 80 series now and only because I upgraded from base model to high series. Still miss my 1fz-fe but can't hoard cars like I do empty beer bottles. The bloke that bought it messaged me 12 months later telling me it was still going strong and the best buy he'd ever had. He got it too cheap.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Those 4.2ltr Toyota diesels are bullet proof. You can easley expect 500,000K's out of them

80 series or the 70 series Troopies are pretty reliable and parts are everywhere for them

You can pick them up easly for under $15k

 

[peekaboo_jones]

Had outbacks for 10yrs onto my 2nd now, love em. Done heaps of beach trips. Seats fold flat heaps of room in the back for sleeping & gear IMO, you must have a lot of gear? Tarp/poles/table on the roof, mattress/eskies/clothes in the back.

Agree, yes if we didn't have kids I'd possibly stick with the wrx.
Toddler on backseat, porta cot, pram/stroller, bags, toys, gifts etc for country family birthdays Xmas etc.
Obviously homebrew beer supply (usually an esky full).
Camping gear also if it's that type of trip.

70 or 80 series cruiser is definitely food for thought!

My other thought was a Pajero v6 and getting an RPW supercharger kit.

Adventra is still under 10k and somewhere between all these variants, test drive Friday will tell!

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

My other thought was a Pajero v6 and getting an RPW supercharger kit.

A complete **** BOX. Dont even think of going with one of those.

Every mechanic I know reckons they are horrible things.

Bloke at work bought a cheap one....nothing but trouble

 

[peekaboo_jones]

A complete **** BOX. Dont even think of going with one of those.

Every mechanic I know reckons they are horrible things.

Bloke at work bought a cheap one....nothing but trouble

Jesus, great feedback. It's off the list!

 

[tavas]

If this is just a car for camping and holidays do yourself a favour and buy an 80 series Cruiser in good nick. You could get a decked out turbo diesel for less than 20 gorillas if you look around. Pre common rail so while you may consume more fuel and have a bit less power, any joe-blow can work on it and it's not likely to leave you stranded because it tasted a bit of water. On my second 80 series now and only because I upgraded from base model to high series. Still miss my 1fz-fe but can't hoard cars like I do empty beer bottles. The bloke that bought it messaged me 12 months later telling me it was still going strong and the best buy he'd ever had. He got it too cheap.

I just bought a 1FZJ-FE. Paid $13k in good condition. Drives very nice, no-one bothers you if you happen to do the wrong thing on the road. Goes anywhere - beach, rocks, mud, over Civics and Prius's.

Seriously though, a good car for not a lot of money. I got it for the 8 seats as we have number 3 on the way.

 

[Dave70]

Those 4.2ltr Toyota diesels are bullet proof. You can easley expect 500,000K's out of them

80 series or the 70 series Troopies are pretty reliable and parts are everywhere for them

You can pick them up easly for under $15k

So long as you get the right one. I owned a GXL 80 series turbo for a time that belonged to the olds previously. There were big end issues with a few models, that being one. They were replaced at 100,000K and almost worn through to the copper - warranty job. Then the fuel pump needed re building after the low sulphur diesel ****** the seals - about a $900 fix. Then the injectors needed a rebuild - about $500. Then the radiator core became irrevocably choked with **** and needed replacing. Then at 280K the turbo spat a bearing on the intake side and lunched two valves after bits of the shell got sucked into the motor. I sorted that myself but it required a whole bunch of time knuckle skinning.
The STD front wheel bearings cop merry hell, as do the CVs when leaned on and these were replaced numerous times. Being constant 4WD only aggravates this, I'd go a 2WD conversion kit to save front end ware alone.
But in full disclosure, I used it like a 4WD, not 'Mums taxi'.

So the take home message is if you don't know what to look for and what questions to ask, enlist the services of someone who does before you buy.
I might add, between me, the missus, and my folks, we've probably had about a dozen Toyotas, mostly Landcruisers and utes over the past twenty years. Probably the best build quality next the likes of Subaru and Mazda in a mass produced car. If I were in your shoes, I'd stretch to the lowest K, most city driven Prado I could afford.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Yeah the early 4.2 turbos did have some issues.

But the atmo engine is plenty good enough if your not speed freak.

We used Troopies and 80's on the railways almost exclusively and they where pretty tough.

Most of them saw 200k plus without any problems..although they had a bad habit of stripping the output shaft in the gearbox after about 150K.....

 

[droid]

But the prices in the 13'$ are big k's yeah so service history is pretty important

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

But the prices in the 13'$ are big k's yeah so service history is pretty important

Indeed

 

[Camo6]

Those 4.2ltr Toyota diesels are bullet proof. You can easley expect 500,000K's out of them

80 series or the 70 series Troopies are pretty reliable and parts are everywhere for them

You can pick them up easly for under $15k

Absolutely. I'm now driving a 96 Sahara with the 1hd-ft 24v TD. At 330k it's almost run in. Luckily, I bought it off the FIL and knew it had a pretty easy life and serviced religiously. Even better was his love for accessories and there ain't much room to add anything else. Even still, for a 20yr old car with a heap of accessories it's been relatively trouble free. As a reliable 4WD it's up there with the old Landrover.

 

[Dave70]

Yeah the early 4.2 turbos did have some issues.

But the atmo engine is plenty good enough if your not speed freak.

We used Troopies and 80's on the railways almost exclusively and they where pretty tough.

Most of them saw 200k plus without any problems..although they had a bad habit of stripping the output shaft in the gearbox after about 150K.....

Thats the thing, theres no time frame on thrashing a vehicle. Constant shock loading via traction / no traction situations like bouncing up a rocky hill will kill just about anything sooner or later.

Except perhaps, much as it pains me to admit it, a Nissan Patrol.

My uncle use to work for Intergral back when it was still Prospect (?) doing installations in some pretty rustic locations. The thrashings dished out to the company Patrols by all and sundry were enough to prompt him to lay his money down on a spanking new GU when the time came for that big trip round Aus. A diesel mechanic by trade and a rev head by nature he was mightily impressed how these things just lapped up the abuse and kept on rolling.
The bodys eventually rattled like shaking a tin of ringpulls, but the motors and drive lines were industrial strength. Plus the the Nissan LSD is the best in the business, the Toyota LSD unit by comparison must be named for irony.
Thats the 4.2 turbo. He upgraded to a newer straight six TB45 petrol, then sold it again quickly cos they suck juice like a top fuel dragster. Dont even consider the grenade like ZD30.

 

[Camo6]

ZD30? Worst...headjob...ever.
Supposedly blanking the egr prevented the high cylinder temps that created issues but after doing both cyl head repair and timing gear housing r&r I'd never want to own one. Bet you've given me nightmares now Dave70.

 

[tavas]

But the prices in the 13'$ are big k's yeah so service history is pretty important

Go for a petrol. $13k will get you between 280 and 330k. Use. Bit of negotiation. There's a few on carsales and gumtree.
105 series too.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Thats the thing, theres no time frame on thrashing a vehicle. Constant shock loading via traction / no traction situations like bouncing up a rocky hill will kill just about anything sooner or later.

Except perhaps, much as it pains me to admit it, a Nissan Patrol.

My uncle use to work for Intergral back when it was still Prospect (?) doing installations in some pretty rustic locations. The thrashings dished out to the company Patrols by all and sundry were enough to prompt him to lay his money down on a spanking new GU when the time came for that big trip round Aus. A diesel mechanic by trade and a rev head by nature he was mightily impressed how these things just lapped up the abuse and kept on rolling.
The bodys eventually rattled like shaking a tin of ringpulls, but the motors and drive lines were industrial strength. Plus the the Nissan LSD is the best in the business, the Toyota LSD unit by comparison must be named for irony.
Thats the 4.2 turbo. He upgraded to a newer straight six TB45 petrol, then sold it again quickly cos they suck juice like a top fuel dragster. Dont even consider the grenade like ZD30.

Patrols had a reputation for very strong drive lines, stronger than Toyota's, but the engines where not as good.

Ironically a good mix is putting the Tojo 4.2 diesel into a GQ Patrol

 

[droid]

quick digression - once upon a time i sold New Nissans, Fords and Jeeps. There was a driver training day on the new Patrol (GU i think it was), out in the bush. They hadn't reached Dealerships at that stage. Everyone was told to take it easy and one knob head rolled one, he was real popular after that

 

[peekaboo_jones]

So...

Took an 80 series Cruiser diesel and an Adventra v8 for a fandangle today. Cruiser was a machine and I love the road presence! but also a tank to drive. Would be amazing for any camping trips or long road trips. Bit of a slug though and too big for my carport side by side with the falcon.

Adventra looked nearly just like any Commodore wagon from the outside. A bit extra height.
Was a bit skeptical as the engine is the LS1 and the car weighs 2t plus. I was very surprised, good power and excellent handling. I thought this would be a middle range to the other vehicles that would cope with all of our weekend cramping trips to the Benalla/Wang high country and Riverina area plus being an easy Melbourne suburbs weekend car. So I bought it today! It's an LX8 luxury.
My friend can also tune the LS1, no cost other than parts. Better intake, cam and exhaust + tune should be around 225-250kw @ all 4's. And better fuel economy too