View Full Version : I'm thinking of buying a Vitara.
Cos I'm going to need a 4x4 to get to work when it snows, and it's an easy size for the other half to deal with and learn in, and they're quite cheap, and a soft top will be fun in summer, and...and...and...we're both agreed that it has to be civilised, so Ladas and Samurais (and fat-boy body kits!)are out, and everything else is too big or something.
So.
Anyone got any experience, things to look out for, etc.?
Don't let me go out there blind, guys! :rolleyes:
Make sure you get the optional extra scissors and comb ;)
Jezz_S13
18-11-2002, 08:25
See if you can get one with either self righting ability or two sets of four wheels so it'll still go forward when it rolls.
Adam_AE86
18-11-2002, 09:19
i dont want people to think im into vitara's even though the girlfriends want a pink one with a white roof!!!!!!!!!!!!!
but..... i know exactly where you coming from cos t aint pretty round here in derbyshire when it snows (good for sledging though, grown up style of course) i tried to get through winter with a mr2 which wasnt the best idea. I would of been quite happy with a vitara then (or even dare i say it a scooby!).
Get a SWB Land Rover Defender. Much more robust, go bloody anywhere, go on forever, won't rust 'cos it's made out of aluminium, etc, etc :D
dave_s13
18-11-2002, 10:07
U can get a P reg Lada Niva Hussar for less than £1500.
They're suposed to be top off-road cars due to the fact that they will actuially go off-road.
Land Rovers are also pretty cool.
Vitara will be pants in the snow.
If you acttualy want to get around places, the SWB Defender, Lada or a old proper lightwaite jap off roader. There are a lot off "off road" car around to day that cant do any off orad coz they aint design for it :rolleyes:
+ when I first read the thread title i though it said "I'm thinking of buying Viagra " :eek:
The old Suzuki jeeps (SJ?) are supposed to be quite handy off road, but I'd fit a rollcage and harnesses for sure!
LOL at Jezz! :D You've been watching too much Robot Wars mate.....;)
I know it's not a viable proposition off road, but it ain't goin' off road so I don't care. Anything with 4WD will manage the snow, as it's too windy to get seriously deep on the road, hell, I've done it in the 200 a few times, but it's a bit easy to get stuck at the bottom of a hill (ie, in Buxton) due mainly to tyres. It happened to me in the GTV, and the next door neighbour pulled me up the hill with his beat-up old 1200cc Justy with no trouble at all. I've even seen a fat-boy Vitara with stupid tyres go up with no drama.....
Snow is only a problem for maybe 10 days a year, tops, so a proper off-roader is just wasted, besides which I like having the odd day off!:p
No, the choice is made, on size as much as anything. Babs isn't the tallest person in the world, and the elevated driving position, compact dimensions, and PAS will be just right for a newbie driver.
And I've had a Niva, (my left leg still remembers...) so I obviously don't care about image. :rolleyes:
I just wondered if anyone's got any experience really?
I'll get my coat.
And scissors. :(
I'll second the Land Rover. My parents had a long wheelbase X reg Land Rover. You engaged 4 wheel drive by turning things on the wheels and using a second gear lever, great traction :)
Dave
My one piece of advice is have a drive in one first!!
The other option is a Dahatsu Sportrax - similar sort of idea but they tend to come with a removable hard top which will be better in the winter!!
Vitara's the small one yeah? pretty basic?
A friend who's done loads of offroad landrover driving bought one a couple of years ago for offroading and he says it's ace.
He's even got the one with the pink stickers one and he loves it :)
go for your life.
What job do you do where you have to get there nomatter what?
do you live in a massive valley or something?
James
vitaras are ok ,not prone to rolling {that was the sj series}, not a serious off road tool but a good compromise for snow driving
just dont get one with fat tyres
mot and mechanically wise then . i dont know of any common probs
Originally posted by NewClearBomb
Vitara's the small one yeah? pretty basic?
A friend who's done loads of offroad landrover driving bought one a couple of years ago for offroading and he says it's ace.
He's even got the one with the pink stickers one and he loves it :)
go for your life.
What job do you do where you have to get there nomatter what?
do you live in a massive valley or something?
James
Nah, you're thinking of the Samurai, supposed to be pretty good off road, but VERY basic...
I live on top of a hill (well, the Pennines is a range technically:p) so it's more a question of getting home! :D
I'm also considering an X90, for most of the same reasons, plus ABS and airbags if it all goes pear-shaped for Babs....
....and as far as I can make out, it's RWD until you need the 4WD, and has a spoiler :eek:, and apparently you're not supposed to make sudden sharp turns for some reason! Hope it has airbags in the (targa) roof :D:D:D
It sounds like a right giggle. :)
;) :D
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid39/p41e938129a22cb4c790631c85b968a7c/fd071e76.jpg
dave_s13
19-11-2002, 10:05
Originally posted by Billy
I'm also considering an X90, for most of the same reasons, plus ABS and airbags if it all goes pear-shaped for Babs....
NNNOOOOOO!!!
The X90 is a BIG bag of POO.
I saw a review once and it concluded that the X90 was a travesty of a motor vehicle, they're horrid, don't do it.
you don't wanna spend money on a car that to have fun in you've really gotta wreck, get a Fiat Panda 4X4 or one of the Lada one's for practically nothing, then autotest it at every given opportunity and generally have fun wrecking it
dave_s13
19-11-2002, 12:07
Can you still get parts for Ladas??
I've fancied a Niva before know but the fact that Lada are no more kinda put me off.
Sideways Danny
19-11-2002, 12:45
get a subaru justy. I had a 1.2 GLII for about a year and a half. did 28k in that time and never had a real problem. broke the cam belt once but put a new one on and it ran fine. 3 cylinders, and part time 4wd, (press a button on the gear lever) I loved every minute of owning that car, and 67bhp isn't bad in a shoebox. good for 105mph
Nathan_200sx
19-11-2002, 12:48
Noooo dont do it here pooooo!
suzukis like to do this
http://www.teligent.co.uk/oops1.jpg
It was only the spare wheel on the back that stopped it going over!:eek:
http://www.teligent.co.uk/oops2.jpg
We had a LWB landy which just used to crush and batter things into submission:D
here we are at a quary a few years ago, notice the wheel marks where people had been doing the wall of death in a landrover
http://www.teligent.co.uk/look.jpg
And over we went
http://www.teligent.co.uk/down.jpg
The only reason we had to stop in the next pic was because it was overheating due to mud sheilding the rad, apart from that she was runing sweet:) brilliant bit of kit.
http://www.teligent.co.uk/engine.jpg
Thanks for your concern everyone, but I don't intend having any fun in it at all!
It's for the missus, so she can see past other cars, so a Justy is out (besides, have you ever changed a water-pump on one?:eek: :eek: :eek:), a Lada has a clutch like a tractor and steering to match, and everything else is too damned big, or the automotive equivalent of a cardboard box under Waterloo arches, or both!
Lucky for me, I don't live in a quarry, but top piccies all the same Nath! :)
Has no-one owned or worked on a Vitara? I promise I won't tell if you PM me! :D:D:D
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