Serious question, I have an x-trail and need to replace it, I've got several old Landrovers but I need a reliable daily driver.
Any comments?
Any comments?
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Have Land Rover made anything as reliable as a Japanese 4x4
- Thread starter Stan the Man
- Start date
Citroen Zsara Picasso . Cheap to buy second hand , good mpg and nice and comfy . Minimal electronic nonsense on the older ones .
I inherited one of those from my father, the battery went flat and the electronic dash went blank and never came back. I'm thinking more 4x4 I need to tow a braked trailer.
it comes down to opinion!
from memory the Freelander 2 diesel was quite reliable and I’m not aware of any corrosion issues like Rrc, disco 1 and 2, etc, p38 keep clear, l322 tdv8 has a reasonable reputation but expensive if it goes wrong. Disco 3 and 4 can be problematic. Not sure on more modern stuff like disco sport. Old Defender isn’t bad but you’ll end up tinkering a lot (not that it’s a bad thing!)
other than that then Japanese is the way forward, usual suspects in land cruiser, shogun, pathfinder, patrol. All very good or you end up down the pick up route…
I’ve an Infiniti fx which is good, but limited boot space, parts availability and off-road performance (it’s based on a Nissan 350z platform!!!) so great to drive but perhaps not what you want.
from memory the Freelander 2 diesel was quite reliable and I’m not aware of any corrosion issues like Rrc, disco 1 and 2, etc, p38 keep clear, l322 tdv8 has a reasonable reputation but expensive if it goes wrong. Disco 3 and 4 can be problematic. Not sure on more modern stuff like disco sport. Old Defender isn’t bad but you’ll end up tinkering a lot (not that it’s a bad thing!)
other than that then Japanese is the way forward, usual suspects in land cruiser, shogun, pathfinder, patrol. All very good or you end up down the pick up route…
I’ve an Infiniti fx which is good, but limited boot space, parts availability and off-road performance (it’s based on a Nissan 350z platform!!!) so great to drive but perhaps not what you want.
Mike_Hammond
Extreme Landy Fan
Suzuki Grand Vitaras, not the current ones, the squarer shape from 2007 onward are good value with proper 4wd transmissions but I would go petrol over diesel as the the renault based 1.9ddis is known for dpf issues, not so much of a problem if you do longer runs. I've sorted the wifes now but it still throws a light if she does lots of short runs so I have to take it for a blast to regen the dpf.
I've run a D3 for work and that did well, great towing weapon but youre always wondering if the crank will let go! Many don't but painful on the wallet if they do!
So for my money I'd probably say Toyota Landcruiser sits pretty high up the list.
I've run a D3 for work and that did well, great towing weapon but youre always wondering if the crank will let go! Many don't but painful on the wallet if they do!
So for my money I'd probably say Toyota Landcruiser sits pretty high up the list.
I like the look of the pathfinder, drove navaras on the farm for a while. Spoke to an engineer recently who spends a lot of his time strengthening the chassis on them. Considering pathfinder or Navarra and getting him to stop it snapping in two.
We had a vitara, one of those with the fatboy arches. The drive drain was spot on with great 4wd. Rusted to bits though.
If it were my money I’d go land cruiser or patrol if it were required as the “reliable “ vehicle.
if my better half keeps the Infiniti then I’d be tempted to get a tdv8 l322, as I love them
if my better half keeps the Infiniti then I’d be tempted to get a tdv8 l322, as I love them
Mike_Hammond
Extreme Landy Fan
I looked at a T-spec pathfinder before buying the D3, good truck, a bit more van like, engine is less refined and I think theyre known for cam chains snapping but can be upgraded, I think billcar engineering in Shrewsbury do an uprated kit for them.
Same engine in my Infiniti if it’s a 3.0d , think it’s pretty good and refined.
I’m looking through the history to see if the cam/timing chains been done, but suspect not!
I’m looking through the history to see if the cam/timing chains been done, but suspect not!
Mike_Hammond
Extreme Landy Fan
Depends which model and age a lot of Pathfinders and Navaras were mainly 2.5DCi's which are the ones with timing chain issues. They did do some with the v6 in too, which is probably a better engine albeit less commen.
The other one I always thought quite highly of was the Isuzu Trooper but I haven’t seen one in over a decade!
I would go for Japanese.purely because they never hardly break down .a friend has a 2010 hilux he used to go around the world in .took 8 months without a hitch .still has it with no problems ..Toyota land cruiser can’t go far wrong excellent vehicle...
Answer to your question.....no 
....ooohhhh 
Am I on the wanted shoot to kill list .
....ooohhhh Am I on the wanted shoot to kill list .
erubus
Land Rover Buddha
Toyota land cruiser or nissan patrol for a solid, reliable vehicle. The land cruisers design brief was that it had to last 30 years minimum in a third world country before needing any major work. Says it all. 4.2 diesel is a great engine, big and understressed but not as thirsty as the petrol v8's. It says a lot that you've been recommended it several times on a Land Rover forum 
I watched a YouTube video of a guy going to pick up an early land cruiser ute from a breaker. It had sat outside for twenty odd years but started with a battery and fresh fuel and drove onto the trailer.
Id love an LC as my daily of I could afford one.
I watched a YouTube video of a guy going to pick up an early land cruiser ute from a breaker. It had sat outside for twenty odd years but started with a battery and fresh fuel and drove onto the trailer.
Id love an LC as my daily of I could afford one.
Technically they designed the revived Mini hatch under BMW was that reliable??Answer to your question.....no
Am I on the wanted shoot to kill list .
Technically
But would I swap my defender for something Japanese..no that’s what we’re all here for ,there’s just something about them .
I wouldn't swap my 109 or 110 but neither of them are 4 seats and the days are gone when you can have people rolling about in the back.Technically
But would I swap my defender for something Japanese..no that’s what we’re all here for ,there’s just something about them .
Colin Swan
Trekker
What weight is the trailer you need to tow S t M ?, that dictates the vehicle capability you need to be looking for. Colin
RandomLandyFan
Trekker
Perhaps you have been lucky with your X-trail but it does seem that Nissan (perhaps with French assistance
) have succeeded in making Japanese 4x4s with the same level of reliability as modern Land Rovers - the 2014 X-trail and Disco Sport prop up the What Car? reliability league table!
2023 What Car? Reliability Survey: Britain's most and least reliable cars
In our annual Reliability Survey, we ask readers to rate the dependability of cars aged up to five years old. Here are the latest results based on the experiences of nearly 22,000 owners
I looked at the X-Trail back in the early noughties but was put off by some of the stories about big repair bills and went for a Mk 2 Rav4 - which we still have.
Navaras have well publicised chassis issues and no personal experience of the Patrol but hard to argue with a Land Cruiser but even the smallest Prado ones will be a big step up both in performance and cost from an X-trail. That said, the performance of Land Cruisers, particularly offroad can often be enhanced with green oval assistance.