JC back in the market for a 4WD

john cooper · February 12

Hi team,

You may have seen the note I made on another thread about how the Prado snaped and the deal completed. Anyhow, Dad is back in the market for a vehicle.

Requirement: The vehicle has to have 4WD, minimum electronics in the engine and transmission, and needs to be an Auto transmission/ CVT. It doesn't matter if it's gasoline-powered, but not a gas guzzler as Dad does a bit of a driving.

Budget: 15 mil

Dad wanted to have another good Prado KZJ95, but my sister who is in SL for a short period noticed Dad who is age of 74 struggles to drive in some places at night in Colombo traffic so my sister is against having a bigger truck unless it is a short wheel which is highly unlikely to be available in SL as a KJZ90 Prado.

Option 1: CR51/ CR52 Townace 4WD - Not sure about parts availability but I have read a good tread in the AL forum and they are not that bad.

Option 2: Gen 3 Rav4 - I had one of the 2400cc models here in NZ. It wasn't the most economical car, but it was reliable.

Option 3: Gen 1 Honda HR-V (For some reason, Dad likes this model), but I am not sure about the parts and CVT transmission reliability.

Option 4: A good short wheel LJ70 with a genuine body permit or a good BJ40 + Toyota Corolla 121 or Axio 141
The last option (Option 4) is not the best but the truck can be used for the Land and the car for running around.

Double cabs are not an option and they are out of the list, even a good LN166R SR5 will be out of the list due to the body parts shortage.

Please share your thoughts and experience on each of the above models' reliability in SL, Parts, etc.

Thank you all in advance.

Regards,

JC.

Edited February 12 by john cooper

Nate · February 12

Something important you touched on here is your father's age and the difficulty of driving in the night (and any time really) in Colombo. I would focus on comfort and ease of driving. Also is there any way he could hire/try whatever vehicle he wants to buy first, that way he would know if it works for him? I know Sri Lanka has a few places to hire vehicles, though I don't know if they have those vehicles available.

iRage · February 13

Out of that list the 3rd gen RAV4 would be the easiest to drive and own. I have had 4 (the 3rd being my parents car till this day). Fuel economy is not that bad nor that good compared to its competition. One thing you need to look out for is to make sure the car doesn't have oil issues. The earlier versions had piston ring issues which led to oil burn. If properly maintained (i.e. regularly services) the likelihood of things going bad is low but in SL you never know. The facelift models had the issue resolved.

CR51/41...not the most refined of cars. Very utilitarian. Easy to drive but also a bit stressful. Rear wheel drive, light rear-end...can get bit of a handful. I used to know people who drove around with sandbags in the back during the rainy season.

1st gen HR-V (I am assuming you are referring to the actual HR-V and not the one that is the Vezel). Fun little car. Most parts interchangeable with Hondas of the era (this also means you get the problems of other Hondas. Including the messy rear-diff which needs regular maintenance and whines without the actual Honda diff oil). Mechanically you will be set, however it is going to be difficult to find any sort of body part.

Land Cruiser truck and Axio/Corolla. Okay..funcitonally might work. However practicality might not be as rosy. Finding a decent 70 series and a decent Corolla/Axio is going to be a hard task. The Corolla you are looking at is what wet dreams are made of for a certain market segment of Lankans. Downside to that is they are priced unreasonably and they are all shiney baskets of catloy with fake badges and cheap upgrades. Looking at your history with us on AL, this only means you are going to spend a bucket full of money and countless hours restoring it (which believe me is going to bring out a lot of bad tendencies out of you). Plus....your dad is 74 years old. You are doubling his burden by making him have to maintain two cars.

Out of your list...my vote goes to the RAV4. It would feel the most modern and the best all-rounder. It might not be as off-road capable as the 70 series or a Prado but it can handle most average trails most people will throw at it. Get the newest one possible.

Another option is something like a StarWagon or a SpaceWagon. Higher end ones come surprisingly well equipped (for its age) and has the durability of the L200 or Pajero drive trains of the period. If you are lucky...You might also be able to find a:

a. 3-door shortwheel base 40 series Pajero. There are few of them (original) around, including a port auction with a fairly new registration.

b. Mitsubishi Challenger

c. Nissan Terrano (is the first gen X-Trail out of the running ?)

d. JT series Vitara (2005-2008ish). RWD. Proper part-time 4wd or full-time AWD system, depending on the model. A bit trucking but fairly decent and capable.

e. Pajero iO ?

john cooper · February 13

On 2/12/2025 at 4:41 PM, Nate said:

Something important you touched on here is your father's age and the difficulty of driving in the night (and any time really) in Colombo. I would focus on comfort and ease of driving. Also is there any way he could hire/try whatever vehicle he wants to buy first, that way he would know if it works for him? I know Sri Lanka has a few places to hire vehicles, though I don't know if they have those vehicles available.

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Not a bad suggestion mate, except for the RAV and the HR-V rest of the models we have owned at some point and Dad should have a reasonable idea about what we used to own, but I will dump that idea to Dad.

john cooper · February 14

On 2/13/2025 at 7:10 AM, iRage said:

Out of that list the 3rd gen RAV4 would be the easiest to drive and own. I have had 4 (the 3rd being my parents car till this day). Fuel economy is not that bad nor that good compared to its competition. One thing you need to look out for is to make sure the car doesn't have oil issues. The earlier versions had piston ring issues which led to oil burn. If properly maintained (i.e. regularly services) the likelihood of things going bad is low but in SL you never know. The facelift models had the issue resolved.

CR51/41...not the most refined of cars. Very utilitarian. Easy to drive but also a bit stressful. Rear wheel drive, light rear-end...can get bit of a handful. I used to know people who drove around with sandbags in the back during the rainy season.

1st gen HR-V (I am assuming you are referring to the actual HR-V and not the one that is the Vezel). Fun little car. Most parts interchangeable with Hondas of the era (this also means you get the problems of other Hondas. Including the messy rear-diff which needs regular maintenance and whines without the actual Honda diff oil). Mechanically you will be set, however it is going to be difficult to find any sort of body part.

Land Cruiser truck and Axio/Corolla. Okay..funcitonally might work. However practicality might not be as rosy. Finding a decent 70 series and a decent Corolla/Axio is going to be a hard task. The Corolla you are looking at is what wet dreams are made of for a certain market segment of Lankans. Downside to that is they are priced unreasonably and they are all shiney baskets of catloy with fake badges and cheap upgrades. Looking at your history with us on AL, this only means you are going to spend a bucket full of money and countless hours restoring it (which believe me is going to bring out a lot of bad tendencies out of you). Plus....your dad is 74 years old. You are doubling his burden by making him have to maintain two cars.

Out of your list...my vote goes to the RAV4. It would feel the most modern and the best all-rounder. It might not be as off-road capable as the 70 series or a Prado but it can handle most average trails most people will throw at it. Get the newest one possible.

Another option is something like a StarWagon or a SpaceWagon. Higher end ones come surprisingly well equipped (for its age) and has the durability of the L200 or Pajero drive trains of the period. If you are lucky...You might also be able to find a:

a. 3-door shortwheel base 40 series Pajero. There are few of them (original) around, including a port auction with a fairly new registration.

b. Mitsubishi Challenger

c. Nissan Terrano (is the first gen X-Trail out of the running ?)

d. JT series Vitara (2005-2008ish). RWD. Proper part-time 4wd or full-time AWD system, depending on the model. A bit trucking but fairly decent and capable.

e. Pajero iO ?

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Thank you for the details provided above, they are always highly regarded.

The HR-V I was talking the Petrol version came out in the early 2000s Dad had done the check on one of them and then my Brother heard it and stopped him from buying them due to the CVT transmission issues.
I wouldn't argue with his point on that as the HR-V Dad check had a Tranny replaced just before the sale.

You will now see it's too many cooks spoiling the soup for Dad (My brother, Sister and I, all 3 influence Dad in his choice of cars) 🤣

We had a Star Wagon P25 and an L400 Space Gear and don't think the Dad is open to them any more but I will drop that idea of L400 as not many 300's with genuine auto gear.

Some of the models that are in your suggested list are already out due to one or the other reasons, especially the Mitzi Challenger, One of our relatives has had one for many years and Dad & Mom went to Kandy visit and they were enough with it.

Paj IO will be out due to the GDI issue I know they were good cars when they were out but poor maintenance and bad fuel eat the GDI system.

Non CVT early T31 X-Trail is an option, I would search a few and flag them to Dad.

I blame the guy who snapped the Prado as he is the one who put us in this spot 😅

john cooper · February 14

Just had a chat with Dad, and he wanted to know more about CR51 - which is the 4WD model.

He thinks it has more potential for his requirements, but what he is not sure is the drive train parts availability. ie: Auto transmission, suspension, steering etc

Do you guys know if they are shared between any other Toyota vehicle platform? ie Rav4

Regards,

JC

iRage · February 15

On 2/14/2025 at 12:06 AM, john cooper said:

I wouldn't argue with his point on that as the HR-V Dad check had a Tranny replaced just before the sale.

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Do some checking about the HR-V. The JDM variants did come with the CVT, but it was a time where the export variants actually had a normal Automatic as well (albiet the funky shifting tech ones Honda had at the time).

For the Pajero iO, yes the GDI issue is there, but depending on the price it might be worth getting one and restoring the engine. If the GDI issue is what is keeping you away, look into the export variant (Montero iO). That had the non-GDI engine. There are quite a few of them in SL (I would say 50:50).

As for the T30 XTrail...there are two GTs in SL as well. No idea where one is and the second is supposed to be with someone who is in love with it.

Just for the heck of it....let's say you take your entire budget...any mid sized crossovers you could possibly import ? Also, I suppose something like a MG crossover would be out as I doubt those things (at least the current models) will last too long driving up and down estates.

john cooper · February 17

Dad went to check a few vehicles,

CR51 - Out due to the bad condition

CR42 - Check report flagged it's an accident repair (Major)

BJ40 - He is keen but the asking is premium, he made an offer still

Daihatsu Terious 2012 - He is 50:50 with it

Prius Alpha - Again he is 50:50 with it

Honestly, we are all not sure about the replacement still 🤣

The HR-V he checked was CVT since it only had P R N D S on the shifter

The T31 is also out - I am sure my brother changed Dad's mindset for Nissan. I remember once he mentioned unless it's a Skyline R34, 35 or a Nissan Patrol the rest you don't want from Nissan. 😄

iRage · February 17

On 2/17/2025 at 3:03 AM, john cooper said:

The T31 is also out - I am sure my brother changed Dad's mindset for Nissan. I remember once he mentioned unless it's a Skyline R34, 35 or a Nissan Patrol the rest you don't want from Nissan.

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Not a big fan of the 31 myself....it became a bit of a sloth crossover. Although, even the 2nd gen was quite as functional as the 30 series and in Japan it was offered with a manual transmission (well the GT trim was).
The first-gen XTrail can actually fall under the ranks of the Patrol. It was quite capable at the time and was different. Was much capable than the RAV4 despite the RAV4 getting more of the praise. Let's not forget that the 1st gen also came with a SR20 stuck in to it

I have to ask though...why a Prius Alpha ? It is just a station wagon. In which case you might as well go for a Corolla Fielder (even the E160 series).

I am surprised he is 50:50 with the Terios. It is a bouncy little (little being the operative word) car. It was after all the Raize/Rocky of the time.

I don't think you are going to find as practical and all-rounder of a car as the J90. I hope the guy who bought it is enjoying the car.

john cooper · February 18

On 2/17/2025 at 5:43 AM, iRage said:

Not a big fan of the 31 myself....it became a bit of a sloth crossover. Although, even the 2nd gen was quite as functional as the 30 series and in Japan it was offered with a manual transmission (well the GT trim was).
The first-gen XTrail can actually fall under the ranks of the Patrol. It was quite capable at the time and was different. Was much capable than the RAV4 despite the RAV4 getting more of the praise. Let's not forget that the 1st gen also came with a SR20 stuck in to it

I have to ask though...why a Prius Alpha ? It is just a station wagon. In which case you might as well go for a Corolla Fielder (even the E160 series).

I am surprised he is 50:50 with the Terios. It is a bouncy little (little being the operative word) car. It was after all the Raize/Rocky of the time.

I don't think you are going to find as practical and all-rounder of a car as the J90. I hope the guy who bought it is enjoying the car.

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Cheers for the note!

Alpha just because he found a well maintained 5 seater, therefore Dad was looking at it.

J90’s are one of the best for all the requirements.

iRage · February 18

On 2/18/2025 at 3:56 AM, john cooper said:

J90’s are one of the best for all the requirements.

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Said it before..saying it again....seeing the new 250 series and where Toyota has taken it (unless toyota says they messed up and takes it back to a smaller platform)...the J90 is and will be the best Prado they ever made. The last iteration of the 150 was pretty good but still the J90 was the best balance of analog and digital worlds. Maintained well it will hands-down outlast any of the new Prados.

john cooper · February 20

Good news,

The KR's and CR's are out of the list after Dad checked a few of the locally modified SL "Noah" Dad was adamant that he is no longer pursuing them unless they are listed as genuine Noah's (which is highly unlikely)

Dad went to check the handful of them, late registered, listed "Just buy and ride" along with premium price tags.

So no more Van models in the list 😄

iRage · February 21

Oh good !
Yeah....not many original Noahs from that period around. Most are poor conversions.

john cooper · February 26

Good news

Dad settled with a 2008 NCP110 Toyota IST
1.5CC petrol (1 NZ - FE) coupled with CVT box

It has done around 140k and looks like very well maintained

This won't cater for the 4WD requirement so the solution is to drive the car up to a place where it is safe to drive and then get the Bolero truck out from the land to travel the rest.

Bit of a process but better than maintaining 2 vehicles at home.

Thank you all of you guys for your support as always!

Regards,

JC

iRage · February 26

Congratulations!

john cooper · February 26

Dad shared this snap and looks very well kept with full service history from Toyota.

amsandun · February 27

On 2/26/2025 at 3:30 AM, john cooper said:

Good news

Dad settled with a 2008 NCP110 Toyota IST
1.5CC petrol (1 NZ - FE) coupled with CVT box

It has done around 140k and looks like very well maintained

This won't cater for the 4WD requirement so the solution is to drive the car up to a place where it is safe to drive and then get the Bolero truck out from the land to travel the rest.

Bit of a process but better than maintaining 2 vehicles at home.

Thank you all of you guys for your support as always!

Regards,

JC

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