Suzuki Viatra

[NorthernRaider]

Monty many of your full sized US trucks like the F250s Hummers, etc simply could not go down a huge percentage of the roads in the South West of England, Much of Wales and a fair bit of northern England. The roads are not only narrow but also sunken so the embankments that the hedgerows grow own stop wide vehicles from using them at all. Its like the Bocage in parts of france that prevents anything but very narrow vehicles from using them.

Back in the 80s one of the very best vehicles I ever came across was superbly suited to those west country roads , it was the 1.6 litre Lada Niva Cossack 4X4 but unfortunately you cannot easily get them now and those you can get are left handers.

Skinny vehicles like Jimneys or Vitaras with narrow wheels or japanese Kei cars are best suited to those areas.

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Chuckle! Up here the Rav 4 is called the Chav 4 and is usually used by orange skinned peroxide blond nail pedicurists and gay mobile physiotherapists

The Vitara can be quite competant off road if you lose those extra wide street cruising wheels and fit some decent rubber. again though if it was for the west country I would suggest the Jimney or Terios type vehicles.

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Ere what about those Crossovers that Suzuki make like the SX4? 4x4 semi urbanised body not quite a mud plugger but totally superior to a conventional car ?

[bigpaul]

Jimnys are very small, only suitable for two people and even then your knees are pressed up against the dashboard (step daughter had one) and the load space is non existent!

[Highlander]

...but the Lada that NR has mentioned is perfect, I owned one for a long time,.. the only trouble with them is they rust underneath,... but I really do miss that 4x4,... you can still get them though, but I would inspect the undercarriage if you want one

[bigpaul]

(30 July 2013, 11:55)Highlander Wrote: ...but the Lada that NR has mentioned is perfect, I owned one for a long time,.. the only trouble with them is they rust underneath,... but I really do miss that 4x4,... you can still get them though, but I would inspect the undercarriage if you want one

just looked online and it seems a London businessman is importing them- if you have a spare £8 grand lying about?

[Highlander]

(30 July 2013, 12:00)bigpaul Wrote:

(30 July 2013, 11:55)Highlander Wrote: ...but the Lada that NR has mentioned is perfect, I owned one for a long time,.. the only trouble with them is they rust underneath,... but I really do miss that 4x4,... you can still get them though, but I would inspect the undercarriage if you want one

just looked online and it seems a London businessman is importing them- if you have a spare £8 grand lying about?

Bliemy, I paid a garage about £1500 for mine, second hand of course, but only about 5 years old.

I would sound out a Lada club, I bet my backpack there there are a few about

[NorthernRaider]

Trouble is with the imported ones is they dont have any dealer networks just the chap in London, and those he brings in have the steering wheel on the wrong side. I had the basic Niva model for two years it was a great off roader and if I remember correctly the Lada Niva Cossack won the Land Rover Trophy off road competition outright the first time it entered. The nearest vehicle in size and capability I can find to the the Cossack is the Jimney.

[bigpaul]

Jimnys are only useful for their 4X4 capabilities which are outweighed by their tiny interior size as stated before.

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originally the Jimny was aimed at the surfing crowd and was designed to be driven on the beach by a couple of skinny teenagers it was not designed for anyone with an adult physique...i.e. meat on their bones!