Newbie with a 4x4 question

[RMaximus]

Hi there,

I have a question that hopefully the 4x4 gurus on this page can answer.

I have bought a property in a small rural town with some very bad roads leading into it, graded roads inside the town, and a couple of tough gravel roads leading out.

It's in the highveld, so winters are dry and very dusty and summers are wet and muddy.

My current vehicle (a Chery Tiggo 4 Pro AT) developed all sorts of problems after just one trip down a very dusty graded road leading into the town.

I am now looking for something tougher. I am considering an Isuzu X Rider Double Cab AT 1.9l bakkie with a rear diff lock.

In your opinion will this, combined with some traction boards in the back, be enough to tackle conditions or is a 4x4 necessary for handling muddy roads etc?

I do not intend to use the vehicle for recreational offroading.

If I don't take the Isuzu I can only afford Chinese 4x4 bakkies, and can't afford 4x4 models of Toyota, Ford, Isuze etc.

[pjf110]

Very difficult to gauge without knowing what the road looks like. Do you need the utility of the bakkie or do you simply want 4x4 capability?

[Peter Connan]

As Pieter has said, we haven't seen the roads. What do the locals drive?

I suspect you will be OK with a rear-wheel drive vehicle. Personally I would say forget about traction boards and rather buy a compressor and a tire pressure gauge.
On rough roads, reducing tire pressures will keep your vehicle alive.

If you need more traction, chuck some weight in the back. 2WD bakkies are inherently light on the driving axle which is not ideal.

[Commander]

Pretty much what the rest have said, one man's road is another man's 4x4 trail, so what is "needed" is very subjective and will also depend on your skill level. It will also depend on a 100 other factors. I tend to feel that if something can pass as a road 4x4 is not strictly needed, but in the same breath there are "roads" in central Africa that a proper 4x4 won't even be able to travel on in the rainy season. Again, it is very subjective.

You don't specifically give your budget (no need to do so), but if I fill in the dots there are also a myriad of vehicle options out there, especially if you are willing to buy a 1 or 2 year old vehicle. If you remove "bakkie" the list gets even longer. I think as it stands now with the info you have provided so far you won't be able to get any more real advice.

[RMaximus]

Thanks for the replies so far.

My budget is around R650k. I want a bakkie specifically for the utility - I can sling my big dog's carrier cage in the back, my house is a fixer upper so I am carting building supplies and workers around. I prefer to buy new to have warranty and service cover - I want the bakkie to last me at least 10 years.

To describe the roads.

The main road currently leading into the town was basically graded out of the bush as a detour and has been used for over 2 years now. When I damaged my Chery on it, it was incredibly dusty - I would assume in summer it became equally muddy. There is no gravel, it is literally dirt. The drive on the road is approximately 45 mins, so it is no joke.

There is a graded gravel road that functions as an alternative route. Locals have told me that I should only attempt it using a 4x4. On the one trip I did on it in my uncle's 4x4 Hilux there were some big dips and gullies. To my mind a bakkie with its high ground clearance should be able to handle this, and I know of residents with 4x2 vehicles who use it.

There is a regular tar road leading south, but using it to get back to JHB where I plan to spend half the month adds a 3 hour detour onto the trip, so not really an option for me. I am stuck with the two northern roads.

In the town itself the roads are basically very rutted and eroded. Sometimes building rubble is thrown in to level things up and occassionally a grader comes by and tidies up a bit. You can manage in a regular car driving VERY slowly.

Farmers in the area all drive bakkies (of course), some locals have 4x4s but there are also some people with regular cars. If the roads get wet and they are cut off I assume they just wait it out, which is not an option for me as I need to be able to get back to JHB when required and not wait out 2 week rainy spells like we've had this year.

To keep things interesting the roads tend to have a sine shape, and during the rains water collects at the bottom of hills. It becomes impossible to guage water depth. In some of these areas there is no cellphone signal, so if you get stuck you can look forward to flagging some help down after a long wait.

I am leaning away from Chinese bakkies mainly because they are so packed with electronics, even if 4x4s like the Foton are reasonably priced. I have scoped out Isuzus and they seem to stick to basics with minimal gadgetry to get buggered up by dust and water.

[BruceHun]

Get a GWM P300 or an Isuzu 4x4 1.9

GWM have come a long way and seem to be the best of the Chinese. However look for something with service close to you

[glassman]

AT that budget you can find a great used Toyota or Isuzu 4x4 with warranty. I wouldn't touch anything else for regular use on terrible roads.

[GroenHoender]

I am now looking for something tougher. I am considering an Isuzu X Rider Double Cab AT 1.9l bakkie with a rear diff lock.

In your opinion will this, combined with some traction boards in the back, be enough to tackle conditions or is a 4x4 necessary for handling muddy roads etc?

For a rough "plaaspad" with erotion drainage marks, even with holes and rocks in it, the Isuzu with diff-lock will do perfectly fine.

On farms we have plenty of those kinds of roads where one can get thru with sufficiient momentum and the right lines. Just avoid excessive wheel spinning as it digs up dirt. We rarely used a 4x4...in cases where something got stuck, we simply used a tractor to pull the vehicle out.

I would say, perhaps get AT tires for a better traction and durability, also, lower the tire pressure a bit too.

Then you will be fine.

/EDIT: just now saw/read your second post containing extra details. Isuzu 1.9 4x4 will be your best then.

The rest of advice as above still counts. You can replace AT tires with off-road tires but it is more expensive. Ask the folks in your areas, that drove with bakkies, what tires they use and the nearest supplier.

[ChasingSunsets]

You can also take a look at the new Triton in that price bracket. Very nice package with a proven drive train and looks good in the flesh. Not sure you'll get a 4x4 though.

https://www.cars.co.za/for-sale/used...lkom/10137425/

[Raider4x4]

For 650K you can get a very good 4x4, i would not look at a 4x2, roads in general are getting worse and not better.

[tshelver]

$x2 with difflock should work. Have done that myself years back.

Also, what about Mahindra? Indian roads are also pretty bad, and they seem to last.

[Kamakazi]

For a rough "plaaspad" with erotion drainage marks, even with holes and rocks in it, the Isuzu with diff-lock will do perfectly fine.

On farms we have plenty of those kinds of roads where one can get thru with sufficiient momentum and the right lines. Just avoid excessive wheel spinning as it digs up dirt. We rarely used a 4x4...in cases where something got stuck, we simply used a tractor to pull the vehicle out.

I would say, perhaps get AT tires for a better traction and durability, also, lower the tire pressure a bit too.

Then you will be fine.

/EDIT: just now saw/read your second post containing extra details. Isuzu 1.9 4x4 will be your best then.

The rest of advice as above still counts. You can replace AT tires with off-road tires but it is more expensive. Ask the folks in your areas, that drove with bakkies, what tires they use and the nearest supplier.

Good points here on tyres if you decide not to go for 4x4, so budget for that as the new vehicles mostly come with HT tyres.

If you decide on 4x4, then even HT tyres will be fine and you can switch to 4H on the fly that should mostly sort you out in a jiffy when the going gets tuff (4L is at least also available for the extremes if you get stuck, but mostly not needed)

R650k is a healthy budget and a quick search on autotrader shows that you can get 2025 D/C A/T 4x4 models with super low km & full warranty. Even a few with less than 50km on the clock.
You can choose between Isuzu D-max; Mahindra Karoo; Ford Ranger & Nissan Navara - go test drive some to see what tickles your Fancy..