- Thread starter ju10prd
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An Ideal Vehicle for All DR
What about this:
Like the humor, but there are some decent flat autopistas as well as plenty of newly surfaced single carriageways on the flat and through mountains where you can drive at speed. But there are many other and lesser lesser roads too with variable surfaces from good to downright horrible through flat and hill country. And then we have the many dirt tracks so uneven you can not imagine.
I drive the lot and close to minimum 600km weekly so hence my OP with recognition of driving skills and control. I cant imagine driving a weighty tank at speed with enjoyment through the hills and that includes bulky SUVs.
I will ask a simple question. Who actually can drive at decent pace through the hills a large SUV and enjoy and then be happy down the autopista and finally in slow stop start traffic.
I know a 2.4 Suzuki is good through the hills, albeit manual drive would be best, and can keep up with quickes,t and is a good efficient runner at the speed limit down the autopista with a turn of speed to overtake, and doesn't grind in slow traffic, so tell me what works better and is equally cost effective if you go buy today.
I suspect the new Vitaras don't hack it.
I know a 2.4 Suzuki is good through the hills, albeit manual drive would be best, and can keep up with quickes,t and is a good efficient runner at the speed limit down the autopista with a turn of speed to overtake, and doesn't grind in slow traffic, so tell me what works better and is equally cost effective if you go buy today.
I suspect the new Vitaras don't hack it.
Monteros and 4Runners perhaps...they are short of the status given to Prados and Land Cruisers.
I always think when they slide by at 140kph that 100rd notes fly out the window km by km for nought. Apparent status costs....enjoy.
if you have the kind of money wherein you can afford a Prado, then that should probably be your first shot. if not, then a Fortuner.
if your wallet is a little weak, then my suggestion would be a Hyundai Santa Fe. that is value for money, runs sweet, and tough as nails.
if your wallet is a little weak, then my suggestion would be a Hyundai Santa Fe. that is value for money, runs sweet, and tough as nails.
My family has always had pick-ups as secondary vehicles to haul stuff around. I don't know how we'd have survived without one. But then again, our roots are country and suburban where pick-ups have greater utility.
It was tough selling my '66 Chevy C10 Fleetside, straight-6 and three on the tree when I moved down here...
I am sorry Windeguy but I have had a Jaguar S-type diesel and put 242.000 kms on it (driving 80.000 a year) without Major problems. It's more the viavia stories than real experiences people tell.
Sorry but I didn't mention Range Rover...by the way there is no better 4x4 nowadays than the new Vogue.
Great, my father in law has a 2002, had to install a new engine ( used bought in Puerto Plata) in it with 210.000 km on it.
Bad luck?
you want to go into the Outback? go in a Range Rover.
you want to come back out of the Outback? go in a Toyota Prado.
Suzuki has a strong foothold throughout the Islands, but they pale in comparison to other vehicles in their market segment.
In the small/compact SUV market segment that the Vitara occupies, two choices that seem to fit your criteria are the Toyota RAV 4 and the Subaru Forester. Both are similarly priced and are head and shoulders quality and performance wise above the Grand Vitara.
Amongst those two, the Subaru Forester is overall slightly better than the Toyota.....except for name recognition in the DR. However, I have seen, more and more Subaru's in the DR than ever before.
The Suzuki 1.6 gas engine is under powered and if you chose that route (gas), the 1.4 turbo model is better.
One discussion not yet mentioned here is 2 wheel drive versus 4 wheel/All wheel drive. Most people may not even realize that the SUV they purchased is only two wheeI drive. If you truly may need campo/mountain road traction, then the all wheel drive/4 wheel drive option is a must. Why, other than perhaps road clearance and to show off their jeepeta, Dominicans will buy an SUV of any size without it, escapes the logic of buying an SUV......but it does save a few dollars.....and allows more splash for the cash.
In the end however it is a personal decision, and the only person that needs be happy with it is you.
Good luck.
Respectfully,
Playacaribe2