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Hi,

I need to buy a vehicle to vehicle to tow a four-man ocean rowing boat - 10.5m long and around 1200kg - which is being used to row the Tasman in October this year.

We'll be using it to move the boat around for schools tours and for training weekends, as far as Taupo from our Auckland base.

For our $6,000 budget, I can't find a decent Ute so have been looking for SUV / 4 x 4s on Trade Me.

It seems that Toyota Hilux Surf, Nissan Terrano and Jeep Grand Cherokee are within our price range.

- Can you advise which of these three are best?
- From what year onwards should be aims for in each (I know the Nissan Terrano models pre 1995 are prone to rust in some areas)
- Size engine you'd recommend and whether diesel or petrol is more reliable in each case.

Any particular versions within those three we should avoid or consider?

Thanks
Nigel

I can understand your situation. It’s a bit like people who want to buy a vehicle to tow a horse float.

The reality is the passion and money is in the horse, the vehicle is only a means of moving it from A to B, so low or reasonable cost is the priority.

The Diesel v Petrol question is not that easy to answer. I would recommend Diesel power based on the load the vehicle will be subjected to (towing plus people and gear) and the distances you will cover. Fuel consumption/costs and drivability (much better low down torque or pulling power ) will be much better with a Diesel in comparison to most petrol vehicles.

The biggest risk however, is if the engine develops any major mechanical issues. The cost to repair these engines can be horrendous in comparison to a petrol. In other words any fuel savings can be very quickly swallowed up in one engine repair. The trick is to try and find a vehicle which comes with a proven past service history. Still doesn’t remove the risk totally, but it does provide some peace of mind.

Remember also, Diesel owners are required to pay Road User Charges (approx $44 per 1,000kms) and the relicensing is also more expensive than petrol. The more distance travelled, the bigger the swing towards Diesel simply based on fuel consumption.

In your price range I can’t really disagree with your vehicle selection although I would put the Terrano (latest model possible) ahead of the other two. You could also add Isuzu Mu, Isuzu Bighorn (try and avoid the 4JX1 engine) and the Pajero 2.8 litre to the Diesel list.

As a real curve ball (and some will say I’m mad to even suggest it), I would even consider a petrol Ford Explorer. It’s a vehicle which came under the spot light for all the wrong reasons when they were new (there were roll over issues in the USA) but the owners I have spoken to (tow large boats mainly) actually love them.

High fuel consumption is a given in comparison to a Diesel but overall running costs could work in their favour in your case. And it’s a vehicle which fits into your price bracket.

In your price range, all the vehicles you look at are going to have travelled high km’s especially so with Diesels. Past use and the environment the vehicles have been subjected to, can also sway a buying decision.

Hope it helps and good luck for October.