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Hi Jack,

After a few years of having a company vehicle I'm looking at buying a small SUV. I enjoy driving in a higher position plus I like having the space to put the dog in the back etc. My budget is $4k to $7k and I'm looking at SWB versions of the Rav 4, Mistral Diesel or Vitara/Escudo. The car doesn't have to be 4WD although it would be fun to go off-roading once in a while. I do about 200km+ driving a week and often commute from Wellington to Bulls in the weekend. When you buy the Rav 4 are you just paying more for the Toyota badge- they seem to be priced much higher than competitor SUVs? What would you recommend?

Yes, you do pay more for the Toyota badge but that’s because they do have the trusted name for reliability especially in this age and price range.

Most manufactures have caught them up in recent times but as I say in your price range the 'T' badge is definitely worth a look.

I would avoid any diesel in your price range also. The fuel consumption can be the only cheap part of diesel ownership in your case.

The Vitara/Escudo are not a bad vehicle however they don’t have the same low running cost reputation as the Toyota. Depending on engine size they do have a wee reputation for engine drive chain issues which can be expensive to fix.

Thanks Jack. I looked at a 2001 Nissan X-Trail this morning. Slightly over my budget but I think I may be better off to spend a bit more on a newer car plus we've always had great reliability from the Nissans. Are there any known faults with the 2001-2004 X-Trail? Should I stay away from the CVT auto transmission models of this car?

The X-TRAIL is a very good value for money vehicle. No issues with the CVT but I would try and buy NZ new and make sure you get a mechanical inspection before committing to purchase.