imports

[gemini]

which of you would want to swop your surf for one of these cherokees
this is taken from the sunday mirror dec 28th 2003 [ask quentin wilson]
Question....
i have a rather elderly h-reg land rover discovery with 142k on the clock so i think its its time for a change, my budget is limited about £6000, ive seen quite a few izuzu troopers & hi-lux surfs, are they worth buying?, i want my next 4x4 to last 5 years
Answer....
neither the izuzu or the toyota have the kudos of the disco and they are also rather drab to be in, and drive. you might also end up with a japanese grey import, which can vary hugely from the uk spec and be difficult to trace back to the original owner, if it was my money, i'd go for a jeep cherokee or grand cherokee. your £6000 buys you a pukka r-reg facelift model cherokee or a p-plate grand cherokee.
you must ask yourself has he ever driven one
yes Quentin, they do vary from the uk spec, they are better

[Koi]

you might also end up with a japanese grey import, which can vary hugely from the uk spec

Do you know what your on about Quentin another celeb talking from his rear.

Yes you will end up with a grey import and vary hugely from the UK spec
YOU IDIOT THEY ARE ALL IMPORTS THE HILUX SURF WAS NEVER MADE IN THE UK

Drab, yeah right go have a drive in one. Kudos of a disco, sea sickness of a wallowing rocking horse more like.

[andy]

Maybe we should all tell Quentin what a #### he is .

mailbox@mirror.co.uk

[marky]

they are also rather drab to be in, and drive.
HE'S NOT LIVED. HE'S GOT A VENDETTA cause the hilux would not submit to him

[JimL]

Question....
isuzus & hi-lux surfs, are they worth buying?, i want my next 4x4 to last 5 years

5 years...theres surfs from '85 knocking round on this site still and didnt he see Top Gear that time. You'd wanna see what my buddy Robbie was up to yesterday with me doing co-pilot and a navigator in the back seat ... he got up a 20 ft hill as steep as you'd get and having to lockhard just to line up at the bottom, all wheels spinning on the grassy muck and every tread full of mud we'd just come out of, us laughing our heads off, and then back down the far side like a galoot, and all that in an '89

Answer....
difficult to trace back to the original owner, if it was my money, i'd go for a jeep cherokee or grand cherokee

the fool and his money are easily parted.

(have to admit that 10 yrs ago I was determined to have a cherokee b4 I died, just loved the American look)

[Koi]

Maybe we should all tell Quentin what a #### he is .

mailbox@mirror.co.uk

I have e-mailed the Mirror pointing out Quentin's mis quote of the Surf and have offered that he joins us on our next off road centre day out to see the capabilities of these motors and to really appreciate them first hand.
Lets see if I get a reply.

[gemini]

I have e-mailed the Mirror pointing out Quentin's mis quote of the Surf and have offered that he joins us on our next off road centre day out to see the capabilities of these motors and to really appreciate them first hand.
Lets see if I get a reply.

nice one

[Guest]

Yep he don't know what he's talking about. I've had a Disco (1995 V8i auto) and a Cherokee (1996 4l Country Auto) and test driven a Grand Cherokee (1997 4L Limited).

All good cars except for the following.

Disco - drives worse than a 1970s Caprice, softer suspension than a barrel load of jelly, no damping worth mentioning, and reliability worse than a 1980s Jag.

Cherokee - lovely car to drive, great engine, fragile suspension and axles. Handles well though.

Grand Cherokee - same as the Cherokee only bigger and more electrics to go wrong (American cars have terrible electrics even though the Grand Cherokee s are mad in Austria.

Quentin wants to do his research a bit better. How about knowing what the motor really is, driving one, and also not being like most UK motoring Journalists - in the pocket of the manufacturers who don't want us thinking that Imports are worth having (hits their profits). Apart from the review in What MPV and 4x4 I don't think I have ever heard a good word said about imports - always sla***ng off the spec when we all know that the spec is generally higher with only rear fogs to really worry about.

I think most Motoring journalists suck big time.

End of Rant

[kitesurf_phil]

So who made this comment - Quentin Crisp? Obviously a civil servent and someone who knows F*all about cars. Quentin W*lson the learned motoring journalist would never make such a mistake
Why he on Five now and not Top Gear? Hmmmmmmmmmmm

[Rob]

Quentin is also a Land Rover guy. He owns (or used to own) a Land Rover 109 V8 pickup amongst other things...

[ship]

personally i would take no notice at all of anyone called QEUNTIN, and the little f*rt has only got the hump with surf,s coz he,d need a ladder to get in one
ship

[gemini]

personally i would take no notice at all of anyone called QEUNTIN, and the little f*rt has only got the hump with surf,s coz he,d need a ladder to get in one
ship

here's the article

[Delboy]

Always thought he was a bit of a tool. Probably trained by Clarkson, what do you expect!

[laser_jock99]

I notice also (Quentin obviously didn't) the reader also says "my buget is limited". At 14.1 mpg COMBINED our dear reader won't even get a years worth of petrol for a 4.0L Grand Cherokee with his £6000 !!!!!

The ###### did not even read the question properly if he advises someone short of cash to buy such a gas guzzler.

[Simon.O.]

To last more than 5 years yeah????
I had a 1989 Lada Niva 4wd " The self propelled skip" that did over 250,000k's in 9 years it was still a good little runner when i flicked it on

Now I've got the '89 Surf, 245 ks and still a lovely wagon.

I think that he does not have an informed opinion and anyone who is buying a car should do as much research as possible before buying.
Reading what one motoring writer has to say does not qualify as in depth research.

.....and another thing my crewmate has a '81 hilux (ok so it is not a surf), but that has done over 600, 000 k's and has had the motor out once, that was to see if it needed anything doing to it....... one cam belt and that was it!!!!!