Moving away from the Fronti maybe :-(

[Riz]

Morning guys as alot of you prob know i have been having major problems with my Fronti 2.2 Petrol since the H/G went last year now am having other issues and am preparing myself for the worst. I might have to trade in the Fronti and get something else but not sure what and was looking for advice. I love the Fronti for its size , boxy look , cabin space , boot space and general height and ground clearance. I am looking for something around the same but on an 04 onwards . I did look at the Mitsibushi sport but parts are pricey and the replacement to the Fronti the Antara looks nothing like a 4x4. Any suggestions i did think even an 04 plate diesel Fronti LWB but not sure about any known problems ie H/ G or worse ?? Also thought the Dodge Nitro

[Rifleman]

Stick with a fronty mate. Try a diesel as they have more torque and are easily serviced.
I think the B series just did the 2.2 though.

[Riz]

What diesel should i be looking at engine wise ?

[drinksoptional]

how about the vehicross on my list of next 4x4

[fogman]

the 2.2 is the only diesel in the bseries which seems to be reliable & a lot more fuel efficent than the petrol version, the weak & expensive point with them seems to be the fuel pumps, the older version 98-02ish will cost £500 for a fix but the newer 02-05ish ive read can be £1500 upwards to replace but with most cars theres at least 1 component that if it fails its gona cost big bucks to repair

[4x4 bobby]

Go for the "A" Series 2.8 if you can find one loads of torque great for pulling.

[Rifleman]

Or an A series 2.5, great engines and plenty of torque too.

[4x4 bobby]

Sorry Keith i forgot that one!!!

[Rifleman]

[SPEEDBIRD 202]

And Riz have a look at this Just Here, it's worth a look

The Fronty B Series to keep clear of is the one with the later engine fitted, a Y22 DTH engine to be precise

With that little tart you cant repair the injector pump, you have to buy new - and that means £2000

[tucker]

I've been looking at the Hyundai Santa Fe 2.7 v6 auto,they seem to have all the kit,you can pick up a 05 low miler for little money.

[RatCav]

Gonna rock the boat here. I totally agree with the suggestions of A series 2.8 TDi and 2.5 TDS. Cracking motors and I prefer the older shape to the B Series. However shall we look further afield but not as far from home as a Mitsubishi or Toyota. Back to grass roots we go and look at Isuzu

The Trooper is what your beloved Vauxhalls are based on and to be honest just as cheap to buy/maintain. The Mk.II and Mk.III both sport the 3.1 TD which has the poke and torque of the 2.8 (as its the same engine just bigger bore or stroke cannot remember which one) to deal with the increased weight. The Mk.III had a few refinements on it with a curvier dash and a little more grunt to boot. The one to possibly avoid was the import (Bighorn) Mk.III (read post 1995) automatics as they had an electric fuel pump. Not unreliable just harder to get spares for the fuel pump. If you want to drain your wallet each month you could plump for the 3.2 V6 (as found in the Frontera Series B).

Now I wouldn't of suggested this 6 months ago but I think its also a plausible option now. The Mk.IV 3.0 had a horrendous issue with injector sleeves. The common rail on the injector line (bearing in mind this is a Caterpillar design) would leak diesel ino the oil supply causing damage to the engine as a whole. Now Isuzu did a stealth recal on all 3.0 engines and still offer it. Have heard stories of entire engines being replaced at dealer expense over this. They have resolved the issue and I truely believe that its near enough resolved with the ones needing the work to be done and the new ones not needing the work. If you do think of buying one then you can phone Isuzu with the VIN number and they can tell you if the recall work needs doing or not. Either way the 3.0 TD is a 160bhp, 245lb-ft 30mpg 4x4.