Tiny 4x4, or ?

[john k]

I've got a Grand Vitara and it does all you say, but doesn't meet the OP's requirement for frugality. Mine does about 25 mpg, and only managed 27 on a steady motorway run to and from the APF last week.

[wrsni]

I was thinking 1.6 2 door. Still would be a lot nicer on road than the Jimny and should average mid 30's with a bit of motorway driving I'd have thought.

 

Same engine as the wifes Liana and she gets high 30's regular, any longer runs and it's well in to the 40's so even allowing for the extra drag of the Vitara I'd have thought mid-30's very realistic.

 

Nice engine too, piles of torque and pulls from nothing.

[Tractor62]

I looked seriously at the jimny but ended up going for a daihatsu terios simply because it has 5 doors and my brushcutter fits in whereas I'dve needed a roof rack forthe jimny. I've had mine coming up 18 months and it's been great always starts even on cold mornings and its supprised me with how capable it is off road considering its only on a/t tyres I've only been stuck once whilst folowing a tractor through some mud that any 4x4 would have struggled with. The fuel consumption on mine is mid thirties doing a 40 mile round trip for work every day mostly on A roads and country lanes however I wouldn't want to be doing motorways too often as any of the small 4x4s are geared a bit on the low side and you end up thrashing them just to keep up