Absentdriver

Bumping this thread with an update. It took me quite a while but I finally bought a 4x4!! Settled on a 2014 3.5l LWB Pajero. Managed to get one for under 30K AED. Thanks @Gauravand @Mario Cornejo for your advice above! 

Went for a light bit of offroading this weekend near Masafi which was great fun. Hopefully will join you guys on a proper drive soon

Just now, Gaurav said:

Post 2005 Pathfinders are not bad, but not very good either as compare to R50 shape. You might spend some money in improvising its ground clearance and other minor issues. I personally haven't seen many of that shape pathfinder in UAE Desert, and few joined here too in the past but for short term only.

If you have budget till 20K, then you can also search for Xterra (road driven), which are practically very good offroader and many offroaders here are driving it regularly without much trouble (in stock state).

Why I mentioned SWB is to achieve a better power to weight ratio which is key in sand offroading for better climb capabilities, which will become your pain point in some LWB vehicle due to underpower power to weight ratio, especially in LWB Pajero and Prado.

Super helpful. Really appreciate it!

1 hour ago, Gaurav said:

Indeed, 3.5 liter Pathfinder (R50 shape) until 2005 is far better, reliable and capable 4x4 and have good chance of buying a road driven vehicle easily.

What about post-2005 Pathfinders? I can see some cheap ones knocking around for <20k AED online.

Also, would love to get a SWB because they look super fun but the 4-doors are a must. Makes it much easier to go on trips with a group!

Cheers Gaurav, very helpful. 

Based on your last para, I may avoid the Patrol then and go for one of the other 4x4s you've recommended on another post on this site. Seems like too much risk and potential headache. Might try and find a budget Pajero, Pathfinder or a Prado instead. 

Thanks!

Considering buying a Nissan Patrol Super Safari from 2000 with ~300k km on the clock

How is the manual transmission version for off-roading in the desert?

I've read some things on this forum about 1st being too short and 2nd being too long- is that a dealbreaker? 

Some more context on how it will be used: 

- I'm not an experienced off-roader, and just want a bit of fun. Won't be doing anything too crazy

- Will not be used on daily commute. Just for weekend trips and excursions