Hyundai Terracan

Hyundai Terracan 2.9 CRTD1 (2005 on)

2006 (56)

Many people ignore the traditional 4x4 in favour of the trendier brands and models at their own expense. Many of the trendier cars such as the Rav4, Honda CR-V etc are more 4x4 style than substance. The same can not be said of the Terracan. It is a big vehicle, and a genuine go anywhere in Africa 4x4. Built out of granite and with Hyundai's legendary reliability, if you need a workmanlike motor this is for you.

Mine drives through streams, goes up hills, gets loaded up for the university trips and provides a second home for the dog without ever meeting a heartbeat. Yes it's a 2.9 16v CRTDi, but I average 34mpg, and it weighs over 2 tons. I also get 38mpg on a long motorway run. That is fantastic. You can't appreciate the quality of this engine until you try, and fail miserably, to do the same things in a 2.0 diesel competitor. 163bhp and loads of torque makes light work of any driving experience. Two-wheel-drive normally, but with switchable four-wheel-drive at any speed up to 50 and a genuine low ratio box for the really rough stuff.

This car is refined enough in the front, but (as they tell me) it's a bit bouncy for back seat passengers, but you have to remember that this is a big industrial strength 4x4, not a saloon car. It has all the creature comforts you need like climate control and electrics, but it isn't, fortunately, a BMW X5. 78,000 miles on the clock and it has just had it's first set of new brake discs and second set of pads. All round discs and pads including fitting and VAT £390. A bargain.

If you want a posh, plush, gizmo loaded and unreliable 4x4 buy a Merc ML or a Discovery. It will cost you 4 times the price and servicing and repairs are expensive and all to frequent. But you will get the name.... I prefer substance and value over pose value. I can sum it up with the fact that the day I bought it, I had to tow a friends Landrover Freelander off the car park because his starter motor had jammed.

It might be a Hyundai, but I prefer to call it the Mighty Hyundai. Value, reliability, quality and honesty are all the hallmarks of this car. It does exactly what it says on the tin!

Mr M Inkley