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Hi anyone with auto mechanics knowledge could advice on those two cars?
I would be looking at anything in the 2011 - 2015 year range.
Should I avoid any of the two, or both? anything in particular to check before buying?
Thanks
Jeeps very good at being off road.
Because they are always broken, off the road in the mechanics workshop
Steer clear of both. Nissan never recovered after the GFC and have been asleep at the wheel on R & D. 95% of Jeeps ever made are still on the road... the other 5% made it home.
Mmm... what should I buy? I drive 98% of the mileage on sealed roads (want at least an AWD for the rare holiday/surf trip), I don't want a car with 250k km, and my budget is around 10/15k $... mission impossible
Perhaps better to buy a VW golf and go rent a 4wd when needed ??
Jeeps fall to bits in ways that are so regular that you'd think it was deliberate.
The X-Trail is kinda OK but the turbo will cost you heaps, they are rubbish offroad.
$10K and get down the beach? A older Pathie / Pajero / Challenger that was owned by old folks and serviced tons but not used to pull a caravan. Preferably petrol. A bit smaller? Kia Sorento is lasting well and surprisingly good offroad.
Maybe an Outback?
No I said a Kia Sorento is 'suprisingly good offroad'. All he wants to do is easy beach driving once or twice a year.
Its probably the best of the softroaders like he is looking at.
NO its not a Landtrol or even a real 4WD system like the 3 mid sized I mentioned, but its clear he wants a small car and for very little 4WDing and only beach use (I presume easy ish beach use)
Go read softroader reviews for secondhand ones in his price range
Series 3 (S3) Subaru Forester...
I have two - one 2008 manual with 165,000km (bought new from dealer); one late 2011 (MY2012) auto bought 12 months old with 18,000km on the clock, now just tipped 100,000km. Both go really well on the beach and will go further than you might think off-road (220mm ground clearance), but will get stuck in very deep ruts.
I can also fit a 9'6" mal in mine and still close the tail gate comfortably.
I haven't owned any of the to vechils above but. Everyone knows landcruisers are ideal but very very expensive.
I had my Daihatsu Rocky for nearly 4 years now. Fantastic little 4x4. Built like a tank, cheap, a little underpowered, 2 door. Maybe a bit too small for your needs though.
I'd never buy one but came across this vid whilst looking for capable vehicles
Experienced driver , like to see the vid coming back down
Currently I own a Ford escape, and went okay on softish sand up in broome (far end of cables). I just want to get something fresher.
Once I rented a xtrail, and yes it did get hot and shut down on longish soft sand drive, though I didn't get bogged :D just came out 20-30mins later.
Sure the Rocky is a great 4wd, but say you go far north wa, it will be a 3000+ km of which only maybe 10-15% off-road, not worth for me having a noisy car to be honest, furthermore I do that occasionally only, the rest is city driving
Also yeah Forester actually looks appealing perhaps a little smaller than the escape? Surprised about being able to fit a log in it?!
The xtrail probably has the largest boot in the mid size category
mechanics I know get very uneasy when a jeep comes in for repair..which is very often. But that's only anecdotal, so who really knows.
X trail has been a round a long time, lots of units sold. Just get what you need given how hard you are going to go. Simple driving on sandy beaches, don't need a whole lot.
Land cruisers are great . Nothing ever goes wrong with them unless they are thrashed.
I love mine , V8 petrol , only one small problem , they suck fuel . Kinda ok on highway cruising and hardly any worse towing , really bad in stop and go traffic.
Mines got 300,000 ks and doesn't use or drip one drop of oil.
Undernieth is completely dry , not even the slightest of oil weep anywhere. I'm impressed with that.
Everything feels tight , should do another 300.
By then Ive used enough to fuel to raise the earths temp by 2deg polar bears are overrated 
Wife has a Rav , not bad for a softroader.
Imax bought up a decent suggestion (get a cruiser, my v8 diesel does 12 lt/100 round town), have you considered a RAV4 as part of the mix? Plenty on the road and just a capable as an x-trail off the road.
I recently got a soft roader to replace my 93 hilux surf (exploded bigly)
I might as well get a vasectomy and become a stay at home dad
80 series landy petty auto 22l / 100 factory was 16 l
190k kms on clock one owner.
Couldnt pay me to get another landy or any 4wd for that matter. Never once NEEDED to go proper 4wd in 8 years
Get a van and live in it. Don't get married and don't have kids life will be good :-)
dont buy a Jeep unless bran new out of the box through novated lease or someone like that.
Heads-up for you crew,
2mates of mine both have fairly recent Ford Rangers, both 4wd's have had a similar low speed "misshaps" on dirt roads.
One at our rifle range -
Tight left hand corner on full lock at low speed [I can run faster - which isn't very fast] 
The outside wheel dropped into a small potholy-depression and the steering on that wheel "over-centered', resulting in that wheel being Jammed and unable to respond to steering wheel input.
As a result of the jammed steering the ranger speared into a tree stump which is right on the edge [and apex of the corner] of the track.
The other was almost identical circumstances on a farm track, tight very low speed turn under full lock with the outside wheels suspension under full compression, locking the steering.
After a close look underneath - it looks like the lack of bump-stops are the problem.
That's really interesting Stephen
What age Rangers?
I imagine they've made Ford aware so hopefully a recall..
Just DONT buy a Nissan, of any sort. Have seen soooo many people have soooo many problems with them, wouldn't touch one, ever.
You just have to look at how many (thousands) are for sale second hand, pretty good sign of the problems people are trying to get rid of.
And don't ever go petrol on a 4x4, there is a good reason why most are diesel now
