The X-Trail’s styling may seem conservative, but what it lacks in the way of off-road charisma it more than makes up for as a particularly practical choice as a family car. First examples were offered with a choice of 2.0-litre petrol or 2.2-litre turbodiesel power, a performance improvement arrived two years later in the form of a 2.5-litre petrol engine and an upgrade to the common rail turbodiesel boosting output to a more effective 136 horsepower.

The X-Trail was sized to ensure that a mountain bike could be easily accommodated on its completely flat load bay, while the ski-hatch opening through the rear seat back is big enough to take four snowboards. Since camping equipment, scuba gear, walking boots and the like are often wet, smelly and muddy the load area is covered in a hardwearing and easily washable plastic material, which as far as most users are concerned serves just as well as a platform for suitcases, shopping bags and perambulators.

Petrol versions feature five-speed manual gearboxes, with a CVT-type automatic optional on some specification levels, the diesels have six-speed manuals. When driving on tarmac in normal conditions the X-Trail is a front-drive estate; when four-wheel drive is needed it can be engaged at any speed by dabbing a button on the dashboard. It’s a system tuned more for high-speed on-road stability than to ensure optimum off-road traction; the X-Trail is designed to get its occupants to where the action is happening, rather than being the focus of off-road action itself, which also explains the lack of low range gearing.

Like others of its class the X-Trail is of monocoque construction with all-independent coil-sprung suspension with limited ground clearance and articulation. It’s not, therefore, a car to consider seriously as a hard-core fun day off-roader.

The seats are comfortable and the driving position natural, though having the dials mounted centrally on the dash takes some getting used to, it does at least leave a useful cubby in front of the steering wheel. The turbodiesel is quite noisy on tick over but growls in a pleasingly sporty manner once cruising, driving enjoyment enhanced by the crisp gearchange of the six-speed manual.

The steering is pleasantly precise and handling impressively stable. All the X-Trails are well equipped with even the base S boasting remote central locking and electric windows, electric mirrors and the huge electric Skyroof, plus remote controls for the audio, though this is a basic single-slot CD system, so look out for cars with better aftermarket upgrades.

A more popular choice is the mid-range Sport, which has natty 16-inch alloys as well as side airbags and the chilled drinks holders in the facia, linked to the air conditioning.

The SE adds climate control air conditioning, alloy wheels, alarm, cruise control and side airbags. Examples from 2005 are falling within our price limit, but beware that from the spring of 2005 the SE was also available in purely front-drive form, so make sure you’re getting a 4wd version.

The SE+ has the added sophistication of heated leather seats, while the popular SVE has electric adjustment for the front seats. Pricing of all versions appears to be more dependent on condition and mileage than power source, but you should be prepared to pay a little more for a turbodiesel and a little less for the lustier but thirstier 2.5-litre alternative. On an older turbodiesel listen for excessive rattling from the front of the engine, suggesting a loose timing chain, a problem known to occur as the chain guide wears and eventually breaks up.

Erratic running could be caused by clogging exhaust recirculation valves, a problem that can also eventually lead to turbo failure, make sure any turbodiesel you plan to buy starts easily and runs smoothly without hesitations. Worn synchromesh is quite common on manual gearboxes, make sure changes are smooth and crunch-free. The CVT automatic has a manual override function, make sure it works, not because you need it, but if it doesn’t it may point to a looming more serious problem.

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This Korean maker once produced the ugliest cars in the world; the Rexton dating from 2003 is marginally less visually startling, but nevertheless has enough appeal to make it the joker in this particular budget pack because it offers big car comfort and luxury at a compact car price. Look at the specification of the 2004 270 SX we spotted with full leather upholstery, climate control, heated seats with memory function, electric adjusting and heated door mirrors, park distance control, cruise control, CD autochanger, traction control and satellite navigation, 90,000 miles and asking £2400.

For £3000 you’re looking at getting into a similarly-equipped 2005 or even 2007 model, albeit with high mileage, but it’s hard to find a car offering that much space and equipment at the price. Some are even seven-seaters, though the rearmost seats are really for children only, nevertheless worth looking out for their added versatility.

The interior doesn’t look cheap, especially in the higherspecification ES and above which boast full leather upholstery, the only negative aspect being the very obvious plastic appearance of the so-called wood trim. The luggage carrying capacity is cavernous with the rear seats folded, the finicky might complain at the lack of oddment storage, and the cup holders that are too small to hold a cup. Otherwise it’s a pleasant car to be in, with a good driving position and well-placed controls. Whichever version you choose the transmission is automatic, a four-speeder with Tiptronic-style manual override.

If you have £3000 to spend it’s worth ignoring the earlier 2.9-litre turbodiesel, that’s a noisy and lumbering 118bhp brute of a machine, better to pay the extra for one fitted with the later 2.7-litre 165bhp common rail unit. There is, of course, the lively 217-horse 3.2-litre petrol V6, very refined and a pleasure to drive behind, ideal if you’re not planning a high annual mileage.

The Rexton appeared at a time when SsangYong wasn’t sure whether they were offering an off-roader or a city-slicker SUV, so they hedged their bets by putting the Rexton’s bodyshell on a traditional ladder-frame chassis, a ploy that gives it solid strength but robs it of some highway refinement.

The suspension is all-coils, but rather heavy-duty in nature, so ride comfort isn’t of the best, allied to rather vague, woolly steering. Its character improves once off the tarmac, however, where the suspension proves man enough to handle big bumps and ruts without jarring the interior. It has good approach and departure angles, and although it’s a bit short of ground clearance it’s not as low-slung as some of its rivals, plus quite good articulation, so can manage quite tortuous terrain without touching down.

Here the 270Xdi engine is the unit of choice, since it has a beefy 250lb ft of torque, peaking at a stump-pullingly low 1800rpm and staying strong to at least 3200rpm. Four-wheel drive is a fairly simple system, selectable and operated by means of a dash-mounted switch; four-wheel drive can be engaged on the move, but low range can only be selected when the vehicle is stationary.

Look out for examples of the cut-price ‘base’ E model, cloth upholstery but still well-equipped, if you’re after a working vehicle with good towing capability, the Rexton is rated to handle 3500kg. Otherwise, for a more luxurious family experience, one of the specials of 2006, the S Sport with uprated satnav and smarter 16-inch Texas alloys, side-bars and steps, and the SE Sport with 18-inch alloys, would be more suitable.

The 3.2 V6 and 2.9 TD engines are licence-built Mercedes-Benz units, and have the expected levels of reliability, though on the turbodiesel check that it starts easily from cold and doesn’t blow excessive black smoke under acceleration, which could indicate worn injectors or even worn cylinder bores.

The 2.7 is a more modern common rail unit and is sensitive to poor servicing, so reject a car that blows too much smoke or runs erratically. All engines have chain-driven camshafts.

The automatic transmission always had a somewhat vague and floppy feel to it, but it should take up progressively and kick-down smoothly, avoid a car with a jerky or noisy change quality. Similarly the five-speed manual won’t feel particularly slick and positive, but it shouldn’t crunch through the gears, also avoid a car where the clutch needs excessive pedal movement to release.

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The Sorento is interesting in that in spite of being styled for the city as a rival to the likes of the Land Rover Freelander and Nissan X-Trail its body sits on a proper separate steel chassis, which along with the low-range transfer gearing marks it as a practical off-roader. By the same token it doesn’t have all-independent suspension; the front wheels are independent with coil-sprung doublewishbones, but the rear axle is rigid, and though also coil-sprung doesn’t promise quite the same levels of ride comfort as its allindependent rivals. That’s a small point, however. More interesting is that you can choose between a permanent four-wheel drive system, which is fitted to premium versions, or a selectable system as fitted to the base XE. There seems to be no logical reason for offering two different types other than the idea that people buying into a more expensive car would expect permanent four-wheel drive. Whichever system is applied the car comes with either a 3.5-litre V6 or 2.5-litre commonrail turbodiesel engine.

Turbodiesel versions could have either five-speed manual or four-speed automatic – later upgraded to a five-speeder – while the petrol versions were only available with automatic. The smooth, quiet performance of the turbodiesel engine is impressive, and although it’s a little underpowered, with a mere 138bhp to hauling a car that weighs over two tonnes it doesn’t add up to nippy acceleration, it offers relaxed cruising performance and good economy.

The improved engine installed for the 2007 model year was a significant improvement with its 168 horse, but we’ve not seen any of these priced at £3000. Meanwhile the petrol engined alternatives are by far the better drivers’ cars, the higher fuel consumption countered by smoother, quicker performance as well as the availability of low-mileage models from 2006 within our budget. All the Sorentos are exceptionally well equipped, the main reason for wanting a high-specification one would be to enjoy the heated electrically-adjustable front seats and the leather upholstery, or the satnav of some later models. The fact that they’re all so well-equipped shows up on second-hand forecourts where there’s often not much difference in price between XE and XS models, so it is worth shopping around for that extra bit of luxury, especially if you like the idea of permanent four-wheel drive. An early 2003 example with over 100,000 miles showing shouldn’t cost more than £3000, though we’ve spotted low-mileage, well-maintained examples of this era asking £4000.

There’s no reason to pay that much, because there are plenty of examples on offer for a lot less. There doesn’t seem to be much of a price difference between turbodiesels and the V6, generally because the weaker demand for petrol power is countered by the generally lower mileage compared with most diesels at this price. The turbodiesels seem to be robust and reliable engines, one advantage being that they have chain-driven camshafts. The V6, unfortunately, does have a camshaft driven by a belt that needs changing every 60,000 miles so when buying a car with that mileage – or, as is quite likely on an earlier example with 120,000 miles showing, make sure the belt change has been done, or argue £300 off the asking price to cover the cost.

Diesels do suffer the common problem of sticking or clogged EGR valve which can lead to smoky exhausts, poor performance and rough idling, a problem that is easy enough to remedy but since similar symptoms might be the result of worn injectors, faulty injector pump and failing turbocharger, it’s as well to reject any car that doesn’t run sweetly and blow clean exhaust. Gears have been known to shed teeth, so listen for clicks in each gear and make sure the manual doesn’t jump out of gear.

The selectable four-wheel drive system engages in response to a button on the dash, and sometimes takes a minute or so to engage and even longer to disengage. Make sure it works, a failure to do so could be nothing more than a poor electrical connection, but it could also mean serious transfer case damage.

Wheel bearings also fail, listen for the telltale groaning noise as you drive.

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It may be ugly, but there’s no doubting the value for money of this roomy Korean estate. What attracted many to buy this wacky newcomer of 2001 was the very attractive pricing – the Santa Fe was pitched competitively against smaller SUVs such as the Land Rover Freelander and Toyota RAV4 while also offering an extraordinarily high equipment specification with even the base versions boasting alloy wheels, air conditioning, electric windows and electric sunroof along with driver and passenger airbags, while the 2.7 V6 range-topper has leather upholstery and heated electrically adjustable seats, CD system and climate control as well as side airbags, and you needn’t trouble your bank account for more than £500 to acquire an early example, certainly no more than £1000 for a well-maintained low-mileage example from 2002 or 2003.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that a second-hand Santa Fe would make a cheap high-fun off-roader for some serious play-day mudplugging, because although the four-wheel drive is permanent, there’s no low-range gearing and the epicyclic differential puts 60 per cent of the drive to the front wheels which is a good balance to ensure stabilising understeer in fast on-road driving, but can cause erratic behaviour in delicately slippery off-road conditions. The Hyundai is a monocoque design so there’s no separate chassis to cushion the body from off-roading knocks and scrapes, and the suspension is a road-biased all-independent struts and coils type, which means it doesn’t have the sort of articulation or ground clearance enjoyed by purpose-built offroaders.

However, as a well-priced highspecification comfortable family-sized urban SUV it’s a hard package to resist. First offerings gave a choice of 2.4-litre or 2.7-litre V6 petrol power, with a 2.0-litre common-rail turbodiesel joining the range just weeks after the launch, though the more desirable version is the tweaked CRDT introduced in 2004, not more powerful, but smoother-running and more economical and with lower CO2 emissions, fortunately your £3000 should easily get you into a low-mileage, wellmaintained run-out model from 2005.

The Santa Fe is a delight fully sweet drive on the road in V6 form. Mated to a four-speed auto with trendy sequential shift facility, the 2.7-litre 24-valve unit pulls strongly but does exhibit an urgent edge as revs climb, if there’s a downside it’s that the steering has a rather The Sorento is interesting in that in spite of being styled for the city as a rival to the likes of the Land Rover Freelander and Nissan X-Trail its body sits on a proper separate steel chassis, which along with the low-range transfer gearing marks it as a practical off-roader.

By the same token it doesn’t have all-independent suspension; the front wheels are independent with coil-sprung doublewishbones, but the rear axle is rigid, and though also coil-sprung doesn’t promise quite the same levels of ride comfort as its allindependent rivals. That’s a small point, however. More interesting is that you can choose between a permanent four-wheel drive system, which is fitted to premium versions, or a selectable system as fitted to the base XE.

There seems to be no logical reason for offering two different types other than the idea that people buying into a more expensive car would expect permanent four-wheel drive. Whichever system is applied the car comes with either a 3.5-litre V6 or 2.5-litre commonrail turbodiesel engine. Turbodiesel versions could have either five-speed manual or four-speed automatic – later upgraded to a five-speeder – while the petrol versions were only available with automatic. T

he smooth, quiet performance of the turbodiesel engine is impressive, and although it’s a little underpowered, with a mere 138bhp to hauling a car that weighs over two tonnes it doesn’t add up to nippy acceleration, it offers relaxed cruising performance and good economy. The improved engine installed for the 2007 model year was a significant improvement with its 168 horse, but we’ve not seen any of these priced at £3000. Meanwhile the petrol engined alternatives are by far the better drivers’ cars, the higher fuel consumption countered by smoother, quicker performance as well as the availability of low-mileage models from 2006 within our budget.

All the Sorentos are exceptionally well equipped, the main reason for wanting a high-specification one would be to enjoy the heated electrically-adjustable front seats and the leather upholstery, or the satnav of some later models. The fact that they’re all so well-equipped shows up on second-hand forecourts where there’s often not much difference in price between XE and XS models, so it is worth shopping around for that extra bit of luxury, especially if you like the idea of permanent four-wheel drive. An early 2003 example with over 100,000 miles showing shouldn’t cost more than £3000, though we’ve spotted low-mileage, well-maintained examples of this era asking £4000.

There’s no reason to pay that much, because there are plenty of examples on offer for a lot less. There doesn’t seem to be much of a price difference between turbodiesels and the V6, generally because the weaker demand for petrol power is countered by the generally lower mileage compared with most diesels at this price. The turbodiesels seem to be robust and reliable engines, one advantage being that they have chain-driven camshafts.

The V6, unfortunately, does have a camshaft driven by a belt that needs changing every 60,000 miles so when buying a car with that mileage – or, as is quite likely on an earlier example with 120,000 miles showing, make sure the belt change has been done, or argue £300 off the asking price to cover the cost. Diesels do suffer the common problem of sticking or clogged EGR valve which can lead to smoky exhausts, poor performance and rough idling, a problem that is easy enough to remedy but since similar symptoms might be the result of worn injectors, faulty injector pump and failing turbocharger, it’s as well to reject any car that doesn’t run sweetly and blow clean exhaust. Gears have been known to shed teeth, so listen for clicks in each gear and make sure the manual doesn’t jump out of gear.

The selectable four-wheel drive system engages in response to a button on the dash, and sometimes takes a minute or so to engage and even longer to disengage. Make sure it works, a failure to do so could be nothing more than a poor electrical connection, but it could also mean serious transfer case damage. Wheel bearings also fail, listen for the telltale groaning noise as you drive. vague feel about it – the car handles reasonably well, but the steering feels remote and lifeless.

The 2.4-litre four isn’t quite so successful, a dull performer in comparison and a little too harsh when pressed, there are a few early examples about but the later turbodiesel is the best bet, not an exciting performer but adequately refined and economical. The interior, like the exterior, has a somewhat wacky edge to it with that clumsylooking steering wheel, but the seats are comfortable, the facia and controls are well made and sensibly laid out. There’s plenty of headroom and legroom for three abreast in the rear seat, which also has a reclining function, and the boot is capacious and accessible through a flip-up rear window as well as through the lifting tailgate.

Reliability is generally good but the engine and transmission do need proper maintenance, skimping on oil quality can result in excessive wear to the valve train, listen for any tinkling or rattling from the top end. If you’re considering a diesel be sure to start it from cold, weakened glow plugs are common, leading to starting difficulty. The 2.7 petrol V6 should also be checked from cold to make sure it starts well and runs without hesitation, because the fuel pressure regulator can leak. Check the water pump for leaks and make sure cam belt changes have been done at the required 60,000-mile intervals.

Make sure the transmission engages without fuss, shifts smoothly and kicks down responsively. On a manual check that shifts aren’t overly baulky or noisy, particularly in cars that have been used for towing – the 2.7 V6 Santa Fe is rated to tow 2.3 tonnes, the 2.4 petrol only 1.4 tonnes, so worn synchromesh from snatched downchages may be a problem. The clutch should engage smoothly, any shuddering might indicate a looming and expensive failure of the dual-mass fl ywheel. Worn anti-roll bar bushes are common, resulting in clonking noises when running over potholes or when cornering, and wheel bearings, particularly at the rear, are prone to failure.

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We’ve always considered the Shogun to be a bit overpriced, since it’s a vehicle with a reputation that somewhat embellishes reality. Even in its sleeker third generation form from 1999, the Shogun was always less refined and more cumbersome to drive than many of its rivals, yet its popularity – originally spurred by the realisation that it offered a more reliable and cheaper alternative to a Range Rover – continues unabated to an extent that your £3000 is unlikely to get you anything newer than a year 2000 model and with 150,000 miles on it at that; even higher-mileage previous generation (and more truck-like) models can command over £1000.

Nevertheless the post-1999 Shogun has appeal for its more aggressive Dakar-inspired styling, particularly in the short-wheelbase version, and in the seven-seater functionality of the long wheelbase estate. This was the first Shogun to shrug off the conventional off-road structure and instead of a separate chassis and rigid axles it boasts a monocoque bodyshell and all-independent coil-sprung suspension, along with rack-andpinion steering the result being a more compliant quality of ride and sharper steering response.

The Shogun is quite car-like to drive, though some might find the powered steering a little too light. However, the big estate rides comfortably and corners without too much body lean. Both diesel and petrol variants are lively performers, though the V6 needs to be revved to give of its best, while the strong mid-range torque of the diesel calls for fewer gearshifts to regain speed after a tight bend, making for more comfortable overall progress.

It is also a better engine for off-roading, with torque peaking at 2000rpm. A five-speed manual transmission was standard, though an automatic was an option, some were four-speeders, others had the newer and more desirable five-speed box, so check the transmission before buying. The Super Select four-wheel drive system is arguably more complex than it need be, particularly in a car that is unlikely to venture off-road, but it has appeal to gadget-lovers; for this generation a quieter chain-drive transfer box is used. In terms of straightforward off-road traction the Shogun is unstoppable, but it does lack ground clearance and the long wheelbase estate has a debilitatingly long overhang limiting its capability in tortuous terrain.

Equipment on all models is good, even the base GLX has tilt adjustable steering column, alloy wheels, electric heated mirrors and a four-speaker stereo, while the GLS adds a roof spoiler, body side-mouldings, front fog lamps, headlight washers, automatic air-conditioning, cruise control and height-adjustable driver’s seat. From 2001 the Classic replaced the GLX and Equippe replaced the GLS, while a new range-topping version, the Elegance, was introduced. Look out for the later Field, Animal and Warrior special editions, though these will be rare at under £3000.

The bold exterior styling of the Shogun is refl ected in the interior with its heavy dashboard featuring a massive centre console giving the driver a feeling of being tucked into a cockpit, the comfortable and supportive armchair seat helping to enhance the driving experience. It’s nevertheless a roomy vehicle, with plenty of elbow room and headroom.

The rear bench in the five-door is shaped to take three adults and has reclining backrests, with very little in the way of a transmission tunnel to make life uncomfortable for a central passenger.

The Shogun stays good to 4×4 tradition in having the spare mounted on the sideways-opening tailgate, and so has good boot space, easily enough to accommodate the extra fold-up seat, which can be removed to leave a useful underfl oor storage space. In spite of its reputation, the Shogun isn’t totally infallible, listen for the groan of worn wheel bearings and the click or rumble of worn CV joints on the front axle, check for oil leaks from the rear differential and check the state of the brake discs as well as pads, which wear quickly especially on a car that’s been used for towing.

Engine failures are not unknown, check for signs of ‘mayonnaise’ under the oil filler cap hinting at the possibility of impending gasket failure, and make sure the timing chain and its tensioners have been replaced on schedule – if you can’t be sure on a higher mileage car have the job done yourself as soon as possible, because a slipped timing chain can wreck the engine.

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The M-Class is nominally a rival to the premium Land Rovers and Jeep Grand Cherokee but has a very different feel to it, with very little in the way of adventurous off-road styling and a sleek but rather bland body and uncluttered interior that makes it seem more like an MPV than an SUV. While on that point it’s worth noting that some were kitted out as seven-seaters, but don’t buy one until you’ve checked that the seven potential occupants can all sit comfortably inside – we don’t think that will happen because the interior just isn’t that roomy.

The promotional material at the launch emphasised its capability as an off-roader, but in spite of its excellent permanent four-wheel drive system, low range gearing and in some versions height-adjustable suspension, the M-Class is not a car that takes kindly to mud-terrain tyres and winch bumpers so don’t consider one, even at a budget price, unless it’s purely for use as a road-only family estate. As a road car we liked the Mercedes from the start, praising the ride comfort from the all-independent suspension and the light but balanced steering, pointing out in an early road test that it seemed very reasonably priced compared with, for instance, the similarly road-biased BMW X5. All versions of the M-Class have a good basic specifi cation, including climate control, electric seat adjustment and remote central locking, while the SE has enhanced interior materials including burr walnut inserts.

The Sport model has 19-inch alloys, extra chrome trim outside and Alcantara leather and aluminium trim inside. Even so, first buyers will have added a whole range of luxury extras in some cases adding well over £10,000 to the original purchase price of their car, features that now simply add to the value of buying one secondhand at a knockdown price. Look out for leather trim, the Designo two-tone upholstery with wood trim originally a £4420 option, also the electric sunroof – find one with the glass sunroof, the louvred one had a tendency to jam and is expensive to put right. Bose sound systems, perhaps with bootmounted CD autochanger, satnav and cellphone preparation were popular upgrades, some will have bi-xenon headlamps, resist one with the external spare wheel carrier, it restricts the rear view when you’re driving.

With £3000 to spend you’ll find yourself choosing from a wide range of early-generation cars dating from anywhere between 1999 and 2005 depending on mileage and equipment, most of them with the 2.7-litre turbodiesel engine, though for better refi nement and performance do consider one of the smoothrevving 3.2-litre or 3.7-litre petrol V6 variants. An interesting indication of how depreciation can hit luxury cars is how little dealers are willing to offer as a trade-in value on what ought to be seen as a desirable premium SUV, even more than 10 years on. As a result you’ll find large numbers of higher-mileage older ML320 and ML270s being offered for sale by private sellers.

Buying privately can be advantageous if you take the usual precautions such as making sure the registration certifi cate matches the name and address of the seller and making sure it all runs well on a test drive.

The interior of the ML is unquestionably opulent, particularly in the higher-specifi cation SE versions, yet compared with the Range Rover it seems rather blandly styled. No matter, since the driving position is quite natural and controls are all well placed, higher specifi cation models featuring a whole raft of fi ngertip controls on the steering wheel, on some models this includes paddle-shift buttons for the automatic transmission.

You can’t expect an old car at this price to be in perfect condition, but there was always some concern about the assembly quality of this Americanbuilt vehicle, so look for excessive sagging of the seats and attempts to hide or bodge dodgy trim and upholstery fabric. The 2.7 CRD turbodiesel is the engine of choice if economy is important, though as even with an oil-burner make sure it doesn’t blow excess smoke on acceleration which could point to worn injectors or a failing turbocharger – it could equally point to an aftermarket performance upgrade, smooth, quick acceleration will tell you but reject any car that feels sluggish, hesitant or jerky.

The transmission on the turbodiesels also has to handle that low-rev torque so make sure the six-speed manual shifts smoothly and the clutch takes up progressively; similarly if the five-speed automatic is fitted check that it doesn’t slur changes too much and responds properly to the Tiptronic-type override.

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We’ve always considered the Grand Cherokee to be a good-value purchase, and that’s particularly true for second-hand examples, since for a mere £3000 you’re talking a high specification second generation Limited with the Mercedes 2.7 CRD engine, a car that sold for nearly £30,000 new in 2002 with a specification including leather upholstery, electric seat adjustment with heating and independent memory functions in each of the two key fobs, dual-zone climate control, eight-speaker stereo with steering wheel controls, electrically adjustable and folding rear view mirrors, cruise control and rain sensing wipers.

If you’re looking for an off-road plaything there are high-mileage examples going for under £1000 – some with close on 200,000 miles on them which has to be some sort of commendation for the engines, which in most cases at this level will be the 4.0-litre straight six or 4.7-litre V8, the latter being particularly desirable as a relaxed and torquey off-road power plant, and no thirstier than the old-tech petrol six. It is worth shopping around for an Overland which has the superb Quadra Drive system which automatically locks front and rear differentials when conditions get difficult; note that this was also available as a £600 option on Limiteds, you might be lucky enough to find one of these at a good price.

The styling of the second generation Grand Cherokee was similar to the original but smoother and more aerodynamic, the leather-upholstered interior was just as opulently equipped, but more importantly improvements to the suspension settings and bushings meant mechanical refi nement and road behaviour were markedly better. In this respect the Grand can’t match the ride comfort of a Range Rover or Discovery, because although it has a thoroughly modern highrigidity monocoque bodyshell it rides on heavy-duty beam axles, coil-sprung but not as supple as an all-independent arrangement.

This does at least qualify it as a worthy hard-core off-roader as well as a luxurious family estate, not to mention a competent towing car with a 3500kg capability. Earliest examples from 1999 included a turbodiesel, the 3.1-litre VM unit, but this is best avoided as it lacks the refi nement of the later and more powerful 2.7 CRD as used in the Mercedes M-Class. All versions have a four-speed automatic transmission with permanent four-wheel drive and a low range transfer gearbox. At first only the Limited specification was available, but for 2004 a base Sport and upgraded Overland versions were introduced; the Sport has cloth upholstery and a simpler air conditioning system, but it retains the electric seats, electric windows and remote  locking. The Overland was the range-topper, the enhanced specification including a CD autochanger and an electric sunroof.

One key special edition to look out for is the 60th Anniversary edition, introduced in July 2001 for a limited period, which was based on the 4.7 V8 Limited but adding the electric sunroof, a CD autochanger and metallic paint. With the end of the run approaching, September 2004 saw three new topspecifi cation variants on the scene, the Limited XS with 4.7 V8 or 2.7 CRD engine, the Platinum with the 2.7 CRD and the HO Platinum with the 4.7 V8. These all have satnav, as well as the electric sunroof, plus heated door mirrors and parking sensors, but these will be rare at under £3000.
Even at this low price it’s worth looking for a car with a good service record since the engines and particularly the automatic transmission are very sensitive to the quality of lubricants. The petrol engines – especially the ‘bulletproof’ 4.0-litre six – are generally reliable, and while the 2.7 CRD has Mercedes credibility, it can suffer the same problems as any other high-mileage diesel such as worn injectors, fouled recirculation systems and failing turbo bearings. Make sure the engine starts instantly from cold, doesn’t hesitate under acceleration and idles smoothly. It’s more important to ensure that the transmission works properly, look out for delays in gear selection, excessive engine revving between changes and excessive whining noises. One symptom is a reluctance to select fi rst and top gears, so the car pulls away in second and doesn’t go into its overdrive top when cruising, definitely one to avoid.

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