Guest blog by car enthusiast Aurora Johnson on behalf of www.centralcontracts.com – a specialist car leasing company.

Nissan has been on a roll recently. The Nissan Juke, Leaf, GT-R and 370Z have all been extremely popular, but there’s one other car that’s been particularly amazing – the Nissan Qashqai

It may have a slightly strange name, but the Qashqai is without a doubt one of the best cars to be produced by Nissan in recent years.

Whether you want an affordable car for off-roading fun, a comfortable cruiser to accommodate the family on a long drive, or perhaps just something different with rarity value, there’s something for everyone…

TARGET PRICE: £2500

OFF-ROAD FUN
Jeep Wrangler
A combination of perceived iconic value and relative rarity have contrived to keep the value of old Jeeps at a surprisingly high level – we’ve seen a 1990 Wrangler being offered for sale at £7000 which, even allowing for the half-tonne of chrome trim that had been bolted on to it, was patently ridiculous; similarly we were horrified to see bidders at a recent auction paying £1500 for a shabby 1992 example, dented by hard off-road use, on smooth tyres and lacking tax or MOT. However, we have also seen a few well-maintained examples – though some with over 100,000 miles on them – from 1993 and 1994 going for under £2500. Bear in mind that this is the first-generation YJ Wrangler, easily identified by its rectangular headlamps, which in standard form rides low on rather small wheels and is therefore not quite as competent off-road as the later TJ; however it’s not difficult or particularly expensive to give the leaf-sprung YJ Wrangler a lift to enhance its ground clearance, after which it becomes one of the best fun-factor off-roaders to drive and to be seen in. The car should have its GRP hardtop attached, this can be unbolted and removed for that brief period of sunny summer. The 4.0-litre straight-six is the one to buy, for its power and reliability, most will have the automatic transmission, though a rare few had a five-speed manual. The 2.5-litre four-cylinder alternative is underpowered, the engine overworked and prone to excessive wear, listen for unexpected rattles and knocks, look out for oil leaks and grey exhaust smoke.

The Land Rovers at the West Midland Safari Park are more than just transport. At times, they need to intervene between a charging rhino and its intended target! In charge of both machines and the wild animals is a man once told he might never walk again…

Words and photography: Nigel Fryatt

For such a big off-roader, it was surprisingly nimble, and moved effortlessly across the wet grass. Grip and directional ability were precise and the target destination would be achieved without any need to select low range. It was then that the Land Rover intervened, gently encouraging the massive two tonne rhino to slow down and alter course, the big off-roader slamming on its inbuilt brakes while giving out something of a disgruntled ‘huff’…

We were sitting watching this from the safety of Bob Lawrence’s battered and bruised Land Rover Discovery. The rhino in question had been ambling, with surprising agility, towards a young giraffe that had lolloped away rather quickly. The ranger in the Land Rover Defender 90 had seen the potential problem and ‘encouraged’ the massive horned beast to change its mind, and direction. Just in case, the Land Rover had a substantial bull bar (‘rhino bar?’) at the front, but somehow, if it ever came to it, you knew who would come off best. Indeed, one camel-coloured Discovery also had a mismatched black door: ‘Rhino damage’, explained Bob. The 4x4s at the West Midland Safari and Leisure Park have a tough life, and are worked hard; much like every one of the rangers driving them. Experienced campaigners, all of them, none more so than Director of Wildlife, Bob Lawrence.