There could be two reasons for buying an older Grand Vitara, one being for use as a well-priced and reasonably comfortable compact family car, now made possible because early examples of the all-new sleeker and more refined 2005 model are becoming available for around £3000.

Most of those we’ve seen are the three-door with 1.6VVT power, some with surprisingly low mileages, but there are some of the five-door estates around, with a choice of the 2.0-litre 16v petrol or the 1.9DDiS turbodiesel. All versions have impressive convenience and comfort equipment including remote central locking, electric windows, a stereo with steering wheel-mounted controls and climate control air conditioning. The ‘+’ version has alloy wheels, heated door mirrors and driving lamps. The automatic, originally available only with the 2.0-litre petrol engine, added around £1500 to the original purchase price.

The other reason for wanting a Grand Vitara would be as a cheap and cheerful off-road plaything, but don’t be tempted to buy one of the cheeky-looking post-2005 three-doors as a serious mud-plugger, because it doesn’t have low range gearing; the five-door does, but it would be a pity to trash one off-road when the previous generation Grand Vitara is much more at home in rough terrain.

One reason is that for 2005 the Grand Vitara shed the separate chassis and opted for a monocoque bodyshell on an all-independent suspension, while the earlier model had a proper separate chassis and a rigid rear axle, making it a more sensible choice for hard-core off-road action.

The one failing that model had was the lack of ground clearance, the good news is that Jimny Bits (www.jimnybits.co.uk) do a choice of suspension lift kits for the Grand Vitara at a reasonable price, for instance under £500 for a three-inch hoist, though there’s a limit to the increase in tyre size you can fit because the wheelarches are quite tight.

Without doubt the best fun car in the range is the GV2000 Soft Top, quite rare but we have seen a few clean, reasonable-mileage examples at the price. It’s not a full convertible, just the rear part of the roof has a fold-away canopy, but the front-section sunroof can also be removed to give an almost completely open feel.

Though clearly aimed at rivaling the Toyota RAV4 and Honda HR-V, the Grand Vitara was always a cheaper option, one reason being that the only ‘luxuries’ included as part of the standard trim were a stereo, electric front windows and electric mirrors, though both driver and front passenger had airbag protection. Other refinements – including anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, central locking with remote, electric sunroof and CD player – were optional, so when buying an older car check what you’re getting for the money.

The upholstery and trim is a bit on the cheap and cheerful side, so expect to find worn and patchy upholstery and to hear a few rattles and squeaks on a test drive.

Just £500 should be enough to secure an early example for conversion to off-road use, though most will be petrol-engined, if you’re not planning long mileages the 2.5-litre V6 is the one to go for, you might as well enjoy the much livelier performance than the dull 1.6, or the even duller early 85-horse 2.0-litre turbodiesel. With £3000 to play with, however, you’d be looking at a good selection of cars with the much more refined 107bhp common-rail unit, which not only also boasts much more torque but this peaks at a lowly 1750rpm, ideal for mud-plugging.

The five-speed manual is the preferred transmission, the four-speed auto even when new seemed sluggish and on the 2.0-litre cars tended to shunt between third and fourth while cruising because the engine didn’t have enough power to keep it in top.

The V6 petrol engine has a chain camshaft drive, but the tensioner has a habit of slackening so it’d be worth having it checked. The main problem to look out for on turbodiesels is the exhaust gas recirculation valve, which leads to poor and erratic performance, so look for cars that have had the valve replaced or at least make sure the engine runs smoothly and strongly.

Start a turbodiesel from cold to make sure the glowplugs are working properly, if the indicator lights flash on and off look for another car. Oil leaks are quite common, sniff for the scent of burning oil on a test drive as a worn rear gearbox seal tends to drip oil on to the exhaust catalyst.

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The Forester is an unusual crossover, not the usual estate-car-turned SUV. For most the name Subaru is synonymous with the high performance Impreza WRX with its rally car styling, 280bhp boxer engine and sophisticated permanent four-wheel drive system – then, out of nowhere, appears the Forester, a modest estate car with the most conservative styling ever applied to a new model, seemingly aiming it at older middle-aged gents with trilbys and tweed jackets, with interiors upholstered in cloth taken from the suits of even older gentlemen.

Badged X (for ‘crossover’) and touted as a rival to the Freelander, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and others of that ilk, the Forester appeared as fashionable as a pigeon at a peacock parade. Yet under that desperately ordinary body lies the same drive train as the car that in its time showed the way in the World Rally Championships. The turbocharged XT has a beefy 174bhp on tap in its original 2.0-litre form, the later 2.5XT has a hefty 226bhp, giving it the power to out accelerate many a hot hatch, while since the undertray is pretty much the same as the Impreza’s, the Forester also has almost unbelievably good high-speed handling and impressively comfortable ride on and off the road.

The non-turbo versions – slower but still a lot of fun to drive with their excellent handling and ride comfort – even have low range (with the manual gearbox) giving them, despite Subaru’s refreshing reluctance to clutter the bodywork with chunky ‘off-road’ cladding, truly impressive off-road ability. Oddly, although the Forester is patently a Freelander rival, Subaru seemed rather more keen to push the car’s performance credentials by offering a ‘style pack’ of front and rear bumper spoiler, rear roof spoiler and sill extensions as a £700 option which unfortunately did little to disguise the basically boring styling.

The result is a car that looks like the back of a small bus but is a total joy to drive and, in non-turbo dual-range mode is one of the most competent off-roaders in its class. Hence there’s no better choice if you want a practical compact estate with truly dynamic driving behaviour – whether it’s on the road with the turbo or off it with the low range gearing – as long as you don’t mind the uninspired styling or, possibly, if you’re in the habit of wearing a trilby and a tweed jacket and just happen to think the Forester’s styling is the absolute bee’s knees.

For all our mockery – and surprisingly since this generation lacked a turbodiesel variant – the Forester has proved popular, as is reflected not only in the wide range of cars available second-hand, but the wildly varying prices being asked for used examples, with £3000 buying anything from a high-mileage ’02 X to a ’06 XE with XTs, XTEs and Turbos inbetween, so it really will pay to shop around for the best-looking purchase.

Your first decision has to be whether you want normally aspirated or turbocharged, bearing in mind that the former still makes a sound family estate with good driving dynamics, and of course if you intend to do any off-roading with it the non-turbo manual is the only one that has low range gearing.

Whichever model you choose you’ll find acceptable luxury, since all versions of the Forester are well-equipped, standard features throughout the range including air conditioning, electric windows, remote central locking and four-speaker stereo with a CD player. The XT gets alloy wheels, which are also part of the optional ‘all-weather’ pack for the X, which includes a huge sunroof, front driving lamps, heated front seats and cruise control. Most of the X versions we’ve seen appear to have had the all weather pack – you’ll spot them by the big driving lamps in the bumper and the huge sunroof – so it’s worth making sure you get one with the full equipment package. Leather-trimmed special editions tend to command significantly higher prices, so much so that we’d happily do without the leather.

Probably the most significant concern if you’re buying an XT is to remember that the early examples had the racy but highly-stressed 2.0-litre engine, after ’04 the more relaxed 2.5-litre engine was fitted, but even then it’s worth finding the extra for an ’05 model with the higher-performance engine, 226bhp up from the original 208.

Reliability is better than many, though there have been some clutch and gearbox problems, make sure changes are slick and noiseless.

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What’s good about the second-generation CR-V is that it retains much of the character of the practical estate original though with a more stylish appearance. It’s a slightly larger car with a stronger bodyshell but also with more power, enhanced instrumentation and equipment and better ride and handling. Early examples all came with 2.0-litre petrol power, there’s a good selection of these available second-hand in good shape and with reasonable mileage priced from £2000, more importantly within our £3000 budget you should be able to get one of the 2005 models with the 2.2-litre CTDi turbodiesel engine.

Pricing, even more so than with other models, appears to depend more on condition and mileage than age, so you might prefer to consider an older car exhibiting less wear and tear. The interior of the CR-V is rather drab, with the oddball exception of the centre console with its metallic trim and complex air conditioning controls. It sprouts what appear to be a pair of grab handles, the one on the driver’s side turning out to be the handbrake lever, a wacky touch contrasting with the otherwise plain interior.

There’s also a surprising lack of oddment storage, and what there is, isn’t that practical – there’s an open shelf in the dash which sheds anything stowed there the moment the car accelerates.

The lack of a centre console gives the interior an airy feel, but leaves the driver short of somewhere to store a phone or a bag of sweets. Otherwise practicality is good, the rear seats for instance not only fold up to enlarge the cargo area but also have independent fore-aft and recline adjustment, they also drop flat to provide a load bay that’s long enough to take a couple of mountain bikes.

It does have rather fiddly load bay access, a two-piece arrangement whereby the rear window first pops up, then the lower door section, carrying the spare wheel, swings open sideways. It does at least allow smaller items of shopping to be popped in without having to open the entire door, useful if you’ve parked in a tight spot. All versions are well-equipped, the SE includes air conditioning, antilock brakes and driver, passenger and side airbags, electric front windows, height-adjustable driver’s seat, folding table between front seats and an RDS stereo with CD player.

The SE Sport adds an electric sunroof, headlamp washers, alloy wheels and a hard spare wheel cover, while enhancements for the SE Executive include satnav. The petrol engine with its variable valve timing is particularly pleasant to drive, since it not only revs and pulls well delivering quite lively performance, but also has surprisingly good low-rev torque, which is useful in awkward off-road situations where slow progress is required.

Standard transmission is a smooth-shifting five-speed manual, some will have the four-speed automatic. On the road the CR-V has a comfortable ride, so much so that although the steering is light and direct the car can feel a little vague in fast corners.

The softish suspension can also make the Honda feel a little bouncy when driving over unmade surfaces, but otherwise it insulates the occupants quite well against more serious ruts and bumps on an off-road outing. Not that the CR-V cries out to be taken off-road, the four-wheel drive system is a “real-time” arrangement where the front wheels are driven most of the time with drive being fed automatically to the rears when needed. Besides, the suspension lacks articulation, there’s no low range gearing nor advanced electronic aids such as hill descent control. Things to look for include a weak starter motor, either insist a replacement is fitted or look for another car.

High mileage cars can suffer from worn cylinder bores and valve guides, on a test drive watch for tell-tale wisps of blue smoke from the exhaust on acceleration or on the overrun. Make sure the engine runs smoothly without flat spots or misfires, usually caused by ECU glitches difficult to diagnose and expensive to repair.

A common problem is the degrading of the lubricant in the ‘dual pump’ mechanism in the rear differential, which results in groaning noises when turning on full lock, a problem that is often misdiagnosed as a fault with the steering. Caught in time the cure is simply a matter of replacing the lubricant. Check that the air conditioning works, as air con pumps have been known to fail.

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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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