Nigel Fryatt – editor

My original decision to buy the Hilux was really by a process of elimination. Returning to the Editor’s chair of this magazine after (quite) a few years absence, the Alfa GTV on the drive and Lotus Elise in the garage didn’t quite seem suitable! My first thought was that I would get a Jeep, and this was thanks to the excellent bargains available on the second generation Grand Cherokee (something we highlighted in our Buyers’ Guide last month). However, Hils already had one of those on the magazine’s fleet, and with Bob having a Cherokee, we seemed a little ‘Jeeped out’. There was no chance of me getting a Land Rover, I’d have one of the latest models tomorrow if my Lottery numbers came up, but back in the real world the thought of a Discovery or ancient Range Rover filled me with dread… Then it came to me that I should have a pick-up. Once decided, the option as to ‘which one?’ was simple. It had to be Toyota Hilux.

Robert Pepper

I do not like mud on my 4x4s.  In fact, I hate it. Mud damages bodywork and mechanicals so I clean my 4x4s as soon as possible, usually directly after the trip before the mud has a chance to bake in hard. The ‘wash’ is exactly that, a wash, not a wax and polish by any means, more of a rinse.  

To my mind, driving around with a dirty 4×4 is not a badge of pride, it is sign of laziness.  If you’re inclined to show where you’ve been and what you do then you don’t need to leave the car filthy to do that. It is easy enough for the initiated to pick a 4×4 used for off-roading regardless of how clean it is, and I think it a better look to have a tidy vehicle with subtle clues to many past adventures than a wheeled mud bath that’s clearly only had an excursion or two. That said, I do love mud driving, just not the aftermath. I’m past the stage where I feel the need to drive a giant bog hole just because it’s there, but if it’s along the way on a trip then it’ll be conquered.

Bob Cooke – contributor

Just for a moment I thought the Cherokee wasn’t going to make it. It was Pete’s fault, because he thought the Cherokee blasting through one of the water splashes would make a good picture, but he needed me to come in from the other side because of where the sun was. That meant bypassing the splash through a stretch of gloopy mud and turning around on what turned out to be not only gloopier mud but deeply rutted by other cars with bigger and more aggressive tyres. What was meant to be a quick three-point turn developed into a painfully slow seven pointer, taking it ever-so-gently to give the Wrangler Duratraks every chance of grabbing some grip in the cloying mud. Fortunately the mud at the Hop Farm isn’t of the seriously slippery clay-heavy type, so heavy-treaded tyres can find something to bite into. Time after time the Cherokee sank into the ruts, but gentle near-tick over tickling of the accelerator eased it out until it eventually lined itself up with the water splash. From then on it was easy.

Nigel Fryatt – editor

It took a long time, but finally I’ve done it. From the very start of my Toyota Hilux ownership, some 18 months ago, I’ve been going ‘to do something about it….’ The problem with the Hilux, and any opened backed pick-up is that despite the fact that you have enormous carrying capacity, it’s not actually very secure. You can’t just sling things in the back and forget about them; they’d get nicked, and they’d get very wet! The only option, therefore, is to have bags and cases behind the front seats. To help this, the Hilux’s rear seat folds upwards and so there is a massive space, and it does have ‘privacy glass’ to help mask what’s being carried, but it’s not secure should you park the vehicle and leave it for any period. There are two ‘secret’ hidden compartments under the rear seat (don’t let anyone know) but these are small, only really useful for documents, wallets etc. They are not even big enough for a decent sized camera.

Howard Sherren

Last time I wrote I brought you the news that my LR Discovery 2 had been an interesting purchase and as many would expect, ownership hasn’t been plain sailing.

Previously I found that a rear brake caliper was binding causing the disc to heat up dramatically, which I could have done without. On the plus side the Discovery axle is fairly mechanic friendly, with great access and simple to work on. After some searching I found a pair of calipers online for just £44 delivered from McDonald Land Rover. Although they will be nowhere the quality of genuine I thought I’d give them a go. When delivered two days later they appear to be just the job, fitted without a problem and in the end appeared to cure the problem of binding brakes, saving the life of my recent pads and discs. However whilst I had the axle apart I thought I’d take the time to service the axles too. There were signs of oil on the right-hand side so thought best to try new axle O-rings at 58p each, before jumping into new hubs which are some-what dear in comparison.

Robert Pepper

Last month I reported that our Discovery 3 was reporting no less than three faults – park brake light flashing, suspension height error in off-road mode and an engine system fault accompanied by black smoke and a loss of power. This month the fixes are in, and they’re all simple – a software update solved the first two, which were as usual with modern Land Rovers related even though they’re in entirely different parts of the car, and the third was the common split turbo hose replacement. So the D3 is returned to health and we’re continuing to appreciate the car’s performance and versatility. Our latest run was a 1000km drive to the 2013 South Australia Land Rover Jamboree, which we comfortably managed without refuelling thanks to our second fuel tank. Once there, we relaxed with friends and other Land Rover owners, enjoying a nice small campfire as conditions permitted.

Nigel Fryatt – editor

Some weeks ago, while driving my truck one evening, I was a little concerned when the ‘low fuel level’ light came on. The worry was because according to the actual gauge, I had a nearly full tank. This meant that one of these things was incorrect, but which one? Since it was late, and I was in very rural Norfolk, and it was very, very cold outside – the temperature gauge actually said minus 9degC – I didn’t want the error to be the amount of fuel in the tank. Just an electric glitch on the low fuel light, surely…

Bob Cooke – contributor

One good thing I have to say about the extended spell of cold weather – it forced me to resolve the immobiliser question that’s been nagging at me ever since I acquired the Cherokee. All the Cherokees of this era were fitted with aftermarket immobilisers for insurance purposes; in my excitement at finding a sound-looking 18-year old Cherokee with only 65,000 miles on it, I didn’t pay much attention to the fact that it came with only two keys – one for the ignition and one for the fuel filler cap – and no means of disabling the immobiliser should it set itself.

Hils Everitt – Editor at Large

It was great fun playing about in the snow on my local country roads in Kent – well… when access to them wasn’t blocked by people who got themselves stuck in their unsuitable 2WD vehicles. Come on people, listen to the TV warnings and don’t venture out if your vehicle can’t hack it!

Anyway, I felt it was high time to take the Tiguan Escape on a long journey to somewhere picturesque where we could play together off the beaten track, but not in the snow.

Louise Limb

Keep your voices low but while the Automobile Association may have been frantically busy with plenty of other stranded drivers this last month, the elderly blue Freelander has had absolutely no need of their services, stoically ploughing up and down the roads of the north of England with little more than an odd and so far, annoyingly elusive, clanking noise over the offside wheel arch for accompaniment.