[Captain_Sensible]

I understand the security issues, I'll just leave the window down I'd be happy with a hard- or soft-top. The car would be parked at a train station out of Brisbane. Bugger driving into Brisbane CDB!

There seem to be a few things to do to "jazz up" sierras and several engines that fit, and I like that option. If I buy a car I stick with it generally, so fixing is definitely a plus in my books. I don't want to have to spend thousands on an engine rebuild like I have in the past.

It seems that parts are really easily available, even with buying a cheap bomb for spares. So long as it's a simple "undo bolts, take old bit off, put new bit on" repair I am capable. If it has wires coming out of it though I'm buggered!

[royce]

you've decided on a Suzuki, that's the important thing

the rest is just fluff really, sierra, vitara or jimny are all as reliable as each other and as easy to work on as each other and use the same fuel as each other (though all stock the Jimny will use less)

they can all be uncomfortable or slow or hard to drive, it just depends what you do to em

[laurie]

I have been using my sierra as a daily now for about two and a half years.
92klm each day at 70 to 80 most of the way. aprox 9.8l per 100klm.
it is not very zippy, quiet or smooth riding.
it is cheap to own and repair/modify plus FUN FUN FUN .
i would not sell it for twice its value.

[alien]

mondo wrote:

put a bigger motor in it and that drops to 7.5l/100km

holy crap thats amazing economy!!! you must baby the hell out of it =) i get around 220-250km from 28L (my tank is er, a little dented)... and thats correcting for the odometer being out 20% too. I am running 31s and 5.14 tcase gears though.

but i drive mine pretty hard all the time... since getting the 1.6 EFI in its just too fun not to use all that power =)

[mondo]

i refuelled this morning, it went up to 9.5l/100km, but that was towing a trailer while hooning etc. and yea, i do baby it, i just take off slowly, sits on 100km/h effortlessly.

[alien]

hahaha yeah that explains it =)

i take each gear up to around 4000rpm as fast as i can before changing. Yeah mine sits on 100 no worries, actually sits better at 110 (more revvs).

[Captain_Sensible]

You folk have not managed to reduce my desire for a Sierra for a commuting vehicle I'd say "4WD" but since most kilometres are going to be as a commuter, that comes first. I can live with the fuel economy I suppose, if I like the car.

[alien]

i was only saying to my g/f today that i don't really bother doing mileage anymore =) prefer to just drive it as i please and fill it up when its empty. its too fun to drive the pants off it to be worried about the economy. lol

[shep]

alien wrote:

i was only saying to my g/f today that i don't really bother doing mileage anymore =) prefer to just drive it as i please and fill it up when its empty. its too fun to drive the pants off it to be worried about the economy. lol

exactly what i do exept i only half fill the tank due to the hole in it at the 30ltr point

[dave91]

hahahah ahhh gee you guys are all soo dedicated! I can't wait to get in on being a sierra owner and having a great time every time I drive to work/ it rains/ I park in public/ I fill it up with gas!
I just can't find the right one :'(

[shep]

dave91 wrote:

hahahah ahhh gee you guys are all soo dedicated! I can't wait to get in on being a sierra owner and having a great time every time I drive to work/ it rains/ I park in public/ I fill it up with gas!
I just can't find the right one :'(

you cant buy the "right" sierra ya have to make it. or at least live with it
for a bit untill it becomes the right one.

[dave91]

well find something that is 'right enough' to then buy and mod. right as in, no rust, right price and k's

[alien]

forget price and KM... if its got no rust its a bargain... realistically you're gonna change the engine anyway. =P

[Captain_Sensible]

Stay away from my Sierra, Dave91!

Thanks for all the tips guys, I'm looking for a rustless Sierra as soon as the money rolls in. I might even be convinced that a Vitara is an option. What are the real differences?

[alien]

drive them both.... vitara is longer, wider, bigger engine and a little harder to modify past a 235/75r15 tyre, but a lot more comfy than a sierra.

[Gwagensteve]

Captain_Sensible wrote:

Stay away from my Sierra, Dave91!

Thanks for all the tips guys, I'm looking for a rustless Sierra as soon as the money rolls in. I might even be convinced that a Vitara is an option. What are the real differences?

They are chalk and cheese. Vitaras are available EFI, power steer and auto, and have much better ergonomics due to the larger cab and better design. They are not as well suited to hard off road driving as they're wider and the panels are more vulnerable, but they are much more capable than you'd imagine. There is good parts support for them, and they are much more stable on and off road than a sierra.

Personally, I wouldn't daily drive a sierra - no problem with a vitara though.

Steve.

[Captain_Sensible]

That's what I thought Steve, thanks for your honesty. I'll be happy with a Sierra but not with a Vitara. I need a very capable 4wd - one at least that can keep up with a leaf-spring diesel landcruiser. Otherwise I'll buy another cruiser later and for now take a bomb corolla sedan.

If anyone here has driven a 1970's troopy on beefed up Old Man Emu 4 tonne springs, you'll know a Sierra is luxury in comparison. I ain't after anything fancy - I want a useful 4wd that can take a long drive every day and still keep on trucking. This is not about the passenger, it's about the vehicle. As such, it wold certainly seem that a Sierra on leaf springs is the closest little 4wd to what my heart desires:

Simple,
Reliable in the bush and on road,
Capable in the bush when it gets rough,
Workable,
Tough.

Nothing else matters. Geez, that's almost poetry

[FHA57]

buy a new alto for communting best thing i ever did

[Captain_Sensible]

How do Alto's go offroad?

[Ben_Sierra]

Captain_Sensible wrote:

How do Alto's go offroad?

Somewhere between 0-50 metres, depending on how fast you hit the dirt

[Ben_Sierra]

FHA57 wrote:

buy a new alto for communting best thing i ever did

Buy a motorbike for commuting. Best thing I ever did...

[Captain_Sensible]

I've scrapped motorbikes for the sake of my limbs - personal choice. I was really considering a bike but honestly they suck in the rain, and the cold, and they're not very good at taking a girl and a dog along for the weekend offroad camping trips. I've been on bikes for years, love them, but that's not the nature of my inquiry here.

The question this thread really asks, which has been quite well responded to, is "what is it like to commute over 100km per day in a Sierra, for someone who would like a little 4WD but would also need to drive it to work on a daily basis". Motorbikes and little sedans are out of the picture.

[Ben_Sierra]

I have owned both a Sierra and a Vitara, and for commuting with some light offroading and camping I would go the Vitara any time.

My Sierra is just a toy. I couldn't live with it as a daily...

[Captain_Sensible]

Why not Ben?

[Ben_Sierra]

Its slow, its uncomfortable, it has no aircon, the heater is crap, it leaks when it rains, it uses too much fuel, its not secure enough to leave parked anywhere...

[Captain_Sensible]

Cheers Ben. The difference between your Sierra and a motorbike is only the speed and the fuel. I don't want to go fast and I have surrendered to the fuel consumption issue, so it should suit me just fine

[shakes]

Compared to a vitara, sierra's are usually noisy, rattley, bone jarring, uncomfortable pigs with average braking and average steering at best...

And no AC. Often the heater is pretty sub standard. Overall generally pretty tiring to drive. But if you enjoy the car you can daily anything.

I daily'd my super slow ae71 corolla with a locked diff, fixed back seat. big exhaust and stiff harsh suspension.. with no drama's, many other better more comfortable options out there, that would be nearly as fun, but it still wasnt the same.

[Ben_Sierra]

Captain_Sensible wrote:

Cheers Ben. The difference between your Sierra and a motorbike is only the speed and the fuel. I don't want to go fast and I have surrendered to the fuel consumption issue, so it should suit me just fine

Well, that plus I don't get stuck in traffic on the bike

And the bike is way more comfortable than the Sierra...

[Captain_Sensible]

Good point Ben, that's a BIG plus for bikes, but I need to be able to get out bush with the Mrs and the pooch, so the bike option isn't there. Plus I've broken enough bones on motorbikes (all offroad though) and have let them go - a hard decision but one I must abide by. Because I have the option of using our little Subaru but have been thwarted by too many corrugated and otherwise rough roads, I would like a decent 4WD.

The Vitara option is not worth the off-road sacrifice for the limited gains, I think. Plus they seem a little more pricey. And I do like the look of a Sierra.

Thanks again for all the good opinions and sharing experience. I don't care for AC or heaters or that fancy stuff, I I suppose I just really wanted to know if the little Sierras can take a few miles without being an absolute bitch to keep running.

[shakes]

Vitara's mod for mod will go 90% of the places a Sierra will but with alot more comfort.

And a sierra will be the easiest damn car you ever work on!