If you are considering a 4WD expect to pay around $5,000 -$15,000 for a suitable vehicle to take you to the "outback" in style. And don't think just because you have a 4WD that you are invincible! Even the most experienced drivers can get stuck and most often in very remote areas where there might not be a passing car for days !!! You will need to be equipped with either a U.H.F. or C.B. Radio or at least a mobile phone to call for help along with this you need "recovery gear" such as shovels, rope, winches and a hi-lift jack.

Properly equipped and with a little knowledge of off-road driving and this can make for the ultimate Oz experience !! Four wheel drives are a much more complex piece of machinery and therefore considerably dearer to repair than a conventional 2WD vehicle, cheap 4WD's should be avoided, as repairs could easily double the purchase price of a "cheapie". We have compiled a list of the four wheel drives, we feel are most suitable and affordable to the average budget traveller (backpacker) and these are as follows :

Holden Jackaroo

Built by General Motors, Holden these vehicles are a great budget 4 "wheeler" and will take you just about anywere you choose to go comfortably and reliably. They are powered by a 4 cylinder engine (Isuzu) and have quite a lot of power for the highway as well as "off-road" they are quite spacious and can seat up to 5 people, but its possible to build a raised bed in the rear to sleep 2 and still retain the seating for up to 5 persons. There is ample room for luggage behind the back seat and good ground - clearance making this a good all-round choice as well as being well priced at around $5,000 -$8,000 for a early to late 80's version (they were produced from around 1982 and are still being built today).

Mitsubishi l-300 Express 4WD van

Another great budget 4 "wheeler" these will take you a lot further of the beaten track than a conventional 2WD but are not considered a "full-on" four wheel drive as in standard form they lack adequate ground clearance and power. A lot of these have had "lift-kits" fitted to help with bottoming out on rocks etc, which can cause serious damage to suspension or engine sump.

Still a very comfortable vehicle to travel in they came fitted with a variety of engine sizes being : 1.8 litre, 2.0 litre and the big gun a 2.6 litre with this being by far the best engine size. They seat up to 8 people with the seats folding flat to make a bed in rear. They can even be found as pop-top campervans although these are rare. A great choice if your not in a hurry and dont expect to do any "full-on" four wheel driving and can be picked up for as little as $4,500 - $10,000 for a early to late 80's version (they were produced from around 1981 and are still in production)

Toyota Landcruiser

These are the "Rolls Royce" of four wheel drives and by far the best available both for their reliability and power to take on the impossible and beat it !! They come in either a short wheelbase (swb) or long wheelbase (lwb) and troop carrier (seats 11 "troops") petrol or diesel engined and are more like a small truck to drive, and the 1st choice by most "bushies" for the family bus / work hack. I guarantee you could sit in any country pub and hear a story about a "cruiser" and its legendary reliability (their engines last over 500.000 km's without a rebuild) and how its never let them down against all odds!

They are powered by huge engines either a 4.2 litre or 4.5 litre and will easily cruise at 110 km/h with more to go but offcourse they are thirsty little buggers!! If you intend on doing "full-on" four wheel driving, this i feel is your best choice. However, expect to pay consiserably more for a good example of one of these $6,000 - $12,000 (early to mid 80's ) as they hold their value very well (in production from early 60's and still going strong).