frontera any good ? help please

[lee_5091314]

hi all,

I have a compass 510 vantage 1993, 1200kg i think. now because we also have a small boat we have decided to get a 4x4, I was pulling my nuts off getting our boat up the beach last week after a small fishing trip, when a 4x4 owner litrally drove down to the waters edge, hitched up and drove off up the beach, giving me a chuckle as he passed. I am not as young as i use to be so have decided to go the 4x4 route. but budget is tight. my local garage said don't get a frontera they are rubish, but as they fetch only 1200 / 1500 for M / N reg long base 2.3TD thats not bad for the cash.

so my question is.

have you got one ?, are they any good ?, how reliable are they ?.

or are they as bad as people are making out.

thanks for reading

Lee

 

[354]

Been driving Fronteras since not long after they came out, started with a 2.3 diesel and have progressed to a 2.2 DTI. The 2.3 is slow of the mark and rather basic inside compared with modern 4x4's but I found it a good tow vehicle and it did everything we asked it to do, it is deseptive , whilst slow of the mark 0 - 60 19 seconds it towed our 1300kg van with little problem. Sometimes on steep hills I was down to 2nd gear (Sourton on the A30 is a clasic example) but she always managed it. Early gear changes are adviseable for hills but all in all she was a very good car. Did try the 2.2 petrol for a short time but found it to thirsty and hard work. Now have a 2.2 DTI sport which is the finest tow car we have had, plenty of torque and reasonable fuel consumption. Dont know what your budget is but the early Frontera (b) S reg onwards have come down in price recently and you may be able to pick up 2.2 diesel. As an example we were offered

 

[sparkes]

They are good cars but have a fault that may be a problem to you

They have not got sealed bearings on the back and are known to fail if submerged in water too often

 

[Pelyma1]

I had a 2.5td for 6 years, it was a good reliable car, though body work was a bit suspect. It towed our Abbey Expression 500L well enough, but you had to reverse onto it at an angle because of the spare wheel. As a cheap steady tow car it would take some beating. Ours was never very economical though.

 

[lyn_5041588]

Hi Lee I have a frontera 2.2 petrol and it tows my elddis 505 mtplm 1450 with ease and not bad on fuel for a petrol.

 

[TripHazard]

I had two frontera's (B's) one after the other both from new. They were good tow cars and towing my Spectrum 419 was easy for them. I found you didnt have to dance up and down the gear box too much unless the incline was very steep. I liked them and could never understand why they got such a bad motoring press. vauhall dont make them any more so I've got a Kia Sorrento now. (Im one of these lucky people who change before the warrenty runs out). Both mine were the B or the second shape which were reputed to be better than the old a shape both 2.2 turbo deisels and both limited editions. I enjoyed mine and the only thing that went wrong was one of the rear electric windows failed on holiday in spain, took it to the local opel dealer who fixed it within three hours hows that for service.

 

[Jo-AnneFairway5402010]

my bro in law was a vauxhall mechanic and he hated them.he wouldnt recommend anybody buying one.we have got a vauxhall monterey its the same as a trooper but has the vauxhall badges on it.it would pull the side of a house.

i would have a frontera.