General 4x4 MJ experience

Currently reading:
General 4x4 MJ experience

babbo_umbro

Established member
Joined
Oct 17, 2007
Messages
2,146
Points
467
Location
Devon and Umbria
When I part with the 100HP I'm probably going to look at 4x4s - I suspect a non-Cross with LHD as it will do most of its miles (kilometers I suppose) crossing Europe and in Italy. So, what are people's experiences with MJ 4x4s, please? Is the performance really tiresome? Will it cruise all day at 80-85 mph? I assume that would increase consumption noticeably as diesels are less more economical (if that makes sense) when bing pushed. What is a genuine average mpg over mixed driving conditions? Diesel is cheaper than petrol almost everywhere apart from Switzerland and UK so mpg is not quite as important as it might be. The 100HP averages 40-41 in the warmer climate in Italy.
 
Wouldn't want to cruise all day at 85mph in my Cross. Noisy and a bit too bouncy for a start. You would have no speed in reserve and would slow down considerably on those steep hills you get on European motorways.
Motorway cruising at 70-75mph gives 45mpg so consumption at higher speeds would considerably worse.
When I drove down to Northern Spain I deliberately avoided motorways, knowing they would be tiresome in the Cross. However the journey, although fun was slow using mainly single carriageway routes.
As I've said on another post, the tiny fuel tank is a pain as well when making long journeys.
 
You might not get a good response from UK owners of diesel Climbing's as Fiat didn't sell them here, just the petrol Climbing and the Cross with the MJ engine.

I've driven a diesel Climbing in Italy for a few weeks while skiing and considered shipping one back to the UK for winter as I was impressed, it gripped like super glue, but I think your planned high speed cruising would become very tiring, an hour on the autostrada and I wished I caught the train!

As stated already, noise and bouncy ride, small tank range and driving position, though novel, will soon wear thin.

Like for like speeds, a diesel will run less revs than a petrol, but gearing and limited useable power band will require you to drive it hard for long periods, hit a hill and drop off boost and you'll be stirring that gearbox like you're whisking eggs, particularly if you're carrying a couple of passengers and some luggage.

I'm not saying don't, but perhaps change your plans, take it easy and enjoy the views!!
 
Wouldn't want to cruise all day at 85mph in my Cross. Noisy and a bit too bouncy for a start. You would have no speed in reserve and would slow down considerably on those steep hills you get on European motorways.
Motorway cruising at 70-75mph gives 45mpg so consumption at higher speeds would considerably worse.
When I drove down to Northern Spain I deliberately avoided motorways, knowing they would be tiresome in the Cross. However the journey, although fun was slow using mainly single carriageway routes.
As I've said on another post, the tiny fuel tank is a pain as well when making long journeys.

Thanks - very helpful and more or less what I expected. We brought a Mk 2 4x4 - ie old shape, FIRE engine - down here a couple of times when it was pretty new, with our (then) young son. It was OK, and great fun once here, especially with the twin sunroof option, but we were 20 years or more younger at the time. Is the tank smaller than the 100HP to make room for the rear transmission? Cruising at 90+mph in that means you stop every two and a half hours or maybe less (I imagine). A steady 75 might be bearable but slowing down for slopes sounds boring (the 100HP has sometimes been criticised for its lack of torque but over 85 it's on the peak of the curve and pulls like a train). Mrs b_u had a 2wd MJ and that needed to be rowed along with the gearlever in give and take driving but was pretty good on the autoroutes/autrostrade. I'll have a test drive in a Cross and probably wait till the new 4x4 appears. Chipping sounds useful but it's a route I'd take reluctantly.
 
You might not get a good response from UK owners of diesel Climbing's as Fiat didn't sell them here, just the petrol Climbing and the Cross with the MJ engine.

I've driven a diesel Climbing in Italy for a few weeks while skiing and considered shipping one back to the UK for winter as I was impressed, it gripped like super glue, but I think your planned high speed cruising would become very tiring, an hour on the autostrada and I wished I caught the train!

As stated already, noise and bouncy ride, small tank range and driving position, though novel, will soon wear thin.

Like for like speeds, a diesel will run less revs than a petrol, but gearing and limited useable power band will require you to drive it hard for long periods, hit a hill and drop off boost and you'll be stirring that gearbox like you're whisking eggs, particularly if you're carrying a couple of passengers and some luggage.

I'm not saying don't, but perhaps change your plans, take it easy and enjoy the views!!

Also very useful, thanks.

The hillier parts of Italy - of which Umbria is one - are full of non-Cross 4x4 diesels - all the utilities use an even more stripped down version, with steel wheels and none of the options. The 4x4-ness obviously carries a heavy performance penalty in weight and power absorption. There is always the option of leaving a diesel 4x4 here but that prevents transportation of significant quantities of wine and oil, and the 4x4 would also be useful in winter on the edge of Dartmoor, where Mrs b_u wrote off her much-loved 2wd MJ two winters ago.
 
I've seen a few of those basic models over there.
Not just 4x4's, but 2x4's as well, steel wheels with no trims, deck chairs, straw on the floor, etc, think they use them as small vans.

We in the uk think the Active model is the basic Panda, go to Italy and it's not far from the top of the range!!

Just remember the model name, the Panda Actual.
Cost options are aerial,
radio, (oh yes they are costed separately)
passenger airbag,
door locks (I think that means C/L, but you never know)
Spare wheel.
Pretty spartan eh?
Comfort Pack = Electric front windows and er, nothing else!
 
Last edited:
Back
Top