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If you've not already spotted this story, James May's favourite Romanian car manufacturer, Dacia, has released a very inexpensive SUV (that's modernspeak for four-wheel-drive) called the Duster.
Trouble is, while the price is a very pleasing £8,995, the there is a slightly unthrilling air of AUSTERITY. So we've spent the afternoon wisely, trawling the classifieds to find some more luxurious off-roaders for the same sort of cash.
Yes, they'll probably break regularly and expensively. And yes, they'll be rubbish on fuel. And yes, they're all a bit horrid. But they're a lot of car for the money...Advertisement - Page continues belowThis is a colossal amount of car for the money. Or a colossal money pit, depending which side your bread's buttered on. It's the proper V8 petrol version, too, with a reasonable 78,000 miles on the clock and a full service history.
The spec's not half bad, either. There's, breathe in, ABS, adjustable seats, adjustable steering column/wheel, air conditioning, anti theft system, CD multichanger, cruise control, electric mirrors, electric windows, electric sunroof, electrically adjustable seats, headlight washers, folding rear seats, front fog lights, heated leather seats, lumbar support, immobiliser, metallic paintwork, navigation system, park distance control, tinted glass and wood effect trim.A Porsche! For under £9000! OK, so it's a first-gen Cayenne with all the grim styling that implies, but the clock's showing a respectable 60,300 miles, it's riddled with equipment and actually has speakers (unlike the Duster).
Those wheels have got to go, though. Unless you enjoy rap music or deal in arms.
Click here for the advertAdvertisement - Page continues belowIf you like your Benzes to look a bit like Ssangyongs (and who, quite frankly, wouldn't), step right up and into this one-owner 69,000-mile ML.
There's full leather, air conditioning, alloys, a 2.7-litre diesel engine and that all-important MASSIVE GREAT BIG THREE-POINTED STAR.
Click here to see the adThis rather lovely behemoth comes with all the spec you'd expect from the ultimate luxo-SUV. Screens in the back, DVD player, sat-nav. And, completely free of charge, is the sense of adventure every journey brings. Will it get home? Will it catch on fire? Will I need to remortgage my house to pay for repairs?
And yes, this one's the slightly drinky 4.4-litre petrol V8. So you'll have to get a second mortgage to drive it anywhere.
Click here to see the adDarling of the United Arab Emirates' ruling class, the Landcruiser offers a reassuring mix of off-road ability, terrifyingly poor fuel consumption and lots of peeled cow. This is a 100-series, too, which means it's on a super-wide chassis, there's independent front suspension, and it's the first ‘Cruiser to get a V8.
This 4.7-litre petrol's covered 80,998 miles and has had the full compliment of equipment tipped into it. There's also a full Toyota service history, for what it's worth.And here's the other darling of the UAE's ruling class - the Nissan Patrol. It's big. It drinks from the black pump. And it's rammed with luxo stuff. That said, it's not quite as luxo as the others, but what it lacks in spec it makes up for in off-road ability.
The fifth-gen Patrol is still in production alongside the new sixth generation model, which makes this the only currently built car on sale in our lineup. That's not to say there's no chance this'll self-destruct at any given moment.
Click here to see the adAdvertisement - Page continues belowIn scrap value terms at least, this is the most car you can get for £8,995 on our list. But you will have to put up with this import's US-market idiosyncracies. Like left-hand drive. And appalling build quality. And dreadful fuel economy.
It's only got 23,000 miles on the clock, mind. And it'll carry eight American-sized humans, which is roughly equivalent to ten Europeans.
A propos of nothing, Biggie Smalls was shot in one.
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