Thinking about a D5 Delica...

Hi guys,

we're in need of a second vehicle - our Focus ST is awesome - and whilst it has had a deer in the boot its not that easy to drive into a forest road.

4x4 Utes are really expensive, and so are the decent SUV's... this will be our secondary vehicle so would like to keep the expense down.

A D5 Delica has caught my interest as I could look to do a basic camper conversion in the back which would allow me to drive to the bush on Friday night after work, crawl in the back to sleep then into it Saturday morning.
they're 4wd (no high / low box though) but I don't imagine taking it serious off roading - just along some of the forest roads that can be pretty rutted, pot holes and metal / mud.

Has anyone had experience with them? good? bad? - around a 2007ish 2.4l petrol (based off of an outlander)

cheers

Why not the space gear? They are actually a good 4x4. Or even the hiace supercustom 4x4 listed on here?. Can't talk about the new ones except the outlander actually go more places than you think. But like most vehicles like this at eonly really 2 wheel drive one front one back. And like the rav 4s will eventually break something cause they're not designed for this.

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I have an 07. Front end is basically plastic.
4x4 with dif lock works fine so far (17 thousand km), but I havent really pushed it. Same power plant as Outlander I believe.
Heaps of space. Reasonably good on fuel. Comfy, and has "mood lighting" ;)

I was really keen on one for much the same reasons, they would be a good little camper. The only downside I could see was the cvt transmission which it sounds like are no good if you ever tow anything heavy. What really killed off the idea though was my wife refused to have a van!

We're are about to head to the big smoke to pick one up this weekend. Pretty good buying, 2008 with 120k on the clock for about $10k. Its replacing an Xtrail that some F****R smashed into the back of and wrote it off.

I would normally not touch a mitsi due to there dubious reliability. We had a delica space gear as a work vehicle for a while and it was great to work out of but it blew its head gasket 3 times in the two years that I was there. I opened the bonnet once and it looked like an old diesel tractor engine with burnt oil leaking everywhere and caked all over it.

Our mechanic says he services a fair few outlanders and said that they are well built and don't have many mechanical issues. He said the D5 Delicas do go through the odd engine mount and trailing arm bushes and have the same running gear as the outlander. It seems like the mitsi's might have turned a bit of a corner, the newer tritons seem to be pretty reliable and they were offering a 10 year warranty for a while.

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Originally Posted by Brakelie

I was really keen on one for much the same reasons, they would be a good little camper. The only downside I could see was the cvt transmission which it sounds like are no good if you ever tow anything heavy. What really killed off the idea though was my wife refused to have a van!

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haha yes my wife is saying the same - but looking at pricing for utes or SUV's that i'd actually be interested in shes perhaps considering it. Yeah the tow rating is only 1.6T but I don't really have a need for heavy towing.
Apparently the 4WD in the delica is a bit more refined than the outlander and with the longer wheelbase handles a bit better...

Just be aware of proposed law changes coming up.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/fr...K7LWMOHXQT26I/

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Originally Posted by Shadowsol

haha yes my wife is saying the same - but looking at pricing for utes or SUV's that i'd actually be interested in shes perhaps considering it. Yeah the tow rating is only 1.6T but I don't really have a need for heavy towing.
Apparently the 4WD in the delica is a bit more refined than the outlander and with the longer wheelbase handles a bit better...

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They have a dial - electronic engagement

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Just be aware of proposed law changes coming up.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/fr...K7LWMOHXQT26I/

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Thanks - don't think that would be a problem - parking in the bush to go hunting isnt likely to be an issue - maybe if we wanted to park up at a beach would be an issue though...

Mate of mine and our local doctors wife,both rolled their Delicas in the same week.Ok 4x4 for average track work and rock hopping.But they sit up high on their chassis with a narrow wheel bas and tip over easilly if you are not paying attention.A few pics here of how to nearlly right yr familly off.Delica rolled 7 times on straight piece of highway..Attachment 165642Attachment 165643Attachment 165644
Familly survived just ok.

Looks remarkably good for being rolled 7 times!!!!

How the hell do you do that on a straight road? Fell asleep?

Out skiing for the day up Hamner Springs.Two little boys in the back.Delica touched shingle verge at 100ks hr.Cost 2 West Pac choppers,ambos,fire fighters,months of rehab for wife.Wee boys just got a few scratchs.Wife sitting in the front passeger side, ohh.Thank god for seat belts.200k accident but the delica saved them just.So bloody lucky.

Thinking more the next model - slightly longer and wider wheelbase, better safety features - but yeah you are right that the center of gravity would be a bit high

https://www.topspeed.com/cars/mitsub...5-ar26404.html

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Originally Posted by Shadowsol

Thinking more the next model - slightly longer and wider wheelbase, better safety features - but yeah you are right that the center of gravity would be a bit high

https://www.topspeed.com/cars/mitsub...5-ar26404.html

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Thats looks a bit wider and lower.You might have a winner there.

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Originally Posted by berg243

just take it for a run at 100km/h and lightly wiggle 4wd lever to see if it will throw itself into 4wd . not nice if got auto hubs , good way of breaking a half shaft.

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No 4 wheel drive lever. Electronic push button. Bit hard to wiggle

Ive had a 2007 model and loved it, used it exactly the way you intend to. i had to sell it as the wife felt like a soccer mum driving it..

i Put a set of dobisions springs in mine and some semi decent all terrains and it was perfect, there are a heap of them showing up down here in Wanaka now as family transport ski wagons. I have 4 friends with them who use them to cart mountain bikes around and sleep in the back and they are ideal. You will be suprised how far you can 4x4 in them...

Can be a little thirsty at times when loaded

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Originally Posted by spnz

Ive had a 2007 model and loved it, used it exactly the way you intend to. i had to sell it as the wife felt like a soccer mum driving it..

i Put a set of dobisions springs in mine and some semi decent all terrains and it was perfect, there are a heap of them showing up down here in Wanaka now as family transport ski wagons. I have 4 friends with them who use them to cart mountain bikes around and sleep in the back and they are ideal. You will be suprised how far you can 4x4 in them...

Can be a little thirsty at times when loaded

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Hey was that the dobinsons spring set from trundles?

https://trundlesautomotive.co.nz/pro...ca-d-5-2007-on

Did you have to do anything else or was it just a straight swap for the oem springs?

Be cautious about buying an older cvt. My sister's one just refused to go into reverse one day. Six grand later...

Yup just the straight springs from dobi.. didnt too anything else. Just had a wheel aliment after..

Did you change the shocks and springs? Thinking of one of these myself. Thanks

I just changed the springs to dobi ones.. My shocks were sweet at the time. I did it more to stiffen up the ride and stop it rolling around corners and feeling like a golf cart, also would put a big bike rack on the back and carry 6 mountain bike so the springs helped with the extra weight.