I bought the car with just over 111,000 miles on it. It's at about 129,000 right now. Still gives off a puff of the black stuff when I floor it, but I've started using it as a punishment for tailgaters.

Thanks for the kudos on the blog! It's fun to write it. I just made a video today of my travels through Iran, if you care to watch that, too: Overland To Australia (Iran) - YouTube

Cheers for that Adam.
As ever, more information just leads to more thoughts, and questions.
Are you carrying more than one spare wheel? I am assuming that you have one in the usual storage place + a jack.

Are you handy with the spanners on the road? I know you haven't had any issues -and I certainly don't want to jinx your trip - I was just wondering if you are carrying any particular tools beyond the usual kit that comes with vehicles.

Anyway, that's probably enough about your car!!
OK, I've looked at a few of your vids and I have to say you should stick to writing
Sorry, just letting you know that they are a bit repetitive with that view out of the windscreen, and tarmac looks much the same the world over.
You could even make the movie out of a side window for a change to see some landscape other than the road, or make more vids of places you are in, again rather than the road ahead.
--- just a thought that can be ignored if it doesn't suit, and I offer it up because you have helped me with my X trail questions.

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Dave

Just one spare wheel in the floor. Blew out a tire in west Pakistan, so I had to get that replaced, but it was no problem really.

And despite my engineering training, I have no ability fixing a car, except for the most minor of problems. I didn't bring any special tools with me.

The videos are really just so my family and friends can see the kind of roads I'm driving on and the scenery I'm driving through. They're not meant to be feature films or anything more than a supplement to my writing. Appreciate your opinion, though.

Thanks again for the information; it's an impressive performance so far -- the car I mean.
I will be interested to see how you get on later driving in Asia, and with the shipping aspect, and the "what now", when you get to Melbourne.

Even your close relatives/friends might like to see a few vids away from the X trail windscreen??
One other thing struck me - your picture section of your blog runs out in France. How about putting some more pics in there (of those Iranian young ladies for instance??) + links to your youtube products?

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Dave

Yeah - it's a mounting problem really. I lost one of the joints for my camera mount, so getting varied and decent views is a pain. As far as pics go, I've been meaning to do that... time and procrastination and whatnot. I actually have pictures up until Turkey on my Flickr account, which is linked in the header of the website. I got sick of their interface and have been meaning to migrate all the photos to the website - but I only got up to France.

But hey, I think you've inspired me. I'll get some recent photos up in the coming days.

Dave

it all comes down to what you want to do with the vehicle, where you want to go etc.

As said the X-trail is more of a life style, but others have been all over in what are meant to be much less capable cars/trucks/4x4/bikes/scooters etc, etc

Just comes down to whether this matches the trip you want to do - peace of mind matters alot, imo.

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ChrisC

You're flickr links work OK for me Adam; it was just that the photo section is pretty bare, but I finally figured to find the photo links in your running blog - which is your home page of course.
If you want one more thought:
I suggest you make a few comments about where you stay and how you find accommodations etc along the way - that type of thing alongside the travelogue of "sites to see". Maybe not as a routine but just when you find something really good/interesting?

Best, and safe driving.

Got it Chris!
That I am not sure about right now - it's the 64K $ question.
Over on my thread to discuss the Freelander, I have come out with such a potential list, but it is not exclusive, perhaps more ideas for trial runs?
1. Morocco.
2. Turkey - as far East as possible without the bother of a visa. - that sounds wrong; I mean without prebooking a visa, such as for entering Iran further east.
3. Scandanavia.

Can an X trail do all 3? I think so.

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Dave

"Got it Chris!
That I am not sure about right now - it's the 64K $ question.
Over on my thread to discuss the Freelander, I have come out with such a potential list, but it is not exclusive, perhaps more ideas for trial runs?
1. Morocco.
2. Turkey - as far East as possible without the bother of a visa.
3. Scandanavia.

Can an X trail do all 3? I think so."

That list is prettywell the type of thing a lifestyle SUV should excell at ,as its mostly bitumen, with availability of some slightly challenging terrain or conditions depending on time of year , to spice things up if so desired . JMHO

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Current : 2007 Mowag Bucher Duro 6x6 Motorhome , 2006 Sedici 4x4, 2007 Range Rover supercharged

Yes, which is pretty much where I got involved in this question - it was born out of an earlier thread on the lines of "tell me what I really need for 4x4 travel" (or some such similar title). For me, that thread didn't get down deep into the issues, so I raised the similar question but in relation to specific vehicles (this goes on in the HUBB far more for bikes than it does in here for 4x4 IMO)- the 2 specifics have been the X Trail and the Freelander, with the latter discussion diverting a little into the 200/300TDi LR engines and the Discovery, while the former relates also to the Nissan Terrano.

Anyone can go RTW more or less completely on hard surface nowadays - I think Adam Hodge is going to show this with his current trip in his X Trail. He has done a pretty good job to date of demonstrating the capability of his lifestyle SUV/RV.

At worst, for visiting my 3 named regions, would be encounters with gravel tracks, and some sandy conditions, with the possible exception of some parts of Maroc that could be a lot more knarly and with the proviso of "not going looking for trouble".
So, in summary, my own personal question comes down to "what else would I set out to do with my vehicle of choice?". I am not looking for answers to that 64K $ one - rhetorical only here, which brings me full circle to a better understanding of what 4x4s can do.

Thanks for prompting me to think it through out loud, again.

ps and a related consideration is what can such vehicles do on their own - travelling solo without a bunch of other vehicles in convoy which between them will have a load of winches, tow ropes, moral support etc etc.

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Dave

Ah, at last a question I can answer from an Aussie perspective.

X-Trails are fine down here for sand, snow and rough dirt roads. But as already stated, if you want to go rock-hopping or mud-bashing, look at something a little more heav duty.

The Terrano 2.7 TDi is very popular down here as a tow and medium-duty off-road vehicle. That engine is considered just about unkillable. I understand it was used in non-Turbo form in London FX4 cabs for a time as well. The cabbies who have owned one go all misty-eyed about them and claim 500,000 miles.

If I had the choice of the two I'd buy the older Terrano.

I currently have an 2009 R51 Pathfinder which may be badged as a Terrano overseas? This model has been available since 05 pretty much unchanged and has 2WD, Auto, 4wd High and 4wd Low options. (The Auto mode is useless, it will only switch into 4wd when you are bellied down!!) Mine is a 2.5 TDi Auto has just clocked over 60,000km in three years, some of it off-road. It has been completely trouble free in that time and the only warranty claim I have had was a noisy air con fan. I've just returned from a 5000km trip towing a 19 foot Caravan with the thing and it handled it without a problem. My only complaint is it could do with a lreger fuel tank or dual tanks as found in the LC and Prado to increase the range. So if your budget stretches to one of those and you'd consider something a bit bigger, I'd certainly recommend one.

I'd never recommend a Jackaroo/Trooper Diesel. I've had two of those and they were both disasters.

Cheers,

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May 2015 - Canberra to Townsville via the Birdsville Track in a 1969 Mini Van.
http://www.facebook.com/TeamBMCAdventures

Another reply from an aussie perspective (although living back in UK now )
Just as bnicho says above, very happy with his nissan , and had bad experience with jackaroo/trooper , I can think of many people who were very happy with the jackaroo/trooper . I owned a garage for 11yrs in Oz and operated a recovery business going into the bush most of the time (longest recovery 2500km round trip! ) .
I came to the conclusion that problems with vehicles are mostly caused by owner/operator .
They take the vehicle too close or beyond what is its designed operational envelope , by loading ,or the next is speed
Then either they dont maintain it to manufacturers specs (or their garage doesnt) or modify it .
Most manufacturers unfortunately dont specify on and offroad loads (unlike mil vehicles) as there can be a considerable difference.
This is where a lot of the "lifestyle" vehicles get into trouble as offroad
(bush roads inc) they would have a very low payload . The heavier vehicles usually by design have a bigger safety margin built in .
People as well have got used to a faster life , not least when driving
and suspension tech has enabled quicker travel off road .
The preprod Range rover , had to have considerable strengthening of the suspension during development as they trialled with a couple of farmers who broke them , as they did not realise what their speed was doing having been used to leaf sprung landies that "broke them before the vehicle" .
I have read quite a few really entertaining trip reports , but shake my head in disbelief when they are surprised by their breakdowns etc when you can see what is coming .
Getting to know your vehicle long before you take it RTW is a really good idea , it allows you to learn its capabilities , also to rectify what previous owners may have done to it . It also gives you time to learn the basics of how to maintain it , as quite a few problems are caused by mechs who are not used to working on that type/make of vehicle, not only in third world situations . Hope the above diatribe is of use to some who may read it and take onboard .

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Current : 2007 Mowag Bucher Duro 6x6 Motorhome , 2006 Sedici 4x4, 2007 Range Rover supercharged

Well, I was never really interested in that aspect, I realised.

I ended up owning a 2003 X trail for a while - about 2 years from memory - and it was pretty good for fuel, returning around 42 MPG (UK gallons).
As per other threads in here, I also owned a Prado 95 before the X Trail and that returned about 26 MPG. In both cases, driven on asphalt only.

I've just looked at old paper-based records I still have, and the X trail had about 60K - 70K+ miles on the odometer while the Prado was just over 100K, (converted to miles).

Nowadays, I drive a van with a motorbike carried in the back.

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Dave

I see dead thread???

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May 2015 - Canberra to Townsville via the Birdsville Track in a 1969 Mini Van.
http://www.facebook.com/TeamBMCAdventures

I don't know what happened with my last post. Only the first line showed up.

I'm glad yo hear you had a good run with your X-Trail.

We still have the R51 Pathfinder. It's now topped 205,000km and is still trouble free. I recently had the timing chain and sprockets replaced as they were starting to get noisy. Other than that it's only had the usual servicing and consumables.

However, the R51 is now relegated to second car duties. My daily is an ex-UK import 2007 Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4 manual. I nevet saw myself buying one of those!! However, I love it. It will go 95% of the places the Pathfinder will, but uses a lot less fuel and is infinitely more comfortable. I've only had it two years but there has been no issues. The FL2 has 133,000 miles on it and I add another 300 miles plus to that every week.

Cheers,
Bnicho.

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May 2015 - Canberra to Townsville via the Birdsville Track in a 1969 Mini Van.
http://www.facebook.com/TeamBMCAdventures