[thompson_2986]

Hi guys

Hopefully I can get some help in regards the potential purchase.

Both cars are under 10k and similar price with the XL7 having 50,000 more kms on the clock at 170,000.

Car will be daily driver (travel about 30,000 km pa) but need to be capable of weekend bush trips, nothing extreme though. Will be towing a 3.7 meter tinny for a couple of hours when summer hits.

The GV 2.5lt looks to be more fuel efficient but one less gear in the auto. From talks within the forum is more capable off-road than the XL7 2.7lt.

XL7 comes with more safety features like ABS. Lower gearing to help with the added weight and does have more room (extra room not needed)

Both cars do not have tow bars so this must addition plus a good set of tires. Lift would be nice but not looking at doing anytime soon.

What are the auto's like ?

What engine life should i hopefully expect?

Is there anything I should be looking at when test driving?

Currently I'm leaning towards the GV due to the lower kms on the clock but unsure of the 4 speed auto.

Any input is greatly appreciated or directions to areas if this has been already discussed.


Cheers Tom

[fordem]

First - there's no way any one here can predict engine life, that is going to depend on how the particular engine was maintained, they are essentially the same engine, with minor differences, and both are known to be reliable, if properly maintained.

I don't know what transmission the XL-7 has, but the GV is an AisinWarner 03-72LE, essentially the same as the AW4 used by Jeep, Mitsubishi & Toyota, pretty much bulletproof, and can take much more punishment than the GV's 2.5 litre engine can dish out, again, with proper maintenance, it should not be a problem - if you're going to be towing, consider adding a cooler and a temperature gauge.

The XL-7 is essentially a "stretched" GV, the only disadvantage it has off road is the additional length and it's impact on breakover angle, you may think right now that extra room is not required, I though so once, but I'll tell you, luggage space in a GV is VERY limited, so think again about that extra room, if there are going to be more than two people in the car, it might come in handy.

Test drive - try to hear the engine start from cold - is there any rattle? how long does it last? The engines, both of them, use timing chains with hydraulic tensioners, and if oil changes have not been regular, the tensioner system can clog, causing the chains to run loose and rattle, a very brief (and I do mean very - less than 1~2 seconds) is acceptable, anything longer than say 3~4 is not good, and if it's longer than that, walk away - the wrong grade of oil, or the wrong oil filter can also contribute to the chain rattle at start up.

[murcod]

The five speed in the 2004+ XL-7 is supposed to be "Lexus derived". It's one of the best auto trans I've owned. They respond well to accelerator input and will even change down a gear automatically if you're coasting down a hill and touch the brakes.

PS: I think it's an A750-E? There's a bit more here http://www.suzuki-forums.com/1g-2001-20 ... arbox.html

[thompson_2986]

Thanks for the information guys.

Murcod, I have found it hard to find clear indication that the auto trans is the A750-E. Google searches have not help find the answer.

[jdk81]

Have you tried searching for a rebuild kit or service items on the auto, then cross referencing to see what other autos it fits?

[murcod]

thompson_2986 wrote:

Thanks for the information guys.

Murcod, I have found it hard to find clear indication that the auto trans is the A750-E. Google searches have not help find the answer.

I did a lot of searching and that was what I found. Info is hard to find on it.

This is the filter kit for it https://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-TF282-Pr ... roduct_top I've got one sitting in my spares cupboard. I never got around to changing it before selling the XL-7.

[thompson_2986]

Why did you sell the XL 7?

[murcod]

It was a forced decision- I actually had plans to keep it longer (and we owned it for 8 years.)

Ours was the Limited with sunroof and (mostly fake) leather. It was just so practical and had a huge cargo area with the rear row seats gutted out. Aircon to all three rows is nice too, not many 7 seaters feature that today!

They've got quite decent performance with the 2.7l and 5 speed auto. Fuel economy sucked thought at around 14l/100km in the suburbs.

Finding the right parts for the update model can be hard. A lot of parts are different to the earlier model but a lot of catalogues list the same bits for both. The cooling system is different- so the radiator, radiator cap etc aren't the same. The 5 speed auto also has an extra cooler mounted in front of the radiator (the four speeds don't). The climate control system is prone to giving fault codes, but we just treated it like the old fashioned cold to hot adjustment (ignoring the supposed set temperature) and got hot or cold air as desired.

The only faults we had: dead battery, central locking lock/ unlock button on driver's door failed (modified/ repaired cheaply), a central locking solenoid failed (rebuilt/ cleaned with no new parts required), fuel cap seal leaking (new cap), radiator cap seal cracked (new caps x3), A/C not cooling (replaced aircon compressor relay) and the nail in the coffin was the thermostat stuck shut when my wife was driving (and she kept driving..... )

I'm not sure what happened to it. It was running fine (after some repairs) and I traded here in SA back in April. I haven't seen it appear on Carsales or the like.

[fordem]

murcod wrote:

thompson_2986 wrote:

Thanks for the information guys.

Murcod, I have found it hard to find clear indication that the auto trans is the A750-E. Google searches have not help find the answer.

I did a lot of searching and that was what I found. Info is hard to find on it.

This is the filter kit for it https://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-TF282-Pr ... roduct_top I've got one sitting in my spares cupboard. I never got around to changing it before selling the XL-7.

Interesting - I recognize that filter - it fits the 03-72LE/AW4 - which is the older four speed used on the Vit, Grand Vit and I believe, early XL-7 - I can't help but wonder if it's another case of an incorrect listing - and just by coincidence, I also have one on my spares shelf - for my Pajero.

[murcod]

Yes, I noticed it was listed for a four speed Vitara/ Tracker and thought it strange.

Rockauto are usually fairly reliable for listing the correct parts and they seem to have some that are the same part number and others that don't match (going by the pictures) between the two models.

[xl76]

Stick with a 04 XL7
Web have a 2.7 auto like Murcod .still going strong at 256000 kl and have only required the normal servicing '
I have only had a couple of issues
6 mm coolant tubes on the top of the heads
Front wheel bearings last year

[murcod]

I'd recommend changing the thermostat in any of them at the 10 year mark (and stick with the OEM thermostat - it's around $56.)

[thompson_2986]

The 03 GV is off the list as I checked it out today. Missed services between 52000km and 118000km , also had a rattle around 3 seconds on the start so decided it wasn't worth the hassle.

Yet to look at the 04 xl7.

Thanks for the help.

[henno]

What sort of rattle? 'Some' brief rattle from the chain is considered normal at startup. 60k without a service is horrible though. I started to twitch last week because I let my normally-clockwork-like 5000km service stretch to 5700km haha