I hope you can help. I know this is a bit off your usual track. We are currently looking for a proper 4x4 to drive here in Oman. I am not planning to cross Africa in it but it needs to be a real 4x4 capable of driving in deep sand etc. The trouble is that the market here is dominated by huge cars with very limited off-road capability but lots of toys, and every time I test one I think "this is nice" but find that it hasn't got long travel suspension or diff locks or any of the clever electronics that can replace them.

It needs to be reasonably cost effective - so no Porsche Cayenne - and probably Japanese or Korean because that is what sells here and consequently has the dealer network, but beyond that I don't have any prejudices; ideally we would like seats for seven but this is not high on the list and fuel consumption is not an issue either, as the last time I filled up it cost me less than a tenner.

Am I looking in the wrong place and I need to look to buy a cruder, truck-based model, perhaps something like the Toyota Fortuner to get the off-road ability if I don't have Range Rover money? Another competent off-roader seems to be the Toyota FJ but I am not sure I can live with the gloomy cabin and the weird styling.