USED Daewoo Musso 4x4 (99 - 03)

If you think you’ve seen something very like the Daewoo Musso before, you probably have - the Musso started life as a Ssangyong.

The Musso remains a large 4x4 (only a few centimetres shorter than a Land Rover Discovery) at small 4x4 prices. Its real attraction is the huge cabin, which has enough space for five adults and their luggage.

Mind you, there are some obvious reasons why the Musso is much cheaper than similarly sized 4x4s. The cabin trim is very tacky, and the drive a long way behind rivals such as the Discovery or Mitsubishi Shogun.

The ride quality is jittery at low speeds, the performance pedestrian, refinement poor and, if you take corners too fast, the body leans alarmingly. At least the ride is smoother at motorway speeds and the Musso has some modest ability off-road.

There were never more than two models to choose from in the Musso range: a 2.3-litre petrol model and a 2.9-litre turbodiesel, both engines built under licence from Mercedes.

The fact that the petrol engine was dropped towards the end of the Musso’s life tells you all need to know: the diesel is by far the better option, even though it’s a few hundred pounds more expensive on the used market. Not only does it return much better fuel economy – 30.7mpg as opposed to the petrol’s 23.3 – its stronger low-down pull makes it much easier to drive in everyday traffic.

Both engines came with just one trim level, but it was well equipped, with air-con, alloy wheels, anti-lock brakes and all-round electric windows. However, it’s worth looking out for cars with the optional automatic gearbox as it works well with both engines.

The Musso is an absolute bargain. It’s much the same size as a Land Rover Discovery, but it’s several thousand pounds cheaper on the used market. In fact, prices are much closer to those for smaller cars, such as the Toyota RAV4.

Fuel economy on diesel models is almost identical to a Land Rover Discovery’s, and the petrol’s 23.3mpg is much better than equivalent Disco, which has a V8 engine. In both cases, the Musso is also slightly better than a Mitsubishi Shogun.

With all Mussos in group 14, insurance costs are very much par for the course for a big 4x4, but it’s worth bearing in mind that all Mussos are now too old to qualify for one of the Musso’s biggest attractions as a new car – free servicing for three years.

Warranty Direct doesn’t have any figures relating specifically to the Musso, but the company’s claims department tells us that the coolant, electrics and transmission can cause problems. To make matters worse, tracking down spares can be tricky.

Only one recall – in 2001 – has ever affected the Musso. On models fitted with the optional automatic gearbox and built in 1999 or 2000, there was a chance that the Park facility might not engage properly.

Apart from a couple of isolated reports of gearbox problems, no whatcar.com readers report problems mechanical reliability, although that’s perhaps no more than you’d expect with a couple of Mercedes engines under the bonnet.