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Me and SO's first visit to KNP was with a Toyota Corrola 1600. Due to the dirt roads and low viewing I replaced my Sentra with a 2.7 Lt Toyota Hilux Raider Single cab. Although a huge pleasure to use in KNP, it was a little bit thirsty. Replaced it with a 3 Liter D4D Toyota Hilux Raider Single Cab 2x4 because it is only the two of us. What a pleasure to drive and diesel usage of up to 17Km per Liter in KNP. Due to the fact that we have to leave KNP each time at 06:00 on the last day to be in time to pick up the 4 X four legged children and the fact that there are only 24 months left before going on pension, we decided to invest in a 3 Liter D4D Toyota Hilux Raider DC 4x4 automatic. Went to KNP during Sept 2010 with it for the first time and what a pleasure to drive. Could also stay until 12:00 (extra 6 hours in "paradise") before we had to leave to pick up the "kids".

I just have to use what is in the garage.

At this moment a Isuzu double cab.

My 1st solo trip to the kruger (no parents ) was in 1988 and it was in a 1974 mini (white with black racing stipes ) , must admit was quite interesting looking up at basically everything ,since then have been to the park in a number of vehicles , a toyota corolla sprinter 1.6 , then borrowed my folks microbus (best vehicle for kruger ever ) , then ford courier single cab bakkie , even did a few trips in a ford ka (kinda reminded me of the trip in my mini ) and currently using a double cab bakkie

I agree on your statement about the minibus richman.

In the last 3 months we've been going to Kruger in different cars, due to Scipio's business. VW Golf (we had the most amazing and unexpected sightings in it), Hunday I20, VW Polo, Dodge Calibre (I want one of those now) and then off course the Jeep. All had its merits, with different sightings each time. My favourite is the Jeep Grand Cherokee because of all the Low Maintenance roads, luxury, and a bit of sentimental value as well.

Started visiting Kruger in a Golf2, then various Jetta2's and 3's until I "invested" in a new VW Caravelle, the best move ever for Kruger. Swopped it in 2009 with 280 000km under the tyres for a later VW Microbus with only 60 000km under those tyres. While the wife wants to get a smaller (read lighter on fuel) vehicle for everyday use, (she has the benefit of the mocrobus during the week), the subject of offloading the VW is squashed before it even gets off the ground.

More than 100 trips , mostly in Hondas - the last 5 years at least 20 trips in various CRV's - the last time this one :

My first trip to the KNP in my own (student) car was in a "rammelkas" of a Volkswagen Fox. It did the job, but it was not comfortable...o no, not at all comfortable....and we couldn't see over the tall grass... (I got rid of the unreliable and uncomfortable Fox as soon as I started earning money...)

Then a few trips in a Daihatsu Sirion - much more comfortable but still too low... (and the ellies don't take one seriously in a lavender-coloured mini car)...

So I got myself a Daihatsu Terios with automatic transmission (the perfect birding vehicle! - you can drive with a pair of bins in one hand ), and have never looked back... High enough to see over the tall grass (only had problems in KTP north of Nossob, where the sand gets a bit too high next to the road in places), fair off-road capability (perfect for the KNP's eco 4x4 trails), light on petrol (in a 'test' against my friend's Volkswagen Polo 1.6L hatchback, it got just about the same mileage (about 14km per liter although the 1.5L automatic Terios is advertised as getting 12km to the liter), and because it is a light SUV with permanent four-wheel drive, it is kind to the environment (in terms of causing less damage to the 'veld' than either bigger and heavier 4x4s and non-4x4 vehicles)! What more could one want in a Kruger vehicle? (okay .... maybe a bigger engine so that one can pull a decent-sized caravan if you're one of the camping fans, but then the fuel economy goes out the window.... choices....).

And it's fun to drive

Only problem I have is with the central locking opening and closing the locks of all five doors every time you switch it on and off... (pain in the you-no-what at skittish animal sightings...)

Our vehicles:

1967 & 1968 - Vauxhall Cresta (Dear old dad's).
1969 - Holden sedan also Dear old dad's.
1970 - Honeymoon - Holden (borrowed from dear old dad).
1970 - 1973 - Toyota Corona 1500 (own).
1973 - 1994 - 2.4 LWB Landrover station wagon.
1994 - 2004 - Ford Telstar.
2004 - 2006 - Jeep Grand Cherokee and Isuzu 3000 DC.
The above vehicles were used on 133 visits to National Parks.

Now we mostly use the ISUZU it has enough space, enough power, enough height, enough speed, enough comfort and excellent fuel economy.

Believe me when I say any car is best for KNP - the sense of place makes it acceptable.

We have also been to KNP in all sorts of vehicles.

The best was the one we used in Dec 11 - Jan 12.

A Nissan X-Trail 2011 Diesel

We are 2 Adults and 2 kids with all the luggage, no trailer needed.

A 500km drive to the park - ave fuel 16km/l
A 2000km drive in the park - ave fuel 23.6km/l peaking at 32km/l at one stage

Very comfy, ride height acceptable, loads and loads of space.

A 60l tank and at one stage after doing just over 1200km on the tank we decided to fill up, not because we had to, but it felt wrong not filling the tank for so long.

In my view the best vehicle currently available.

for the last few trips we've been going in a toyota hilux and u cant forget the caravaan behind it:P

At the monent it is my 2.5 TD Ford Ranger 4x4 dbl cab. But will go wit my SO's hyundai atos aswell later this month as we are 6 people going.

The next one on the list is the Hyundai H-1 minibus.

Still driving our trusty (but very small) Hyundai Atos.

Touareg just had a new cylinder head gasket fitted (255000kms about 100000kms of those done on offroad conditions) for our trip in October.

A Very old Landy, and my best ever,