What 4x4?

[4eyes2wheels 0]

Toying with the idea of getting a used 4x4, sub £4k for general load lugging, but more importantly for winter driving when the roads are nasty. The wife is deputy head at a school that is up some narrow country lanes and then up a long private uphill drive.

 

Her 3 series struggled in the snow and is generally too nice to use in the bad weather. In fact she was using my VR6 in the worst weather this winter but now I have tidied it up, given it some love and new wheels I don't want her doing that again. :nono:

 

So, looking for a 4x4 that can actually cope with a little bit of ice and snow (not the Top Gear Arctic trip) so not anything too poncy :camp: but not a rattly old Defender either.

 

Was think Jeep Grand Cherokee, Land Rover Freelander? Any recommendations or thoughts please?

[Craig 0]

Freelanders are ok but for 4k you may get an older o e and I know they are notorious for head gasket failure! My mum had hers go, sorry not great help

[carpoid 0]

Toyota Land Cruiser all the way :notworthy: , they're unbreakable, and thats coming from a country where every second car is a 4x4, and they get used for what they're designed for here

[4eyes2wheels 0]

Freelanders are ok but for 4k you may get an older o e and I know they are notorious for head gasket failure! My mum had hers go, sorry not great help

 

Every little bit of advice helps. Thanks

[4eyes2wheels 0]

Toyota Land Cruiser all the way :notworthy: , they're unbreakable, and thats coming from a country where every second car is a 4x4, and they get used for what they're designed for here

 

Yes, Land Cruiser! Of course!

[KADVR6 0]

do not get a grand cherokee as they are c**p in snow (my mom used to have one) and as said before a land crusier is hard to beat, but believe it or not for 4k you would be hard to beat a toyota rav 4.

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... ?logcode=p

[4eyes2wheels 0]

do not get a grand cherokee as they are c**p in snow (my mom used to have one) and as said before a land crusier is hard to beat, but believe it or not for 4k you would be hard to beat a toyota rav 4.

Good to know - thanks

[Jim 2]

What about a reasonable saloon car with 4WD (Audi A4 Quattro or something) and fit some winter tyres when it gets round to October / November.. I bet there won't be many roads would hold one of those at bay!

[4eyes2wheels 0]

Like the sound of that - in fact a local trader has an A3 Quattro but that's too nice for such menual duties . . .

 

Something like Audi A6 2.5 Turbo Diesel Quattro Sports avant 180 bhp looks like fun too!

[CorradoVR6-Turbo 0]

toyota rav4...cheap and amazing in the snow plus the reliability of toyota 8)

 

Stay away from heavy 4x4's they are crap in snow mud ect...something with a Monocoque constriction would be best.

[Portent 0]

Golf mk4 V6 4motion... with winter tyres.

[4eyes2wheels 0]

Golf mk4 V6 4motion... with winter tyres.

 

Very tempting but then we'd have three great cars and I suspect the 4 motion would be a winner all year around.

[Purgatori 1]

We used to have a Merc M-class, 3.2L petrol.

Was great in the snow. Hubby got up a 60-70 degree slope on the Graig (nr. Pontypridd) leaving a Freelander sliding backwards down the hill!

And it had cup holders!!! :clap:

I'm not sure if you'd pick one up within budget, but you never know! And they're not too poncy, yeah it's a Merc, but a bit of comfort as you're bouncing through the snow ain't a bad thing :grin:

[Jim Bowen 1]

subaru justy

[8vMatt 1]

Subaru Forester? :nuts:

[RadoAds 0]

Another vote for the Rav4 from me!! We have a new Volvo V70 2.0D as our daily but after the bad snow in our neck of the woods last year I realised that just cos the Volvo has swedish roots doesn't mean its any good in the white stuff - anyway I borrowed a mates old Rav4, tidy-ish 98 3 door model that has diff-lock for when the going gets really slippy, and it trully goes anywhere that I would want to put it, IMHO unbeatable for the money for something thats as good as it is on and off road and is as reliable as all Toyotas are. It was that good we ended up having it off him and its sat on the drive now waiting for the winter )

[oneohtwo 8]

It's a bit of a left field choice, but as far as load lugging, rugged, throw anything at them 4x4s go you can't go far wrong with a Daihatsu Fourtrak! It's rock solid, built like a tank and is absolutely, never let you down, dependable. Seriously it just keeps on going. All the mechanicals are solid and kept simple, and the engine is a tough old unit. Body panels are all galvanised so rust shouldn't be an issue either.

 

The obvious downside is it's not very refined on the road, performance could be charitably described as sluggish, but it will maintain that performance whatever you are carrying or towing! Ride is very firm (adjustable dampners don't really do anything! :lol: ), but it's not a woeful drive; gearchange is clean and slick, and the handling is fairly neutral. Obviously it's no sports car, that's not really what you go looking for in a 4x4, but it won't drive you into a hateful rage everytime you drive it (unlike some cars...*cough*206*cough*).

 

Other than that agree with what's been said above re. Land Cruiser and Rav 4. Fourtrak is obviously smaller than the Land Cruiser, and less refined than both but will carry loads, tow and go anywhere better than the Rav 4 IMO. If you have the money and space, then you can't go far wrong with the Land Cruiser, (we replaced the Fourtrak with a Land Cruiser, for a bit more on road refinement. The Fourtrak kept on going mind!) and of course none of the above will break like a Freelander probably will...