What Proper 4x4 for mud/snow/ICE?

[Evilex]

Is a Toyota RAV D4-D in budget ?
My dad's mk1 petrol was reliable beyond belief. Full-time AWD with a diff lock. Naturally, the tyres would need changing, and a sump guard/ bash plate underneath has got to be a good plan, whatever you buy.

Consider a winch/land anchor and some big cheese graters to complete your set-up...

But when did it last snow properly in the southern half of the UK? 1991 by my best guess!

So I guess I'd favour mud- orientated tyres..

[300bhp/ton]

seefarr said:

Tyres are everything. 4x4 helps you move off but doesn't help you stop in the snow. I've driven in Canada (F-150) and Japan (Honda Stepwgn) winters and it's a doddle with proper tyres and murderous without:

Canada:


Japan:

4wd gives you far better control in the snow. Slowing down isn't just about using the brake pedal. And cornering is just about the tyres. Any sort of M&S or winter tyre on a 4wd will always be better than the same tyre on a 2wd vehicle.

[300bhp/ton]

yenkcoh said:

Ok here goes , in snow ... Light is good ....

Light makes for more agile in terms of sports cars and handling. But exactly how is lightweight better in the snow vs something heavier?

Edited by 300bhp/ton on Wednesday 3rd August 21:25

[300bhp/ton]

Evilex said:

But when did it last snow properly in the southern half of the UK? 1991 by my best guess!

So you were out of the country in 2010 then and the adjoining winters?

[olderbutnotwiser]

Evilex said:

Is a Toyota RAV D4-D in budget ?
My dad's mk1 petrol was reliable beyond belief. Full-time AWD with a diff lock. Naturally, the tyres would need changing, and a sump guard/ bash plate underneath has got to be a good plan, whatever you buy.

Consider a winch/land anchor and some big cheese graters to complete your set-up...

But when did it last snow properly in the southern half of the UK? 1991 by my best guess!

So I guess I'd favour mud- orientated tyres..

I'm on my 5th Rav 4 now, and it's been a great compromise between on road and muddy road / ice / snow road, ability.

That 2010 winter I was only ever stuck when boxed in by other vehicles. .

Highly recommended.

[Turbobanana]

Talk to the neighbours - they'll tell you what works.

[steve2]

We had a Mk 1 Rav and in 2010 it went everywhere in the deep snow and we now have a Mk 2 and a spare set of wheels with snow tyres which I bought 2 years ago and it has not snowed since

[agent006]

Wow. Not been on PH for about 18 months and on the first thread I read, 300boptin reminds me exactly why I stopped coming here in the first place.

[CABC]

I don't fully believe this thread.
Seriously, Berkshire?
Fix the drive and get some decent tyres.
Next time you go skiing look at what the guides drive: 2wd, and if they have awkward terrain it'll be Vitara, FourTrak, Panda4x4 (often raised), Jimny, Suburu etc. All the Landies are painted up and run by chalets. Chic.
The nice private chalets have the same along with a nice car for out of resort duties.
Chamonix council use Suzuki SX4s.

[steve2]

CABC, I think you may have missed this bit by the op

I need to update that, I’m in deepest darkest north Devon now, my driveway is about 200-300 meters long and about 20-30% incline, that's before I even

[Abarth Moose]

Nowt wrong with an X-trail

[Rapha]

I'll probably be chastised for this, but Rav 4's are more capable than they get credit for. I have a 30mm suspension lift in this, along with decent Cooper tyres and the car's centre diff' lock it handled mud, water, snow and rough roads. Sure, the 2L 4-cylinder was gutless but it was fun to ring out to the redline and the boot is huge!

[CABC]

steve2 said:

CABC, I think you may have missed this bit by the op

I need to update that, I’m in deepest darkest north Devon now, my driveway is about 200-300 meters long and about 20-30% incline, that's before I even

Ah!

Anyway. Still flatten the drive out, even if full tarmac too expensive for 200+m
Another vote for Rav4

[loskie]

Old Forester non turbo. Will do 30mpg (mine does). Decent off road.
If that's really your drive way then fix it.
I have lived and worked in a very rural area all my life. Most people manage fine without a 4x4. My co Astra (owned by Scottish Milk Marketing Board) used to get to most places.
Snow where you are will be a freak occurrence.
You maybe want a 4x4 but you dont need one.

[Moldymort]

How about a hilux surf?
The only issue with that is the manuals being a little harder to come by.

[leon9191]

Have you considered a Polo GTI, I've heard they are almost divine like in their performance so a bit off roading should be no problem!

[sidekickdmr]

loskie said:

You maybe want a 4x4 but you dont need one.

If you saw the state of my newly detailed S4 you would disagree

The driveway was so much of a mudbath last week (peak summer) that my dad in his BMW 530D had to abandon it at the end of the drive and walk up at least my Audi is a quattro.

And yes, we do need to get the driveway fixed up.

[EggsBenedict]

I had your use case. I just needed a 4x4 that didn't get stuck in mud. I'm assuming it's not your 'main' car, and you need a workhorse.

Jeep Cherokee XJ. MT tyres. That's it. Should be able to get a 'Limited SE' (LSD, Leather, AirCon etc.) for around a grand. A set of modular steels with MT tyres will be about 500 quid. If you needed, a +2" lift can be done for another 500, but wouldn't expect you to need that.

If you want bigger, Grand Cherokee.

Freelander isn't a 'proper' 4x4.

[300bhp/ton]

loskie said:

Old Forester non turbo. Will do 30mpg (mine does). Decent off road.
If that's really your drive way then fix it.
I have lived and worked in a very rural area all my life. Most people manage fine without a 4x4. My co Astra (owned by Scottish Milk Marketing Board) used to get to most places.
Snow where you are will be a freak occurrence.
You maybe want a 4x4 but you dont need one.

I agree you don't 'need' one, so long as you are prepared that you may be stranded at home when it does snow.

However if you ever run about rural Wales, the PEAKs, the Lakes, etc. Most of the homes outside of towns and larger villages tend to have at least one 4x4 on their driveway.

[IrishAsal]

TurboHatchback said:

Proper 4x4s on all-terrain M/S tyres are great in deep snow (i.e. measured in feet rather than cm) but they are awful on packed snow, slush and ice which is what we usually see on the roads in Southern England. I would personally get a set of winter tyres for whatever you already drive and either:
A: Sort out your driveway
B: Leave the car at the end of the driveway and walk to it
C: Get a £600 Jimny to drive to the end of your driveway where you leave your proper car

If you just want to drive a 4x4 because you like them then great but if not it seems daft to drive one just because you have a muddy driveway. Driving a 4x4 up and down that all winter will make it look like the Somme fairly quickly too.

CABC said:

I don't fully believe this thread.
Seriously, Berkshire?
Fix the drive and get some decent tyres.
Next time you go skiing look at what the guides drive: 2wd, and if they have awkward terrain it'll be Vitara, FourTrak, Panda4x4 (often raised), Jimny, Suburu etc. All the Landies are painted up and run by chalets. Chic.
The nice private chalets have the same along with a nice car for out of resort duties.
Chamonix council use Suzuki SX4s.

I know these guys sound like buzz kills when you're shopping for a new toy, but they're right.

I drove a Jeep Cherokee in Iceland. I remember pulling up at a point on a cliff road (mud track), that appeared impassable to me and the 2 Discos that were parked up and pondering. 2 massive thundra buggy things came the opposite way, but of course they could, couldn't they? Then a Dihatsu Charade follows them. So we did it in the Jeep.

Last February I was in the Alps. We got 50cm of snow and A LOT of vehicles seemed grounded. Mostly they just threw on chains and carried on. Panda 4x4s were seeminly instoppable (and incredibly common), so much so that I now own one.