'Stylish' 4x4 for under £5k
Discussion
Personally I wouldn't buy a large 4x4 such as the XC90 or Merc for your budget.
You'll be getting a pre facelift XC90 with high miles and these are prone to large bills.
Also some are top rate of tax.
can't comment on the Merc but I can't see it being a cheap car to run.
The best Subaru Forester you can find would be where my £5k would go
You'll be getting a pre facelift XC90 with high miles and these are prone to large bills.
Also some are top rate of tax.
can't comment on the Merc but I can't see it being a cheap car to run.
The best Subaru Forester you can find would be where my £5k would go
I've not been lucky with my three Mercs and hit expensive repairs. But the ML series are nice things to be in.
You might be able to track down a 2005/6 BMW X3, as they are often used by the 'distaff' side of the family and can sometimes be found with lowish mileages, full leather, baby poo in the back seats, and so forth.
You might be able to track down a 2005/6 BMW X3, as they are often used by the 'distaff' side of the family and can sometimes be found with lowish mileages, full leather, baby poo in the back seats, and so forth.
Of your list, I prefer the ML but I'm not sure if it's the best choice. If you get one, definitely get the post-facelift (2003 I think) with the body-coloured bumpers as they were better built. Doing only 5000 miles pa, I would have thought you would be better off with a less complex and more reliable petrol and you would no doubt get a lower mileage and nicer condition ML350 for your 5k. If you have to have a large 4x4, the BMW X5 and VW Touareg look smart and drive well too. The reason why I sound a bit sceptical is because I did the whole cheap, large 4x4 thing with a 4.0 WJ Jeep Grand Cherokee. Lovely car but very unreliable and a constant drain on my bank balance.
I would love something like that again but on a higher budget and a younger car. A 5k Range Rover for example, is likely to be a complete nightmare. Don't forget that it was a 50k+ car new with 50k vehicle running costs! For what it's worth, with a 5k budget, I would probably go smaller and Japanese like a Suzuki Grand Vitara, Subaru Forester or Toyota RAV4 petrol, which are likely to be more reliable, cheaper to run and simpler for your mechanic to work on, decent to drive on-the-road and still capable off-road if you need them to be.
I would love something like that again but on a higher budget and a younger car. A 5k Range Rover for example, is likely to be a complete nightmare. Don't forget that it was a 50k+ car new with 50k vehicle running costs! For what it's worth, with a 5k budget, I would probably go smaller and Japanese like a Suzuki Grand Vitara, Subaru Forester or Toyota RAV4 petrol, which are likely to be more reliable, cheaper to run and simpler for your mechanic to work on, decent to drive on-the-road and still capable off-road if you need them to be.
Stoatman said:
Forester all the way. 2.5 xt for that money.
Epic down the country lanes at the moment, not a massive car either. Thirsty and high tax could be an issue. When I say thirsty, I mean thirsty !
Ignore the VED cost, build that in to total ownership cost. Under normal driving conditions they're not thirsty. Put your foot down and they're the same as any other 2.5litre turbo charged car...but, hey, there's always a small price to pay for performance fun.Epic down the country lanes at the moment, not a massive car either. Thirsty and high tax could be an issue. When I say thirsty, I mean thirsty !
OP, go and test drive some SG series FXT's. As HOL rightly says, people love their Foresters...they're superb all round buses and nothing comes close to sheer value for money.
white_goodman said:
Of your list, I prefer the ML but I'm not sure if it's the best choice. If you get one, definitely get the post-facelift (2003 I think) with the body-coloured bumpers as they were better built. Doing only 5000 miles pa, I would have thought you would be better off with a less complex and more reliable petrol and you would no doubt get a lower mileage and nicer condition ML350 for your 5k. If you have to have a large 4x4, the BMW X5 and VW Touareg look smart and drive well too. The reason why I sound a bit sceptical is because I did the whole cheap, large 4x4 thing with a 4.0 WJ Jeep Grand Cherokee. Lovely car but very unreliable and a constant drain on my bank balance.
I would love something like that again but on a higher budget and a younger car. A 5k Range Rover for example, is likely to be a complete nightmare. Don't forget that it was a 50k+ car new with 50k vehicle running costs! For what it's worth, with a 5k budget, I would probably go smaller and Japanese like a Suzuki Grand Vitara, Subaru Forester or Toyota RAV4 petrol, which are likely to be more reliable, cheaper to run and simpler for your mechanic to work on, decent to drive on-the-road and still capable off-road if you need them to be.
What went wrong with your jeep?I would love something like that again but on a higher budget and a younger car. A 5k Range Rover for example, is likely to be a complete nightmare. Don't forget that it was a 50k+ car new with 50k vehicle running costs! For what it's worth, with a 5k budget, I would probably go smaller and Japanese like a Suzuki Grand Vitara, Subaru Forester or Toyota RAV4 petrol, which are likely to be more reliable, cheaper to run and simpler for your mechanic to work on, decent to drive on-the-road and still capable off-road if you need them to be.
egor110 said:
What went wrong with your jeep?
In under 12 months that I owned it:Driver's window regulator
Bonnet and tailgate struts
Engine cooling fan
New battery (not a big deal but it's a huge battery and very expensive)
Electric seats would always default to my wife's position even when I pressed my memory button squashing me against the steering wheel!
Transmission (would stick in 1st)
It also needed about 500 pounds worth of front suspension work when I got rid.
Rear wheelarch starting to dissolve
Yes, it was 12 years old when I got it but only 90k and pretty tidy. I just couldn't keep on top of the repair costs (about 500 pounds per month on average) and the rust! Oh and 18mpg! It made more sense to get a new car and pay 300 pounds per month in payments to be honest! I also lost a packet on trade (didn't want to sell it privately because of the transmission issue) and the dealership that took it in trade, didn't even know about the transmission issue! Maybe I was just unlucky. Lovely car but I'm never buying a cheap, big 4x4 again.
white_goodman said:
egor110 said:
What went wrong with your jeep?
In under 12 months that I owned it:Driver's window regulator
Bonnet and tailgate struts
Engine cooling fan
New battery (not a big deal but it's a huge battery and very expensive)
Electric seats would always default to my wife's position even when I pressed my memory button squashing me against the steering wheel!
Transmission (would stick in 1st)
It also needed about 500 pounds worth of front suspension work when I got rid.
Rear wheelarch starting to dissolve
Yes, it was 12 years old when I got it but only 90k and pretty tidy. I just couldn't keep on top of the repair costs (about 500 pounds per month on average) and the rust! Oh and 18mpg! It made more sense to get a new car and pay 300 pounds per month in payments to be honest! I also lost a packet on trade (didn't want to sell it privately because of the transmission issue) and the dealership that took it in trade, didn't even know about the transmission issue! Maybe I was just unlucky. Lovely car but I'm never buying a cheap, big 4x4 again.
Engine was quite tappety but I drove it from Carlisle back to Somerset and to brands hatch and silverstone a couple off times.
It passed its mot and I sold it because the mpg was horrific and I didn't actually need it as I could bring the work van home.
egor110 said:
Mine was a y reg that I paid just over a grand for.
Engine was quite tappety but I drove it from Carlisle back to Somerset and to brands hatch and silverstone a couple off times.
It passed its mot and I sold it because the mpg was horrific and I didn't actually need it as I could bring the work van home.
Yeah, sorry that sounded a bit whiny. I had always wanted one and really liked it (I'm more of a Jeep man than a Land Rover man I think). Like you said, it was really comfy, lots of room for the family and a nice place to while away a long road trip. But yes, the fuel economy was atrocious even compared to the WRX that preceded it and a 2 ton vehicle is hard on brakes, tyres and suspension. My brother-in-law has the latest-style Grand Cherokee (2011) and it's lovely car and hasn't given him much trouble in 2 years of ownership, so I would have another and even wouldn't mind a Renegade or Wrangler but just not on a budget again!Engine was quite tappety but I drove it from Carlisle back to Somerset and to brands hatch and silverstone a couple off times.
It passed its mot and I sold it because the mpg was horrific and I didn't actually need it as I could bring the work van home.
Mazda CX-7, OK not a true 4x4 as such, but it looks great, goes fast (the 2.3 turbo petrol will anyway) and it's very exclusive. I can only recall seeing one in the past year at least! In budget too!
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...
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