Family friendly 4x4/SUV with reasonable economy for £7k?

[Emeye]

I really don't fancy an MPV but funds are limited. We have a 6 year old and a baby on the way.

My missus will be driving it daily and not doing much mileage, but we will want to use it for the 240 mile round trip to visit my bro every month or so and also next year we're planning a trip to the South of France.

I'm guessing diesel is the way forward and the thing needs to be nice and safe.

Oh and I would prefer manual.

Cheers.

Or should I give in to the fact that I finally need to be responsible and buy an MPV!

Edited by Emeye on Tuesday 22 June 11:22

[300bhp/ton]

Emeye said:

I really don't fancy an MPV but funds are limited. We have a 6 year old and a baby on the way.

My missus will be driving it daily and not doing much mileage, but we will want to use it for the 240 mile round trip to visit my bro every month or so and also next year we're planning a trip to the South of France.

I'm guessing diesel is the way forward and the thing needs to be nice and safe.

Oh and I would prefer manual.

Cheers.

Or should I give in to the fact that I finally need to be responsible and buy an MPV!

Edited by Emeye on Tuesday 22 June 11:22

If it's only for short mileage is mpg really an issue?

Personally I still think these make great family cars, practical, easy to live with, cheap and easy to maintain, hold their money very well, easy to upgrade.


http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1771715.htm


Also like Jeep Cherokees (new and old), Freelander, and things like a Subaru Forrester or Legacy Outback.

V6 AWD Jaguar X-Type would also be on the list.

[Chris_w666]

Octavia estate, all the car you will ever need (But not all the car you will ever want)

[rhinochopig]

300bhp/ton said:

Emeye said:

I really don't fancy an MPV but funds are limited. We have a 6 year old and a baby on the way.

My missus will be driving it daily and not doing much mileage, but we will want to use it for the 240 mile round trip to visit my bro every month or so and also next year we're planning a trip to the South of France.

I'm guessing diesel is the way forward and the thing needs to be nice and safe.

Oh and I would prefer manual.

Cheers.

Or should I give in to the fact that I finally need to be responsible and buy an MPV!

Edited by Emeye on Tuesday 22 June 11:22

If it's only for short mileage is mpg really an issue?

Personally I still think these make great family cars, practical, easy to live with, cheap and easy to maintain, hold their money very well, easy to upgrade.


http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1771715.htm


Also like Jeep Cherokees (new and old), Freelander, and things like a Subaru Forrester or Legacy Outback.

V6 AWD Jaguar X-Type would also be on the list.

7k for that age and model - no chance. 7k will buy you a very tatty 110 county. ETA Oops it would appear that it is only 7k. Seems too cheap to me, but apologies 300bhp.

My advice would be an x-trail. Decent economy, handle ok, some really clever design touches, fit's five and two dogs labs with no problems, and is surprisingly good off-road.

Weak turbo and intercooler when first released but mods / recalls have sorted this now.

Edited by rhinochopig on Tuesday 22 June 11:43

[Emeye]

300bhp/ton said:

Emeye said:

I really don't fancy an MPV but funds are limited. We have a 6 year old and a baby on the way.

My missus will be driving it daily and not doing much mileage, but we will want to use it for the 240 mile round trip to visit my bro every month or so and also next year we're planning a trip to the South of France.

I'm guessing diesel is the way forward and the thing needs to be nice and safe.

Oh and I would prefer manual.

Cheers.

Or should I give in to the fact that I finally need to be responsible and buy an MPV!

Edited by Emeye on Tuesday 22 June 11:22

If it's only for short mileage is mpg really an issue?

Personally I still think these make great family cars, practical, easy to live with, cheap and easy to maintain, hold their money very well, easy to upgrade.


http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1771715.htm


Also like Jeep Cherokees (new and old), Freelander, and things like a Subaru Forrester or Legacy Outback.

V6 AWD Jaguar X-Type would also be on the list.

Not a big fan of Defenders - not refined enough for the long distance stuff - not thought about the Jeep Cherokee. Is the Freelander big enough?

Cheers.

[Chris_w666]

300bhp/ton said:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1771715.htm

I love these, but no way would I consider one for a monthly 240 mile trip, I did 600 miles in a day in a 2002 one and it was horrid.

[300bhp/ton]

Emeye said:

300bhp/ton said:

Emeye said:

I really don't fancy an MPV but funds are limited. We have a 6 year old and a baby on the way.

My missus will be driving it daily and not doing much mileage, but we will want to use it for the 240 mile round trip to visit my bro every month or so and also next year we're planning a trip to the South of France.

I'm guessing diesel is the way forward and the thing needs to be nice and safe.

Oh and I would prefer manual.

Cheers.

Or should I give in to the fact that I finally need to be responsible and buy an MPV!

Edited by Emeye on Tuesday 22 June 11:22

If it's only for short mileage is mpg really an issue?

Personally I still think these make great family cars, practical, easy to live with, cheap and easy to maintain, hold their money very well, easy to upgrade.


http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1771715.htm


Also like Jeep Cherokees (new and old), Freelander, and things like a Subaru Forrester or Legacy Outback.

V6 AWD Jaguar X-Type would also be on the list.

Not a big fan of Defenders - not refined enough for the long distance stuff - not thought about the Jeep Cherokee. Is the Freelander big enough?

Cheers.

I admit a Defender isn't refined, but I find them a nice place to be. Drove to Plymouth and back (~550-600 miles) last month in a V8 90. Loved every min of it.

Freelander is similar to a Ford Focus inside. So plenty of room for 4 or 5 people and a usable boot.

Cherokee's, I'm a huge fan of the older XJ variant, and you can get them for peanuts. The look inside and out really appeals to me. The 4.0 litre Straight 6 is fab too, but auto only. The 2.5 TD has a bad reputation, but it's a nice motor IMO, although a little noisy.

The newer shape Cherokee is not as off road focused as the old, but it still has plenty of off road charm. So it feels and drives like an off roader, which for me is key. IF I want it to drive like a car, I'll buy a car not a 4x4.

Another one to look for are these:


Land Rover Discovery Td5 ES Auto 7 seat (2000/X)
102,058 miles £6,950
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1536929.htm

Generally very reliable and a Defenders equal off road. With ACE (Active Cornering Enhancement) they are pretty good on the road too. The TD5 is a nice motor (although budget £400 for a remap, it truly transforms how they drive), or if you look about you might find a rarer manual 4.0 litre V8, which on LPG is quite cost affective pence per mile.

[300bhp/ton]

rhinochopig said:

My advice would be an x-trail...
...is surprisingly good off-road.

lol, reckon we might have a different view to what "good off road" means

[300bhp/ton]

Chris_w666 said:

300bhp/ton said:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1771715.htm

I love these, but no way would I consider one for a monthly 240 mile trip, I did 600 miles in a day in a 2002 one and it was horrid.

Once a month, 120 mile each way? Doesn't sound like much of a bother if I'm honest. As said above I find these really comfy, if not refined.

In the winter I did a 220+ mile round trip in a day in this:



And despite the weather/road conditions, the old 2.5 TD engine, roll cage, off road tyres and no stereo it was still a joy to drive. But maybe I'm nuts though

[Emeye]

Must admit I'm after a 4x4 that is more on-road friendly than off, as the high-up driving position etc appeals to me and the missus really like SOME 4x4s - it won't be going off-road very often. If we had the money we'd get a manual 2.5 TDi VW Touareg in a heartbeat.

Edited by Emeye on Tuesday 22 June 12:06

[rhinochopig]

300bhp/ton said:

rhinochopig said:

My advice would be an x-trail...
...is surprisingly good off-road.

lol, reckon we might have a different view to what "good off road" means

Given I used to get my SIII LW stuck up to its armpits in mud regularly and drop it down slopes where the gradient meant that 4-wheeled slides were the order of the day - perhaps not.

I'm not claiming that the x-trail is a proper off-roader, but it is surprising where you can get one. They are remarkably capable for a soft-roader with not much ground clearance.

This was taken from my x-trail BTW



A pic of the x-trail later. The trail I'd come down was a foot deep. The snow is compacted at that point because I did about 5 or 6 circuits of that area to ensure that the snow was compacted enough so that I could stop without fear of getting stuck. And yes they are summer road tyres.

Edited by rhinochopig on Tuesday 22 June 12:20

[Bill]

You've only got two kids...

Personally I'd get an estate, but how about this as a compromise?

[Chris_w666]

300bhp/ton said:

But maybe I'm nuts though

I'm going with that.

Don't get me wrong I do love the Defender and I grinned like a kid everytime I drove ours, and the disco that followed it. I just don't think they do comfort well, but maybe I'm a softy.

Anyway back on topic, Rav4, Honda CRV, X Trail, Freelander all seem to be what the OP is looking for.

[J4CKO]

That udi looks a good call, the Defender though, what are you lot on ?? purgatorial, slow, wayward, heavy on juice, bouncy, poor safety, they are absolutely not family cars, they are agricultural vehicles, however iconic and talented off road, they are hopeless on it.

I dont ge tthe anti MPV thing, but we only have a Galaxy (current shape) as we have three kids and a dog, when we had tow it was an 850 T5, you dont get any extra space with an off roader, just the same ammount higher up due to the suspension travel and 4wd gubbins, if you need 4wd due to location then there are plenty of 4wd estates, I would avoid payign the trendy tax on off roaders and get an estate, 4wd optional and repa the driving experience and economy benefits.

Dont get a seven grand Freelander, just dont.

[300bhp/ton]

Emeye said:

Must admit I'm after a 4x4 that is more on-road friendly than off, as the high-up driving position etc appeals to me and the missus really like SOME 4x4s - it won't be going off-road very often. If we had the money we'd get a manual 2.5 TDi VW Touareg in a heartbeat.

Edited by Emeye on Tuesday 22 June 12:06

Touaregs are quite nice, however IMO the only issues with the 2.5 is the fact I'd want the 5.0 V10 TDI

Seriously I'd take a look at a Disco II, while it's a good off roader they are pretty usable on road too and have a high up driving position. Nice interior and plenty of toys too normally.

Huge boot and high roof line makes them open and airy inside, whereas some others feel more closed in and dark.

Other plus points are, a Disco is AWD. This means should it be slippery out, you don't really need to do anything. The TCS system on these is also superb, so come the winter months it'll make easy progress with little driver input.

Similar story with a Freelander really. They too are AWD (well switch to AWD automatically). The TD4 engine is quite good, but again I'd budget for a remap, they run so much better with one and will likely be better on fuel too. They handle well too, I used my Mum's one a number of years back while touring the Lake District and it was really good fun, you truly good throw it about the corners. If yo do go for a Freelander I'd make sure you get one with TCS and HDC. While you say you won't be off roading, the TCS will make a huge difference in the snow/frost.

Cherokee is worth a shout, if not for the fact its something different. It doesn't have the TCS like the Landy's but it has a proper AWD setup.

[300bhp/ton]

Bill said:

You've only got two kids...

Personally I'd get an estate, but how about this as a compromise?

OP mentions high up driving position though. The Audi doesn't offer that. Think if I was going this route I'd be looking at these though:

[300bhp/ton]

Sorry mate. Just have to reply to this, because its just so wrong on pretty much every count.

J4CKO said:

That udi looks a good call, the Defender though, what are you lot on ??

On nothing but a chair

But based off my own experience, my parents had a V8 110 as our family vehicle when I was growing up, it was fab. My Uncle had a couple for family duties and several other friends did too. A number of others had county spec 90's as family wagons. All were really good at it.

J4CKO said:

purgatorial,

no idea what you mean by this. MS Word says "to rid someone of sin"????

J4CKO said:

slow

Might not be speedy, but not really any slower than a lot of other 4x4's. A £400 remap will take them to around 170hp and with that power will run very well. At least quick enough to use on UK roads with no bother, so what more do you really need or want?

J4CKO said:

, wayward

Nope, not at all. They handle rather well IMO. 110 is heavier than a 90 I admit. Or put it this way, I've never had any issues B road bashing in a Landy, which is a common past time.

J4CKO said:

heavy on juice

Compared to what? TD5 will do over 30mpg on a run and mid to high 20's under normal driving. What other diesel 4x4's are exceptionally better? And as the OP says the vehicle will only be used for low mileage, does MPG, even a 40% increase, really going to make much odds on your pocket?

J4CKO said:

bouncy

J4CKO said:

poor safety

Can you produce stats for that???? Well I know you can't, but guess what the Department for Transport (Dft) can. But they don't agree with you:

J4CKO said:

they are absolutely not family cars, they are agricultural vehicles, however iconic and talented off road, they are hopeless on it.

Really

[Bill]

300bhp/ton said:

Bill said:

You've only got two kids...

Personally I'd get an estate, but how about this as a compromise?

OP mentions high up driving position though. The Audi doesn't offer that. Think if I was going this route I'd be looking at these though:

It's slightly higher than the A6, but not high as such I admit. Agree on the Forester though.

ETA the poster above is referring to purgatory.

Edited by Bill on Tuesday 22 June 12:56

[excel monkey]

RAV4
Freelander
CR-V
Qashqai
Santa Fe

(in that order)

[Bluebarge]

It doesn't sound like you need a rufty-tufty 4x4 and you may not even need diesel seeing as you don't plan on doing a lot of miles. Many older 4x4s are big money-pits and they handle even worse than MPVs so I'm not entirely sure why you think they would be preferable.

If you must got for a 4x4 the Honda CR-V is a good suggestion because it is one of the most car-like, but otherwise you could get a decent Mazda 5 for that money - drives well, sliding doors for accessing child seats in tesco's car park, plus fold-down seats so you can vary the kit/kiddie mix as and when required.