Short drive to work quandry

[mobile chicane22]

Ok here's my possible situation.

I get a new job which is site based so no company wheels, the site is only about 5-6 miles from my house so I could push bike it or take my large motorbike or my S2000.

Wifey has a small practical car so thats also coverd.


However I like the idea of having a beater ( which I ocationaly use my works van as anyway ) if the roads to work get snowy or iced up and I cant use the bike or the S2000.

I am toying with getting a spare set of wheels for the s2000 and putting winter tyres on them however if somone else slides into it I'll be most upset.

I will need somthing cheap to buy + insure although fuell consumption wont realy be an issue as it will only do about 1K a year.

4x4 would be nice but my budget is £700 so any 4x4 that cheap will be a money pit

[kambites]

Something like an old Fiat Panda 4x4 or a non-turbocharged Impreza?

[Snowboy]

I think you hit the nail on the head with the 4x4 idea.
It's the only thing you haven't got covered, and as you'll only be driving it on bad days the 4x4 would be very nice.

Could you not get an old Frontera or Jimny for that money.

[RV8]

You could probably get a reasonable suzuki vitara, subaru justy or an old daihatsu four track for that sort of money. Would cope well in the snow (if we have any) Pretty much most cars will want something doing on them for £700, some people happily spend that on a set of tyres for a 4x4, but i suppose if it's terminal it's not a huge amount of money down the pan, you'd probably get £100 or so if you weighed it in or your money back if you stripped it.

[mobile chicane22]

not a frontera as the father in law has one and is having major problems with parts.

I've owned a sj410 and once was enough.

The non turbo scoobys look good though legacy or forestor would do the trick, I know the non turbo ones wont be fast and 35mpg will probably be the best I get.

My budget may have to creep up to £1k though.

How easy are the boxer engines on the non turbo subaru's to service ? are they bely or chain and if there belt is changing it a big job ?

[KB_S1]

You won't get near 35mpg on a n/a Impreza if doing short journeys.
I had a Legacy Outback 2.5. It was great till a broken thermostat lead to total engine wipe out (at 167k).
I could squeeze 28mpg on gentle long runs.
Superb for load carrying, long journey comfort and any condition stability though.

[Mr2Mike]

They have a timing belt, a very long one! Not too bad a job though a bit more work than the average 4 pot engine.

[Dr G]

£700? Light front wheel drive car and some miscellaneous knock off winter tyres.

Pretty much whatever you buy at that money will be a bit knackered.

[NiceCupOfTea]

You really don't need a 4x4 - get an old 1.1 106 and stick skinny winter tyres on it - unstoppable!

[Petrolhead95]

Old Land Rover Discovery?

[kambites]

NiceCupOfTea said:

You really don't need a 4x4 - get an old 1.1 106 and stick skinny winter tyres on it - unstoppable!

I would tend to agree. Unless you live in the middle of nowhere a thin tyred, low powered FWD hatchback will do fine.

[Dr Interceptor]

Petrolhead95 said:

Old Land Rover Discovery?

At £700 will be very very rotten

Don't discount the little Subaru Justy too... they are epic in the snow!

[mobile chicane22]

Oops forgot to mention nothing french, Ive had french cars 2nd hand and new and theyve all been absolute crap.

The other concideration is an electric rear wheel convertion for my old pushbike as I can ride to the potental new job using just cycle lanes and byways however there is a killer 1 in 5 hill which is at least 1/4 of a mile long.

A toyota rav 4 would be ok but at £1k it'll need work.

I may go for a focus estate with some cheap winter rubber ( this gives me the load lugging ability of the works van I will loose otherwise I'd heve a 1 liter micra )

Edited by mobile chicane22 on Saturday 3rd December 10:53

[KB_S1]

6 mile cycle would be nothing after a couple of week to get up to modest level of fitness.
Not sure where you are in the country but I wouldn't fancy it here in the winter though.

[FamilyDub]

NiceCupOfTea said:

get an old 1.1 106 and stick skinny winter tyres on it - unstoppable!

My old '89 Fiesta 1.1 on skinny tyres was a cold-weather champion.

Nothing seemed to stop it, even on summer tyres!

[Six Fiend]

Focus with winter tyres, all yours for under £700.

One near me (1.8 Ghia) was up for £295 the other day at a dealer with 8 months MoT. It was the filthiest thing I have ever seen. But had full history and only just over 100k on it.

Was beaten to the purchase!

All it wanted was a really hefty clean inside. Could live with a couple of scrapes on the bumper corners at that price. Reckoned with a good clean and polish I could have flipped it for nearer £600.

Edited by Six Fiend on Saturday 3rd December 11:47

[davepoth]

Ford fiesta Mk4 or Ka are both good options. A low spec model is so basic there's nothing to break on them, big black bumpers, cheap as chips, and they share a chassis with the Puma so are an utter hoot to drive. Mine was like a mountain goat in 2009, even on nankangs I used to drive up hills, stop, push people's cars out of the way by hand, and then carry on up the hill.

[530dTPhil]

Dr Interceptor said:

At £700 will be very very rotten

Not necessarily. Just bought a 3.9 V8 within your budget that doesn't appear to have been near mud in it's life. Some panel corrosion as you would expect but pretty sound underneath. Much better than a 5 Series Touring in the snow I hope!

Edited by 530dTPhil on Saturday 3rd December 12:01

[soad]

Jeep Cherokee?

[mobile chicane22]

Sooo many options cheers guys, I'll have to see if the interview pans out