What car for snow/winter, 4-5k?

[Shuvi McTupya]

Actually, i guess i am looking for an all rounder but it's main attributes need to be:

Will get me to work if/when the white stuff comes :
( I live in the middle of no where in Aberdeenshire ). Not sure if 4WD/AWD is required..perhaps FWD with decent winter rubber on will do?

Comfort:
I m used to wafters, and driving in a relaxed manner so i prefer an executive feel to a sporty one. I like toys and leather, good sounds etc.

Economy:
Yes please! Coming from a series of large ruinous barges, i would really love to see around 40mpg. (rural cruising)

Could be coupe or four door, or even hatchback/estate. Not bothered about it being a diesel, so long a it is a modern, refined one

Any suggestions?

[loafer123]

Jag X Type with 4wd
Subaru Legacy or Forester
VW Passat 4motion

Personally, i would buy a Jeep Cherokee XJ and spend the saving on upgrades and petrol...

[Grenoble]

FWD with new Nokian winter tyres will see you through most things - they manage in the alps without 4x4.

Merc A class a left field choice, very good in the snow, series 2 was quite good. Great load space as well.

[entwisi]

Think LPG and suddenly lots of 4x4s come within shooting distance of your 40mpg ( OK, 20 on gas but you know what I mean )

[aelord]

P38 Rangey.

[cptsideways]

aelord said:

P38 Rangey.

Superb suggestion, plenty of room to keep all that winter safety gear of ski's, winter clothes, blanket, flask etc for when you have to walk home because the AA man can't get to you, again.



Any fwd eco hatch with some snowies in will do the job admirably

[Grenoble]

Forester or Legacy Outback then? Won't get the MPG, but won't be stopped, either...

[Tectonic80]

Octavia 1.9tdi 4x4.

I've got a .mk2 4x4 estate and i like it a lot. 50mpg combined , great on snow or muddy fields, raised suspension, sump guard and other under body protection. Might be quite hard to find one though

[bakerstreet]

doogz said:

Can't think of many 4WD vehicles that'll do that sort of economy, for that sort of money.

Panda 4x4? Kinda small.

Maybe some sort of 1.9 TDi engined Golf or A3? Maybe an A4?

Jimny, again, kinda small, but I'm struggling to think of any decent sized 4x4 that'll do anything like 40mpg.

A TD5 Disco can nudge 40mpg if you drive very carefully.

What about an Audi Quattro of some kind with some decent winter rubber.

If you like waftyness, then a Range Rover P38 would be very suitable. Your budget would also stretch to a very nice one that should have no issues with air suspension ect ect.

[mzaalam]

I reckon a BMW x1 or x3 with some nokian wr a3 tyres should do it. Has ground clearance, comfort, space and the tyres are said to be all rounders rather than just for winter and have a snowflake for the tough days... Alternatively RR freelander 2 ?

[kingstondc5]

Toyota Rav-4?

[Grenoble]

mzaalam said:

I reckon a BMW x1 or x3 with some nokian wr a3 tyres should do it. Has ground clearance, comfort, space and the tyres are said to be all rounders rather than just for winter and have a snowflake for the tough days... Alternatively RR freelander 2 ?

At 4-5k?

[deltashad]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...


Mazda Bongo Aero City Td 4WD

When it snows very hard you can sleep outside your work place

[300bhp/ton]

Shuvi McTupya said:

Actually, i guess i am looking for an all rounder but it's main attributes need to be:

Will get me to work if/when the white stuff comes :
( I live in the middle of no where in Aberdeenshire ). Not sure if 4WD/AWD is required..perhaps FWD with decent winter rubber on will do?

Comfort:
I m used to wafters, and driving in a relaxed manner so i prefer an executive feel to a sporty one. I like toys and leather, good sounds etc.

Economy:
Yes please! Coming from a series of large ruinous barges, i would really love to see around 40mpg. (rural cruising)

Could be coupe or four door, or even hatchback/estate. Not bothered about it being a diesel, so long a it is a modern, refined one

Any suggestions?

How much of a snow beater do you really want it to be? Sure winter tyres help no end, but assuming the traffic doesn't stop you, you are still in a less than ideal vehicle in the wilds. Personally if I'm going to be trekking about in the snow I'd want something with proper ground clearance to get through a snow drift or climb a bank/verge should I need to go around something. I do not believe any 2wd car can really cope with this.

So on this basis I'd be wanting to look for a proper 4x4.

If you want a middle ground then maybe something like a Subaru Forrester or Legacy Outback would be ok.

[WeirdNeville]

AWD Volvo XC70 with the D5 engine?
No idea if they're in budget ,but they're wafty luxurious to a point, bargy, auto mainly, and on winter tyres would be suitably unstoppable.
My mate reports 45 mpg from his.

[300bhp/ton]

bakerstreet said:

A TD5 Disco can nudge 40mpg if you drive very carefully.

And then you wake up and realise it was more like 28-32 tops and a lot lower if you use the power or have had it mapped.

[vrsmxtb]

Volvo XC90 on winter/AT tyres might be better suited to extreme winters with ride height. A 2.4 D5 might give 40mpg if driven like a nun.

[WeirdNeville]

How about:
Volvo XC70 2.4 D5 se (Haggle to within budget)

or:
Audi Allroad 2.5 Tdi quattro

Put winter tyres on either and you're there. IMO.

[WeirdNeville]

not sure about the ride height thing. My sister lives in very rural aberdeenshire, up a one mile unmade track, and she survives winters in a 1.4 Polo on winter tyres. Occasionally (like a couple of times a year) she has to park at the end of the track and walk up to the house until the farmer grades the snow on the track with his digger, but other than that she's been fine. Her husband has a Polo too and he also gets about fine.
4WD is a bonus, but unless the OP actually has to get off road I don't think he NEEDS a 4x4. You certainly don't get 40mpg in them anyway.

[vrsmxtb]

WeirdNeville said:

How about:
Volvo XC70 2.4 D5 se (Haggle to within budget)