A winter what car? (Sorry)
Discussion
Hi all,
Not been on here for a while but i've been struggling with a car buying dilemma and it dawned on me that I should be asking the helpful guys at PH
So.. here goes
I currently have a z4 coupe 3L (my main car), and a 320td compact (mrs main car). I also have a broken jag and a broken pajero
Paj has been the winter hack up to this point but its got to go the the big scrapyard in the sky unfortunately.
I recently got a new job meaning i will be regularly doing a 400 mile round commute from rural wiltshire to the edge of the peak district and back. Needless to say, the thought of doing this in winter in my z4 ~30mpg and RWD is not appealing. The plan is to shelf the z4 for the winter.
Budget is 10k, could stretch to 15k for the right car. I want something AWD, good fuel economy (40 mpg+), a bit of ground clearance if possible but doesnt have to be a full blown 'SUV'. I dont really want another BMW as I would have 3 cars with basically the same interior which would get boring. I dont want something too old as having a broken jag and paj im feeling a bit burned by old cars. Nav would be nice too as I will be on unfamiliar roads.
Whatever I get will need to be comfy on long journeys. I'd prefer it not to be a saloon, an estate would be ok if there is one with good clearance that is not too fugly. At least if its minumum estate size, it has some utility for the times when im not commuting and its not winter anymore
Ideas?
I'm struggling. Ive been tempted by the Sportage (!?!) but its just a bit more than I would like to spend and it will probably depreciate like a stone.
Help me PHers! I think this one will be a tough one!
Not been on here for a while but i've been struggling with a car buying dilemma and it dawned on me that I should be asking the helpful guys at PH
So.. here goes
I currently have a z4 coupe 3L (my main car), and a 320td compact (mrs main car). I also have a broken jag and a broken pajero
Paj has been the winter hack up to this point but its got to go the the big scrapyard in the sky unfortunately.I recently got a new job meaning i will be regularly doing a 400 mile round commute from rural wiltshire to the edge of the peak district and back. Needless to say, the thought of doing this in winter in my z4 ~30mpg and RWD is not appealing. The plan is to shelf the z4 for the winter.
Budget is 10k, could stretch to 15k for the right car. I want something AWD, good fuel economy (40 mpg+), a bit of ground clearance if possible but doesnt have to be a full blown 'SUV'. I dont really want another BMW as I would have 3 cars with basically the same interior which would get boring. I dont want something too old as having a broken jag and paj im feeling a bit burned by old cars. Nav would be nice too as I will be on unfamiliar roads.
Whatever I get will need to be comfy on long journeys. I'd prefer it not to be a saloon, an estate would be ok if there is one with good clearance that is not too fugly. At least if its minumum estate size, it has some utility for the times when im not commuting and its not winter anymore
Ideas?
I'm struggling. Ive been tempted by the Sportage (!?!) but its just a bit more than I would like to spend and it will probably depreciate like a stone.
Help me PHers! I think this one will be a tough one!
Based on your requirements I'd say go for an LPG converted 2007/2008 subaru forester which would be well under your budget. We have one (not LPG converted) and it's an extremely capable car, we've taken it off road and driven through heavy snow with no problems at all, and it's surprisingly refined on the motorway. They can be expensive to maintain but buy a good one and you'll be fine, ours was extremely cheap and high mileage and has thrown up some issues as a result.
billywhizzzzzz said:
I have an AWD XC90 (very practical, good clearance, nice interior) and an AWD Audi S4 - incredible traction. Have a set of winters for it too so should deal with anything.
I think an XC70 and winter tyres would cover it rather than an XC90, as that is actually an SUV.Such as: http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...
PaulB81 said:
In fact, the xc70 and scout both have the same horrible black plastic. Why when they make a car a bit more 'offroady' do they put that black plastic all over the exterior?
It's practical. Some people actually use these cars for their intended purpose, black plastic is cheaper and more hardy than painted plastic.Deerfoot said:
It's practical. Some people actually use these cars for their intended purpose, black plastic is cheaper and more hardy than painted plastic.
The Defender doesnt have black plastic all over it, neither does a G-wagen. If those two can manage without, why does an octavia need black plastic Edited by PaulB81 on Saturday 27th October 21:59
PaulB81 said:
The Defender doesnt have black plastic all over it, neither does a G-wagen. If those two can manage without, why does an octavia need black plastic
It doesn`t quite have black plastic all over it does it? It`s just a black lower front and rear bumper and some wheel arch and sill strips.Buy one in black, you`ll hardly notice it!
r129sl said:
I know this is boring, but just fit heated seats and proper tyres to your Z4. They transform my utterly hopeless RWD Mercedes cars (including a SL) into veritable Land Rover beaters.
This.Hardtop = £1k, winter tyres = £500, and 20 quid for a heated seat cover if you don't already have heated seats.
Job done for 1/10th of your budget.
If you are going to be coming into the Derbyshire part of the Peak District get a proper 4x4 as D.C.C and the High Peak council have a real problem with gritting and ploughing. I live less than a five minute drive from the Staffordshire and Cheshire borders and you can tell instantly when you are in/out of Derbyshire. For instance last year had to rush one of my dogs to the vets in Leek, Buxton to Lek road under 2-3 ft of snow so went by the country lanes, soon as I got to Longnor all the lanes,even the narrow single track one`s had been ploughed and gritted.When I came back 3-4 hours later the Derbyshire side was still blocked, no ploughs and no grit.
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