Typically weird requirements

[macron]

10k tops, 5k better, what have I missed from this potential list:

Must haves:
-4wd
-ULEZ/ Caz friendly
-50+ MPG
-Petrol/ derv only (it's not for me bargeists, don't worry!)
-Cruise control
-Heated, adjustable seats
-Sub 60k miles
-sub £400 tax

The nice to haves
-Full leather
-Light interior, be that through the rare pale headlining these days or a decent sunroof.

I have come up with the following:

Fiat 500X. Few 4wd's sold, but some 2016+ have that and are ulez with a stinky 2.0D which I suspect is as refined as Grant from EastEnders.

Skoda Yeti. Ancient now. Petrol, and I can imagine a 1.2 in that box is... Deeply joyful. Rare with sensible miles now of course.

Subaru XV. A sample of 1 with a good enough spec in budget, these seem largely forgotten about. For food reason it an overlooked gem?

Cherokee with a 2.2D engine, another bag of spanners?

Vitara needs to be all grip and ideally SZ5 (for the leather), v few about but a possibility.

SX-4 Cross also possibly scrapes in.

Kia Sportage may make it.

Several other SUV types are potentials, mainly horrid though like the Mokka (X?) which is a special type of flimsy, the Qashqai has an awd option but seems equally naff. Same for various renaults as I guess the Kadjar is a nissan in drag?

High misery would you choose, what else have I missed? Th cruise and ulez are missing from the basics of an AT search, or this might be easy!

[ZX10R NIN]

EX 30d, real world low to mid 40's on a run:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202506263...

QX50:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202505202...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202508225...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202505172...

Q30:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202508045...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202508045...

Sportage GT Line:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503120...

All are ULEZ compliant.

[andyalan10]

There are quite a few Mini Countryman (men?) for under £10,000.

Finding an ALL4 under 60,000 miles and of the right spec might be tricky, how long have you got?

[macron]

Scotland, and now September, so.... Fairly sharpish. The child's current Fiesta ST is fun but won't be appropriate when it starts to get cold. And it will get cold, lol!

[Billy_Whizzzz]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025083058...

[Gad-Westy]

When you say it needs adjustable seats I’d assumed you meant electrically adjustable but starting to question that with the list of options you mentioned. Worth clarifying as it will make a huge difference to what options there are.

[ZX10R NIN]

macron said:

Scotland, and now September, so.... Fairly sharpish. The child's current Fiesta ST is fun but won't be appropriate when it starts to get cold. And it will get cold, lol!

Those Infiniti's tick all of your boxes.

You can get ones for around 5k but they'll be around the 100k mark, they'll still be ULEZ compliant & reliable though:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202507064...

They all have streaming/usb connectivity plus the one above has the sunroof light headlining adaptive cruise & 360 cameras.

Edited by ZX10R NIN on Monday 1st September 07:55

[A500leroy]

Mitsubishi delcia.

[borcy]

I'm not sure you can get 4x4 and 50+mpg together.

[croyde]

Dacia Duster.

[Chris_i8]

Duster 1.5DCi as above.

[croyde]

I drove my Duster from London to the Isle of Skye in biblically awful weather one year.

It was comfortable, nippy, frugal on fuel even at 80mph and was fine on the rough bits despite only being a 2wd version.

[Krikkit]

macron said:

Subaru XV. A sample of 1 with a good enough spec in budget, these seem largely forgotten about. For food reason it an overlooked gem?

Yes imho. They're built with an eye on the US and JDM, not really for Europe.

If you go for the auto it's a CVT, but a good one. We had one in our Outback (and an XV as a courtesy car) and they're very well programmed so they don't drone along, and extremely robust.

[Decky_Q]

From reading the recent article here a Lexus LS600H seems to be the best value AWD 2nd hand car on the market. Autotrader is showing them from £4999!

[Acuity30]

Cheapest options would be a Juke, Mokka or Countryman. Quashqi (sp) also might be in budget

[macron]

Gad-Westy said:

When you say it needs adjustable seats I’d assumed you meant electrically adjustable but starting to question that with the list of options you mentioned. Worth clarifying as it will make a huge difference to what options there are.

Lumbar is highly desirable, and there are some cheap options with just a simple lever on the side which is better than nothing, although things like the ZX brilliance have good electrics at least in part.

ZX10R NIN said:

Those Infiniti's tick all of your boxes.

You can get ones for around 5k but they'll be around the 100k mark, they'll still be ULEZ compliant & reliable though:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202507064...

They all have streaming/usb connectivity plus the one above has the sunroof light headlining adaptive cruise & 360 cameras.

Edited by ZX10R NIN on Monday 1st September 07:55

Yep they’re well worth a look, thanks. My search tolerance was wearing thin and the 30’s that turned up looked low on spec, so thanks for the reminder they exist!

A500leroy said:

Mitsubishi delcia.

I always like a wildcard! See also, LS600!!

borcy said:

I'm not sure you can get 4x4 and 50+mpg together.

Yeah it’s a tough ask, nurse you see, skint and a need to get to cold rough highland places, so can’t imagine she’ll get the full economy but if we try then who knows!

croyde said:

Dacia Duster.

Don’t see heated seats listed on what I assume is top spec “Prestige”, am I wrong? Wary of the elderly 1.5dci which I appreciate was in wide use, but few spent the money to replace cambelts which is a pricey job for no obvious reason, and like the Nissans below the AC parts seem prone to failure.

Krikkit said:

Yes imho. They're built with an eye on the US and JDM, not really for Europe.

If you go for the auto it's a CVT, but a good one. We had one in our Outback (and an XV as a courtesy car) and they're very well programmed so they don't drone along, and extremely robust.

Interesting, see a few in the Cotswolds and close to JLR but assume that’s because of local Subaru garages. They just seem hard to find…

Acuity30 said:

Cheapest options would be a Juke, Mokka or Countryman. Quashqi (sp) also might be in budget

Yes but the mokka (x?) as my OP really is a pile of wk, see also Juke which has failed the lass two cars ago (that ancient 1.5dci and constant AC failures, dash out to change the evaporator? Say what now?)

Anyway despite my moaning here genuinely appreciate all the input, some new choices to look at, mainly all Nissan/ Renault based, and conscious at this price range with the asks it will be very difficult to match everything!

[A500leroy]

Do look at the various JDM options, they tend to be better specd but will need waxoyl

[QuartzDad]

A quick AT search:

LR Evoque https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202508315...

LR Discovery Sport https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202507154...

Ford Kuga https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202508055...

Suzuki Swift https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202508055...

Jaguar XE https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202501238...

SsangYong Tivoli https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202507244...

Fiat Panda https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202508225...

Jeep Renegade https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202507304...

Suzuki Vitara https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202508285...

VW Tiguan https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202507024...

[STURBO]

From my experience.

Vitara doesn't have heated seats. S Cross does, but rarer.

But a 1.4 petrol Vitara should be drama free. I'd go for the non hybrid for simplicity.

I actually quite liked ours. 40mpg real world. Very comfortable and drama free car. We had the MHEV and I think it was a bit of a gimmick, with potential costs down the road. If I was to own older one it would be the simple petrol for sure.

Subaru would be the better car in poor weather, but running costs will be higher. XV a nice car, Forester / Outback is great too, but even thirstier.

Winter tyres too I pressume.
Panda 4x4 another choice, small car but will go anywhere. Not as comfy for long journeys but better than you'd think. Twin Air will get you 40mpg, Diesel 50mpg. Twin air better option unless you do mega miles. Winter pack gets heated seats, but no leather. These will hold onto value very well.

Petrol is a better choice in very cold temps.

Anything from Scotland I'd want to check for rust underneath if it's more than a few years old. And get it undercoated / maintaned once purchased. Might be worth a trip to the South to purchase.

[macron]

I asked about cruise in a Panda 4x4 thread in reader's car yesterday, sadly not, and there won't be any retrofitting going on thanks all the same. Also thirsty compared to the brief, despite owners loving them.

Didn't realise the Swift came with a 4x4 option- thanks.

There won't be any 2.0d JLR products for obvious "I didn't think a wet belt or a Pug puretech with no history was risky enough" type reasons.

The Jeeps do not seem to get a lot of love on PH, where are the engines from? Belt or chain? 2.0 or 2.2 in the one in my OP seem fairly widespread, are they all that bad? I remember reading a group test of the Renegade, can't remember what it was against, but the conclusion seemed to be "you'd really have to want to have a Jeep to buy it over anything else". Is that unfair? I am very much conscious this is not a premium buy and there will be naff plastic, poor ergo, and NVH above generally acceptable levels!