4wd SUV/Estate

[MattyD803]

IMO, if you want the same reliability that the Honda Civic has given over the last however many years, and you'd like to offer you another long period of service, it needs to be tried and tested Japanese marque......

I'd personally stick with:

Honda (Gen 4 CRV),
Toyota (Rav 4)
Lexus (RX450h)
Subaru (Forrester)

Good offerings from Kia & Hyundai too, but have no real ownership experience with those.

Regardless, I would suggest for the mileage, petrol models only. Buy something low mileage from an approved main dealer (Same make as the car) and haggle for the longest warranty & servicing package they will offer you, and your good to go.

As you will note, they are all "SUV" options, and whilst this is PH and they are the most hated thing known to man, they are super easy to get in and out of, offer better ground clearance if you do end up in snowy or muddy conditions and offer better visibility - again, helpful in more rural areas.

[CAH706]

MattyD803 said:

IMO, if you want the same reliability that the Honda Civic has given over the last however many years, and you'd like to offer you another long period of service, it needs to be tried and tested Japanese marque......

I'd personally stick with:

Honda (Gen 4 CRV),
Toyota (Rav 4)
Lexus (RX450h)
Subaru (Forrester)

Good offerings from Kia & Hyundai too, but have no real ownership experience with those.

Regardless, I would suggest for the mileage, petrol models only. Buy something low mileage from an approved main dealer (Same make as the car) and haggle for the longest warranty & servicing package they will offer you, and your good to go.

As you will note, they are all "SUV" options, and whilst this is PH and they are the most hated thing known to man, they are super easy to get in and out of, offer better ground clearance if you do end up in snowy or muddy conditions and offer better visibility - again, helpful in more rural areas.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Really helpful and I think that is where my head is at. I like my Honda so would have a CRV.

The Lexus gets a few mentions so I will include that in my search.

[MattyD803]

CAH706 said:

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Really helpful and I think that is where my head is at. I like my Honda so would have a CRV.

The Lexus gets a few mentions so I will include that in my search.

No problem, good luck! A CRV on good all season tyres and your laughing. My mk3 was unstoppable! The Lexus will be just as competent and add that extra layer of refinement and luxury however, although it'll be an older car for the money.

[Pica-Pica]

Pyrolysis said:

I picked up this Subaru XV a few months ago to use for work and get me through the winter up here in Scotland instead of using my 640d GC. So far I've had no snow so a bit gutted. Permanent AWD and auto. Seems robust and its the 2.0i non turbo boxer so simple and reliable hopefully. Decent boot too and I think it looks pretty good in the burgundy purple colour. I do like it and it's the first SUV type vehicle I have had. Will probably hold onto it long term.

I must admit, the Subaru XV is growing on me. ‘Growing’, may not be the best word to use, because it seems a sensibly narrower car than many others. I may stick that model on my list to watch. Useful for winters, muddy tracks and lines; just the sort of places where we like to park up to go walking.

[Pica-Pica]

Pyrolysis said:

I picked up this Subaru XV a few months ago to use for work and get me through the winter up here in Scotland instead of using my 640d GC. So far I've had no snow so a bit gutted. Permanent AWD and auto. Seems robust and its the 2.0i non turbo boxer so simple and reliable hopefully. Decent boot too and I think it looks pretty good in the burgundy purple colour. I do like it and it's the first SUV type vehicle I have had. Will probably hold onto it long term.

I must admit, the Subaru XV is growing on me. ‘Growing’, may not be the best word to use, because it seems a sensibly narrower car than many others. I may stick that model on my list to watch. Useful for winters, muddy tracks and lines; just the sort of places where we like to park up to go walking.

[Skyrocket21]

From what you describe, I think a Toyota Rav 4 with a hybrid engine and "awd" would be ideal for your situation, the essential thing to do is get some very good tyres so Michelin Crossclimates are very good in most situations and then there's a huge choice of winter tyres available too for extreme weather conditions The boot is fairly large, the only caveat maybe it's depth can your dog see out? because the windows are quite high up, I guess a test drive would be a very good idea to see that the ride comfort is there, some 4x4s or suv's have harsh springs.

For extreme comfort look for something with air suspension. If you wanted to save some money, the Skoda Yetis are very good, but they're always better with diesel and doing only 3k its not worth all the extra expense of DPF, EGR etc problems.

The Rav 4 like this:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109237...