Help with choosing a car, please

[driverrob]

I never thought I'd start one of these threads but ...

We're planning on moving to rural West Country. The areas we've been scouring for suitable properties all seem to involve narrow, twisty, steep lanes. We don't expect to be doing many long (potentially fast) journeys.

I love my Jeep and my OH loves her MR2 but neither are best suited to where we'll be living.

So, we're considering something with a similar seating and load capacity to the Jeep, still reasonably powerful but maybe nearer 30 mpg than 15 mpg. Probably manual, petrol with switchable 2/4 drive. I don't plan any "green-laning" but the ability to cope with some mud would be handy.

Budget probably £10-15k after selling both cars.

A newish Rav4 looks the best choice from some reviews I've been reading online.

All opinions and experience welcome and thanks, in advance.

[ManOpener]

Audi Allroad? You'll blend right in plus they're better than a RAV4 both off and on the road.
Subaru Legacy estate
Subaru Forester.

[driverrob]

So, I've spent far too many hours scouring the web for reviews, Autotrader and PH classifieds for possibilities.

Today I went to see a Jeep patriot but it simply looked too ugly. But they had a 2011 Jeep Compass (one that had evaded my radar) and it would actually seem to be rather good, and good value. Does anyone have any experience?

[rollondeath]

New Dacia duster?

[Jim AK]

Subaru. Subaru or Subaru!

Look at what the locals drive £ to a pinch it will be a Subaru.

[Sixpackpert]

Disco?

[Willy Nilly]

Another "I'm moving to the country and need a 4x4" thread

I'll bet 500 quid my Jazz will get up every lane in the west country

[Benbay001]

I live in the rural westcountry.
I have an MR2.
My mums partner has a petrol Jeep.
They are a fine choice.

[Benbay001]

Willy Nilly said:

I'll bet 500 quid my Jazz will get up every lane in the west country

Yep.
Its a complete myth that 4x4 is nessesary to live in the country.

[DevonPaul]

Benbay001 said:

I live in the rural westcountry.
I have an MR2.
My mums partner has a petrol Jeep.
They are a fine choice.

We live in the rural Westcountry (althought we do have tarmac past the house now).
We also have an MR2, and a battered old Carina. Before that was a battered old Camry.

I also have a Maserati. It doesn't fit down the lanes very well, but the MR2 has surprisingly good ground clearance, and is helpfully narro to throw into a hedge when some oik comes around a corner in a 4x4 and doesn't think anythin is there becase you're too low to see over the hedge. I might get a bit whippy aerial with a flag on.

It very rarely snows down here, and when it does it is usually gone before you run out of milk, so you don't need a 4x4. Even if you do get soething you must put fat low profile summer tyres on and spin the wheels with the engine bouncing off the limiter, because that is how people down here drive in mud and snow. Meanwhile we go around them in the Carina or on the bike

If you're properly rural, chances are it will be something Japanese, Subaru or Toyota.

[Sid's Dad]

Whatever you do, make sure you get a Barbour, a tweed flat cap and an Aga. You want to fit in, after all.;)

Honestly, OP, if you like your cars, keep them. There are Tarmac roads all over the West Country, and your cars will manage just fine.

[nagsheadwarrior]

I lived down several miles of narrow lane in Devon for years, survived ok with a Mk3 Honda Prelude.
It's the UK, not Afghanistan!

[driverrob]

Benbay001 said:

Yep.
Its a complete myth that 4x4 is nessesary to live in the country.

Much to my surprise, it seems you may well be right. A Google street view tour of the village and area we have our eyes on revealed just one Rangie and One Mitsu 4x4.

After 8 years with my Mitsu GTO, I do like the feel of AWD under me on snow & ice but I guess there won't even be much of that in Cornwall.

That just makes the choice of a more economical replacement for the SRT even harder in some ways but thanks to all who contributed. I'll let you know what I decide.

[Benbay001]

driverrob said:

Much to my surprise, it seems you may well be right. A Google street view tour of the village and area we have our eyes on revealed just one Rangie and One Mitsu 4x4.

After 8 years with my Mitsu GTO, I do like the feel of AWD under me on snow & ice but I guess there won't even be much of that in Cornwall.

That just makes the choice of a more economical replacement for the SRT even harder in some ways but thanks to all who contributed. I'll let you know what I decide.

A grand cherokee SRT-8?
LPG and a set of Bf goodrich AT tyres would be a cheaper alternative.

[driverrob]

Benbay001 said:

A grand cherokee SRT-8?
LPG and a set of Bf goodrich AT tyres would be a cheaper alternative.

Mmmm
Thinking.

2008 price quote for lpg conversion was £3,300. It'd take at least 70,000 miles to recoup that.
Those tyres don't seem to be available for wheels bigger than 18" so I'd have to buy wheels, too.

Decisions, decisions.

[Condi]

Any car will do it, with some semi-sensible tyres and a semi-sensible driver. You are likely to run out of ground clearance before you run out of grip, even in a 2wd. Besides 'the country' in the UK is 99.99% tarmac, and the remaining 0.01% is not exactly mission impossible. Just buy what you like.

For a job I spend my time driving the countryside and go more 'off road' than most country people ever do. Ford Focus, Audi A4 and Pug 306 have all done the job well enough.

[driverrob]

So, all we've decided is that we only need one car so the wife's MR2 is going. Provided she's happy driving the SRT8, it stays. It's automatic, the same size, same road tax etc as the newer 3L turbo model I had my eye on and the garage will only offer me a stupid amount in part-exchange.
Sod the fuel consumption; we won't be doing a huge mileage anyway.