Car Recommendation for Highlands / Islands
Car Recommendation for Highlands / Islands
Author
Discussion

Tom-3sdk2

Original Poster:

16 posts

121 months

Friday 16th June 2017
quotequote all
Hi Gang,

Work is offering me a once in a lifetime opportunity to relocate to the Outer Hebrides. It's a dream come true TBH for both myself and my wife.

I currently have a company car and I'll lose that in the move so will need to purchase a family transport. There's only the two of us atm, but we plan to have children soon after the move, and our two Labradors.

The island in question has an airport and good ferry links to the mainland. Now, the car's requirements are:

4x4 - It's the Outer Hebrides, and whilst the road network is good I can't help shake the feeling I will want something at least capable of this (Although a Defender would be a bit of overkill) just for the winters (which can be harsh) and with us potentially living some way from a paved road.

7 seats - Now yes we don't have any kids yet etc. BUT we will be having family (both sets of parents are retired) visiting us regularly, and I want to be able to pick up everyone from the airport in one trip. We have a VW Touran as my current company car and we've used it's 7 seats on numerous occasions.

A good tow car - Goes without saying.

Automatic - The Touran has the fantastic marriage of DSG box, automatic handbrake and adaptive cruise control that makes driving a synch. And TBH I've grown found of this setup. Whilst I can omit adaptive cruise as it'd only ever be used when back on the mainland I would like to retain the auto box and automatic handbrake (Although adaptive would be nice and basic cruise control would be essential for the semi-frequent drives back south).

Reliable - So this steers me Japanese. We will potentially be miles from the nearest garage, and even further from parts. I'm all about pre-emptive maintenance but I need a good base, something that isn't going to let me down.

Fuel type is irrelevant as my mileage will be sub-10k. And fuel economy is fairly irrelevant. Speed and power is fairly irrelevant, although I will need something with enough grunt to tow a trailer / caravan. Road tax etc. is also all irrelevant.

Would prefer 2nd Hand, maybe coming up to it's warranty expiry but will consider older, or newer and because it's a long term purchase cost is flex (Although I'm hoping not to go over 15k)

I've tried racking my brains and all I can come up with is a Nissan Qashqai +2 4x4 2.0 Petrol Auto, in some high enough spec. Any other suggestions?

haddock82

557 posts

156 months

Friday 16th June 2017
quotequote all
Surely Volvo XC70?


D_T_W

2,502 posts

233 months

Friday 16th June 2017
quotequote all
Tom-3sdk2 said:
Hi Gang,

Work is offering me a once in a lifetime opportunity to relocate to the Outer Hebrides. It's a dream come true TBH for both myself and my wife.

I currently have a company car and I'll lose that in the move so will need to purchase a family transport. There's only the two of us atm, but we plan to have children soon after the move, and our two Labradors.

The island in question has an airport and good ferry links to the mainland. Now, the car's requirements are:

4x4 - It's the Outer Hebrides, and whilst the road network is good I can't help shake the feeling I will want something at least capable of this (Although a Defender would be a bit of overkill) just for the winters (which can be harsh) and with us potentially living some way from a paved road.

7 seats - Now yes we don't have any kids yet etc. BUT we will be having family (both sets of parents are retired) visiting us regularly, and I want to be able to pick up everyone from the airport in one trip. We have a VW Touran as my current company car and we've used it's 7 seats on numerous occasions.

A good tow car - Goes without saying.

Automatic - The Touran has the fantastic marriage of DSG box, automatic handbrake and adaptive cruise control that makes driving a synch. And TBH I've grown found of this setup. Whilst I can omit adaptive cruise as it'd only ever be used when back on the mainland I would like to retain the auto box and automatic handbrake (Although adaptive would be nice and basic cruise control would be essential for the semi-frequent drives back south).

Reliable - So this steers me Japanese. We will potentially be miles from the nearest garage, and even further from parts. I'm all about pre-emptive maintenance but I need a good base, something that isn't going to let me down.

Fuel type is irrelevant as my mileage will be sub-10k. And fuel economy is fairly irrelevant. Speed and power is fairly irrelevant, although I will need something with enough grunt to tow a trailer / caravan. Road tax etc. is also all irrelevant.

Would prefer 2nd Hand, maybe coming up to it's warranty expiry but will consider older, or newer and because it's a long term purchase cost is flex (Although I'm hoping not to go over 15k)

I've tried racking my brains and all I can come up with is a Nissan Qashqai +2 4x4 2.0 Petrol Auto, in some high enough spec. Any other suggestions?
I'm guessing Lewis? Because there's next to sod all else happening on the rest of the islands!

Grab the opportunity with both hands, if you can settle into the island life it's a wonderful place to live, and I'd be there in a heartbeat if I could find a job!

Nanook said:
Shogun.

I've had a few, our last one was great. Switchable 2WD/4WD with low range and locking diffs, 5 speed auto, 3.2D with 200bhp and loads of torque, 7 seats, heated front seats, electric everything, 3 DVD players to keep the kids amused, 15 speaker Rockford Fosgate sound system, Sat Nav, sun roof, loads of storage space, and basically bombproof.

Was a great car for us, only sold it because we didn't need to tow any more, and she wanted something smaller again.
This, a million times over. You don't actually need a 4x4 on any of the islands (I've taken everything from a Panda 100hp to my current Shogun over) but it's a handy thing to have.

A lot simpler than most of the other 4x4's, which in the Hebrides is helpful as parts aren't delivered by Dingbro in less than 2 hours. The other option would be a Land Cruiser (not the Amazon, the smaller one).

Neither will drive with a great deal of refinement to be honest it actually won't matter in the slightest up there, you're not going to be doing 20k a year in it. Plus if you need to come back to the mainland in it you'll at least be able to get past Inverness in the winter

David87

6,908 posts

230 months

Friday 16th June 2017
quotequote all
Do Ford not sell an AWD S-Max? That might be worth a look.

cib24

1,126 posts

171 months

Friday 16th June 2017
quotequote all
Nanook said:
Shogun.

I've had a few, our last one was great. Switchable 2WD/4WD with low range and locking diffs, 5 speed auto, 3.2D with 200bhp and loads of torque, 7 seats, heated front seats, electric everything, 3 DVD players to keep the kids amused, 15 speaker Rockford Fosgate sound system, Sat Nav, sun roof, loads of storage space, and basically bombproof.

Was a great car for us, only sold it because we didn't need to tow any more, and she wanted something smaller again.
Except for rust I presume?

Tom-3sdk2

Original Poster:

16 posts

121 months

Friday 16th June 2017
quotequote all
Thanks guys I always overlook Mitsubishi. I'll give the Shogun a look now. Will see if I can see an AWD S-Max as well, not sure I could trust a Ford's reliability though. And hadn't considered a Volvo! Are they really as reliable as you think?

It's the Uists actually, so just south of Lewis and Harris. It's only 1.5 hr ferry to Skye and therefore the mainland road network (thanks to the Skye bridge) and 2.5-3 hours to Inverness from there. But the airport has direct flights to Inverness and Glasgow (and then from Glasgow obviously to pretty much anywhere in the world).

Both me and my wife grew up in rural Lincolnshire, so a similar lifestyle, but have since moved to the cities for work and well... 12 years later we still hate it!

Any other suggestions guys? Anything to look out for issues / nice-to-have's on the aforementioned vehicles?


Krikkit

27,584 posts

199 months

Friday 16th June 2017
quotequote all
Ford and Volvo are just as good as normal brands these days - the Shogun might edge it from increased simplicity in its design, but it's also a more agricultural vehicle.

Personally I'd be looking at a Volvo XC70 for a good mix of comfort, quality and designed with winter in mind. That said if you've got most 7-seaters full there won't be much room for luggage... Have you got a trailer? biggrin

Willy Nilly

12,511 posts

185 months

Friday 16th June 2017
quotequote all
Buy what ever the locals are driving and can be fixed locally

ian2144

1,693 posts

240 months

Friday 16th June 2017
quotequote all
The Shogun is not without issue..

I've been running a 3.2 Di D for 3 years now......ongoing A/C problems, replaced leaking fuel tank, fractured transmission fluid pipes plus various other stuff.....cost have gone beyond £2500 for this work alone. Sadly I'm not the happiest of Shogun owners and will be Looking to replace it with a Dacia Duster 4x4 soon. If I were looking to stay with a larger 4x4 I'd go Land Cruiser.

Edited by ian2144 on Friday 16th June 16:19

anonymous-user

72 months

Friday 16th June 2017
quotequote all
How about a Kia Sorrento, pretty decent motors and come with 7 year warranty so even one a few years old will have few years warranty left

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

144 months

Friday 16th June 2017
quotequote all
Tom-3sdk2 said:
4x4 - It's the Outer Hebrides, and whilst the road network is good I can't help shake the feeling I will want something at least capable of this (Although a Defender would be a bit of overkill) just for the winters (which can be harsh) and with us potentially living some way from a paved road.
Do you just want traction, or do you need ground clearance?

Tom-3sdk2

Original Poster:

16 posts

121 months

Friday 16th June 2017
quotequote all
Proving quite difficult to find a 7-seater XC-70.

Is the Sorrento 7 seats?

I need it for a bit of both, the ground clearance will be very useful and the 4x4 can prove handy in the winter.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

144 months

Friday 16th June 2017
quotequote all
Tom-3sdk2 said:
I need it for a bit of both, the ground clearance will be very useful and the 4x4 can prove handy in the winter.
So you need an "off-roader" SUV. An AWD sprogbus won't help.

Patrick Bateman

12,761 posts

192 months

Friday 16th June 2017
quotequote all
Wouldn't have thought snow would be much of an issue there that far west.

exelero

1,974 posts

107 months

Friday 16th June 2017
quotequote all
Tom-3sdk2 said:
Thanks guys I always overlook Mitsubishi. I'll give the Shogun a look now. Will see if I can see an AWD S-Max as well, not sure I could trust a Ford's reliability though. And hadn't considered a Volvo! Are they really as reliable as you think?

It's the Uists actually, so just south of Lewis and Harris. It's only 1.5 hr ferry to Skye and therefore the mainland road network (thanks to the Skye bridge) and 2.5-3 hours to Inverness from there. But the airport has direct flights to Inverness and Glasgow (and then from Glasgow obviously to pretty much anywhere in the world).

Both me and my wife grew up in rural Lincolnshire, so a similar lifestyle, but have since moved to the cities for work and well... 12 years later we still hate it!

Any other suggestions guys? Anything to look out for issues / nice-to-have's on the aforementioned vehicles?
There has been one on AT and featured in quite a lot of papers a V70 with almost 700k and Auto box which apparently never broke down

anonymous-user

72 months

Saturday 17th June 2017
quotequote all
I lived on a very remote island in Norway for some years, get what ever you can get service and parts for, I can tell you from personal experience how important this is, nothing worse than staging miles by ferry and road for service.

babatunde

736 posts

208 months

Saturday 17th June 2017
quotequote all
Berw said:
I lived on a very remote island in Norway for some years, get what ever you can get service and parts for, I can tell you from personal experience how important this is, nothing worse than staging miles by ferry and road for service.
This, find out what dealers exist locally, restrict your search to their make of vehicles

biggles330d

2,122 posts

168 months

Saturday 17th June 2017
quotequote all
If you're on the islands, any old heap. The salt will rust it to death, the roads are generally pretty poor but on the upside, you get island exception from having an MOT... you'll find far more scrap cars up there per head of population than anywhere else in my experience for that reason... last gasp motoring heaven.

biggles330d

2,122 posts

168 months

Saturday 17th June 2017
quotequote all
Oh, and something fairly common with cheap spares and good supply. Don't forget that everything has to be imported to the islands and the 'local' factor supply will either be Glasgow or Inverness. Transport costs will make anything you need quite a bit more expensive, and most online suppliers offering 'free delivery' have exceptions for the islands, so expect a double digit delivery surcharge on any internet order.

Depthhoar

683 posts

146 months

Saturday 17th June 2017
quotequote all
Do you really need 4 wheel drive? If you're not going up bumpy, off road tracks - or are a farmer - then 4x4 will be overkill. Plus, snow and hard frost in the Western Isles are rare.

I live nr Aviemore in the Cairngorms and drive a rear wheel drive BMW throughout the winter (but always on winter tyres) often on minor roads that can be 'white' sometimes for a few weeks. Most of the locals have front wheel drive mainstream cars and manage to get around fine. Winter tyres make a huge difference to mobility here.

Buy something fairly mainstream that the local spannerman can fix, or at least easily get parts for from the mainland. Repairs to cars with big issues in complicated mechanical and/or electronic systems will more than likely require a trip to one of the main dealers in Inverness. (My experience of the main dealers in Inverness is that they are not very good at fixing complicated problems and are surprisingly - for the Highlands - expensive.)