car / estate required 10-15k budget

[ge0rge]

Need a car that you can disable the front passenger airbag - for a baby seat.

Its gotta be 4wd (live on farm / in middle of nowhere)
Fair clearance, current subaru forresters great just unable to disable the passenger airbag.
Large boot for dogs
Diesel /
Isofix.

[Somnophore]

Just put the baby in the back it's safer anyway. Unless you're easily distracted but either way fannying about with a kid whilst you are driving is going to distract you. And how would you know for sure it was disabled?

[chrisispringles]

BMW 535d: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Audi A6 3.0 TDi: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Mercedes E320 CDi: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Volvo V70 D5: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

[ge0rge]

Somnophore said:

Just put the baby in the back it's safer anyway. Unless you're easily distracted but either way fannying about with a kid whilst you are driving is going to distract you. And how would you know for sure it was disabled?

Theres studys to suggest otherwise hence ive started looking into having the kid in the front

[MrLou]

Skoda Ocatvia Scout/4x4.

[Highway Star]

Octavia Scout (or the regular 4x4 if you don't want the plastic sump guard etc.).

I've got a 05 reg Octavia 4x4 estate and have pretty similar requirements to you, though was buying on a smaller budget. Very happy with mine, good fuel economy (even though I got the petrol not the diesel), reasonable servicing costs and its happy offroad, but with the Haldex clutch is not permanently 4wd.

Other possibilities that come to mind would be the Volvo XC70 D5 or Audi Allroad.

Edited by Highway Star on Sunday 29th August 11:12

[RobM77]

Why does it need to be four wheel drive? Unless it's a working vehicle for use in fields, you should be fine with two wheel drive around the farm and up and down the odd track, provided they're not too muddy. A friend of mine used to live on a farm, and my two wheel drive cars managed his half mile unmade farm track without a problem. My other friends with farms don't have unmade tracks (either concrete or they're close to a road), but I don't know any farms around here that require a four wheel drive car just to access them.

[GravelBen]

Tried a Subaru Outback? (if you can disable the airbag in them, I've never investigated that)

[ge0rge]

RobM77 said:

Why does it need to be four wheel drive? Unless it's a working vehicle for use in fields, you should be fine with two wheel drive around the farm and up and down the odd track, provided they're not too muddy. A friend of mine used to live on a farm, and my two wheel drive cars managed his half mile unmade farm track without a problem. My other friends with farms don't have unmade tracks (either concrete or they're close to a road), but I don't know any farms around here that require a four wheel drive car just to access them.

Because we own a farm, would use the car for potential towing of horse box / livestock trailer etc need to be able to pull trailer into fields and get back out.

[MrLou]

ge0rge said:

RobM77 said:

Why does it need to be four wheel drive? Unless it's a working vehicle for use in fields, you should be fine with two wheel drive around the farm and up and down the odd track, provided they're not too muddy. A friend of mine used to live on a farm, and my two wheel drive cars managed his half mile unmade farm track without a problem. My other friends with farms don't have unmade tracks (either concrete or they're close to a road), but I don't know any farms around here that require a four wheel drive car just to access them.

Because we own a farm, would use the car for potential towing of horse box / livestock trailer etc need to be able to pull trailer into fields and get back out.

You'd need to check the towing weight then as that's more serious work, not sure that an Octavia will pull a horse box. You might need to go up to a proper 4x4.

[ge0rge]

Hmm, a a4/6 with a v6 tdi would do the job surely?

[MrLou]

ge0rge said:

Hmm, a a4/6 with a v6 tdi would do the job surely?

It would depend on how heavy OP's trailer is. A6 3.0 TDI (braked) towing limit is 1800kg, Shogun 3.2 is 3300kg, Defender 3500kg.

I guess there's a reason people who tow big stuff drive Shogun/LandCruiser/Discovery etc.

[ge0rge]

NOt sure how a defenders braked towing weight would be any more than an a6 with a v6 tdi?

[MrLou]

ge0rge said:

NOt sure how a defenders braked towing weight would be any more than an a6 with a v6 tdi?

Towing capacity is directly related to maximum vehicle weight, the Defender (for example) has a much larger payload rating than the A6, so can tow a heavier trailer.

There's plenty of information on the net if you want to learn more.

[ge0rge]

Ill have to look it up..