What Proper 4x4 for mud/snow/ICE?

[sidekickdmr]

I'm after a 5 door 4x4 that can handle some decent snow and ice as our new house is out in the sticks with some very steep roads that will not see any Salt or snowploughs in the winter.

I Like the Discovery 2 but the wife thinks it's a bit big, so what options do I have?

It should be Manual, diesel, 5 door and a decent boot.

But the main thing again is not a soft roader, does a smaller decent 4wd car exist?

Buget is about £3,500

Thanks

[sidekickdmr]

CAPP0 said:

I was at Defender 110 until you said budget; you're not going to get much for that. If not it's probably the Landcruiser, but if the missus thinks the Disco is too big, that's not going to work either.

I can't think of anything which is really going to meet your needs that's smaller. The little Suzukis are said to be very capable offroad but they're not 5 door.

Only just sold my defender 110, reason being it was too valuable to bash around as a winter hack/backup vehicle.

There is lots of choice in that budget, just don't know how capable they are

Freelander

X-trail

Shogun

Xc90

[sidekickdmr]

Audi allroad - our other car is an Audi Quattro, so would be a bit too similar.

And after having some building work done this week our driveway looked like this:



So it needs to be a proper off roader with decent ground clearance etc

I couldn't get a freelander 2 for that money no, but a decent freelander one:

I just found my dream car... Search for yours via Auto Trader #DrivenByMe
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

And then get some decent winter wheels and tyres.

[sidekickdmr]

300bhp/ton said:

Your profile says Berkshire. How much snow and ice do you really expect??

I'm also not sure I understand what you want. You say big boot, but imply a large vehicle is a no go, so it must be small. You can't have big on the inside and small on the outside without defying the laws of physics.

You've also said not a soft roader, but then haven't listed a load of soft roaders later on??


Something fairly light, with traction control and the RIGHT tyres will work well in the snow. Ground clearance or lack of it is usually what stops most AWD cars in deeper snow.

A Freelander 1 with TCS would be a capable snow vehicle. Boot is moderate rather than large. Although you may be surprised that they aren't massively smaller on the outside than a Disco 2.

Vitara's are ok and capable. But have a traditional 4wd system with open axle diffs. In the snow, something like a TCS equipped Freelander would be superior.

Some of the Jeep models would be quite up to the task, as would something like a Forrester or Legacy Outback.

I need to update that, I’m in deepest darkest north Devon now, my driveway is about 200-300 meters long and about 20-30% incline, that's before I even hit the single track road that takes you out the village.

When I say "soft roader" I mean fake off roaders, things like Nissan jukes, vauxhall mocca etc, although I believe they are 2wd anyway.

And size wise, a 110, pathfinder or disco is bigger than we need, but a freelander/xtrail is just the right size. I don’t want anything smaller than that, so Jimmy's/pandas/Vitara's are out.

Basically, want a medium size 4x4 with good ground clearance and a proper 4wd system, that’s it.

Ill check out the Forrester, that could work, Father in-law has one and seems ok.

[sidekickdmr]

Thats handy as the freelander is my favorate so far.

The one I've linked to above look good?

I'll get a set of proper winter wheels and tyres for it too of course.

Is hill start and traction a must for the type of driving ive reffered to? I'll phone and ask if it has them if so.

[sidekickdmr]

I was thinking about changing the current tyres to "AT" tyres anyway, as it wont be used for motorway driving or anything like that, thats what the Audi is for, so dont need to be grippy at speed/quiet/refined.

And then the winter wheels /tyres getting some proper snow and ice tyres, perhaps even spiked ones, as you say, not just winter tyres designed to get into the office down the M3.

[sidekickdmr]

Off to look at a freelander tonight!

How about the Shogun Pinin? Looks to be a decent smaller 5 door 4x4, in the pics I think I can see a 4wd selector/high/low knob?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

[sidekickdmr]

No they do a 5 door version, its rarer than the 3 door but there is a few about.

Check the link I posted

I'll have a google of the issues now, thanks

[sidekickdmr]

techguyone said:

I'll only say 5 door Grand Vitara one last time, is there a problem 'proper' 4 wheel drive, awesome off road ability, good ground clearance, price is right, size is right, reliability is 1,000 times better than any land rover product.

What's the issue?

Sorry you are right I have ignored this suggestion a few times.

I keep looking at them, and dont get me wrong, none of the cars im looking at are going to win any beauty contests, but I just couldnt live with the looks of one, sorry

[sidekickdmr]

loskie said:

You maybe want a 4x4 but you dont need one.

If you saw the state of my newly detailed S4 you would disagree

The driveway was so much of a mudbath last week (peak summer) that my dad in his BMW 530D had to abandon it at the end of the drive and walk up at least my Audi is a quattro.

And yes, we do need to get the driveway fixed up.

[sidekickdmr]

toni2has said:

If ground clearance is not a problem suggest VW Golf V6 4Motion 5 door which is a 4WD car and available for considerably less that that sort of money or if you want a saloon with split rear seats and through boot accessibility try a VW Bora V6 4Motion also 4WD. We have had two of the latter and our Son has a Golf V6 4Motion also 4WD all of which have been excellent in quite deep snow and adverse weather and we live at 100ft (330m) above sea level (!). Unfortunately a second hand 4WD Golf 5 door R32 will probably be outside of your price range as most sellers are still asking silly prices, but apart from older and well-used versions of Toyota, Mitsubishi, Mazda or similar 4WD SUV's or considerably older and again well-used Land Rovers or perhaps Freelanders (the Mk2 is better) then I am afraid you have little choice.

Our "other" car is a 4wd Audi S4 Quattro, so that box is already cleared, we're just after a go anywhere anytime workhorse/van really, so the boxy/big shape of a 4x4 works well for us too.

Think we are settled on freelander/Xtrail/forester now anyway, off to look at a decent looking freelander tomorrow evening.

Thanks all

[sidekickdmr]

Thanks for the advice!

mclwanB said:

So at the least check all 4 wheel can move before you buy it!

How would I do this on a dealership forecourt?

[sidekickdmr]

Freelanders did seems to have a lot of issues, but the earlier petrol ones mainly.

From the research I've done the TD4 BMW engine one was much much better and most of the issues ironed out.

But understandably people think Freelander=unreliable

[sidekickdmr]

Just to bring the thread to a close

Say hello to frank the freelander:





And this is his home

First half of drive


2nd half

[sidekickdmr]

LandRoverManiac said:

Nice one. Welcome to the green oval!

Thanks, but I did only just sell my defender 110

[sidekickdmr]

loskie said:

yes this/\
Methinks he just wanted a 4x4!
Why not just say that in the first place?

What, like starting a thread titled "What 4x4?"

It wasnt called "4x4 or FWD hatchback?"