I live in a village with a few fields, so I am thinking, when things settle down a bit, I would like to be able to get to work on the two days of the year that we are slightly snow bound.
OK OK I like 4 x 4s but I promise not to clutter up school entrances with it. I truly believe in walking or school bus where this is concerned.
I was dreaming about the Freelander, but then saw some press ads WRT the Suzuki Grand Vitara at about £14,000 (5 dr) about £2,000 cheaper than what seemed to be the same spec Freelander.
I read up on this on HJs Car by Car breakdown and I was disappointed. Friends say go for the CR-V or RAV 4. I see that Ford now do a new Terrano (Nissan built?) Just when I thought that I could not possibly be faced with more choice I am confronted by the Kia version (they boast that their Focused sized car is half the price of the Focus).
Does anyone know of any more small 4 x 4s? Which is the best on the market at the moment.
Is the Freelander overpriced? Can we negotiate good discounts on the dealer forecourts at the moment?
Hugo
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If you search the Backroom its just possible you might find an opinion from me on the Freelander.
Suffice to say, I would drive one - if both my legs were broken and there were no witnesses and I didn\'t care whether I arrived at all and if I did arrive, whether or not I was bothered about a comfortable journey without having to keep stopping and collect the pieces which had fallen off.
I am sure that the Freelander is fit for the purpose for which it was intended - however, I have no idea what that purpose might be except that it does not include being off-road or being on freeways.
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If you MUST have a 4x4 then what about a Subaru Legacy or its boxier looking sibling the Forester (I think that's what it's called).
Only caveat is that you might struggle to find a local dealer...
To be honest if you are just talking about 2 days a year I raelly wouldn't bother and would spend the money on a proper car instead instead of wasting fuel driving around with all the extra mechanicals unused for 363 days a year!!
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We had a CRV for a while, choosing it over the usual suspects in this sector. It is a very car-like drive, well equipped and reliable, with plenty of space. It normally runs in FWD but switches to 4wd in slippy conditions. I found it to be very good in snow. The residuals of the previous model are slipping now but have been very good.
PB.
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Hugo
Very compatible to Village life:
Landrover 90 Hard Top TDi.
Space for two up front and a cavern in the rear for all the junk,logs, refuse, kitchen sink etc or four passengers if cleaned out.
Must have kudos as a member of this Forum went all the way to Spain for one.
DVD.
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DVD, beat me to it there!
Was going to suggest the same, only why not buy an old LR, one for say sub £2.5K, then run it alongside what you've got now. Would save you a fortune in depreciation against a new 4x4 and you can keep it going forever. The poor economy won't enter the equation if you only cover low mileage.
Baz
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We stay in the sticks about 30 miles west of Aberdeen at about 1000 feet so snow features in our driving quite a lot about this time of year (though not much this winter...so far). Our growing family meant that we had to swop our two door Ford Ka for something with four doors and we plumped for a Daihatsu Terios beacause of the 4x4.
The Ka with snow tyres was great and very reassuring, if lacking in ground clearance for those drifts, but I'd expect the Terios to be a lot better, though it's not really been challenged yet.
Dependant on your circumstances, snow tyres might be a better option. Four rims cost £40 from our local breakers. The Vredstein Snowtrac tyres were a bit pricey but considering they were only used during the winter I'd expect quite a few winters out of them before replacement was necessary. Storage space isn't a problem for us for the set of wheels not in use, and 20 mintues to swop them over when snow was threatened didn't seem too arduous.
My wife loves the 4x4 for the height, visibility and drivability but the 1.3 engine is quite frugal, if a bit "busy" at 60 mph - I always keep looking for a higher gear when I'm driving it. It's a bit of a niche car but as that's the niche we're in it seems to fit perfectly.
Just my two cents,
Chris TD
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Chris, how long are the snow tyres likely to last off the car and what's the best way to store them without the rubber detetiorating / perishing?
No Dosh - He who dies with the most toys wins.
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I've just bought a 1989 car with 14000 miles on the clock, so the tyres are low mileage but 14 years old. I was expecting to have to change them immediately but they look to be in good condition with no sign of cracks in the sidewalls. The only reason I can think of for this is the fact that it was garaged all that time and therefore remained in the dark. I understood that the exposure to light is what deteriorates them and this would seem to support that view.
KB.
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I've stored them at working pressure, in the garage, leaning against the wall. Whether that's the best I don't know. I suppose there are arguments about lowering the pressure or not, storing off the ground and/or lying them on their side, but possibly the storage out of the elements is the main factor.
I'm open to other suggestions though.
Cheers
Chris TD
PS Problem now we've changed the Ka is I've still got two of the wheels left - normally we keep vehicles for years - this was the shortest ever ownership time for us.
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Probably keeping them out of UV light would prolong their life?
I know caravan tyres will always need replacing due to deterioration long before they've worn out. 5 years is reckoned to be the limit but one way of extending their life by a couple of years is to overwinter them in the dark (and off the 'van to avoid flatspotting).
Terry
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Approx what mpg are you getting from the Terios?
I was considering one for my wife, but am put off by the thought of sub-40mpg, after being used for the past few years at getting 50-70mpg from various diesel hatchbacks.
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About 35-37mpg, same as the ford Ka but it takes a bit longer to get up to speed. Bit of body roll as well, but maybe it's a 4x4 thing.
We were used to 25 mpg from the Volvo 240 auto so a great improvement over that. The Astra TD does 40-42 mpg by comparison.
We looked at other bigger diesel 4x4's (Disco, Landcruiser, Trooper, etc) and they were only 25-28mpg, so this seemed the best mix of four doors, size, economy, 4x4, purpose, etc.
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First ask yourself what do you REALLY want to do in it?
Then I'd go with Baz, Landies are cheap. So have one as a second car. Maybe you don't need a 4x4 at all, so you won't have wasted your money. Or maybe you do need one, in which you'll have a 4x4 second to none.
I took our Disco out on Sunday along a very muddy track. We had at one point muddy water over the bonnet and she keeps on going. Fantastic. In the Series III's I would have got a wet a*** at that point!
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Whats wrong with the word a r s e? Ray Allen and his side kick Lord Charles used to say that on prime time TV for goodness sake!
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Agreed. I was tired and emotional when the deal was struck (as SWMBO reminds me I never usually accpet that an excuse in work) But it is a very honest sort of vehicle IYKWIM
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Hogo,
I also have been researching the same subject, i.e. mid size 4x4.
The Honda CRV seems great (a friend has one is "over the moon" with it). The only problem is the price, especially dealers, over £8000 for a S Reg with over 50,000 miles. You may get more options & value for money with the Toyota RAV4.
Subaru Forester (see link via the news index www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/index.htm?news_id=978 where a new one new one advertised by www.trade-sales.co.uk for £12,000.
As I am not in a hurry, I have decided to wait for either a sencibly price CRV or may even consider a "bargain" post 1998 Frontera or Grand Vitara (fully loaded).
Old Bill
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A Subaru Justy 4 x 4 pre 1996. I'm on my second and are now really cheap to buy second hand.
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If it's only for a few days a year and you have the space, why not keep an eye out for a Panda 4x4? OK, so no street cred but they sound like a good enough little beast and they'll cost next to nothing to buy and run and will go on for long enough. Otherwise, something like a Suzuki Vitara (old type) would probably do as well. If you have space for a second car and wouldn't benefit from having a 4x4 for the rest of the year then best to go for a second car I feel.
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ependant on the size of vehicle you need, why not try a Suzuki Jimney, 40 mpg and voted best 4x4 by Off Road Magazine in 2001.
Cheap to buy as well,you should be able to pick one up for £8,000 new.
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I believe the Jimny is a huge improvement on its 'SJ' predecessors (coil springs, for one thing!). I remember Top Gear giving one a tremendous thrashing over the rough stuff and finding very little wrong with it.
The Kia Sportage is a lot better than you might think, too, and one of the few that looks like it actually originated on a drawing board. The European ones were made by Karmann in Germany, though not sure if this is still the case. Petrol only, I believe.
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I went to see the CRV when it was new. I asked to see one, sales guy says which one? Me: Any one. Him: But which model? Me: I don't know as I've not seen them yet. Any one will do I just want a 4x4 and would like to see if it will fit the bill. Him: Well you can't off road in it. It's rubbish at that, you'd break it. Besides you won't get decent tyres in this size so you'll just get stuck.
So I never did see it.
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