Snow place like home

I live in a small Devon village at the bottom of a very steep hill that remained ungritted during the recent snow. This has persuaded me that a 4x4 would be advantageous, but I detest the tank -like size of many of them. Something around the size of a Subaru Impreza would be ideal, but I think the design is uninspiring and I've never liked Subaru road noise. I have around £15,000 to spend; can you recommend a suitable vehicle please?

Asked on 21 March 2009 by

Answered by Honest John

4WD doesn't get you out of slippery conditions as well as a set of winter tyres will. But some alternatives to an Impreza are a Skoda Octavia 4WD, or a FIAT Sedici 1.9D 4WD or Suzuki SX4 1.9D 4WD (same vehicle). These latter two have recently been heavily discounted. Tested with the Suzuki badge at www.honestjohn.co.uk But the best 4wd in the snow has always been the FIAT Panda, simply because it is lighter than the others and often drives over snow instead of sinking into it.

Tags: buying 4x4s snow winter tyres winter

Dear Honest John,

Please help me choose my next car. I would like it to have:

Similar questions

SUV standard roads

I’m looking for a premium diesel SUV automatic with a budget of around £40k. I’m concerned that winters in this country are going to become increasingly more severe for the foreseeable future due to decreased...

4wd car Vs SUV

I am relocating to North Yorkshire with a commute through the Yorkshire Dales. I assume I will need a four-wheel drive for the snow in winter? If so, is a 4WD car sufficient or should I look at an SUV?...

New family car

Being snowed in for the third time, I am looking at the possibility of an alternative to my Audi A3, to get me back on the road, but don't care for the huge Jeep/Land Rover type 4x4's, which are far too...