Something small quirky/fun and 4x4

[Gad-Westy]

The GW family are moving to the sticks. Well we will be if our solicitors ever get around to sorting it! We're moving to an area on the edge of the pennines that is high enough to see regular wintery winters. Since my Mrs's leased Leon goes back in March anyway, we'll probably take the opportunity to replace her car with something 4x4 with a set of winters. It might not be absolutely necessary but we'll be pretty remote on an un-gritted tiny road so seems like it would be worth having something reasonably weather proof.

Car's main jobs will be 10 mile school run, dog transport and the odd longer drive. It needs to be 5 door but ideally not too big. Her Leon is fine but we'd get away with next size down as well.

It's not an essential but something slightly quirky/interesting/fun/different would be preferred. I realise there are loads of SUV's that fit the bill but it's not really what either of us would normally gravitate to. Budget a little flexible but we're unlikely to want to spend enough to be too precious about it but I don't want to buy something unreliable either, probably £3-10k. Would prefer petrol to diesel but not an absolute. PH credentials not necessary but not a bad thing either.

Short list so far:

Fiat Panda Cross (need to read up a bit about engine options though)

Erm, that's it so far. I have thought about Suzuki Ignis and swifts and hatch back Impreza as well but they're not really appealing to mrs GW. Would welcome some inspiration.

[A500leroy]

panda as you said or search out a suzuki swift 4x4

[RATATTAK]

Rav 4 or one of these



(only three doors though}

[Gad-Westy]

RATATTAK said:

Rav 4 or one of these



(only three doors though}

I like those but 3 doors would be an issue. The jimny would be on the list too if it had more doors and a bigger boot.

5 door rav4 seems a bit ordinary but I imagine it's a very easy thing to own and run.

[Gad-Westy]

A500leroy said:

panda as you said or search out a suzuki swift 4x4

The Panda is firm favourite. The cross in particular though it seems we'd be paying quite a big extra for the 'rugged' styling.

The Swift seems a good option but boot might be too small/wrong shape. The taller panda boot seems better for a dog but I'd like to see them in person.

Is Ignis is smaller again?

[Huntsman]

We are out in the sticks. Not frosty and snowy but a lot of water and mud.

Honda CR-V is horrible nasty naff thing but it is a very good tool for what it is. I know its an SUV.

[A500leroy]

Gad-Westy said:

A500leroy said:

panda as you said or search out a suzuki swift 4x4

The Panda is firm favourite. The cross in particular though it seems we'd be paying quite a big extra for the 'rugged' styling.

The Swift seems a good option but boot might be too small/wrong shape. The taller panda boot seems better for a dog but I'd like to see them in person.

Is Ignis is smaller again?

ignis is smaller but not by much

[Summit_Detailing]

5dr..first thing to spring to mind was a Panda 4x4, Dacia Duster then a Yeti...Grand Vitara also but slightly bigger.

Cheers,

Chris

[Gad-Westy]

The Panda is sounding like a good option then.

Any thoughts on Twin Air 0.9 vs 1.3 diesel?

[RATATTAK]

Gad-Westy said:

The Panda is sounding like a good option then.

Any thoughts on Twin Air 0.9 vs 1.3 diesel?

I've got a Twin Air in my 500 Riva ... not as fast of my other cars (obviously) but still great fun and quite sprightly.

[Gad-Westy]

RATATTAK said:

Gad-Westy said:

The Panda is sounding like a good option then.

Any thoughts on Twin Air 0.9 vs 1.3 diesel?

I've got a Twin Air in my 500 Riva ... not as fast of my other cars (obviously) but still great fun and quite sprightly.

Cheers. Any achillies heels with them or are they pretty robust?

[Tomo1971]

Skoda Yeti.

[RATATTAK]

Gad-Westy said:

Cheers. Any achillies heels with them or are they pretty robust?

Well I've only done 6K miles in four years (car bought for wife, but she never drove it) so it hasn't had a hard live ... no problems though except from lacquer peel on front bumper which is apparently quite common. They do fall into the zero road tax bracket though (dependant on age).

[jimmyjarvis]

Ford Kuga AWD is quite nice to drive and looks ok with an appearance pack. Or a good spec Freelander 2. Try and go 2012 onwards

[Gad-Westy]

jimmyjarvis said:

Ford Kuga AWD is quite nice to drive and looks ok with an appearance pack. Or a good spec Freelander 2. Try and go 2012 onwards

Cheers. Probably both a bit too SUV for our liking but if an SUV ends up being the sensible option (might well be) then this sort of thing will probably end up on the list of options.

Spotted a starship mileage 120d x-drive on autotrader. It's not a car we'd go for but is an example of the sort of thing I gravitate to. Stuff that you don't really acknowledge as existing. The 4x4 swift probably fits that category too. Just been reading up on the 4x4 ignis hybrid as well but not convinced after reading reviews. Back in the day, my dad had a 525ix saloon. Loved that thing and rare as hen's teeth. I like unusual stuff.

Edited by Gad-Westy on Sunday 29th November 08:15

[A500leroy]

Gad-Westy said:

RATATTAK said:

Gad-Westy said:

The Panda is sounding like a good option then.

Any thoughts on Twin Air 0.9 vs 1.3 diesel?

I've got a Twin Air in my 500 Riva ... not as fast of my other cars (obviously) but still great fun and quite sprightly.

Cheers. Any achillies heels with them or are they pretty robust?

Oil level/ specialist oil and the correct spark plugs and change intervals are critical to them running right, but its easy enough to do yourself. Also check the rear spring cups/rear axle and sump for rot and treat them to a clean/underseal every year. Rest of the body is galvanised

.
Join fiat forum website.

[defblade]

2wd with proper winters on will get you 99% of the places a 4wd will... and a lot of places a 4wd on summers won't.

We don't get snow every often around here, but last time we did, I sat at the bottom of a slippery hill waiting for a RR of some description get itself sorted out and back down after failing to make progress... then just drove up, in an e46 318 (BMWs regarded as being extra useless in snow, due to having rwd and cheap/nasty traction control which simply cuts engine power when a wheel spins), as it was on CrossClimates... proper winter tyres are another level above again.

Other points to consider:

With lots of snow, ground clearance becomes as much/more of a problem than traction.

An LSD will help a 2wd drive... again, possibly more than 4wd without one... you could be looking for a sporty car

Talk to your new neighbours (or do some Street View research) - what do they drive? Do they get stuck/snowed in?

[ZX10R NIN]

From what you describe I'll be honest & say an SUV sounds like a good option.

BMW X1

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011146...

At the cheaper end of the market the X3 2.5/3.0i make an awful lot of sense

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011256...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011166...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011035...

2,5T Kuga Titanium X

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010235...

Leftfield

Suzuki Kizashi

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010034...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008052...

Golf VR6 4Motion

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011015...

R32

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011025...

A3 Sportback

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009113...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011256...

[loskie]

a 2.0 na Subaru Forester

[Russ T Bolt]

loskie said:

a 2.0 na Subaru Forester

This, or an XV.

I get confused these days which 4wd’s actually have proper 4wd (Honda doesn’t and nor do some of the Rav4’s), Subaru’s do.

My Forester had Wintrac Xtremes on it and never had any problems with the couple of bad winters we had around 2010.