Which 4 x 4?

[Marcus-7tcc2]

Setting up a new business which will involve some long drives in Europe so I will need to get a comfortable 4 x 4 to lug stuff around (not going down the van route as some of the roads are rough and will need to do some off road). So the must haves are:
1. Comfortable with adaptive cruise control
2. Big boot space with seats down.
3. Decent enough tech
4. Good for off road (not mud plugging but not on tarmac)
5. Decent enough economy so a diesel and ability to cover long distances in comfort.
6. Reliability.

Options I’ve spun up are:
1. 2018 onwards Range Rover Vogue SE/Autobiography
2. Audi Q7
3. Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit or similar
4. BMW X5
5. Mercedes GLE
6. VW Touareg

Budget is around £40k. On reliability before anyone jumps onboard board the ‘Range Rover’ bandwagon we have a 2016 RRS in the house (not my car so can’t use that) and it’s been pretty faultless. Rangey’s around the 2013/2014 years seemed to have major issues but later years are good from what I can tell and having owned a 2006 model (again no real issues) they are very nice places to be. The Jeep I’m not sold on the interior-having driven a fair few US cars they are just cheap feeling inside. Mercedes I’ve always found to be a bit too ‘busy’ inside having had an E63S, BM’s are great for on the road but not sure on luggage space etc. VW…unsure but Clarkson highly rated the Touareg as a Ranger alternative some years back. I’ll have to go see all of them I guess to compare and take a tape measure with me.
This will serve as my ‘main car’ and I’m having a serious case of acting grown up and shifting two Audi RS models to get this one and save some money also to put into the new venture. Head over heart for once.
Anyhow I look forward to the replies and recommendations! Thanks.

[paul arm1967]

Steer clear of any land rover product , try looking at land cruiser or shogun sport both exceptional reliable vehicles

[A500leroy]

Land cruiser any day of the week

[Quattr04.]

Toureg is a great product with all the kit you’ve asked for without the Audi price tag and the interior of the R line especially is very nice

You’ll get more for your money (younger car fewer miles more kit) than you will with any of the others

[LimaDelta]

Land Cruiser.

[RustyNissanPrairie]

Tourareg has gotten a bit 'softer' over the years so would be good on the long European autoroute sections but not quite as good off-road. Along with Q7 they aren't actually very big inside due to imposing wheel arches.

Similar autoroute leaning option to a T-reg would be an XC90.

Ineos Grenadier? Thirstier but better on the off-road sections, big carrying capacity (it's a square box)

Landcruiser.

[Robertb]

If ACC is a must-have then a Range Rover Vogue SE or Autobiography has it as standard. None of the others do and may be tricky to find specced with it.

Or for something a bit different and with ACC… colour will either ring your bell or not!
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024121171...

[Marcus-7tcc2]

Thanks for replies so far, Land Cruiser I’m not really interested in-need some refinement and used to bounce around in many of them (albeit the armoured variety mostly)- boot space is immense and off-road capability is mighty but that’s about it. Gearbox was ‘sluggish’ and that’s being generous. Far East cars seem to be very capable but crap inside compared to others ( I test drove a tuned GTR years back and it was incredible but the interior was a horror show).
I knew there would be the whole ‘avoid JLR like the plague’ but I have a 2012 Defender that’s got a full ‘Spectre’ conversion so runs on 36 inch tyres (so not the best to drive) and it has in my 5 years of ownership never let me down. It’s more a toy though and a long drive would be ‘interesting’. The RRS has been sound.
The budget is £40k so Ineos is way out of that plus the majority of the drives will be through Europe to the East so will need comfort etc.

[Dr Interceptor]

One owner, five years old, under 60k miles, diesel (V8 ), stretches the budget by less than 10%.

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/17967985

[Debaser]

I wouldn't touch a Grenadier, the steering is awful. As is the driving position.

I'd go for something German, the Q7 is a good shout.

[UnfortunateUserName]

You are just into new shape defender 110s at that price. We took ours on a last minute drive from London to the south of Spain - 24hours non stop other than food and petrol. Very spacious, good level of comfort as it’s not trying to be “sporty”

[Stick Legs]

100k miles on my L405 SDV8 & it’s been very reliable (given the horror stories you hear!).

If I was in your position I’d buy a 2015 (pre Ad-Blue / pre Stop Start) but post 2013 Range Rover.

They are IMHO the pick of the bunch as they have the revised electrics (making them more reliable) but not do much of the emissions crap (again, making it a better proposition).

Mine does ~35mpg on a long run & is incredible comfy.

There are a few unicorns out there at this age & mileage, buy a nice low mileage one & put a new battery on it / get a good specialist to give it a thorough once over & you’ll be confident in it.

This kind of thing:

https://www.pistonheads.com//buy/listing/1819111

Full disclosure here’s my Reader’s Cars thread.

Edited by Stick Legs on Friday 18th April 12:04

[vaud]

Robertb said:

If ACC is a must-have then a Range Rover Vogue SE or Autobiography has it as standard. None of the others do and may be tricky to find specced with it.

Pretty common on the Touareg (SE/SEL) IIRC.

[FourWheelDrift]

Robertb said:

Or for something a bit different and with ACC… colour will either ring your bell or not!
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024121171...

I think that will struggle with damp let alone a bit of off road.

[Jawls]

UnfortunateUserName said:

You are just into new shape defender 110s at that price. We took ours on a last minute drive from London to the south of Spain - 24hours non stop other than food and petrol. Very spacious, good level of comfort as it’s not trying to be “sporty”

What are these like to run once they’re high miles (over 80k … I know it’s not high in the scale of things but for a relatively new car it is). I’d assumed these would be out of OPs price bracket but you’re indeed right.

[philrs03]

paul arm1967 said:

Steer clear of any land rover product , try looking at land cruiser or shogun sport both exceptional reliable vehicles

I love these comments. I’ve done 26,000 miles in my 20 plate Defender in the last 12 months, a couple of weeks ago I drove it to Bordeaux and back. Not a single drama, in the 3 years I’ve owned it. It goes Greenlaning in Brecon, tows trailers full of Caterham’s and Building materials and it’s been outstanding.

To add to that, it’s now done 57,000 miles, most of them on General Grabber AT-3’s and is averaging (on a mix of running around the Herefordshire countryside, town and long journeys, 32.6 MPG. You’re well within the Arcs of a 110 with 40k.

Edited by philrs03 on Friday 18th April 13:10

[Quattr04.]

vaud said:

Robertb said:

If ACC is a must-have then a Range Rover Vogue SE or Autobiography has it as standard. None of the others do and may be tricky to find specced with it.

Pretty common on the Touareg (SE/SEL) IIRC.

Yes standard since launch on every Touareg

[LRDefender]

110 Defender.

As noted above they are now available in your price range.

I drove my Defender all around Europe, the Balkans, across Türkiye and into Armenia & Georgia and it coped with everything I came across. The tech worked well, the suspension lift was very handy in places and driving long distances on autoroutes/expressways/autobahns etc was a doodle.

I had the 6 cylinder and I was very impressed with it. Plus I didn’t experience any reliability problems whatsoever. Don’t forget there is a commercial defender available to assist with tax.

[Jermy Claxon]

Oooh, good list. The Cayenne V8 TDi almost fits your bill... A bit old on the tech front (they stopped the V8D in 2017) but I retrofitted Carplay to mine.

It's not quite an easy recommendation because the others on your list are newer, but it's well within budget. And it's easily the best car I've ever owned.

But it's fast, very torquey, good boot, supremely comfortable, and handles really well. I adore mine, and it's irreplaceable.

[ZX10R NIN]

Marcus-7tcc2 said:

Thanks for replies so far, Land Cruiser I’m not really interested in-need some refinement and used to bounce around in many of them (albeit the armoured variety mostly)- boot space is immense and off-road capability is mighty but that’s about it. Gearbox was ‘sluggish’ and that’s being generous. Far East cars seem to be very capable but crap inside compared to others ( I test drove a tuned GTR years back and it was incredible but the interior was a horror show).
I knew there would be the whole ‘avoid JLR like the plague’ but I have a 2012 Defender that’s got a full ‘Spectre’ conversion so runs on 36 inch tyres (so not the best to drive) and it has in my 5 years of ownership never let me down. It’s more a toy though and a long drive would be ‘interesting’. The RRS has been sound.
The budget is £40k so Ineos is way out of that plus the majority of the drives will be through Europe to the East so will need comfort etc.

GV80 you'll get one with a good chunk of warranty left too, they're a very nice place to while away miles in one:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503270...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202501107...

Touareg:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503110...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202501228...

Levante:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202412217...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503290...