what 7 seater 4x4........mods please don't move this......

[y2blade]

I've already posted this in General Gassing
But you guys are always very knowledgeable/Helpful and know some of you don't look in GG, so worth posting here aswell

---

sister is looking for a 7 seater 4x4
must be diesel
must have 4x4
must have good ground clearance (so no MPVs)
must have room in boot for their Dog when using all 7 seats

her short list is as follows

Discovery TdV6 (this would be 2nd choice)
Mercedes GL320CDI (this is her favourite)
Volvo XC90 D5 (I've only driven the V8 petrol variant)
Audi Q7 3.0TDI (I know nothing about these)

anything else worth considering?


thank you all in advance, all comments noted and passed on

[CypherP]

Can't say I'm particularly taken with the Merc GL idea. I'd personally go for the Disco. Does it have to be relatively new? I'd be quite happy with a Shogun or Land Cruiser myself.

Audi could be a good choice, although I'm not as keen on these as I would be Land/Range Rover.

[john_r]

Having driven all of the below, I'd put them in the following order if it were me choosing:

1) Discovery TdV6 (but no room for dog if using 7 seats... unless it's a small dog?).
2) Audi Q7 3.0TDI - brilliant car and great on road, but not as capable as the Disco for 'go anywhere'.
3) Nissan Pathfinder - loads of room and surprisingly good to drive, but not as good as the Q7 on road. Very reliable...
4) Volvo XC90 D5 (ditto re dog).
99)Mercedes GL320CDI

[VerySideways]

Personally, given those circumstances i'd be trying to find a Caravelle Synchro...
but it looks like they're not as popular here as in Europe

7 seats AND a decent boot means Q7 i reckon.

Edited by VerySideways on Tuesday 28th September 20:55

[scoobal]

Proper G wagon?

[Sods Law]

Id say (reading into the ground clearance point)

Disco, ok on the road, reliable good for taking the dog to the top of a mountain to shoot it... solving rear seat issue

XC90, better on the road, reliable almost as good for taking the dog to the top of a mountain to shoot it... solving rear seat issue

Q7, would concern me as a little off roading could break a minor part with a major price tag, however the ones I test drove post my Cayenne days apear to offer the same road handling benefits which are awesome for the style of car.... and quite entertaining... infact hoonable...

[y2blade]

Thanks guys I will pass this info on to her
The ground clearance issue has raised its head due to her recently moving out to a very rural location, her driveway is basically a rocky track up a steep hill (enough to make you lean forwards to see what you are doing) that is pretty badly rutted, she has already bottomed out her A8 4.2 several times

when I visit her I have to have one set of wheels on the raised centre and the other to the side of a rut…yes it is doable in a normal type of car but IF I lived at her house I’d buy something slightly raised up too…..all be it something like a XC70, A6 allroad or Subaru Forester ( I have no need for lots of seats)

thanks again

[badgerade]

Just to add - we can't fit our golden retriever in the space behind the extra 2 rear seats, so it really depends on the size of dog. Land Rover do a decent divider that sections off the boot which means we can have the 6th seat up and the dog in the other half without getting slobber/mud etc all over the passenger. However.. due to the cunning design of the dog guard, you can't raise or lower the 2 rear seats when it's in place.

[bmw2002]

I know I shouldn't recommend them but the latest X5 can come with 7 seats, drives like a car and would just about get up a bumpy track.

[y2blade]

bmw2002 said:

I know I shouldn't recommend them but the latest X5 can come with 7 seats, drives like a car and would just about get up a bumpy track.

I recommended that to them straight away as a good friend of mine has just bought a brand new 4.0d....superb car


she doesn't like BMWs

thanks anyway Nigel

[scoobal]

WHats the budget?

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1938506.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2064129.htm

[VerySideways]

scoobal said:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2064129.htm

Loving that!

[y2blade]

scoobal said:

WHats the budget?

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1938506.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2064129.htm

£25k

great suggestion Alex I like that

I will forward the ad to her.

[john_r]

Mercedes G-Wagon's drive like vans... but fantastic road presence, in a 'Russian Mafia' kind of way!

[y2blade]

john_r said:

Mercedes G-Wagon's drive like vans... but fantastic road presence, in a 'Russian Mafia' kind of way!

I personally think it will look too "utility vehicle" for her, she likes her big Luxo cars (she loves her A8 4.2) but you never know with women.

I can see her in a XC90 or Q7 myself, we'll see....not my decision, I just told her I'd throw the four on her "oooo like the look of those" list on here and see if anyone shouted "don't buy a __ whatever you do"





it seems like none of the ones in the opening post set off any alarm bells so that's a start

[scoobal]

Only thing with the later Disco's is the complete lack of rear boot space when 7th seats are up, they fold from a funny angle and leav little room. Google clarksons TG review, I seem to remember watching it on Dave and him saying how stupid they were.

I love the G wagons, and think the dash is quite smart, certianly have road presence

[E31Shrew]

Sorted

Whats not to like!

[y2blade]

scoobal said:

Only thing with the later Disco's is the complete lack of rear boot space when 7th seats are up, they fold from a funny angle and leav little room. Google clarksons TG review, I seem to remember watching it on Dave and him saying how stupid they were.

I love the G wagons, and think the dash is quite smart, certianly have road presence

cheers Alex,I have just spoken with her actually....

UPDATE: she looked at a 07 plate Discovery this morning and said the boot was way too small when the rear seats were in use and that the gap between the back of the third row and the rear window was tiny "well and truly off the short list"....were her words (like you said )
she's looking at two other cars local to her this afternoon before the school run (if the weather eases) an Audi Q7 on a 07 plate and a Volvo XC90 on a 57 plate...if not she'll be looking at them both tomorrow

[NWVT]

i have to that spring to mind

Definetly plenty of room
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2115320.htm

7 ish seats and plenty of room and apocolypse ready and its a diesel
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1970937.htm

[y2blade]

Has anyone had any real experiences of problems with the AWD system on the XC90?

it seems to be the weak point from what I've read

http://allwheeldriveclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f...

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=660...

Edited by y2blade on Wednesday 29th September 17:29