cheap 4x4 for snow engine not exceeding 2L

CarnTorres

I'm looking to get a cheap 4 wheel drive vehicle for the snow, I live on the side of a hill and the brays up to it are horrible in the snow. I'm thinking at the moment either Rav4 or grand vitara?? any other suggestions

EPM

Jimny might work.

Captain Slow IRL

Honda CRV?

Subaru Legacy or something like that, if cheap is the criteria you can't go wrong with the AWD car option, €1500 would have you sorted. Cheap 4x4s are hard to come by.

Neilw

RoverJames wrote: »

Subaru Legacy or something like that, if cheap is the criteria you can't go wrong with the AWD car option, €1500 would have you sorted. Cheap 4x4s are hard to come by.

I was driving a forester for the last spell of bad weather and it was great, that was on standard tyres. I can only imagine how good it would be on winter tyres.

pajero12

So are we taking it for granted there's snow every year now?

EPM

pajero12 wrote: »

So are we taking it for granted there's snow every year now?

I'd rather be prepared than be screwed.

And the snow isn't the only problem. The damage that freezing conditions do cut a lot of people off. One of the routes out of where I live was blocked by burst mains.

Bumpstop

There are a lot of cheap P38 range rovers on donedeal. I kow they're a 2.5 but very cheap and very capable. I bought one a few months ago pretty cheap, though not for the snow.
As our weather forecasters are saying there will be snow next winter, I am preparing for a heat wave or floods or something else.:)

Anan1

Neilw wrote: »

I was driving a forester for the last spell of bad weather and it was great, that was on standard tyres. I can only imagine how good it would be on winter tyres.

I've a Forester with winter tyres - in the very worst of the bad weather it felt like driving on gravel. The only thing it couldn't help with was being blocked by other cars. BTW buying now is a good idea - cheap Subarus doubled in price last November.

Toots

Someone said to me that some Audi have AWD/4WD. Can anyone tell me which models have this?

Del2005

Toots* wrote: »

Someone said to me that some Audi have AWD/4WD. Can anyone tell me which models have this?

Any of the Quattro's. Just decide which you want 3,4,5,6 or 8.

Gophur

pajero12 wrote: »

So are we taking it for granted there's snow every year now?

There were 8 weeks of snow in 2010

Anyway, AWD has benefits 52 weeks of the year.

MugMugs

pajero12 wrote: »

So are we taking it for granted there's snow every year now?

You can chalk it down. We're due a lot of rain!

anthony4335

I will second the Legacy, Some great bargains to be had out there at the moment

Paparazzo

pajero12 wrote: »

So are we taking it for granted there's snow every year now?

If you live on high ground you will

Mitch Buchannon

Fiat Panda 4x4 - cheap to run etc

JJJJNR

Del2005 wrote: »

Any of the Quattro's. Just decide which you want 3,4,5,6 or 8.

Quattro/AWD and winter tires would be the ultimate, I got by with winters (location wicklow mountains) fine but if I had quattro/AWD I could go anywhere..

pippip

Winter tyres are perfect if grip is the only problem but alot of the time ground clearance is equally important.

Toots

In my area we've had really bad snow the last two years and there's a big hill down to where my apartment is that's basically impassible unless you've got a 4wd, and with a baby on the way I'll need to be able to get in and out this winter. However I'm super poor and on a budget! I'd say €1500 max.

I saw a nice Freelander on donedeal, but then I noticed there's 3 ads up for the same car, and on the oldest ad the seller name is different, should that concern me?

Victor_M

Honda CR-V gets my thumbs up! We bought an 03 one last summer for practical reasons rather than the weather, but it really performed well in the snow, I pushed it pretty hard for the 8 weeks of snow and have brought it off road loads of times since then. Just make sure ( same applies for most soft roaders) that it's a proper AWD model not the front wheel only models that are so popular on Irish roads. With the CRV look under it to make sure there are 2 diffs (front and rear axles)
They are cheap as chips to buy not particularly thirsty and very reliable.

barura

I was thinking of doing this as well, but sure with ideas like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpJKU-zO4hk I think I'll be saving up this winter and then getting a proper 4x4 for next year. hopefully a toyota landcruiser or a range rover discovery.

Toots

barura wrote: »

I was thinking of doing this as well, but sure with ideas like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpJKU-zO4hk I think I'll be saving up this winter and then getting a proper 4x4 for next year. hopefully a toyota landcruiser or a range rover discovery.

My father in law is a fisherman and made up some of those for his car last year using all his fancy fishing knots, they worked a treat in that the car could get in and out of the estate in really bad snow. The ride quality was definitely affected though, they made it very very bumpy, and you'd want to make sure the rope is good quality in case it snaps and gets tangled up.

Anan1

Toots* wrote: »

My father in law is a fisherman and made up some of those for his car last year using all his fancy fishing knots, they worked a treat in that the car could get in and out of the estate in really bad snow. The ride quality was definitely affected though, they made it very very bumpy, and you'd want to make sure the rope is good quality in case it snaps and gets tangled up.

I'm sure you could make a timing belt out of twine too if you really wanted to.;)

-Corkie-

Anan1 wrote: »

I'm sure you could make a timing belt out of twine too if you really wanted to.;)

LOL I used a few cable ties.. A mate was thinking of a Forester like yours. Do they give any problems worth talking about..

langdang

Victor_M wrote: »

Honda CR-V gets my thumbs up! We bought an 03 one last summer for practical reasons rather than the weather, but it really performed well in the snow, I pushed it pretty hard for the 8 weeks of snow and have brought it off road loads of times since then. Just make sure ( same applies for most soft roaders) that it's a proper AWD model not the front wheel only models that are so popular on Irish roads. With the CRV look under it to make sure there are 2 diffs (front and rear axles)
They are cheap as chips to buy not particularly thirsty and very reliable.

Yeah I'll second that, plenty around, a little more expensive to run than a 2WD 2L petrol estate, but with better ground clearance and part time 4WD. With a budget of 1500, you'd be looking at the 97-01 models - basic inside, but they all have part-time 4WD (about 95% certain of that, 2wd options didn't come til later). 00,01 models have a 150hp 2L instead of 130hp.

A legacy/outback/forester would have better handling (lower center of gravity). Knowing my luck if I got one the AWD would turn out to be on it's last legs after 10 years of being mistreated. At least the Honda CRV is usually 2WD so your mechanic could probably disable the 4WD permanently if it started acting up. (I know that kinda defeats the purpose of buying a 4wd but if you were on a very very tight budget it's better to have 2wd then No-wd)

As reliable as the hondas are, I know a fella that was looking for a good engine for one for a long time - a lot of them seem to be driven literally into the ground by people who don't understand the importance of checking and changing oil regularly.

dr.fuzzenstein

MugMugs wrote: »

You can chalk it down. We're due a lot of rain!

it was being said that it will get colder and drier, or wetter and warmer.
This being Ireland I bet my left nut and a million bucks it will get colder and wetter and if there's any way to heap more misery onto that, it will happen, let's see, what could be, ah got it. It's gonna get darker too.;)

Anan1

-Corkie- wrote: »

LOL I used a few cable ties.. A mate was thinking of a Forester like yours. Do they give any problems worth talking about..

I have mine three years, during which time I needed a new window regulator. Apart from that the rear parking sensors caused quite a few problems, but they were dealer-fit. If your mate doesn't need auto then apparently the one to go for is the 2004-05 2.5XT. Apparently the engine is very strong, as it uses a lot of the STI internals. It's 210bhp, but with jackrabbit gearing - you'll see 100km/h in around 5.3 seconds.

Muckie

Subaru Justy if you can't afford a Forester

Like this example, just de-sticker it :pac:

http://dublin.gumtree.ie/c-Cars-and-vehicles-for-Sale-cars-subaru-justy-1-3l-awd-W0QQAdIdZ300999217

-Corkie-

Anan1 wrote: »

I have mine three years, during which time I needed a new window regulator. Apart from that the rear parking sensors caused quite a few problems, but they were dealer-fit. If your mate doesn't need auto then apparently the one to go for is the 2004-05 2.5XT. Apparently the engine is very strong, as it uses a lot of the STI internals. It's 210bhp, but with jackrabbit gearing - you'll see 100km/h in around 5.3 seconds.

Its more for the snow and it being a estate car more the performance. Could you commercialise one??

Muckie

Commercialise one is very possible, knew a chap a plummer

who did it to he's 97 Legacy Estate. Just take out the back seats

and weld up where the belts were. Heard the Tax man is frowning on it.

But its do able.

Toots

Anan1 wrote: »

I'm sure you could make a timing belt out of twine too if you really wanted to.;)

Probably could, but knowing my luck I'd somehow manage to blow the car up with it. One of the many reasons I bought a car with a timing chain.

Anan1

-Corkie- wrote: »

Its more for the snow and it being a estate car more the performance. Could you commercialise one??

In that case, any of the non-turbo 2.0s will be pretty much unbreakable. I've never seen a petrol one commercialized, only the post-2008 diesel. That's not to say that it couldn't be done, though.

-Corkie-

Anan1 wrote: »

In that case, any of the non-turbo 2.0s will be pretty much unbreakable. I've never seen a petrol one commercialized, only the post-2008 diesel. That's not to say that it couldn't be done, though.

Cheers.

Anan1

-Corkie- wrote: »

Cheers.

Not at all. If you really want to get into it, this site is a mine of information: http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/

krissovo

How about a vintage Land Rover? Some nice vintage chassis around with a modern body/engine.

Pigeon Reaper

You'd get a half decent series 3 land rover for the money. You can use them everyday if you don't mind roughing it. If you plan on a daily driver the Jimny is excellent off road and cheap to run.

Del2005

langdang wrote: »

Yeah I'll second that, plenty around, a little more expensive to run than a 2WD 2L petrol estate, but with better ground clearance and part time 4WD. With a budget of 1500, you'd be looking at the 97-01 models - basic inside, but they all have part-time 4WD (about 95% certain of that, 2wd options didn't come til later). 00,01 models have a 150hp 2L instead of 130hp.

A legacy/outback/forester would have better handling (lower center of gravity). Knowing my luck if I got one the AWD would turn out to be on it's last legs after 10 years of being mistreated. At least the Honda CRV is usually 2WD so your mechanic could probably disable the 4WD permanently if it started acting up. (I know that kinda defeats the purpose of buying a 4wd but if you were on a very very tight budget it's better to have 2wd then No-wd)

As reliable as the hondas are, I know a fella that was looking for a good engine for one for a long time - a lot of them seem to be driven literally into the ground by people who don't understand the importance of checking and changing oil regularly.

If your going to drive with the 4WD disabled it would be cheaper to just stick set of winters onto a normal and get chains.

JJJJNR

This I am seriously thinking about buying this myself. would it be possible to tax and insure it for winter months and take my own off the road, its not feasible to have two running side by side.. as opposed to changing tires I want to change cars for winter..

Anan1

JJJJNR wrote: »

This I am seriously thinking about buying this myself. would it be possible to tax and insure it for winter months and take my own off the road, its not feasible to have two running side by side.. as opposed to changing tires I want to change cars for winter..

I would have thought a Jimny was more biased towards off-roading than on-road winter driving?

si_guru

On the road the Jimny is 2wd and Rwd. There is no centre diff so you would to remember to switch back to 2wd on treated roads...

I would look for an Ignis 4Grip.. put on four winter tyres.

Anan1

si_guru wrote: »

On the road the Jimny is 2wd and Rwd. There is no centre diff so you would to remember to switch back to 2wd on treated roads...

Sounds completely unsuitable for our winters so.

tw0nk

Anan1 wrote: »

si_guru wrote: »

On the road the Jimny is 2wd and Rwd. There is no centre diff so you would to remember to switch back to 2wd on treated roads...

Sounds completely unsuitable for our winters so.

Why is that? Use 4wd when snow, 2wd otherwise?

Anan1

tw0nk wrote: »

Why is that? Use 4wd when snow, 2wd otherwise?

If there's no centre diff then you can only use 4wd when it's slippery enough for the transmission not to wind up. Every time you came to a patch of road that wasn't slippery you'd have to go back into RWD mode.

101sean

That's the way all 4x4s worked up to the 80s, the WW2 Jeep and Series Land Rovers included. Many of the more basic 4x4s are still part time 4wd.

Many full time 4x4s still need the centre diff to be locked manually if it gets really slippery. It's only in recent years that many 4x4s take any decisions out of the drivers hand by doing it automatically with a VCU or electronically.

At least you used to have to think about what you were doing, some now think they are invincible until they bounce off a ditch :rolleyes:

tw0nk

thanks for that, so for someone not used to driving 4x4, what is the best value, easy to use 4x4 for snow?

Anan1

tw0nk wrote: »

thanks for that, so for someone not used to driving 4x4, what is the best value, easy to use 4x4 for snow?

Audi and Subaru are generally thought to have the best AWD systems out there for winter conditions. Audi is more refined, Subaru cheaper and more reliable.

101sean

Like Anan1 says, if you really need it, a car based AWD is probably best for most. If budget is really tight you're looking at older proper 4x4s though.

Any of them, even the most basic are easy to drive in poor conditions if you take the trouble to read the manual and take a bit of advice.

But as also said, a set of winter tyres is a lot cheaper if you're urban based.

JJJJNR

I think Subaru are the better as they use Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooQRxlChvMw

guyfo

Celica gt4 bita fun to drive too!

curiousb

+1 for the Jimny. Cheap insurance and tax, but it is a bit heavy on petrol as its a small engine

We have one and it was fantastic in the snow last year on regular tyres. Switching from 4wd to 2wd is easy, can do it on the move (straight line and under 30mph ish).

We were the only ones on our road still mobile, and did food runs for house bound parents in Wicklow and Dublin.

krissovo

curiousb wrote: »

Switching from 4wd to 2wd is easy, can do it on the move (straight line and under 30mph ish).
.

The problem here with icy roads is it is entirely possible when you need the 4wd the most you will be in 2wd. If you want 4wd car to get through obvious snow and ice then its fine however if you want a car to handle the general conditions then you could be playing a very dangerous game with a off roader.