What to buy need help please...

DoctorNiamh

I need some help in deciding on my next jeep. I have asked friends and co-workers but I've ended up more confused and still undecided. I figured here will be many knowledgeable experts that should help me decide.

So, I need a proper 4x4 that can tow a 2 horse Ifor Williams horsebox. It has to cross muddy (sometimes almost flooded) fields in all weathers and rutted farm tracks (I'm a vet and often on call).
It has to have back seats for my friends as it will also be my daily driver and has to be refined and comfortable enough for a weekly 300km each way commute to see friends and my boyfriend. I'm also likely to travel to france or the UK once a year in it. Hence a Land Rover Defender is out of the question!

I have just sold a 2005 Land Rover Discovery 2.7TDV6. I will not have another. I got fed up with it after sticking with it for 3 long years.
While it was comfortable, refined, spacious and good over the fields it was always having problems and reliability is now high on my list for the next jeep.

I'm looking for something 2-5 years old at most. Reliability, comfort and off road ability is key. I have between 20 and 25k to spend.

A few I have been looking at include Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2CRD, Volvo XC90s, Audi Q7s, Nissan Pathfinders, Toyota Landcruisers, Mitsubishi Pajeros and VW Touaregs.

Anything I should discount right away? Maybe something I have overlooked that would suit? What would you go for in my position?

Your collective knowledge, experience and advice is very welcomed.

Thanks all and sorry for the longer than expected post!

Sleepy

Hilux?

Turtle-TM

Range rover would be a good start, but if you've already owned a disco and didn't like it then it may count it out.

Santa fe isn't a really 4x4, land cruiser or one of the Nissan xtrail or pathfinder might be good, don't see something like a q7 working. But bear in mind than for proper off road usage you need off road tyres on it, which will give awful ride quality on normal roads, and road tyres will give awful performance on off road. It's a bit of a catch 22, but I'm sure some people who have some of the models mentioned above can give good advice. As far as I've been told the only luxury 4x4 that works off road and on is the range rover.

Sleepy

Given such mixed uses would it make sense to have a work jeep (bringing the defender back into play?) and a daily driver for your commuting?

As you're doing 30,000 odd kilometres a year of "leisure" driving a year before even taking work travel into account, anything capable of serious off-road use is going to cost you a fortune in fuel. Maybe pick up a relatively refined diesel (a Rover 75 or similar) to do the daily driving and hold back the majority of the budget for the jeep?

Yes, you'd have to tax two vehicles but insuring a second car shouldn't cost a fortune. Depending on how your job is set up there may be the opportunity to tax the jeep as a commercial / keep it in the company's name so you could claim back the VAT on it's fuel etc...

Ded_Zebra

Honestly don't think that you could do much better than 1 of these.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3745593

Tommyboy40

The Toerag drinks diesel. I would have the XC90, not because it's the best but it's the most practical. Clarkson has had 5 at last count (I think)

veetwin

OSI wrote: »

I'm surprised these aren't standard equipment for vets tbh.

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Land-Rover/Defender/90-S%23W-S/30113467615589280/advert?channel=CARS

I'd say if you drove one for 300km you would find out. They are slow and noisy, excellent off road but not so good for everywhere else

Sleepy wrote: »

Hilux?

Again slow and tractor like though better to drive than the defender

Tommyboy40 wrote: »

The Toerag drinks diesel. I would have the XC90, not because it's the best but it's the most practical. Clarkson has had 5 at last count (I think)

As Lightning said how much more fuel efficient do you think the XC90 over the VW would be?

OP I would have the VW but be sure to get the 3 litre one and not the gutless 2.5. Someone said the Santa Fe wasn't a "proper" 4x4 but it's cheaper than the others to buy and run, has 4wd and can tow. Reliability also good in the auto. Manual has, or at least had flywheel issues

OldmanMondeo

Ded_Zebra wrote: »

Honestly don't think that you could do much better than 1 of these.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3745593

This what you need.

OldmanMondeo

veetwin wrote: »

I'd say if you drove one for 300km you would find out. They are slow and noisy, excellent off road but not so good for everywhere else



Again slow and tractor like though better to drive than the defender



As Lightning said how much more fuel efficient do you think the XC90 over the VW would be?

OP I would have the VW but be sure to get the 3 litre one and not the gutless 2.5. Someone said the Santa Fe wasn't a "proper" 4x4 but it's cheaper than the others to buy and run, has 4wd and can tow. Reliability also good in the auto. Manual has, or at least had flywheel issues

Your not going to get sports car performance in a 4X4. As the Aussies say, the only thing for outback driving is a landcruiser.

Bpmull

Jeep grand Cherokee 3.0 220bhp no problems with pulling is very nice to drive on the road very powerful not noisy we had one and they are a lovely jeep. About 35 mpg which is no worse then the rest of them. Only problem is they are automatic only no manual option so if the op wants one it would have to be automatic.

Also someone above said the 2.2 Santa fe's are easy to run there not if it's the automatic version about 30 mpg we had a 2007 one for 3 years lovely jeep other than that put nowhere near the pulling power of the Cherokee.

Yawlboy

I've owned 4X4's for years, Discovery TDi & TD5, Discovery 3, Range Rover Vogue TD6, Jeep Grand Cherokee V8, Grand Cherokee 3.1TD and 2.7TD, Free Lander, Merc ML, Nissan Navara and even a 12 seater Defender.

Currently my wife has a Disco 3 Auto and has owned discos since 1999 and she has always will not drive anything else, however I purchased a 08 Landcruiser GX LWB 8 seater Auto a few months ago and she wants to swap.

I do 500kms a week commute, have done a number of Dublin trips and towed a 2 ton boat from Arklow to Cork with it. It is quiet, comfortable and at 28MPG fairly fuel efficient. I can honestly say they are an amazing machine and I would not recommend anything else ahead of them.

veetwin

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

Your not going to get sports car performance in a 4X4. As the Aussies say, the only thing for outback driving is a landcruiser.

I never suggested that sports car performance was the aim I was merely saying that some 4x4s are better than others on the road and some even offer a very nice driving experience(like the VW). The Defender is brilliant off road but terrible on it. Most 4x4s spend the vast majority of their time on road.

The Landcruiser is also a great choice particularly for the outback but imho it is over-rated and overpriced. I have done alot of miles in them and they are very wallowy on country roads especially if you try any, ahem, "spirited" driving.

colm_mcm

If going land cruiser, the autobox is a must have.

leeomurchu

I'd be looking at a toyota of some description the landcruiser is a great bus and the hilux is a great work horse both are known for their reliability.

As an earlier poster said about tyres. I had General Grabber At2 tyres on my l200 and they were well capable off road and not to much road noise or wear to be honest contrary to other comments.

I don't think i'd bother with a Q7 they're for yummy mummies and drug dealers

leeomurchu

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

Your not going to get sports car performance in a 4X4. As the Aussies say, the only thing for outback driving is a landcruiser.

When it comes to 4x4 you have to keep in mind the saying. "You can go fast, I can go anywhere"

Unless of course the OP has the spare change for a bowler wildcat then that blows that saying out of the water

http://carinstance.com/Land%20Rover/Land%20Rover%20Bowler%20Wildcat.html

Leonard Hofstadter

I wouldn't touch a Touareg OP, that will be even more unreliable than a Discovery, and that's some achievement!

Tommyboy40

mate of mine has a Toerag commercial, my 5L V8 mercedes has better mpg.

-Corkie-

captainspeed wrote: »

I wouldn't touch a Touareg OP, that will be even more unreliable than a Discovery, and that's some achievement!

They are a bag of sh1te. The Cruiser is the only job with the auto box.

DoctorNiamh

Thanks for all the info and advice.

I will see if its possible to get a Defender and run it under the company that way I can buy something more suited to my personal and leisure needs. For that I'm leaning towards an XC90 2.4 D5 SE geartronic that I have seen - space for my dogs and mountain bike in the back, comfortable and spacious for friends in the rear seats, refined and comfortable over long distances and should prove to be reliable.
As I won't be doing any track days in it (!) the handling doesn't bother me neither does the speed, as long as it keeps up with traffic flow on motorways it will be grand.
Otherwise the Landcruiser will be the choice as there are plenty of them around and they would suit me equally well. I only put the XC90 above the Landcruiser (with autobox incidentally) as it felt more car like to drive, was a bit quieter and looks nicer inside.

All your advice, info and discussion has helped me narrow this down. I thank you all.

Yawlboy

Hi Doc,

Just an observation, before we got the wives D3 she test drove a XC90 and found the ride quality to be dreadful on the bad roads around town. I'd recommend you take a long test drive first.

Carson10

Dont buy a Nissan Quashqai the steering wheel falls off

leeomurchu

Just passed an xc 90 on the way home they're a nice looking bus. Can't see them doing a whole lot off road mind you more of a doctors car than a vets I would've thought.

bazz26

Carson10 wrote: »

Dont buy a Nissan Quashqai the steering wheel falls off

A Quashqai is not even an SUV, it's a tall hatchback with the option of 4wd.