An actual 4x4, year rounder - suggestions?

IrishZeus

Hi all,

Some advice needed.

We’re currently looking at full-time move to the hills of Donegal and will need to reconsider our car options. Currently driving an F11 520d but due to location, we will need something with a decent 4x4 ability. Our house is located in the Bluestacks so the winter months can be tricky for access. We’ve been snowed in this week already. Local roads are also poor where we are so something reasonably rugged/strong/reliable needed.

What we’re looking for is something that will cover these scenarios but are also a decent drive year round. House is also on an active farm which we help with, so space is a requirement also.

Thoughts so far include -

Audi Allroad - I like estates and this provides comfort for year round conditions and should be more than enough to handle a few weeks of dodginess.

Discovery - all rounder but wondering is reliability an issue. Would be looking at 2015/2016 model. Will definitely handle anything we need.

Pajero - strong, reliable but dated and noisy. I like the look of them being honest. They look like a “proper” 4x4, if that’s makes sense.

Ranger - I like the pickup versions, particularly the Wildtrak. 3.2 engine is good I believe and should be ok an a year-rounder.

Hope that gives some indication of what I’m looking for.

Option 1 - Replace the 5-series and use new car as main family car year round - Budget would be €25/30k max. Happy to go a few years old. Don’t want new as have no interest in covering depreciation.

Option 2 - replace our run around and use new car as runaround and as an option for dodgier times - budget would be 6-8k.

Any and all suggestions welcome and thanks in advance as always!

P.

ednwireland

where in the bluestacks ? 95% of the time you will be fine with a set of all season tyres on a FWD car or go for full winters.

even in 9/10 i was driving around on full winters fine in my nissan primera (couldnt move the OH car with summer tyres on)

just drove down from altidoo outside donegal town yesterday (sheet ice) and this morning (sheet ice with snow) on bridgestone a005 (kia ceed) obviously care needed. braking was interesting when i met a gritter truck coming the other way - a first in 23 years !

unless you live down a dirt track and want (or need) an 4x4 then go for it but id take the summer tyres off it

dont forget 4x4 version of tiguans, octavia scout, XC90 etc might be more useable and better fuel economy than a full 4x4.

i thought about a 4x4 but dont really need one outside a couple of days a year and couldn't afford a decent one.

James Bond Junior

I briefly had a pajero. Noisy and very dated, don't unless you want the utilitarian experienc. I currently have a Grand Cherokee, very nice car, well specced in Limited trim but parts are expensive (In the middle east anyway).

My wife's family have had 3 LR'S, Disco which never missed a beat, a RR sport which was a ball of crap and an Evoque which has had several turbos in the first 2 years.

Wildly Boaring

IrishZeus wrote: »

Option 2 - replace our run around and use new car as runaround and as an option for dodgier times - budget would be 6-8k.

I'd do this
Had a legacy petrol previously.
4x4 and went everywhere during the 2009 and 2010 snows

Nice comfy, quiet car and as a runabout the auto version be ideal.
Heavyish on petrol but for low mileage ideal

neris

Good spec 3.2 Ranger. Comfortable and all mod cons, ok on fuel but bit sluggish at times to pull off if towing weight but it,ll tow a bit comfortably.

nsnoefc1878

I've a Volvo v90 Cross Country which is all wheel drive. You'd get a nice one in your budget. Very nice car inside.

AMKC

A BMW X5 or 5 series 4x4. Toyota Landcruiser.

bodonnell

Subaru Forester - Had 2 petrol versions 2.0T & then 2.5T, very reliable.
There were issues with early diesels, the legacy in particular not sure if the Forester had them, same running gear afaik

Lurching

ednwireland wrote: »

where in the bluestacks ? 95% of the time you will be fine with a set of all season tyres on a FWD car or go for full winters.

even in 9/10 i was driving around on full winters fine in my nissan primera (couldnt move the OH car with summer tyres on)

I'd second this. I live in the Wicklow Mountains. Moved here 2 years ago and got snowed in twice within two weeks.
I drive an F30 BMW 320D. It was absolutely hopeless, but then I got rid of the summer tyres and fitted all-weathers. It made a world of difference.

This may be an option if you take your second choice - put all-weathers on the 5-series and get a beater for the farm & the worst of the weather.

BnB

Firstly - 100% - I would go Option 2. It is actually what I do myself. I have a nice 2018 BMW for daily driving, long journeys etc and a 2008 Disco for messing about with timber, doing a bit of towing, available to get me out of a hole if I need it some day.

I have often thought about spending 30k on a nice Jeep but I feel you just always end up compromising - trying to get a jeep that has proper 4X4 and at the same time you can live with as a daily driver (mainly being - that it is not an alcoholic on diesel). This way (having a nice car and an older jeep, you don't have to compromise on either)

As to what to buy for the jeep.

• I had a 2006 Pajero and I loved it. Very agricultural, but massive massive power when you need it and very comfortable to drive. 4X4 will go anywhere
• That started to give trouble and I got a 2012 VW Amarok. There was nothing really wrong with it as such but I just never warmed to it. I think it was because it was a manual and I had got used to the Auto Pajero. One the plus side, It had better road manners than the Pajero, it was better on diesel (couldn't be worse to be honest) and you could fit a pile of stuff in the back. I actually found while I had it, I don't think I used the trailer once, because I got everything I needed in the back.
• I now have a 08 Disco. I love it. I would be a bit concerned though that it will break my heart if things start to go wrong with it - but so far so good.

Not sure if you need back seats, but I am presuming you do, so then any of the crewcabs might be suitable as the run-around. I would try and go with one with a canopy if possible. In my opinion, they look way better without teh canopy, but from a practical point of view, they are a pain in the butt. You can never leave anything in it without it getting wet.

To get a decent Crewcab you probably are talking about 10k realistically. This is just a random enough list. Some are cleaner than others but it will give you and idea of what you can get:

• You could look at an L200. This one is a bit rough - but it will give you an idea of them
• Older style Ranger like this
• Isuzu D-Max like this
• Nissan Navara jeep like this

IrishZeus

Thanks for all the replies.

@ednwireland - we’re about 10km outside Glenties and another 2km uphill, partly through forestry, which makes ice/snow very slow to clear. The house is then downhill on a compacted gravel track. Between all of it, there will be times we definitely need 4x4. Father in law has a baby Pajero and even that won’t get up to the house if it’s extremely bad.

The BMW would definitely handle 95% of the year though, especially if I went with AllWeathers or changed to winter tires. So I am leaning towards changing the runabout. I’ll also be doing a weekly run to Dublin down the line also, so the comfort would be good!

Also, we do have two kids so a 5 seater is necessary.

With a budget of 8-10k in mind, I’d obviously be looking at older models. (The current runabout is an 07 Qashqai.) I’d lean towards a Disco or an old Land Cruiser but the LC of that vintage always seem to be hammered. Old Pajero also an option as it wouldn’t be a daily.

Thanks for the Subaru suggestions also. I know they’re supposed to be excellent but have no experience of them so will do some more digging and learning.

Any other suggestions I should look into?

Thanks again all, much appreciated,

P.

djan

Unless you need the height clearance in getting up to your house. Getting a pair of winter tyres and keeping your 5 series will be much more efficient in cold conditions than any 4x4 on summers/all weather's.

This is coming from someone originally from a country that gets proper winters and the majority of the rear wheeled German cars are not 4x4 version and do just fine on the winter tyres in conditions worse than you'd ever get here.

Casati

djan wrote: »

Unless you need the height clearance in getting up to your house. Getting a pair of winter tyres and keeping your 5 series will be much more efficient in cold conditions than any 4x4 on summers/all weather's.

This is coming from someone originally from a country that gets proper winters and the majority of the rear wheeled German cars are not 4x4 version and do just fine on the winter tyres in conditions worse than you'd ever get here.

Seeing as you have two cars anyway I’d get rid of the Nissan and get a small 4wd that decent in snow but still cheap enough to fuel, tax, insure and repair for the local journeys. Something like a Jimny or Yeti 4WD. I don’t think you need the big SUV unless your also towing 3 tonne trailers. I’d be inclined to get a second set of wheels for the Beemer as they can be got cheaply and run winters on them

User1998

Why not keep the BMW and use something like this for when it snows? It would go anywhere with winter tyres unless you need additional ground clearance

https://www.donedeal.ie/view/26799941

Mooooo

I'd go with option 2 also, if you need two cars anyway. Pickups are fine but can be uncomfortable enough, and even the ranger for its size is still small in the back if adults ever need to go there. Land cruisers are making strong money and passenger ones would be hard to find along with any full 4×4's being a but more expensive maintenance wise. Touraegs and x5 would be the same their size and weight not helping and they would still be 12 years old plus within budget. AWD Skoda Yeti could be a decent call if it's big enough for ye as a second car and put some decent tyres on it.
Beshoffs have an audi a6 allroad 2012 on their site, looks to have nice space in the boot as well as being raised a bit. Strong money at the advertised price of 20k, to me anyway, but if ye could stretch to it it may well last a decent length of time as well as being comfortable for long trips if the 5 isn't available for whatever reason. Haven't seem many others advertised

Del2005

If you look at the cars in the Nordic countries very few people use popper 4x4s, even in the USA they don't all drive massive trucks in snow areas. They all have normal cars on winter tyres. Got a taxi many moons ago in a ski area and it was a minivan, asked the driver was it 4x4 and told no just studded tyres.


Put winters on your current cars and maybe look at getting a spare set of rims to put studded tyres on for when it's really bad.

eljono

My wife has a 3.0d X3 and it has proven to be a great all rounder. If you like your 5 series, the cabin and controls will be familiar. It handles surprisingly well for a jeep in Sport mode and the 3.0d engine has good performance.

Space wise we find it great, very comfortable up front and a good sized boot. Hers has an electronic towbar so it tucks away when not in use and pops out again when required.

Where it has really come into its own though is over the past few days of bad weather. We live in the countryside currently but due to a family emergency have had to do two 160km round trips in 48 hours. The X3 was flawless on bad roads, I even used the hill descent function going down one particularly icy hill and it worked perfectly. All while we had heated seats and steering wheel keeping us cosy. Doing the same trips in my GTI on summer tyres would have been a different story.

Fuel economy is ok, we get about 8-8.5 l/100kms.

Wildly Boaring

eljono wrote: »

Where it has really come into its own though is over the past few days of bad weather. We live in the countryside currently but due to a family emergency have had to do two 160km round trips in 48 hours. The X3 was flawless on bad roads, I even used the hill descent function going down one particularly icy hill and it worked perfectly. All while we had heated seats and steering wheel keeping us cosy. Doing the same trips in my GTI on summer tyres would have been a different story.

Drive 200k across country today in Leon no bother.
4x4 don't stop any better.
Must admit that the legacy was amazing but in 2010.

The bit of ice today was slippy but hardly nordic.

Can see why the OP wants 4x4 all the same

ednwireland

IrishZeus wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.

@ednwireland - we’re about 10km outside Glenties and another 2km uphill, partly through forestry, which makes ice/snow very slow to clear. The house is then downhill on a compacted gravel track. Between all of it, there will be times we definitely need 4x4. Father in law has a baby Pajero and even that won’t get up to the house if it’s extremely bad.

ah yep thats pretty remote ! good luck with the search

As others have mentioned whatever you get will need winter tyres for the few days of very poor weather you fear. The baby pajero would likely manage to get to ye on winter tyres?

Considering where you are the extra ground clearance of the allroad or similar would be handy ...... If going two car option an ole grand vitara on winter/off road tyres would be a hardy enough thing as a runaround..... You'd not need to spend 8k either.

MAULBROOK

Skoda Octavia Scout or a Skoda Yeti if you can get one.