A(nother) new car suggestions thread...

[Alan_B]

Get a coil sprung manual P38 Range Rover. Not much left to go wrong with them. If you don't lift it then it meets your criteria

Only other one I'd consider so far would be the Cherokee.

It's a big ask for 3K but if anyone can find something, you will.

 

[Coog]

Bigger Jeeps are good for climbing up rough lanes, but they carry a lot of momentum and a slide on a touch of black ice in something heavy is a much bigger event than in something small. They are very hard stopped once they get going.

I would recommend something like the Suzuki SX4. Your £3k gets a 7/8 year old model, 50k miles, suzuki reliability, intelligent 4wd, modern comforts and is going to be easy lived with and most importantly controlled if it hits black ice.

UsedCarsNI.com - 2008 Suzuki SX4 1.6 GLX **45000 MILES **

 

[saxo_man]

What sort of tyres are you gonna to fit? I have mud/snow tyres on my GV and they are very slippy on the ice/very light snow you'd need to have your wits about you

 

[Nicky]

6am heading out of Lisburn to Aldergrone with abandoned vehicles everywhere. Ended up spending a couple of hours towing people out of hedges and up wee hills that morning as the flight we were heading for was delayed until the runway was cleared.

Freelander didn't skip a wheel the whole time we had snow, unless traction control was switched off and I wanted it to. Also forded small rivers and crossed numerous fields with it, even with the horsebox on.

Fantastic winter tool and very underestimated IMO.

 

[Ghisallo]

The A838 is beautiful. here it is in winter. At least it's an A-road!!

I'd love to know what the job is which involves such distant unavoidable travel.

I look forward to next spring when you start a which 2 seat drop top sports car thread as that road is ripe for blasting.

 

[Jason]

forwarding the above to a family member who's after something like that for the winter

Sorry just to update, this is now sold.

 

[natogreen16v]

Investing in some driving lessons sounds like a good plan too. If she doesn't know how to navigate conditions like that a skid pan type course might benefit her.

 

[Mark_C]

Sorry just to update, this is now sold.

Aye, he just went and bought it!

 

[Jason]

Aye, he just went and bought it!

Was this a fella Derek??

 

[Mark_C]

Yeah, uncle of mine, prob arrived in a matte grey cooper s

 

[Jason]

Yeah, uncle of mine, prob arrived in a matte grey cooper s

Yea thats him, lovely Mini that is too! Nice man, the Vitara should do his job! Thanks for the mention!

 

[Jonny F]

4.0 grand Cherokee. They will tackle most things thrown at them, extremely comfortable with all the toys.

My Dad and I had a 3.1td together, had it for 2 years may be and aside from the odd oil leak it never gave any trouble. I loved driving it too, really miss it

They are very unreliable heaps imo

 

[big_pete]

Maybe we got lucky but that thing got best stupid, towed with alot etc and never ever put a foot wrong. I was gutted when he sold it lol

 

[surprising_skoda]

Bigger Jeeps are good for climbing up rough lanes, but they carry a lot of momentum and a slide on a touch of black ice in something heavy is a much bigger event than in something small. They are very hard stopped once they get going.

I would recommend something like the Suzuki SX4. Your £3k gets a 7/8 year old model, 50k miles, suzuki reliability, intelligent 4wd, modern comforts and is going to be easy lived with and most importantly controlled if it hits black ice.

UsedCarsNI.com - 2008 Suzuki SX4 1.6 GLX **45000 MILES **

A very good point about the momentum of a larger vehicle, that I hadn't considered.
The sx4 is a great suggestion too, thought it would be too pricey and possibly too small but will definitely look at them.

The A838 is beautiful. here it is in winter. At least it's an A-road!!

I'd love to know what the job is which involves such distant unavoidable travel.

I look forward to next spring when you start a which 2 seat drop top sports car thread as that road is ripe for blasting.

Someone else said "I don't know what your concerns are all about" but that pic is perfect for explaining it.

Driving course is another great idea. Will improve her confidence no end too.

I know that in theory anything can be driven but it is also to do with her confidence and safety. In conditions like in nickys pics a few years back I was the only person in my road able to get up the steep hills, using a auto 525i e34 estate on snow tyres. I've driven these roads, Ullapool to Lairg, in a manual v8 e39 as well, very lovely but wouldn't like to be stuck out there. Anything could happen, random animal round a corner or fog close in etc.

Was thinking some mud and snow tyres but want to hear your experience @saxo_man

 

[saxo_man]

For general day to day driving, mounting the odd kerb they work well, but noisier than normal tyres. I haven't noticed a significant reduction in handling even in the wet. I would say I feel confident driving anywhere in it. These are Goodyear Wrangler MTR. I also had BFG AT tyres before these and rate them better all round but 1.5x price.

 

[Mark_C]

These are the sort of roads you can pass with ease in the trooper with the malatesta kaimans - they're a mud terrain but did really well.

The snow was about 2-2.5 feet deep at this point. Check the second pic to get an idea of the drop off the edge of the road! This was at the inlaws a couple of easters ago.

 

[surprising_skoda]

This is the first reply I got on the other forum I'm asking on after putting up that snow picture...

there is no need for a 4wd to drive on that, hardly a dusting on the road.
Plus that is typical of less than a week out of an entire year if you are unlucky.
Deer and frost on the road are way more likely to be the cause of your wipeout than a snifter of snow.

 

[Coog]

Which snow picture?

 

[Alan_B]

What about a 4x4 Panda?

Edit - just realised you ruled them out. I thought they were supposed to be pretty good off road for what they are? Nice and light too I imagine.

 

[surprising_skoda]

What about a 4x4 Panda?

Edit - just realised you ruled them out. I thought they were supposed to be pretty good off road for what they are? Nice and light too I imagine.

They are good, and I like them, but she'll want a bit bigger. Forester or freelander size, lol.

 

[micko]

Any further on with this?

This looks reasonable and would have thought, with the right tyres, would be able to cope with all but most challenging conditions...

2003 Subaru Forester 2.0X 4x4 Hi & Lo! Stunning Example! | in Dunmurry, Belfast | Gumtree

 

[surprising_skoda]

Any further on with this?

Left it over the weekend but now it's getting to crunch time, needs to be bought, serviced, road tested, and correctly tyred and whatever by the end of the month which is not that far away really, so much as I'd like to pontificate for a little while longer over the Freelander or some of the other choices - even an Audi A6 Allroad popped up as a possibility - I'm calling it now in favour of the Subaru camp. This has the added bonus of being a brand my mum has had before (red Impreza) and does not remember for any bad reasons so she'll consider them reliable. Which it was, but so is her current BMW but it overheated in traffic once 18 months ago so now she carries a gallon of coolant in it everywhere.

Anyway.

does anyone know of MCT Cars? Experiences?
2003 Subaru Forester 2.0X 4x4 Hi & Lo! Stunning Example! | in Dunmurry, Belfast | Gumtree

Might consider a Legacy although Outback would be better?
Subaru Legacy 4x4 2004 | in Banbridge, County Down | Gumtree

But this one is maybe a bit old and a bit high miles for desired purpose:
Subaru Legacy Outback 4x4 SUV | in Broughshane, County Antrim | Gumtree

 

[Überdub]

Nissan anything: Renault DCi. refer point 1. Although shame this rules out X-trail.

Also available in petroleum edition ... 2.0 :: 138bhp and 2.5 :: 165 bhp, both engines with option of manual or automatic trans. Don't know much about them but massively within budget.

 

[swansty]

Was thinking some mud and snow tyres but want to hear your experience @saxo_man

If grip on cold/frosty/icy/snowy roads is your main concern, I would fit winter tyres as opposed to anything AT or MT rated. A M&S rated AT might be ok but anything too aggressive wont work as well on the road. As @Coog said, big 4x4's can get going, but getting them stopped again is the tricky part and the bit that's all too easy to forget. I don't know what the job is but there has to come a point where you assess the risk to yourself and others and have to make the call that its in everyones interest not to venture out. If you are stuck in a drift or at the bottom of 2 hills, you are helping nobody and relying on others for rescue/recovery. If any employer insists on journeys being made in these types of conditions, the onus would very much be on them to provide suitable training (including risk assessments), and a suitable vehicle or even a driver. Id also have a satellite phone high up on my list of priorities.

 

[RickyB]

Having been up there in bad winter conditions the only vehicle I would like to be in to give me peace of mind would be a Shogun or Landcruiser but anything decent is probably out of budget. As stated any MLs, XC90, X5s would be ticking time bombs at under £3k and avoid a Vitara at all costs due to bad engine (Renault)