What car should I buy to get me to work in winter?

Goudy

facade said:

Goudy said:

I also had an Mk1 Rav4 with 4x4 and it was horrid, it bounced all over the place, popped out of 5th gear (very common fault) and when the clutch went, it's an engine out job due to the transfer case being inaccessible, hateful car.

Why don't I still have it? 

Kind of wish I did, but the insurance was dear, and it only did low 20s

You answered for me, the manual wasn't any better, in fact when I changed the clutch the job nearly killed me.
It was a horrid job as it all comes out underneath in one lot, engine, gearbox and transfer box.
Mine was a 5 door and the ride was shockingly bouncy, it was reasonable off road though, a bit light on the back axle, though I find this true of 4x4 pickups as well if they aren't loaded up.

I like the early Vitara, apart from the rust, though it wasn't much better on fuel. It was swb so worked well off road, the Mrs has a new one, but it's FWD and too nice/expensive to hammer off road anyway.

I was eyeing a couple of SX4's/Sedici's as they drive a lot better on the roads and as long as I'm not cracking sumps open or bending steering arms, one should suit for what I need (they nearly have the same ground clearance as a Freelander).
Not fussed bending a panel or two and scrapping a bumper, looks like you could probably hack a bit off the bottom of both front and rear bumpers anyway.

jimbo6977

Berlingo XTR+ with sensible wheels and tyres. 

macman

Daihatsu Terios? Though I think the newest model would now be 10 years old.

facade

How about a Dacia Duster?

The poverty 2wd version will have the suspension and decent amounts of sidewalls. It isn't going to get stuck in a pothole.

Don't know what you'd get for £4k though, there are a couple of 13 plates on autotrader for that, with 60 odd thousand miles on them, probably another 60,000 left in them.

MinuteNoodles

zozo_zo said:

I live in a very rural area and drive an hour to work through very rough single track lanes. I've broken the wheel on my current car as if you have to suddenly move over there are big drops into potholes. I'd like a 4x4 but also do about 20k mileage a year and can't afford the huge running costs.  I have a budget of 1.5 - 4k. The cheaper the better really! Any advice for me? Thank you!

You don't need a 4x4. What you need are a set of steel wheels and some winter tyres on. Winter tyres on a 2 wheel drive car will work better than using a 4x4 car on summer tyres which are what the vast majority of cars in the UK run on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfuE00qdhLA&t=199s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atayHQYqA3g

A set of steel wheels from a breakers and the top end winter tyres will set you back about £500. Don't go for the same diameter rim you currently have, get no more than a 16" one as it'll mean thicker sidewalls which will absorb pot holes better.