Small SUV, supermini or…something else?

AdrianC

The Duster does only get three stars, yes...
https://www.euroncap.com/en/results/dacia/duster/29898

BUT mostly because it doesn't have the fallible techno frippery. Nul points for no lane assist or autobraking. Both of which are more of a pain than assistance, unless you've gone to sleep and are ignoring the outside world.

The Qashqai gets a higher adult occupant score - just - but is measured to an older standard, so the scores aren't comparable.
https://www.euroncap.com/en/results/nissan/qashqai/7882

Courteous

Stubod said:

Ref Winter driving and 4*4, I think the general opinion is a 2 wheel drive car fitted with Winter tyres are better for snow than a 4WD with "normal" tyres....of course 4*4 AND winter tyres would be really good. But consider that in general 4WD cars in general cost more to run and maintain and consider how often you really need them.

We have a Yeti which is very practical and not too big but they stopped making them in 2017, an alternative we have been looking at is the Suzuki Vitara which has both 4 and 2WD options available.

Suzuki vitara added to the list to check out, thank you. I had a quick look at the swift and wee ignis - good fun watching people test drive the smaller cars off road!
For winter it definitely sounds like whatever way I go winter tyres is really the main thing so I’ll make sure and budget for a set/ extra garage time.

Re: 4x4 or standard, thanks for this. Think this is the first decision I’ll need to make - weighing up prices of the different options and I guess estimating how many days a year I’ll be driving off tarmac / in snow. Will keep in mind the point made in another post about 4x4 in winter can = “now you’re *really* stuck”. 

Courteous

tr7phil said:

AdrianC said:

tr7phil said:

AdrianC said:

4justice2 said:

Courteous said:

Flight3287462 said:

Have a look at the Skoda Kamiq and if necessary you can go for one of the bigger models.  It is really very nice to drive and nippy enough.

Oooh I’ve been looking at the Kamiq! They do look nice. 
I’m slightly troubled by the SOS warning system fault reported this year and last - VW group (?) also I think had the emissions test cheating scandal as well but tbh I don’t imagine any big manufacturer is any more trustworthy than the next (happy to be proven wrong ). 

The other one I’m just looking at is the Ford Puma. I’m not certain just yet how much I’ll be happy to spend but I think this would be a wee bit much for me just yet (I’ve never bought a brand new vehicle). 

Thanks for the comment!

In your first post you mention 4x4 type capability, the Ford Puma and Skoda Kamiq are front wheel drive only as far as I'm aware. If four wheel drive is one of your requirements, check the model you're looking at as not all SUVs have a four wheel drive, and if they do it's often on the top spec models only!

Friends of ours bought a Qashqow from a car supermarket before moving to the sticks. They swear the salesman promised them faithfully it was 4wd. It isn't.

Did they not notice the lack of drive shafts on two of the wheels or a prop shaft when they looked underneath?

What is this "look underneath"...?

Not that a vast majority of car buyers or drivers would even know what they were looking for...

Sadly, you're probably right.  I on the other hand spent my childhood in the 70s reading my dad's AA Book of the Car so tend to think it's normal to understand these things!

The salesman probably didn't realise he was wrong anyway, I was sitting in the showroom of a VW dealership when the new Beetle first came out and a potential customer asked a salesman "Is the engine still in the back", he didn't know and said he would go and check!

Mmm. This strikes a chord. 

I don’t think I’d look underneath. Used  car buying guides say to do this, and to check under the bonnet, but I’d have no idea what to look for as mentioned (other than maybe anything obvious like rust/leaks/discoloured liquids, or anything hanging off!).

If I could go back in time to childhood/schooldays and change anything I’d like to have learned some mechanical skills. Path not taken and there’s a limit to how much knowledge/skills/experience in any single area one person can have but I do feel the lack of skills I have in this area like a sort of illiteracy - like not being able to read, or understand numbers.

Hoping to improve but def. intimidating as an adult. I did get a manual with exploded diagrams for my last car and finding YouTube videos quite good. I don’t have any tools to try anything like e.g changing brake pads and so much is completely over my head but at least if the garage has flagged something needing attention/standard maintenance I can at look up the parts they’re talking about, and check costs of repairs. 

That’s what I’m hoping, anyways. Baby steps, ey.

BOWFER

AdrianC said:

The Duster does only get three stars, yes...
https://www.euroncap.com/en/results/dacia/duster/29898

BUT mostly because it doesn't have the fallible techno frippery. Nul points for no lane assist or autobraking. Both of which are more of a pain than assistance, unless you've gone to sleep and are ignoring the outside world.

The Qashqai gets a higher adult occupant score - just - but is measured to an older standard, so the scores aren't comparable.
https://www.euroncap.com/en/results/nissan/qashqai/7882

Hard agree here.
Lane assist can usually be switched off, thankfully, but auto braking can usually only be adjusted, not turned off completely.
And both are an utter utter utter PITA.

Grumpy_chap

BOWFER said:

Hard agree here.
Lane assist can usually be switched off, thankfully, but auto braking can usually only be adjusted, not turned off completely.
And both are an utter utter utter PITA.

How so?
I've never driven a car with lane assist, but my wife's Fiesta has AEB and we've never actually been able to drive to force it to activate.  I really can't imagine that you'd ever be able to create scenarios where the AEB actually intervenes with sufficient frequency as to become an inconvenience.

BOWFER

Grumpy_chap said:

  I really can't imagine that you'd ever be able to create scenarios where the AEB actually intervenes with sufficient frequency as to become an inconvenience.

Oh you can, you absolutely can.
Evidently you don't drive fast on country roads, where the AEB seems to think you want to kill yourself.
I despise it.

Ectophile

BOWFER said:

Grumpy_chap said:

  I really can't imagine that you'd ever be able to create scenarios where the AEB actually intervenes with sufficient frequency as to become an inconvenience.

Oh you can, you absolutely can.
Evidently you don't drive fast on country roads, where the AEB seems to think you want to kill yourself.
I despise it.

That's probably because it's right.