I'm looking at selling my skoda yeti and using the money to buy an EV. The budget won't stretch to a bells 'n whistles one but
something like a mk1 Leaf will be great for 90% of our local trips. Diesel is 1.42/l here btw.
What I was thinking is was having the EV for local trips and a 2nd 4x4 for occasional use and the few longer journeys we do per year. I live in an
area with hills that get impassable in winter if it's snows and the yeti had got up them when there have been dozens of cars stranded so
it's a real need.
I won't have a lot left over though! Ideas please for lower end budget (£2/3k) 4x4s please. One friend has suggested Freelanders which seem good
value but they may be dire, idk.
I had a daewoo musso once which was great but they don't pop up much on ebay!
I got round the problem by buying a Outlander Phev. Not a pure EV but I do about 20/25 miles on just electric so for urban driving it's great. And nice peace of mind that if the juice runs out I've got a full tank of petrol going spare. Not sure when I'm going to use the 4x4 mode but again peace of mind..... Some of the older ones aren't crazy money if you go for the more basic specs.
Qashqi 4x4 or an older Xtrail might be in budgetZ. Had both reliable vehicles that get you there
Mr Whippy got a second-hand Nissan Leaf off Cazoo - seems very happy with the car and the deal - might be worth sending him a U2U.
We have a Toyota Rav 4 short wheelbase.
Its on extremely low miles for a 1998 MK1.
Its been the most reliable car I've owned by far and it's never struggled in the snow.
Kia Sorento. Bought as my tow car as it was the cheapest reliable route to tow 3 tonnes. Most have switchable 4wd so is rwd until you hit the diff
locks. Also means you can drift it in the wet....
...and there was me hoping for a thread on donor engine & transmission options for building a 4x4 or 4WD 7 type car!
House near us has an Outlander Phev - don't know them so no feedback on that one.
One of my sisters had a Qashqi and didn't like it too much. Sold on after a year and now leases a Skoda Karoq FWD - seems happier with that.
going real cheap is Suzuki jumny or other suzuki 4wd
Lada Niva is also a unbeatable 4wd
I drive a Volvo V90 T8, which is a plug-in hybrid that has sort of 4wd, ie petrol on front and electric on rear. So one car does all, budget might be
an issue though
Run away from Freelanders as fast as you can.
I have a 21 year old Hilux Surf (3rd gen) which still ploughs on every winter in -15 and gets anywhere I need to go. If I wanted something with less
space I'd probably go for a 4wd version of the Rav4, or a jimney.
Decent older generation landcruisers and 4runners are at the top of your budget but don't expect >20mpg often. Mine never sees more than 23.
Fun ploughing round in feet of snow though.
4RunnerSnow
[Edited on 19/8/21 by coyoteboy]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOhMCWP2pSI
quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
Run away from Freelanders as fast as you can.
I have a 21 year old Hilux Surf (3rd gen) which still ploughs on every winter in -15 and gets anywhere I need to go. If I wanted something with less space I'd probably go for a 4wd version of the Rav4, or a jimney.
Decent older generation landcruisers and 4runners are at the top of your budget but don't expect >20mpg often. Mine never sees more than 23. Fun ploughing round in feet of snow though.
4RunnerSnow
[Edited on 19/8/21 by coyoteboy]
Before my Up I was looking at the Lada Niva, basic car, rugged, well engineered and simple to own. They still make them and I'd have one way before anything made by Landrover. If you get a Leaf there's a very good chance the 4x4 will get very little use so I'd go for something that can stand up to a bit of neglect and only occasional use. Since We've had the Leaf I'm a bit shocked (no pun intended) on how heavily it's being used and how much it's become the primary car. Could really do with another one...
How about a Mitsubishi Pajero (JDM version of the Shogun) I had one a few years back which was very reliable, just make sure that it has been well rust proofed since it has been imported.
my brother had a Jeep Cherokee, he once described it as an 'anti-tardis', so much smaller on the inside than to out
quote:
Originally posted by gremlin1234
my brother had a Jeep Cherokee, he once described it as an 'anti-tardis', so much smaller on the inside than to out
The trouble with EVs is that the wrong tyres can affect the range. A year or so back I was chatting with the owner of a Jaguar iPace while we charged
our cars - I was admiring the Jag, until he told me what his electricity consumption was (half what I get per kWh). He also looked into upgrading his
wheels and tyres to a larger size, until he was told that he would lose 50 miles range...
A carefully selected set of all-weather tyres can make a huge difference in winter, or you could get a set of cheap wheels and fit proper winter
tyres, swapping them over each season (which is what they do in places like northern Europe and Canada). I have driven on icy roads with winter tyres
and the difference is astonishing (not in my car, unfortunately). It felt as though I had four-wheel drive!
quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
The trouble with EVs is that the wrong tyres can affect the range. A year or so back I was chatting with the owner of a Jaguar iPace while we charged our cars - I was admiring the Jag, until he told me what his electricity consumption was (half what I get per kWh). He also looked into upgrading his wheels and tyres to a larger size, until he was told that he would lose 50 miles range...
A carefully selected set of all-weather tyres can make a huge difference in winter, or you could get a set of cheap wheels and fit proper winter tyres, swapping them over each season (which is what they do in places like northern Europe and Canada). I have driven on icy roads with winter tyres and the difference is astonishing (not in my car, unfortunately). It felt as though I had four-wheel drive!
I meant get a set of winter tyres. EVs have a lot of torque at a standstill and even in the wet I find myself putting on the ECO mode to stop it wheel spinning, something it's really prone too. I haven’t driven it in the winter but I can see it being a bit of a handful unless I get some decent winter tyres.
quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
Kia Sorento. Bought as my tow car as it was the cheapest reliable route to tow 3 tonnes. Most have switchable 4wd so is rwd until you hit the diff locks. Also means you can drift it in the wet....
quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
EVs are not special physics cases. Of course different tyres affect your fuel efficiency, but only the same as an IC car, they do it by increasing rolling resistance. That increase its the same for any powertrain. You'd expect an X% drop in fuel efficiency, you can expect an X% drop in range.
quote:
Originally posted by PorkChop
Or a Sportage (which my family has for towing a horse trailer). Comfortable enough for longer trips (which a Jimny is definitely not) and they live in what could be called a hilly area - a 4x4 is the only realistic chance of getting home in the snow.
A decent mark 1 with good history will be within budget.
I have one of the last XC70’s best car I have ever owned, D5 fully loaded fast, quiet, economical and can pull 2 tons of trailer at 28mpj all day
long.
Beats any range rovers I owned a few years ago.
Just bought another RAV4 Ben 2014 one.
But still got the 2006. They are in your budget for a decent one. 40mpg if your good
What about an elderly Skoda Octavia 4x4 estate or its slightly jacked up and more common and probably pricier Scout version?
Assorted Subarus? E.g. Forester?
What towing weight and interior space do you need? There was a hatchback Impreza with 1500kg towing weight (so can tow Locost or my Sprite on a single
axle trailer)- non-turbo, so not quick and a small boot, but full time 4x4 (not Haldex or other part-time system) and a low ratio gearbox. I have the
later model (2016, 1.6 non-turbo petrol so same insurance as my Mk1 Octavia 2wd 1.6 petrol that it replaced, this model shared the body with the XV),
but the generation before (a bit rounder looking and 1500cc and as slow as mine) might be on budget - surprisingly good size inside including for rear
seat passengers, apart from the boot space). Great on winter tyres with a sump guard on ice and snow - limited by depth of snow by ploughing along on
the sump-guard, but at such depths only saw Solihull products! (could try the related higher up XV but no low ratio and probably higher priced); my
Mk1 Octavia on quality winter tyres (ContiWinterCiontact) was also good too and surprising on ice.
My boot space issue solved on long trips by addition of a roof box.
Wikipedia tells me I am talking about a Subaru Impreza hatchback ‘Third Generation’ (and my 2016 1.6iRC hatchback is a ‘Fourth Generation’):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_Impreza
Cheers
Mike
[Edited on 22/8/21 by Mike Wood]
[Edited on 22/8/21 by Mike Wood]
[Edited on 22/8/21 by Mike Wood]
[Edited on 22/8/21 by Mike Wood]
[Edited on 22/8/21 by Mike Wood]
Thanks all for the replies. Loads to think about and look into. Any more ideas please keep them coming!