Best 4x4 for trailer towing and general driving.....

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Sessle

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So, due to my car always getting stuck in mud/snow/whatever, I have decided it would be more practical for me to get a 4x4, so whats the best 4x4 in your opinion for towing and everyday driving?! It won't be a brand new one, so no massively expensive ones please.....you'll only make me jealous
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Anyone want a shiny black 206?!
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a diesel disco or shogun if you will use it as your everyday car too

If you want a 2nd car as 4x4 which is what I do, jeep grand cherokee is good but heavy on petrol
 
Toyota Landcruiser (Diesel), I have had 3 and they have all been fantastic. I would say the manual is better. Mine have all been the colorado not Amazon, however friends have Amazons and love them but obviously they use a lot more fuel.
 
Land rover, i have a defender and wouldn't change ti for the world! Had an old one years ago then had a disco, would never ever have a disco ever again as mine was auto and was absolutley leathal. I'm sure other 4x4s are OK (never owned one but know people who have) but there really is nothing like a defender, i have muddy tyres, have to tow my water bowers across my field no matter the weather once a week and have never got stuck, tow trailer with it, chuck the dogs and anything else in the back and don't worry about it, doesn't need to be shinny(!!), and have not had a single problem in the snow i ice we have ATM!! It is also my daily driver, don't see why you need 2. Love it! And they aren't that bad on deisel, 200 or 300tdi the best.
 
My diesel 206 has surprised me in this weather - we don't do ice and snow here really, but today I took OH's Hyundai Sante Fe 2l diesel, and felt 100 times safer!
It's what we tow with but it's also his everyday car so can't be pricey to run. I wouldn't tow more than 1 average sized horse with it, but for the job we need it to do, I doubt we'd find a better compromise.
 
Kia Sorento, has automatic 4WD (it chooses itself between 4WD and 2WD depending on situation) and optional low range for when ur really stuck (Ive only ever needed to use that once and that was in last years snow). Second hand you can pick them up from about £5000 (altho in average I think they are around £6-7k).

I tow a IW511 with mine and it is fine, dont really notice the difference. Love love love mine!
 
I love my Range Rover. It runs on lpg so it's (just) affordable, it's an auto so it tows incredibly smoothly and it's got lots of lovely low gears for poor conditions. Disco would be my second choice.
 
I have a Kia Sorrento. It looks good - but is much cheaper than most 4x4's to tax and buy etc. It's not a statement 4x4 but it does the job really well, I think it has a mercedes engine. I have a diesel manual and love it. I can tow two no probs.
Love it.
xx
 
I have a Disco, no experience of other big 4 x 4's, but have had a Vitara LWB and a Sportrak. My Disco is auto, and I've had a manual. Both towed really well. My OH revels in this weather, he drives around looking for people who are stuck so he can tow them out of trouble; the first night it snowed (before the roads round here were gritted) he was towing 7.5 tonners up to the industrial estate on the hill by us.
 
We've had 2 old diesel discos and they were both fantastic, our last did 250,000 miles and then we rehomed it for a quieter life (not towing 3 horses up reigate hill
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). We now have an lpg disco and it's even better
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. It starts up on petrol and then swtiches itself onto lpg after a few seconds. We can do 120 miles on a tank of gas towing a large trailer with 3 horses in it (costs about £25 to fill) and then we can switch back to petrol when it runs out. It's an S reg, done 60,000 miles and cost £2900 after a lot of haggling. We were wary about the lpg but checked with insurance company, aa and garage and they were all positive about it. Would definitely go for an automatic for towing and make sure you look for rust under the boot as old discos are prone to it.
 
I have a Shogun and love it. LWB auto and tow's 2 horses in an ivor williams with ease. Great for reversing trailers into tight spots too. I feel very safe in it in this awful weather. She really is a beast. Is a bit thirsty tho but then is a 3.2 so gonna be. Before i had the shogun i had a nissan terrano and that towed well with one horse and was cheap to run. I've found disco's very powerless and i've driven plenty. I haven't tried the new ones tho
 
Thanks guys! I have lots to think about now, I must say I was thinking Land rover, but will also look at others too!!
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Thanks!
 
I went for a disco, for towing and everyday driving, did a lot of research and went for the good old landy in the end as it was the cheapest to insure considering that I had just written off my last car and they took all my no claims away, and pretty easy to get parts for. Not the most economical in the grand scheme of things and I do wish that I had gone for the LPG converted one but I don't regret it for a minute and will be glad to get it back after its long stint at the landrover hospital (aka my Dad!!)
 
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