Need help deciding on a car!!

[Nativelover]

It's about time I updated my car but my OH and me are disagreeing on what to buy.
Currently I have a freelander 2, I love it and has served us both very well! ( he only buys 'bangers' that he abuses with his work and just buys another one when it dies, but he prefers to use my car when I'm not!!!)

He says that LR are unreliable and expensive to fix, my car is now 8 years old and is showing signs of wear and tear.
So what do I get!? I live in a semi-rural village at the end of a farm track up a hill. We often get snowed in when it snows, but with the LR its always got us out. So we need a 4wd, as it also helps with picking up feed and bedding and can tow if we needed it to.

But it also has to perform well for my commute into and out of the city centre, so a defender wouldn't suit.

What do you all drive???

 

[Annagain]

I won't be much help as was going to say Defender until that last bit! I have one and LOVE it. I'm not a car person and would never have thought I'd get evangelical about a car, but I am about Wilf (see, I've even given him a name!) I've never felt so comfortable towing as I do with him. I never went above 50 in any other car, I accidentally (for about 10 seconds!) broke 60 on the motorway the other day as I hadn't noticed I had picked up a bit too much speed as it still felt so controlled. Yes it's not the greatest on a long journey but I only do an 8 mile round trip to work so don't spend hours in it and if you get the XS you get comfortable (heated) seats, a heated front screen and air conditioning / a heater that actually gets hot/cold. You can even upgrade to better seats again or get after market upgrades fairly cheaply for a bit more comfort like mud rails which allow you put the seat back further for more legroom and heat deflectors so you don't just warm up one spot on your left leg with the heating. Best of all, as they're about to stop making them, if you get one it will hold its value much better.

We've had a few Landrovers (Freelanders and Discoveries) and haven't found them to be unreliable, although main dealer service (when we've had to use them for warranty work) is terrible. We've now found a good local independent specialist who are great and charge half the price.

 

[gina2201]

I've had and loved my Range Rovers, the P38 (older one) and more recently the L322. Great cars but obviously to buy new are very pricey, how about the new Discovery Sport or wait for the Discovery to come out?

 

[LHIS]

LR Defender is the way forward. Buy one quickly before the new model comes out (and they ruin it by making it look like a range )

Volvo XC60 or XC90 will serve you well too, and super safe, as well as being great for towing.

If you want to spend less than these two (and bear with me) but there is a new model of the Hyundai 4x4 and they're really rather good.

 

[dixie]

You don't say what your budget is. However I've just changed my Jeep for a Ssangyong Rexton and I absolutely love it. It is so smooth and quiet and tows like a dream. Worth a look maybe.

 

[kassieg]

I'm another defender addict although I do have a nice suzuki swift sport for commuting because i do a 40 mile trip or further if driving for work so sadly the defender costs a fortune to run!!

But its amazing for bad weather & towing. Mine is a year older than me (24 ! ) only spent about 1k on it in the 3 years I've had it including chequer plate the heater is cracking even though people complain about them mine is perfect!!

I think land rover are great & the parts for mine have always been reasonably priced