Small (3 door) 4x4??

[Twiglet]

I'm thinking about changing my current car for one of the smaller 4x4's on the market, but am having trouble finding info on what's out there.
I won't be towing with it, and rarely carrying more than one or two passengers, so I don't want any of the really large vehicles, for tax, insurance and fuel reasons.
BUt I do want something that will have quite good handling capacity - although most of the driving will be on road, I also need it to cope with slippery hilly conditions at the yard in winter, and for wet showgrounds etc.
I need it to have reasonable load space (with the back seats out/down) for a few bales of woodchips and feed.
All this, and not with a huge engine either!! and only 3 doors....

I'm thinking of the 3 door versions of the Rav 4, and the Freelander. But I'm sure I've seen 3 door Mitsubishi and Jeeps 4x4's out there, or am I imagining it??

Any info much appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Iestyn]

I can defo recommend a Freelander - I loved my 5 door version. However a new model is due out and the current model has some amazing deals on it so it depends whether you wnat your car to look dated in the next few months or can live with what will become an "old" model very shortly. The new Freelnader looks smart though, if you can wait.. My parents have just got a new RAV4 2.2 diesel and my dad loves it. They tow a small caravan and had a petrol RAV4 beforehand and iti didn't have enough "go" in it.

The 3-door Shogun is still a bit of a beast and the Jeep Wrangler are 3 door, but more of a "summer" vehicle IMO.

 

[Twiglet]

It probably won't be a new car anyway, I'd rather one a couple of years old. Mainly because I'm not a very nice car-mummy and tend to not look after them as well as I should (!), and also because I'm renovating my house so would rather spend the money on that!

That's given me food for thought though, thanks, because that's the third time I've heard about the Rav 4 petrol not having enough ooomph. My friend says her small Rav 4 also tends to be a bit dodgy around sharp corners, so I'm not sure that'll be such a good winter car either (although she has just come from a sporty BMW, so would expect the Rav to be a bit of a shock to the system!).

How do you find the Freelander with regards to power? what size engine do you have?

Thanks for your help.

 

[sojeph]

I have a 3 door Shogun but it is still a bit of a beast. I'd recommend the Kia Sportage to anyone wanting a smaller 4x4.

 

[4whitesocks]

Have to say I love my 3 door 2 litre Rav 4 - i get lots in, currently all my tack is in it - but you can't have a boot and back seat passengers.... and I find the handling quite good BUT I have never towed anything with it - am hoping to replace it with the land cruiser commercial deisel in the next year or so....hoping being the operative word in the sentence!!!!

 

[S_N]

My Godmother has a Rav4 and she LOVES it! She follows the hunt in it and jump judges at HT and TC!!

 

[JAK]

[ QUOTE ]
My Godmother has a Rav4 and she LOVES it!

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah but there's only room in the back of one of them for a small Tuppence! LOL

Get a SWB Terrano - I think the seats fold completely flat in them, so ideal for bedding etc. & very 'car like' to drive!

 

[KatB]

Mum's got a freelander 3 door 1.8. She loves it, is good to drive and decent carrying capacity. She regrets not getting a TD4 though.

 

[Twiglet]

Does the Terrano come in 3 door though?

Don't know why it bothers me, but I think it'll look too grown up for me if it has 5 doors!!

Does anyone have any info on the fuel consumption and reliability of the Land Rovers and Toyotas? I can imagine the 1.8 versions of both are lacking in 'go'.......

 

[KatB]

The freelander goes. Its got the MGF engine, so quite nippy. However, is very thirsty....

 

[ihatework]

Yes the terrano does come in a 3 door SWB version, along the same lines what about a Nissan X trail, they look quite fun.

 

[JAK]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes the terrano does come in a 3 door SWB version

[/ QUOTE ]
Yep, great 'little' cars - I've had two of them (as well as 3 or 4 LWB ones!)

[ QUOTE ]
....what about a Nissan X trail, they look quite fun.

[/ QUOTE ]
Well, they're bl**dy not!

I kept my brand-new one for precisely 4 months before I finally couldn't stand it any more! Poxy thing, couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding, though that was one of the earlier ones & I think the newer, bigger engined ones are a lot better!
Don't come in a 3-door version though!

If you want something really small & fairly cheap, what about a Suzuki Jimny? I've had two of these - they're fab 'in the rough', a real little 4x4, though you need nerves of steel to go round anything more than a gentle curve at any kind of speed on the roads! LOL

 

[racingdemon]

i have an X3 at the moment, & although its a 5 door, its nice & compact but big enough for bags of feed in the boot etc, drives like a car & does about 35mpg on average (unless i am having an old lady day when i can get more LOL!!)

i have had a freelander in the past as well, and although lovely mine (a petrol) was very thirsty and i had sooooo many problems with it, including head gaskets etc, so i've been really put off them, but i may have just been unlucky

my OH had a rav4 for a short while and sadi that was a great car, (he had a 5 door) i think it depends on your budget more than anything,

 

[Pilib]

Can deffo 100000000000% recomend a Suzuki Grand Vitara, I have a 1.6 3 door and I love it! Great in winter and certainly has enough omph!

Pilib X

 

[JAK]

[ QUOTE ]
i have an X3 at the moment...

[/ QUOTE ]
Hairdresser!

 

[Twiglet]

so much food for thought!!

Mmmm, might be doing some test driving at the weekend then.....

 

[_daisy_]

i loved my Suzuki Vitara. It loved the snow too - had to sell it as i needed a bigger 4x4 to tow with but miss it dearly

 

[flyingfeet]

Well cannot tell whether you are male or female from your post:

However the Suzuki Jimneys are cute (bad if a bloke), and excellent X-country. Enough space for passengers and horsey stuff and very cheap to run (& buy!)

 

[Twiglet]

Am female........but boyf will be driving the car ocassionally, and he won't want me getting a Jimny! He's very much a manly man - I think he'd prefer me to get a pick up truck so that he could borrow it!!

Am thinking about the Vitaras now - never really thought too much of them, but they seem very reasonable, and I've heard they're reliable.

 

[kildalton]

I drive a Merc 320 SlK, and round the twisty lanes, I have a job to keep up with my daughter in her 1.8 Freelander. She's had it 2 and a half years, and it's been reliable. It's easy to get quite a lot in the back with the seats down too, and you should get a bargain with the new model coming out.

 

[kildalton]

I have known a few people with Vitaras, and they've not been very reliable.

 

[_daisy_]

my vitara was great. Before i bought it I was warned off them as they were unreliable, but decided to buy one anyway. No problems what so ever with it.

 

[S_N]

Vitara's, now why didn't I think of that? Mum's OH has one - 2L TDi Automatic - and he loves it. It's very comfy and seems to handle very well and for an automatic is suprisingly nippy!

 

[Twiglet]

you lot are great, thanks for all the replies!!

So I've narrowed it down to the Freelander (head gasket dependant), the Rav 4, and the Vitara I think......

Am not looking forward to the hike in petrol, tax and insurance from my little Ford Focus, but the horse spends most of my salary already, so he might as well take some more!

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I remember seeing a road test of the Jimney on Top Gear and they took it through a slalom of cones & managed to tip it over. There were reports in the press about this happening aswell. On that basis........?

 

[S_N]

For what it's worth I remember now that Jeremy Clarkson said something about the RAV4 being the best in it's class - or maybe second best - anyway, it's why my Godmother bought one!

 

[ExtremeB]

If you go for a Freelander I would opt for a TD4 (the diesel) as the 1.8 petrol is not so economical. I loved it though, I had a soft-top 3 door, fantastic!! But always regretted not getting the practical diesel - they probably come in 3 door versions too. Servicing & running costs were expensive - at a LR dealership, and the tyres cost a bit more than your standard saloon. Also, the petrol version is well known for head-gasket problems which is expensive when it goes.

 

[anniedoherty]

Hi, I've had a Vitara and didn't like it. It looked ok but the handling was v poor in bad weather esp. windy conditions. I always worried about it tipping over. I sold it and got a TD4 and am now on my second one and I love them. They feel so sturdy and I can tow with them. They don't feel "big" to drive either.