Small 4x4?

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ecrozier

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My OH and I are deliberating about what to do car-wise, and need some suggestions.
I currently have a VW golf, which I love, but where my horses are kept now I could really do with something I could get accross a field in!
Also, I could do with something that could tow, not a horse trailer as we have a lorry but all our hay is cut and stored at my parent's house 11 miles from the yard! So something that could toddle over once a week and tow a little flatbed trailer with a dozen or so bales safely would be ideal!
However, I do do some mileage and need something not too expensive to run, and would like something that is vaguely eco-friendly when compared to one of the bigger gas guzzlers, as I don't need to tow heavy loads or anything!! I need to be able to fit 4 people at a push although 2 door is fine, and do need to fit in the rottie but he fits in a golf fine so isn't that huge!
Any suggestions? I was looking at the Shogun Pinin but I don't think they make those any more do they??
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Guessing you want the 4x4 for "off roading" ability rather than towing capacity then. Not sure how much the hay weighs, but would guess less than a caravan/trailer tent?????

Get a diesel, they have decent emissions and are better for towing because of the torque.

4x4s like a Honda CRV aren't great off road, their only plus point is their ground clearance, as they don't have locking differentials - translation - if you get both wheels on one side in a sloppy/no grip bit, you will just spin that wheel, and not turn the one that isn't on the sloppy bit, and their fuel economy is rubbish more because of the fact that they have a large frontal surface area than the engine capacity. My 2.5l petrol car gets relatively similar fuel consumption to my OH's 2l diesel 4x4 because of this. In a car, the diesel engine gets much better fuel consumption.

If you want to be able to deal with muddy fields, a locking diff/low range gearbox is necessary - good weather fields are fine even in a silly sports car!

Don't really like the small 4x4s as they don't look that stable.
 
What about a Nissan X Trail - supposed to be great offroad and fairly good economy? Or, a Hyundai Santa Fe as I think they're very economical and supposed to be very good off road. I feel like a walking advertisment as I'm going to say it again - have a look on What Car Website which can give you the low-down on different cars (including used ones).
 
Wishful, thats exactly what I need, a locking diff. Hay would almost certainly be less than a decent sized caravan, so would imagine your average 2l disel would probably cope more than fine. I need to be able to get up muddy tracks in the winter really. The two I have spotted so far are the Nissan Qashqai and the VW Tiguan, will have to find out if either of them have the proer 4x4 kit. I had a SWB pajero before but it was very pricy on tax/diesel etc and old so started falling apart!!
Have to say, my mum is on her 3rd CRV and I hate them! She loves it though, so each to their own!
 
Will have a look becki, is there any way on there to see if they have a locking differential - I just had a quick look and couldn't see? Will look at the hyundai and nissan x-trail tho, thanks...
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Thanks kombikids, don't really want something as big/expensive to run as a disco, as I only need to tow very small loads ie hay trailer, never horses!!
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sorry - i see - i dont blame you - we inherited ours and its a tank! think might trade in next year and go for something smaller myself!
 
Lol I gave up my shogun for the exact same reason, when bits started falling off and getting rather expensive to repair!
 
daihatsu fourtrak... a lot may have not so great things to say about them but....

ours is classed as a estate car (7 seater) so normal tax and insurance, we do around 90 miles per day at a cost of 7-10 pounds in fuel.

its small enough to fit in tight parking spaces (we live in the middle of the city)

great towing car.

we havnt actually found it to bad garage bills. and nothing has gone wrong in 6 months of over 500 miles a week.

we paid 5k for a s reg, full service history low milage
 
I have a Hyundai Tuscon, have had it 2 years and can't really fault it.

It falls into th e same class as Freelanders and Rav 4. New they come with a really long guarantee and if you wait until the new year you may get a good deal.

I got 3k off mine as it was reg in the previous year but brand new. Think it only has a 2l engine.
 
I had a fourtrak years ago, they are fab cars! Only problem for me is that they are all older now and work specify that my car mustn't be more than 5 years old as have to take clients etc in it!
Apparently daihatsu are bringing out a new 4x4 though - wonder when and if it would be as good....
 
I'm getting a Rav4 because I need something a little bigger than my hatchback car and I need something that will go off road.
 
Hmm, does that Rav have a diff lock? Just looked at the Daihatsu Terios, and that has one, but only a 1.5l engine.

Anyone got a Nissan Qashqai?
 
I had a Nissan X Trail and they are great on and off road - much more of capable for both than the Honda CRV which is much more a roadcar with 4wd. The really fab thing is you can lock into 4wd, lock in 2wd or have on a setting where the car decides based on the grip and you can change between them as you are driving along. So Great!

Sadly it was company car and now I am playing with the naglets fulltime, it had to go back - have a Landrover LWB instead.....tank with a radio
 
I have a suzuki vitara 2 ltr Turbo diesel that can tow 1800kg and does 35-40 mpg. Great little car lovely to drive and for road driving goes really well too. Would highly recommend.







PS........ its for sale too!!!!!
 
My dad has a Rav4 diesel, 6 speed (06 plate I think). It is a fab car, drives amazing and he gets about 45mpg out of it on longer journeys. If it was a slightly heavier car I'd have one for towing the trailer.
 

I have a freelander 2 (2.2litre) - copes fine driving across fields (and we have some SERIOUS) mud and will pull a flatbed/trailer. Not the most economical car but doesn't do too badly.
 
I have a Freelander - very uneconomical V6 petrol version - but I love it. It copes with mud, odd drives over the moor (gently - I'm not into violent off-roading). I wouldn't try to tow anything except a small trailer as it doesn't have the weight, but it's a fun vehicle to have, and I can usually get to the yard when others can't (which can, of course, be a disadvantage!).
 
I had a terrios and it was pretty good, but awful for spares, took ages and cost a fortune. Now have a Suzuki Jimny, which is only 1.3, so not much good for towing ,but fine off road, and cheap to run. I also use mine for work and to commute twnety miles each way, not too bad on petrol.
 
I have just bought a brand new Daihatsu Terios SE (or SX or something - the middle range one). It is a compact 4WD and it is absolutely perfect for off road driving, carrying hay, towing trailers (but not horse boxes), loading up with bedding bales and feed sacks...AND it is a cracking little car in its own right with all the stuff you'd expect in a nice saloon, ie heated front window, remote central locking, fogs front and back, comfy seats for 5, 5 doors, massive boot especially if you fold the 3 back seats down, CD, AC, etc etc etc. Low insurance group. Reasonable mpg. £14K ish. I love mine although the boot already looks like a hay barn as I only discovered the art of tying haynets to the roofrack recently. Just treated myself to a new spare wheel cover from a website that offers a HUGE range. Two horses galloping on a misty plain. Great.
 
Hi Emma - not sure about the locking diff - you might have to look at the manufacturer's websites to see if it's in there.

Just wanted to say the Hyundai SF is definitely not a small 4x4, but the fuel economy makes it seem like one - Moonwalker on here has one and it's very nice.
 
I have a Freelander TD4 and love it. A lot of people slate Freelanders, but I like them, they have the luxury of a car with 4x4 capabilities.

I previoulsy had a 1.8 petrol again a lovely car but fuel consumption was eye watering.

i have towed one horse with mine and it was fine, and within legal limits
 
Thanks everyone for responses - definately going o investogate the Terios as that looks like the sort of thing I'm after - basically a car wth plenty of boot room and a 4x4 option!
Especially as OH is getting a doublecab for work, don't think I want anything as big as the freelander etc, but if terios no good will look again,
Many thanks!!
 
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