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AWD or 4x4 Advice for the UK


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Dear Carnity Members,

After 3 years in Dubai and relatively short desert experience, I will be moving to the UK next year. Being bitten by the offroad bug in desert, I think I will be looking for an 4x4 or AWD car there too. I think mostly I will do cross country trips with little bit off the tarmac or overlanding trips at most. Things that I can do with one car. Also I will be living in London therfore, it will be a weekend car. During the week, "Mind the gap" 

 

I would be happy if I can get some advices from the people who has an experience on this issue. Perhaps @Wrangeld, @Barry... I don't know what should I look for when purchasing a car in the UK. Are there any musts &mustn't?  And what kind of chronical problems do cars get mostly? Insurance, petrol consumption and tax are also a case...I don't want to do a similar mistake like I did with Trailblazer 😕 

 

I did some research and I came up with below options under GBP8000 budget. 

AWD

2010-2012 Subaru XV

2008-2011 Subaru Outback

2012-2014  VW Tuareg 

2010 Audi A4 Allroad

4X4

2008-2011 Suzuki Grand Vitara     

2008 - 2012 Nissan Pathfinder

2008 - 2010 Mitsubishi Pajero (Shogun)

LR 3 Discovery

2008 - 2010 Mercedes M Class 

 

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It really depends on what you want to do. If you’re planning on going greenlaning or off roading at the weekends, you need a proper 4x4. If you’re just commuting, AWD is perfectly fine. 
 

Im from way out in the mountains. I used to run a AWD Subaru Legacy. I wouldn’t have taken it on an off road drive but for the snow and ice, it was brilliant. For every day driving, tyres are more important than AWD or FWD. I used to keep 2 sets of wheels. Winter tyres for winter and summer tyres for summer. Proper winter tyre really do make a difference in snow and ice. It’s like night and day. 
 

If you’re going somewhere north where there is more cold weather, I would avoid anything RWD. It’s fun in the wet but in snow and ice you will get stuck. You can get around this by keeping counterweight in the boot to put extra traction. I used to put a couple of bags of sand in the back. It works but it’s a pain in the ass. 
 

FWD is a lot better in ice and snow. The extra weight of the engine on the front wheels gives you good grip. If you can keep the momentum going you will seldom get stuck.

Anyway, I digress, out of the list of cars you posted, I would go for the Forester. WRX models are available. They handle like an Impreza rally car with the WRX power but with extra space for families or dogs or whatever you are into. Whatever you decide to go for, use winter tyres for winter and summer tyres for summer otherwise you will get stuck. 

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I think @Barry covered the essentials. 

Motoring is much more expensive than here, so petrol consumption should be in your thoughts as well as your insurance costs.

I used to green lane a lot in the UK. You have to have a proper 4x4 for that. An AWD vehicle will not cut it. That's why I had a dedicated car for off road. 

The roads in the UK are terrible compared to here. Think carefully about the choice of whether road comfort is your priority.

Second consideration is all about maintenance costs. Japanese parts are expensive. German less so. 

If I went back to the UK I would buy a Suzuki SJ413 (not the Vitara) and a road car. 

The Suzuki is small but great fun for greenlaning and can be modified. 

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Thank you for your advices @Barry, @Rahimdad and @Wrangeld

Seasonal tyres are also a common practice in Turkey, I had a few experiences to know that winter tyres are crucial on minus degrees. 

 

One more question, of course it will differ from car to car but do cars get abused by users or climate like in the UAE. Should I be avoiding getting an old car? Would it be a high risk to get a 2010 model car or 100k miles?

 

 

@Gaurav and @Frederic what do you think about this one? 😃

https://www.autouncle.co.uk/en-gb/d/9546736-used-mitsubishi-pajero-evolution

Edited by Denizzalbayrak
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In general, the majority of people in the UK take care of their cars and service them properly. There are still plenty of shitboxes but that is to be expected anywhere. 
 

Rust will be your biggest enemy so check everywhere. If you see a small rust spot, chances are that it will go deeper. The problem is that the roads are salted in winter and the salt eats the metal. If I drive through a salted area, I used to quickly run a hose around the wheel arches and sills before I put the car to bed. Also be wary buying cars in seaside towns as they are prone to rust also. If you are planning to keep a car for a while, waxoyl is your friend.

Use due diligence when checking mileages as clocking is rife. 
 

On the plus side, you will find the majority of mechanics are of better quality than UAE as most have them will have gone to technical college rather than learning on the job jugad. 

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6 hours ago, Denizzalbayrak said:

I cant open the link, but seeing the url saying Pajero Evolution then I'll be your best friend, whenever I visit my brother in London.

On a serious note, these exotic will be super expensive to buy and maintain and plus with regular usage it will cost 5-10 times on maintenance than any other choices.

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Let's root for each other & watch each other grow.

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16 hours ago, Gaurav said:

I cant open the link, but seeing the url saying Pajero Evolution then I'll be your best friend, whenever I visit my brother in London.

On a serious note, these exotic will be super expensive to buy and maintain and plus with regular usage it will cost 5-10 times on maintenance than any other choices.

I saw it when I was checking Pajero models. I thought I should share it with you :D 

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