A friend is looking for an all wheel drive estate car as a result of living on an unmaintained country lane which can become difficult in winter. Not keen on 4x4s.
I can think of only the Jaguar X-Type 2.5V6 (thisty) and Volkswagen Passat 2.0TDI 4Motion (ok I suppose) as well as the new Honda CR-V (not very 4x4 like and acceptable). I originally suggested the Audi Quattro range but they were not keen. Am I missing anything out or does anyone have any suggestions? Would a rear wheel drive car with a decent traction control system do the trick? Current vehicles are quite old and therefore probably not up to date in this sense.
Thanks
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Volvo V70 AWD, which is now the XC70, or the Subaru Legacy or Forester
I'd suggest a front wheel drive may be better in the circumstances you describe.
It may be cheaper to get a few loads of tarmac planings dropped onto the lane and spread in summer. I pay £170 for 20 tons, or less if they are working locally. Hire a sit on vibrating roller to slam it in hard and you get a very good surface.
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Skoda Octavia and Superb are available as 4WD.
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The Oktavia has an excellent reputation out here, the L&K version with 4 wheel drive, leather interior etc seems to be the ultimate and i know of one used by the Czech embassy that has a very high mileage, driven by many different people and still feels tight and rattle free.
The Oktavia is also a fairly anonymous car when compared with the flashier Subaru equivalents - just a thought.
Bit busy with round (lost count) of the local political kindergarten games.
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Skoda are bringing out a revised 4x4 estate with increased ground clearance and some extra underbody protection, almost and Audi Allroad in miniature. I've been very impressed when driving the standard 4x4 version in some very tricky conditions in France and Switzerland, both loose gravel/stony terrain and snow/ice. I prefer it to the A6 3.2 Quattro I have previously hired at Geneva Airport, for both ride and handling. The A6 is just too ponderous and floaty for my liking.
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I'm not sure whether the problem is (1) ruts and holes from poor repair or (2) sheet ice from lack of salting.
If (1): Wouldn't ground clearance and reasonably compliant tyres be more useful than 4WD? I've driven my FWD Volvo up a fair number of farm tracks and similar, even on hills and with a coating of re-frozen snow, and so long as I keep the speed right down, I've had no problems. Certainly never found myself wishing for 4WD.
If (2): No practical experience here but be very suspicious of the marketing department's line that 4WD is the magic answer to ice on untreated roads. (See magazine ads for Subaru Tribeca, amongst others.) If the lane is truly covered with ice, then four driven wheels with no grip will be no safer than two - although I'd rather those two were the front ones.
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new Honda CR-V (not very 4x4 like and acceptable).
There are a few similarly styled crossover SUVs around now including the Lexus RX with a hybrid unit and the Nissan Murano and it's new smaller brother the Qashqai. All more like hatchbacks and none with a boot the size of the Passat. Might depend on what the road is like and whether they need good ground clearance and how big a boot they need. The Octavia scores on most fronts if they aren't snooty about the badge.
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Depending on how big and what ground clearance is needed then Subaru will make one that will do the job. These vehicles are reliable and tough and have almost a cult following in the Pacific NW and NE USA - where they get harsh winters (by UK standards). They also seem popular in Australia where they have a reputation to standing up well on unmade backroads. They have been in the AWD business a long time and you can tell they know what they're doing when you look at the underside of one of their cars. If you want a car-style 4x4 then I really don't think there is much competition. Something like an X-type is not really built for unmade roads....
If money is tight they do the Impreza Wagon 1.5R (OK, it might be too small and low powered) - its something like an £11k bargain from a car supermarket (try www.newregcars.co.uk for prices). The bonus is that there is good demand for used versions of Suby wagons from country dwellers, so they seem to hold their value pretty well.
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I live 1km off the tarmac up a heavily potholed farm track and have done so for nearly 10 years. In that time then only car I've ever had a suspension problem with is my current car a Legacy estate which needed a new rear suspension bush after 30,000 miles. That may be coincidence and wouldn't put me off another. If I ever get the time I will be putting some time into looking for a new one. This time a Spec B.
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A friend is looking for an all wheel drive estate car... Not keen on 4x4s.
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Looking for a 3 wheeler then? Not sure if there are any AWD ones though.
How about an Octavia 4x4 estate?
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The Alfa 159 Sportwagon is 4x4 in 3.2 V6 form. Likely to be thirsty though. I believe it is soon to be available (4x4) on the 200BHP diesel though
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Mitsubishi do a range of 4x4 Galant Estates. Called a Legnum in Japan. They are available in most engine sizes from 1.8, through 2.4 4cyl, to 2.5 v6. 2.5 is available normally aspirated, or with twin turbos as the VR-4. The 4x4 low end models are usually badged as 'ST' which may mean 'super traction' or not. They are mentioned in the CBCB. I've had my VR-4 Legnum for a few years now, still very pleased with it. The only suspension work I've needed to do was replace the bottom front arms which had the inner bushes as a non-renewable part, and the steering rod ball joints. Parts weren't expensive as I used non OEM ones.
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Not much choice really. If the road is really bad get a Forester. If bad but not dreadful, get a Legacy Outback. Subarus are well engineered and the design is well proven and thus very reliable. They drive and handle well and the dealers are usually good in my experience. Go and try one.
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Although I've not tried one, the Outback could make more sense for BIG potholes. My Legacy sports tourer has a very low ride and low profile tyres so it's actually worse than most other cars I've had at negotiating my potholes. That said, for me that means a minute extra each way on my journey as I pick may way through the potholes and I'd rather have the improved handling for the other 99.9% of the miles I drive and put up with the slow bit.
My advice to your friend would be to learn to live with potholes for a bit before choosing a new car.
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I drive an Audi A4 1.9TD quatro avant (estate) 03 plate for a company car, and it seems to handle pretty well in mud, snow, ice etc. Although it does seem to go through tyres much quicker than my Mondeo? not sure if its anything to do with the 4 wheel drive?
Lee
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I'm in exactly the same quandry. The Subarus are too "ordinary". I'd love a RR Sport or a BMW X5, but my wife hates the 4x4 look too (and the £25k budget wouldn't hold water). I'm trying to persuate her on a Lexus RX300, but we'll probably end up with a Volvo XC70 or an old-style Audi Allroad. The Mercedes R-class is out of the price range. The Phaeton is a lovely car, comes with 4Motion, but is too big and has poor rear-visibility. Rumours are that Saab is bringing out the 9-5 in 4WD version later this year, but not yet. The ideal car would be a BMW 5 series, which is available with x-drive in Germany, but I've not heard of any plans to release it here.
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