Small 4x4s that are best avoided

[willswitchengage]

Kawasaki Mule

[DSdriver]

I think a Citroen GS will fulfill all his needs without resorting to four wheel drive.

[Lacquer Peel]

Steyr-Puch Haflinger

[Justin Case]

Small? Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin, the only 4x4 that is shorter than its name.

[3VOM]

Could always find a Golf Synchro and use all the underneath bits on the Bora.

[gdhaydock]

I'd vote for a ferreter

[anonymous user]

 

or

 

[willswitchengage]

Small? Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin, the only 4x4 that is shorter than its name.

 

 

Mitsubishi Shogun Mini

 

Yes, they made a K-car version.

 

Interestingly that also says '20 valve' on the back. Four cylinder, five valve per cylinder... 660cc!

[Ghosty]

 

Fiat sedici?

 

Sedicis are rare - however the identical Suzuki SX4 is much more common.

 

Shame the Polo Dune isn't 4WD as that might work.

 

????????

 

If memory serves Terioses rust a fair bit.

 

Tell him to buy a '90s Subaru Justy.

[skattrd]

Golf country above ... last one I saw for sale was 5+ years ago and £4k ... expect them to be more expensive now.

[Matt]

Are Jimny's just as bad with proper tyres? They've been pumping them out for average Joe's for years so they can't be truly horrific if you drive them like a normal person.

[Guest Hooli]

Dunno how people can say Jimnys are crap. I had a SJ410 which is all a Jimny is but with less power. It was brilliant, handling of a skip (only car I've had that goes sideways as much as a mk2 Escort) & made LR products look shit when it got muddy.

 

I'd say a P38 V8 RR. It'll do 15mpg there, infinite on the way back with the AA - that equals 30mpg.

[Noel Tidybeard]

two pages already and no mention of bazooki ignis

 

 

this place isn't................etc, etc

[Richard]

Definitely a normal car with winter tyres, just choose one with decent ground clearance that uses tyres with a bit of sidewall. A Citroen Picasso would be ideal.

 

A few weeks ago I was one of the few people in a 2WD vehicle (RWD at that) to make it over a snowy Cairn O' Mount, pictured here with a demonstration that 4WD isn't necessarily foolproof.

 

 

It was achieved by a combination of skill* and 500kg of weights over the back axle, but it shows that the right vehicle can manage just fine with 2WD. 

 

I actually met a 4WD Audi (Q1?) just after this, it was already struggling on the less snowy southern approach so I doubt he made it to the other end.

[Tamworthbay]

Definitely a normal car with winter tyres, just choose one with decent ground clearance that uses tyres with a bit of sidewall. A Citroen Picasso would be ideal.

 

A few weeks ago I was one of the few people in a 2WD vehicle (RWD at that) to make it over a snowy Cairn O' Mount, pictured here with a demonstration that 4WD isn't necessarily foolproof.

 

 

It was achieved by a combination of skill* and 500kg of weights over the back axle, but it shows that the right vehicle can manage just fine with 2WD.

 

I actually met a 4WD Audi (Q1?) just after this, it was already struggling on the less snowy southern approach so I doubt he made it to the other end.

Not that this thread is primarily about grip, but if anyone was about to buy a 4x4 purely for winter grip then watching this will save them a load of cash:

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mfuE00qdhLA

 

I am running Michelin cross climate on my 318 (aren't bmws famous for not being able to move in winter?) and it will fly past idiots in their soft roaders on snow.

[Richard]

Unless I read the OP incorrectly it's partly about grip.

[Tamworthbay]

Unless I read the OP incorrectly it's partly about grip.

in so far as its about the inability of the average Joe to drive a car up a hill in the white stuff I suppose it is, so I guess it makes the vid about winter tyres v 4x4 even more appropriate.

[leakingstrut]

Yeah 4wd is overrated unless you have the right tyres, especially if it's part time. Our Ranger is crap/fun in mixed road conditions as you have to chose between fucking the diffs in 4wd on dry Tarmac and drifting like a king in the snow in RWD.

 

An e46 BMW on good tyres is bloody unstoppable in the snow, at least until it is in full snowplow mode at least. Good traction control too, it wasn't even anything to do with my expert* driving skills.

[UltraWomble]

Increase ground clearance on present car.

Fit M&S tyres

 

Jobbed.

[Lacquer Peel]

Yeah 4wd is overrated unless you have the right tyres, especially if it's part time. Our Ranger is crap/fun in mixed road conditions as you have to chose between fucking the diffs in 4wd on dry Tarmac and drifting like a king in the snow in RWD.

 

Some part-time 4x4s are worse to drive in 4-wheel drive than RWD in the snow, a 50/50 split isn't ideal. Mercedes got around this in their Sprinter 4x4 with a 35/65 split which works a bit better.

[Guest Hooli]

^^^ Full time 4x4s by LR are a 50/50 split, never caused any issues when I had one.

 

Like most things, you need to know how to use it rather than boot it & hope.

[Lacquer Peel]

^^^ Full time 4x4s by LR are a 50/50 split, never caused any issues when I had one.

 

Like most things, you need to know how to use it rather than boot it & hope.

 

They're not really four-wheel drive til you lock the centre differential though.

[stephen01]

Honda CRV

job jobbed

[JayW]

Definitely gotta have a Terios.

 

I had a 1300 '97 and an '03 1500. The 1500 was more refined but is also slightly more complicated and more expensive to tax.

 

I'd definitely go for a late 90's 1300. Top buy.

 

Check outer sills and diff lock button works.

[bigfella2]

What about an Octavia 4x4? That would tick all boxes surely.

[John F]

I'll pass on suggestions to matey and he can decide what suits him best... ta!

 

I doubt he'll want a VAG product again though, tbh - the Bora hasn't been trouble-free. Also the 'no French' rule applies as always, as stated earlier.

[John F]

Are Jimny's just as bad with proper tyres? They've been pumping them out for average Joe's for years so they can't be truly horrific if you drive them like a normal person.

 

I tested a low mileage one with M+S tyres belonging to a mate's mum, she complained that it would twitch worryingly at random intervals (and it did, too - especially when braking and accelerating from half throttle). A car dealer mate of mine told me that it's common for them to do that.

[anonymous user]

Increase ground clearance on present car.

Fit M&S tyres

 

Jobbed.

I never knew Marks and Spencer did tyres. "These are not just tyres, these are Marks and Spencer tyres"

[Asimo]

They're not really four-wheel drive til you lock the centre differential though.

 

Not true. 

 

Let the clutch in and exactly the same torque is applied to each wheel.

[Lacquer Peel]

Rly? I've driven a couple of Defenders in slippy conditions and they're crap with the centre diff disengaged, sending power to the axle with least resistance so it flips from being rear biased to front biased and vice versa without much warning.

That setup is only 50/50 4 wheel drive when the diff is locked and worse than part time 4 wheel drive in my opinion.