weather challenges lead to new prospective purchase

[scooters]

hello all,I've just been mapping out my schedule for the next 3 months and it looks nasty in terms of location. I also had a drink with a meterologist mate of mine last night who was telling me we will be in for a hard winter yet.Here's my dialemma,I'm a self employed consultant and work in the food industry. My current client is a very large food company with 70 sites from South Devon to Inverness. Typically I will clock about 1200 miles a week in my journeying around. The problem is that this is likely to continue for the next 3 months at least and in some of the more remote locations. Food factories tend to be in the arse end of nowhere, the sort of parts of the world which stop in the snow - completely.As I am self employed the way I usually run things is to buy an older motorway muncher (currently an XM) and to use it for work returning 45p per mile in expenses which means my transport is usually cost neutral as if the car breaks I either bin it or sell it on to an enthusiast. So I am considering buying a cheap 4x4 to use for the next 2-3 months. The XM will probably be mothballed till the spring. With a set of chains and a tank full of diesel then at least I stand a chance of getting somewhere should the predicted snowfall hit.Budget wise I am looking at under a grand - will travel anywhere in the UK - I have a bid in on a '93 Shogun - but a disco, trooper, fourtrack any will do as long as it is cheap and reliable. rulling out Cossacks as you don't see em these days - annoyingly I do have a 4x4 850 estate but the missus uses it and won'r be parted from it!any ideas - I know we have a similar thread below but my requirements are a bit different

[Milford Cubicle]

Just put some snow tyres on the XM, much cheaper.The main limitation I find in the snow is ground clearance, as long as it isn't too high my FWD car will plow through anything. No excuses with the XM since you can adjust the ride height.

[pogweasel]

Do you actually REALLY need a 4x4? Huge weight & brick aerodynamics are going to dent you 40ppm a bit. Reason I ask is that I also get to travel to some pretty far flung bits, and I'll wager your food factories are less 'off the beaten track' than some of the sites I have to access. I have an ostensibly shit Renault Kangoo van, which is a bit slow and noisey but no more so than an older 4x4, and is extremely rugged and thus far reliable - I have yet to get it stuck or bothered anywhere despite some pretty harsh abuse down tracks and roads that most would categorise as "off-roaders only". Plus if you really got stuck there's 'nuff space for shovels, bits of old carpet etc in the back, or even to kip in if necessary (this can happen if you get stuck on some poxy scottish island).

[Mr Lobster]

^ WHS.If you really need 4wd then what about none WRC Imprezza / Legacy, Scenic RX4 (keep RAC card to hand though) or something along those lines?

[scooters]

yeah - I have considered this - I used to do this when I had my BX and worked in Aberdeenshire in the early '90s - hard winter in '92/93 and ther was loads of snow so the car kept the tyres on. The problem is though that in reality I will probably be spending most of the time driving on clear motorways - it's more of a precaution than anything else when I end up in rural shropshire or parts of Lincs where you do't want to go! - I don't fancy doing 1k a week on snow tyres on clear roads and the last thing you want to do is ot start dicking around with changing wheels in the snow.

[dollywobbler]

Subaru Legacy. Wouldn't go for a 'proper' off roader given your mileage. To be honest, 4x4s aren't all that in the snow anyway. The Subaru was no better than my BX estate in most conditions.

[Pete-M]

LPG makes big 4x4s mega-cheap to fuel.I drove from here to Devon in a Rangie 3.9 a couple of years ago, in convoy with the ex-gf's mum who was in her 1.2 Corsa. The return trip cost less in the Rangie.Besides, irritating the anti-4x4 arseholes is a pleasing hobby.As for Mr. Dollywobblers assertion that 4x4s aren't much good in the snow, I beg to differ. My A6 has been immense in the snow this year.

[scooters]

Just put some snow tyres on the XM, much cheaper.The main limitation I find in the snow is ground clearance, as long as it isn't too high my FWD car will plow through anything. No excuses with the XM since you can adjust the ride height.

mind you....modern snow tyres are a far cry from those horrible old studded things

[scooters]

^ WHS.If you really need 4wd then what about none WRC Imprezza / Legacy, Scenic RX4 (keep RAC card to hand though) or something along those lines?

yup - in an ideal world I would boot the missus out of the 850 which is, a 4wd model but that is not an option;-)I would prefer a 4x4 car but believe it or not - horrible big 4x4 trucks are a lot cheaper than 4x4 cars - if you are looking at the 800 quid budget

[scooters]

Subaru Legacy. Wouldn't go for a 'proper' off roader given your mileage. To be honest, 4x4s aren't all that in the snow anyway. The Subaru was no better than my BX estate in most conditions.

well the XM has been pretty good - but the Volvo 850 AWD has been awesome especially in hilly Edinburgh over the last week - we have about 2-3 inches of froxen compacted snow on the untreated roads at the moment with powder on top and the volvo just eats it for breakfast

[whitevanman]

as a Compromise how about a Legacy Outback, civilised but with more ground clearance? don't know that they go for though....

[ChinaTom]

Buy another 850 AWD. Spares commonality, wifey happy etc etc.

[scooters]

Buy another 850 AWD. Spares commonality, wifey happy etc etc.

would love one but they are rare as you like priced up the snow tyres for the XM - looking at around £400 for a decent set inc fitting (online prices) challenge is there is a bit of a wait - Kwikfit a bit more costly

[dollywobbler]

As for Mr. Dollywobblers assertion that 4x4s aren't much good in the snow, I beg to differ. My A6 has been immense in the snow this year.

Um, I said it wasn't much better than my BX, not that it was not much good! Personally, I didn't really see the point of 4x4 in something with no lockable centre diff. The BX on brand new tyres has been epically good in the snow.

[fordnut]

Mondeo 4x4 if you can find one??XR4x4 / 4x4 Sierra Estate / Granada/Scorpio 4x4 will also be well within budget.

[Pete-M]

I couldn't get the A6 stuck in the snow last week, and I tried!Mustard mitt, the only thing that it's not too good at in the snow is stopping. Loads of ABS activity and it's better than anything 2wd I've driven in similar circumstances, but 4wd makes you feel invincible until you try and stop.My tame Czech mechanic drives an old Sierra 4x4 estate, on winter tyres that thing is damn near unstoppable in snow!.

[scooters]

Thanks for all your advice here. Much sense talked by all. Personally I am not a fan of long distances in things like shoguns this is purely a winter issue. My absolute criteria is budget and funnily enough the truck is the cheapest option. However I have taken milfords advice and this is the plan. The bid on the shogun is a cheeky one and if I win it will be a bargain. I think this is likely as I am bidding over new year. If not I will splash out 400 quid on a set of the continental winter tyres that by all accounts are the dogs!

[M'coli]

My tame Czech mechanic drives an old Sierra 4x4 estate, on winter tyres that thing is damn near unstoppable in snow!.

There's a farmer of my aquaintance who commented that his Granada 4x4 "goes anywhere a tractor goes, wonderful car".

[Justin Case]

Non- turbo Impreza should munch up the miles quite satisfactorally and not at great cost. You could even go a bit over your budget and still be in pocket

[Milford Cubicle]

Thanks for all your advice here. Much sense talked by all. Personally I am not a fan of long distances in things like shoguns this is purely a winter issue. My absolute criteria is budget and funnily enough the truck is the cheapest option. However I have taken milfords advice and this is the plan. The bid on the shogun is a cheeky one and if I win it will be a bargain. I think this is likely as I am bidding over new year. If not I will splash out 400 quid on a set of the continental winter tyres that by all accounts are the dogs!

400 quid, yikes.I have some Kingpin Alpin M+S retreads just on the front wheels of mine, mounted on steelies I store away in the summer.Is this the right size for your XM? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0439904361They are good tyres, based on Michelin tread patterns. Even when the snow goes they are fine, extremely resistant to aquaplaning but a smidge more understeer and noise than summer tyres.

[scooters]

looks like a much more reasonable brand - my XM is a turbo so it has tart's tyres - 205/65/15'sdoubt the cost would be that different - ok, if I win the Shogun I am honour bound to complete - if not I will get some winter boots for the spaceship instead - I mean these Shoguns don't even have warp 1!!!

[Pete-M]

I am properly on the hunt for a Rangie now. The path is bare without one for the first time in about 8 years.Thing is, if I get a V8 with LPG then I can't use the Eurotunnel but I've got a proper Rangie. If I get a 200TDi one then I can go through the tunnel but it'll sound like a Transit.

[Father Ted]

I thought about the 4x4 route when I was going for the HSA, then again when I started work at the nick as its down a long winding unlit country lane with ditches on either side.I weighed up the pro's and cons and decided that a pair of scrapyard rims fitted with some cheap S&M tyres from Round & Black bolted to the Micra would probbaly do the job, and so far they have. Maybe they wouldnt if I was off tramping over farmers fields, but Im not about to find out by trying.Total cost £50 (as I used the spare tyre rim and just one from a scrappers) - and I still get 44MPG and have all my nice creature comforts in the Micra including the Brendan Shine tape that came with the car which being a Micra and not a Land Rover I can actually hear. The S&M tyres can stop there untill spring now.I never had any issues in the BX in snow / floods due to the ride height thing.

[scooters]

I am properly on the hunt for a Rangie now. The path is bare without one for the first time in about 8 years.Thing is, if I get a V8 with LPG then I can't use the Eurotunnel but I've got a proper Rangie. If I get a 200TDi one then I can go through the tunnel but it'll sound like a Transit.

you couldn't resist the chat!!lol!TBH I'd be suprised if I get the Shogun for my cheeky bid - early 90's ones seem to go for around the 12-1500 quid markI will ask Mr Glover what he thinks - despite I know his answer would be:"a Niva of course you bougeoise oppressor of the masses! Imperialist Pig Nippon shite is not in line with current worker's thinking and is a crime against the people!"must say - I am tempted if only because the old ladas really do stick 2 fingers up at the Rangey Sport brigade!

[whitevanman]

The Niva is a fine off road vehicle....just not so sure about on road though.....

[scooters]

"agricultural" is a polite way of putting it - might be useful for you though - I'm sure you could have some fun and games down in Hawick!

[whitevanman]

Very easily....I'm missing have a 4x4 just now......but then again not a lot goes anywhere when its mostly ice

[scooters]

there's a Niva - cossack on the 'bay just now in Hampshire - no wing mirrors GR84 DRIVING IN WOODS. in hindsight my mileage in a Niva would be purgatory to say the least - Glover would call me a decadent western wimp - but his idea of luxury is a flushing toilet so everything has it's perspective (apologies SG)

[whitevanman]

there's a Niva - cossack on the 'bay just now in Hampshire - no wing mirrors GR84 DRIVING IN WOODS. in hindsight my mileage in a Niva would be purgatory to say the least - Glover would call me a decadent western wimp - but his idea of luxury is a flushing toilet so everything has it's perspective (apologies SG)

Has he actually got a bog in his new "residence" ??

[scooters]

I think "the woods" counts - which is probably why you would want a Niva to transverse them!