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So...after I decided as much as I really needed a BMW 645 V8....and I couldn't get the whole family in (bonus)....It's as about as much use as a chocolate Tea pot. Can't fit bikes in it and on the rare occasion that the wife and I would get to go skiing on our own we'd struggle to get two pairs of ski's in it...oh and it's rear wheel drive....it would be very interesting in the snow....as for tax and insurance....silly money.
So...need to get a bit more serious.
Have a family car for carting the kids around. Need something for me. Needs to be 4x4 (Living in Switzerland and we have enough snow and ice to warrant 4x4).
I've always fancied a Land Rover 90. But they are quite rare and bloody expensive (as are most things here) with high km's. Discoveries too are high mileage for anything at a sensible price.
Don't mind putting seats down, but want something I can chuck a couple of bikes into the back, camping gear or ski's.
So far, thinking of.
325 x-drive estate or Salon with Thule tow bar carrier.
X3
Subaru Outback
What else should I be thinking about.
Also, no van's please. Needs to be a car.
Drove the recent outback, mostly dull and not really that roomy. Mind you nothing your listing is that roomy
Skoda Yeti?
You mention tax so assuming company car?
If so have you considered a Mitsubishi phev?
Volvo XC90?
A6 Allroad?
Nissan Pathfinder?
Volvo XC90
If I had to, this is what I would have.
Honda CRV
A mates got a Mitsubishi phev. The range is shocking. On a recent trip to the lakes he was always poking for a petrol station. He forgot his charging lead so was relying on the engine to charge the battery too. About 200 mile range tops.
What about a new 4wd SMax. I can fit my bike in the back without disassembly on its side with the seats down if on my own, will swallow 2 bikes upright in the back on the internal rack, front wheel off and dropper post down. Really practical car.
Caddy Maxi 4motion ?
wobbliscott - MemberA mates got a Mitsubishi phev. The range is shocking. On a recent trip to the lakes he was always poking for a petrol station. He forgot his charging lead so was relying on the engine to charge the battery too. About 200 mile range tops.
Geez, that's craaap. Was the handbrake on? 😆
They're supposed to do ~550 miles from a full tank and charge, of which 30 odd is from the initial electric charge.
I have a 9 yr old XC90 and while it's a bit of a bus it does do everything necessary. Not as refined as a Disco but just as roomy and a lot cheaper.
Edge
Geez, that's craaap. Was the handbrake on?
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/mitsubishi/outlander-phev-2014
My Galaxy does similar around town and better on a run - an I am not impressed with that compared to the Touran...
Car manufacturer in eco-wash and MPG test manipulation shocker...
I should have added. Already have a 7 seat S-Max. (3 kids still in seats).
Hence I need something that's not too small. Can cope with a couple of bikes and camping gear for weekends away, but doesn't need to be main car big.
If it drives okay, then all the better. I only use a car, once, twice a week (with the bike the rest of the time) so not worried about a 2.5 petrol engine.
Fancy a 325, but will have to be x-drive as ice and snow are a part of life.
Cars are silly prices here and hold there value for about 4-6 years then plummet, so looking at something around 2009.
If you are looking at BMW's the 2016 2 series active tourer is dual fuel now. whats more its 4x4 with the petrol engine driving the front and the electric the back, with some ridiculous power output such as 200bhp.
I've never been near one so I can't comment on space for the kids etc but thats what its built for...
Fancy a 325,
Tried to fit 3 car seats in one?
My experience of this suggests that your choice of suitable vehicles is limited unless you have a car with individual seats ( like your s-max...and mine) or unless it's an absolutely mahoosive 4x4.
This is why i had a Nissan Pathfinder for 6 years until one of my kids outgrew child seats.
Go and look at one and take the child seats with you. try and fit all the kids in...Rule out most of the cars you thought might be suitable....rinse and repeat.
In the time old style of recommending what you've just bought - VW Tourag. I think you can just get a MK2 at that age. Get the 3.0d with 245bhp and it'll cruise in silence at 90mph, total comfort. If you go for an Escape model with locking diffs, you'll be able to get over almost anything (OK, a disco will do more, but I run out of bottle a long, long time prior to the car running out of ability) and it'll still go well on the road. Clearly you'll have winter/mud tyres so no worries on a bit of slippy stuff.
Edit - just noticed 3 kids in seats. That's a 7 seater then? I think I could (just) squeeze a 3rd child seat in the back, and you can certainly sit between the 2 child sets, but that's a big, big car. Certainly my A6 couldn't get 3 in the back, I doubt 3 series etc re going to be anywhere close.
Edit 2 Yep, ^^ what he said
The new Skoda Superb is a handsome enough looking thing, big, very nice in SE spec, 4x4, and the 2.0 tsi engine would be nice and pokey.
There's plenty of LHD land rover defenders for sale on uk autotrader ready for export if you want one.
I had an XC90 for 2.5 years before I just bought an XC60. Both are ace at what they do, the 90 is clearly bigger and I had no problems with getting 3 bikes in with wheels on, nor having seven folks in it.
The 60 is realistically much more of an estate, little more compact and yet I can still get 3 bikes in but only 4 and 1/2 adults.. it's more compact see.
Many engine variants, I've got the 2.5ltr (and had the same in the 90) and it's blooming ace.
Tried to fit 3 car seats in one
We're keeping the S-Max.
This car is for me. On the very odd occasion I'll need to have all 3 of them and I can't use the S-Max, my daughter is okay with a booster seat.
Main reason for going for estate is the Swiss and Germans seem to prefer estates to salon's so there are more of them to choose from. Main reason going for 3 series are they're are quite a few to choose from. Don't really need height clearance as you'll struggle to find roads that require it. 4x4 mainly for snow and ice
May have to look at LHD landies from the UK, even with import duties it will work out better than buying one here. Really silly money. Completely different to a 325 I know, but always fancied one, used to drive a series 3 (LR) years ago.
Retro83 - not sure what the theoretical range is - obviously it might be possible in that fantastical land automotive marketeers thinks exists where the roads are super smooth, always flat, no atmosphere, the car is always driven with perfect efficiency.
But seriously, he doesn't get anywhere near the 550 mile mark normally. He was compormised by the fact he forgot his charging lead, and the car has a very small fuel tank, so by the time he'd driven around the lakes uppy and downy roads which drains the battery in no time at all (it's a big heavy slab of a car) then its the engine driving while recharging the battery too, he was effectivley compromised by the size of his fuel tank.
Stupid Outlander PHEV thing is a complete joke. I hired one for a return journey from Norfolk to Oxford. 29.7mpg!!!
I get better than that out of my 325i !!
Rachel
X-drive 5 series
There are cheaper alternatives, but I'd rather get a used one of these than a new other one. They're good cars that are actually fun to drive. Nice interior to boot
Three bikes with wheels on in any car other than a people carrier is impressive Bikebuoy, any pics of that?
Fiat Panda 4x4 and spend the money saved on doing something interesting.
Skoda Yeti.
XC90 if you have the cash, yeti if you dont (bike on the towbar)
I dont have cash so guess which one I have 🙂
VW Touareg mk2, to keep the cost down by the R5 diesel version, it's a bit noisey but bombproof. And find an Altitude model if you can.
Re phev economy if you just measure against one single long heavy load (eg motorway/fully laden/mountain) journey it will look awful. It is super sensitive to journey length. So if the majority of your journeys are under 40 miles and your charging at home like a mate of mine then you'll get fantastic mpg equivalent. You then have a comfy big 4x4 with 200bhp for when you need to get to the lakes with bikes.
A lot of people me included are not like that mileage wise and need to do regular bigger journeys along with all the local stuff that's entirely electric, I measured properly over 3 months and was getting 44mpg overall. For a big 4x4 plus the company car tax benefits compared to an equivalent (dirty :wink:diesel )which pays for a lot of petrol, I think that's ok. It's not a perfect car by any means but I don't regret getting it.
Crew cab pickup of some sort? More refined than the Defender and loads of room for Skis, bikes and camping gear.
Double Post
X5
We had an X3, uncomfortable. Now in an X5. my only regret is not getting the X5 sooner, whilst is a shade more thirsty than the X3 its well worth it. X3 wasnt bad off road to be fair but the X5 is so much better on road its worlds apart.
Wagon with 4wd ? RS4 Avant obviously, b7 so it's manual. Go OK with snow tyres on, quite fast, not mega roomy but roomy enough;-) Practical and you will be personally thanked by BP.
RS4? 8)
Rockape63
RS4? 8)
Pffffffft. Brabus G63.
If you are not bothered about badges then a Kia Sorrento will do everything you need to do, masses of space and not outrageously expensive to run.
OP firstly lucky you living in Switzerland !
Based on you keeping the SMax for most family duties I'd suggest an older Rav4, the model you can remove the rear seats in which creates van like space (as per Yeti whuch I kniw are popular in Switzsrrland but probably not old enough to be available for you). We have an A6 Quattro estate and its a great lomg distance car and we did numerous trios to Switzerlan summaer and winter in it and it was great in the snow - too big Imthink for what you want. A friend who lives in Nyon rates A3 quattro sports models with winter tyres on for the snow and a lot of fun in the summer - too small perhaos for you
Had a Discovery 3 & loved it, great for the bikes & kids. Traded down to a new Zafira toured sri, lovely wagon until some dozey bint on a motorbike hit us head on.
No in a Galaxy. Lots of space for bikes & brats.
ddmonkey - Member
If you are not bothered about badges then a Kia Sorrento will do everything you need to do, masses of space and not outrageously expensive to run.
This 😆
What about a Dacia/Renault Duster I know they released them in Europe sooner than the uk.
Nice size, capable 4x4 good ground clearance.
Just to clarify about getting 3 bikes in the back of my old XC90, I lay them down one each side of each other then one on top, wheels on. I used foam rollers and Pipe Lagging (slit done one side) to protect he frames. Whilst they were in the back they hardly moved at all.
Just to clarify, they were not standing up..
I lay them down in the 60 I have now, same protection methods.