Recommend me a 4x4

[Redtartanshoes]

Looking at getting a 4x4 soon. Currently have an A1 but have driven land rovers in past.

Needs to be comfortable, proper 4x4 but decent on motorway. Also need to think about tax as will be company car.

Anyone recommend anything before I have to deal with hell on earth car sales folk?

Thanks

Toyota are the only ones you see in the desert areas of the world! They go on and on.

We have a hilux and it's comfortable inside. DH needs the back bit for carrying stuff and he toes a lot. I guess in your situation, a land cruiser would be my advice.

Tows obvs!!

Toyota landcruiser. Can't get any better. Mines still going strong and it's done 255,000 . Tows well too. Very important to have good off road tyres too

SsangYong Rexton. Floats across muddy bits much better than a Shogun, Discovery or Trooper. Can be a bit clunky as diff lock kicks in, but gets you out of trouble. You won't get sea sick rocking from side to side over rough stuff (Landrover, why???) Best vehicle for towing in my experience but I know that's not a requirement. Don't let the price put you off, although they cost a bit more now that they're becoming more popular.

Is that miles fatbottom? I thought mine was going well at 155,000.

Yep that's miles. Keep meaning to email it Toyota, you get a special sticker when they reach certain Milage. Oh god how sad am I!

We have an X-Trail and love it. DP says it's the best car he's ever driven and he'll only replace it with another when the time comes. It's not too bad on fuel, is handy for where we live and it's great for all the crap we drive around (work and play)

Land Rovers/Range rovers are notoriously shit. Anecdotally, everyone I know who has one has tonnes of problems with them, and they also consistently come out top in 'Worst Car' polls. I don't know why people buy them.

I had a fantastic Octavia estate. It wasn't 4x4 but got me out of situations where some of them were getting stuck! (Big muddy hill, powered up with no problems)

I'd at least look at the Skoda 4x4 options. They tend to be comfortable, practical and not madly expensive.

Schmithecat Still miss mine. He managed about 250,000 in my exes hands. Saved his life when he fell asleep at the wheel, survived a builders van landing on the bonnet on one of the Scottish islands, could squeeze in more kit than any vehicle other than a van for our loooong trips to France and when I lent it to a friend to tow two massive horses in a box, he was amazed at the difference between the 'cruiser & his 4x4. It even survived me putting 'a few' gallons of petrol in its diesel tank on a very early morning dive trip - couldn't miss the trip so I filled the rest of the tank with diesel & hoped for the best. Such a comfortable car too.
In the end it was the bodywork that got him. Engine & everything else was fine.
Best. Car. Ever.
Bring yours home & look at an LPG conversion kit. There is certainly plenty of space for one.

I’m on the verge of getting rid of my Landcruiser as I no longer need it for towing or covering rough terrain and filling it with hay and straw. But I don’t want too. Wah.

Hyundai Santa Fe, tow well and handle rough terrain and very easy on the drink

I'd second what mellongoose mentioned about Toyotas. I'm an Essex Fiesta driver nowadays, but in my days navigating the roads of Southern Africa, when you really do need a 4x4 to get through the dry (and sometimes wet) river beds, over the odd mountain pass and along 400 miles of dirt road, it's always a Toyota. They just always work and don't go wrong. I remember the UN drove the old Defenders in Namibia and they seemed pretty indestructible. I remember driving in the highest of the Scottish Highlands in one of those too. Shame they've been discontinued.

VW Touareg. Fantastic car.
If you’re worried about the tax cost though, the Tiguan would be a good idea.

Round here people who need “proper” off-road vehicles drive Mitsubishi L200, Toyota Hilux type ones. There are a few Ford Rangers too.

We've got our eye on a Mitsubishi outlander because I don't want a massive 4x4 (parking etc.) this seems a good compromise.

I love my Tiguan and I’m not a car person at all. I bought it after I destroyed my 9 year old Mondeo by taking it on completely unsuitable roads My Tiguan is 100000x better on these roads, though not quite as good as whatever super expensive Range Rover thingie that one of DS’ mum’s owns. It just glides over everything!

I love my Tiguan. It’s a perfect size, not too big.