SUV Recommendations

[Mirez]

So, after only one year of ownership the big Cayenne has departed (to Romania of all places). Massively comfortably and capable but averaging 34Mpg on runs meant it wasn't really practical and since I'm doing more miles for work again, anything under 43Mpg means I'm paying to do their mileage.

It's left me with quite a void to fill and tbh, I'm struggling to find anything that fits the bill. It needs to be AWD and have enough grunt to tow boats and cars whilst being comfortable and refined in the process and of course, achieving 40+ Mpg with ease.

Obviously the Touareg and Q7 are the same car so I've ruled those out and after a spate of test-drives (all of which have left me underwhelmed) I'm asking for left-field choices!

Out:
Q7 / Touareg - Same as the Cayenne so similar fuel economy figures
Ford Edge - Promised so much but was cumbersome to drive and couldn't get above 35Mpg.
Hyundai Tucson - Comfortable and seemed well made but 4x4 hard to find and 147Bhp is the biggest engine which wasn't quick so towing will be painful.
Peugeot 5008 - Similar to the Tucson but equally under powered.
Tiguan - Had one and would have another but generally like to try something new

My next test drive will be the Renault Koleos, tbh I'd forgotten all about this car. 175Bhp is the biggest engine they do but, they are cheap as chips (comparatively) for some reason and you can get a 2 year old car with 15K miles on it for less then 20K.

Other then that, any thoughts?

[SirDavidAlhambra]

Have you considered a MK2 Alhamb Stylance in tip top condition?

They're not 4WD but they're very cheap and arguably one of the finest motor cars money can buy. The discerning motorist just can't go wrong with an Alhamb.

Or maybe a Range Rover (Overfinch is equivalent to the Stylance) although personally I think they're not very good value for money even though the motor car itself seems fine.

[brianh]

Not sure I'd want to try towing a boat with a mk2.

[johnnyroper]

Have you considered a MK2 Alhamb Stylance in tip top condition?

They're not 4WD but they're very cheap and arguably one of the finest motor cars money can buy. The discerning motorist just can't go wrong with an Alhamb.

Or maybe a Range Rover (Overfinch is equivalent to the Stylance) although personally I think they're not very good value for money even though the motor car itself seems fine.

A Range Rover would spend more time being repaired than it would on the road.

540d x drive touring? Loads of power and still capable of 40 plus mpg. The 8 speed zf auto is a peach of a box aswell

[Mirez]

Is that box the Aisin one? Would be the same as the Cayennes if so and yes, it was a great box. I'm torn between an SUV and an Estate, I didn't think my back would be too chuffed with an estate but I don't seem to be suffering too much with the Passat so maybe I should consider them...

I need 4x4 Dave, pulling nearly 3 tonne up a sandy wet slipway in a FWD isn't fun... I'd consider a Disco but they are all £500+ tax 

[SirDavidAlhambra]

Hmm, yes, I can see now why the 4x4 bit is important.

I think we might need to make some trade-offs here. The main trade-off is likely to be fuel economy and road tax. But hopefully we can offset that by having a lower purchase price.

On that basis, I think that, where toughness, off-road ability and reliability are a matter of life and death not a lifestyle choice, the Toyota Land Cruiser is king.

Big, built like a tank and ready to go the distance whatever the conditions, the Land Cruiser is the one you want to be in when the going gets really tough.

So, have you considered a Land Cruiser?

I think those Toyotas are almost indestructable. They had one on youtube where the army fired a missile at it on a firing range and the thing was still driveable afterwards.

[johnnyroper]

Is that box the Aisin one? Would be the same as the Cayennes if so and yes, it was a great box. I'm torn between an SUV and an Estate, I didn't think my back would be too chuffed with an estate but I don't seem to be suffering too much with the Passat so maybe I should consider them...

I need 4x4 Dave, pulling nearly 3 tonne up a sandy wet slipway in a FWD isn't fun... I'd consider a Disco but they are all £500+ tax 

No it's the ZF8 the aisin is only used in mini and mini derived bmw like the newer 1 and 2 series where they are FWD biased.
The ZF is supposed to be better than the aisin it just needs a service at 75k. I have drove quite a few bmw manual and auto mainly 2.0d the difference between manual and auto is night and day, it transforms how the car drives and performs.

Also the 5 series has air suspension on the back for the load lugging. I have had a few of them now and they are a very capable car. Might be more suited to a traditional 4x4 though as the engine has enough grunt to pull what you need just not sure the max towing weight of the 5 series is good enough.

I would seriously consider not getting a landy as they aren't the best my mate has a disco 4 and it's been nothing but trouble, a lad at work blew a shit load on a 18 plate newer generation disco and ended up getting his money back as everyday bought a new issue.

It's hard work finding a car at present as there's not a lot out there that ticks all box's and is appealing. I am looking to change car soon and just cannot decide what to get. Options this week are M4,435i or giulia. Probably something completely different next week.

[Mirez]

Didn't know the 5 series came with Air, that's definitely worth a look then!

I know what you mean, it's near impossible to find anything that I like and that is capable. So much is "samey" now, I chop n change like you on a weekly basis depending on which way the wind blows lol.

I've ruled out most of the JLR stuff for that reason plus anything I do like it is either the £500 or £600 tax bracket which I'm loathed to pay.

435i I love the look of, doesn't suit for what I need it for but if you rock up in that I'll be extremely envious

I'm still going to try the Renault Kolios, it's an X-Trail underneath so should be bulletproof and the French are styling cars quite nicely at the moment so its sort of win/win if it drives ok. I'm also contemplating a Transit Trail, it's as comfortable as a car but with AWD - the only downside is they aren't cheap and if you spend £30K on something, I won't want to use it like a van if that makes sense!

[johnnyroper]

I need to stop chopping and changing really as it costs a fortune in insurance admin fees😂

I have seen a lovely 435i in Melbourne red with the coral leather, and m performance body kit on it. Only thing letting it down is lower half of dash is also in coral. I would have to swap dash for the black one if I bought that as it's too much red.

Would a navara or ranger type vehicle suit your needs?

[Mirez]

Haha tell me about it! I picked LV last year as they are pretty cheap for changes but it still all mounts up!

Yeah they sometimes go a little crazy like that, I've found a Passat CC which is 4motion and the 184Bhp engine which looks really nice. Its got orange seats which actually look great BUT they've also carried that into the dash and headlining - not very VW at all but again its all a bit much.

I've had pick-ups in the past and they were pretty crap and doing the day-job, great at pulling and humping stuff about but when they aren't doing that it's sort of so-so. That was 2010ish though so I should go try a modern one and see if that's improved - food for thought thanks!

[SirDavidAlhambra]

How about one of the modern ford F150s? In the United States of America they call it the "Truck of Authority". Very practical but not sure how common over here?

[johnnyroper]

I went with Adrian flux this year as they do any car cover fully comp for £29 a year, they are quite pricy for changes though but the policy was reasonable so it almost balances out over a 12 month period.

Not sure about the ranger as only ever seen them but not been in one. Can vouch for the new shape nevara though as it's vastly improved over the chassis snapping variant. My brother has the top of range 2020 model in an auto. It's actually a very good drive.

[Mirez]

SOOO I think I've finally found my new car, had a test drive and loved it so just having a little think tonight before I'll put a deposit on in the morning.

Its a 2016 "66" Ford Edge Titanium with the 2.0 BiTdi 210bhp and Powershift box. Its only done 18K miles so drives as you would expect.

Anyone any experience with the Edge? I believe they sold less then 3000 cars in the UK so it fairly rare bread which on one hand is nice but the other makes it harder to find any info on them!

[johnnyroper]

Don't see many of them on the road didn't realise so few were sold over here. Quite popular in the states though.
Has the powershift improved over the years as early ones were problematic weren't they?

[SirDavidAlhambra]

The Ford Edge looks like such a lovely car!

[mikewilson]

Coming late to this but a guy at work used one of the Volvo XC beasts for towing his boat.  Seemed happy with it.

[SirDavidAlhambra]

Is the 4x4 v6 Alhamb good for towing.

SEAT Alhambra 2.0L TDI 4x4 6MT (140 HP)

320 Nm @ 1750-2500 RPM

I have a small trailer on my 1.9 Alhamb and love towing stuff.

[SirDavidAlhambra]

Hi everyone, I asked my wife for advice on this and she said that another car which is good for towing is the Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI 262 4Motion

Apparently they are popular with the mums because of the good safety specification and this model has 560Nm of torque so is good for pulling caravans. Apparently they get really good fuel economy too, plus have all the extras such as comfy seats and a nice high up boot so you don't do your back in putting groceries and things in and out of the car.

Just mentioning it in case anybody else is looking for an excellent Towing Car but can't find one of those lovely but rare Ford Edge models.

[Mirez]

Well it's coming on Thursday so hopefully it's good!

The power shift has indeed got a lot better then the early ones, I guess it was like the DSG box in that respect but seems to have a fairly good reputation now. Hopefully I wont be proved wrong there 

I considered the XC60 and XC90 but Volvo could really do with updating the cabin, both felt old and a little cheap tbh. The Velar was the best of the comparable vehicles but crazy expensive, it did ooze quality though!!

Alhambra 4x4 would have been fine but it was rare in it's day and near impossible to find now. The newer version isn't offered in the UK as AWD (I believe that's correct] although there are plenty of left hookers about but ultimately it's not really what I'm after now.

The Touareg is lovely but it's underpinnings are the same as the Cayenne, I doubt it's fuel economy is that good as the V6 base model in that is also the same so 32mpg average.

[daddyfixit]

I seen the words "Renault" and "land-rover".

Owning one of these allows you to widen your circle of friends vastly and to awaken to nature/travel, as you will be spending the rest of your life standing at the roadside out in the wilds waiting for recovery.  The next day will be spent drinking vending machine coffee in the service reception areas of the dealerships, mixing with other people who are also suffering from ownership and can't get out of it !!!

[brianh]

I seen the words "Renault" and "land-rover".

Owning one of these allows you to widen your circle of friends vastly and to awaken to nature/travel, as you will be spending the rest of your life standing at the roadside out in the wilds waiting for recovery.  The next day will be spent drinking vending machine coffee in the service reception areas of the dealerships, mixing with other people who are also suffering from ownership and can't get out of it !!!

Currently owning one of each alongside the Galaxy, I wouldn't recommend either for reliability! Both seem to have a knack for breaking in wierd and unusual ways in the most inconvient timing you could imagine.

[regw]

Did you check feully?
Lots of US ones mostly petrol, but found this 2018 UK report
best mpg was 37.8

https://www.fuelly.com/car/ford/edge/2018/sealiedog/794151

[SirDavidAlhambra]

Very useful website, thank you for sharing it.

I have a Ford Focus 2005 Ti-VCT 1.6 petrol and it gets 32mpg. Shame on Ford. Even at a steady 56mph it only gets 35mpg maximum. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the car either. Suffice to say my next motor car will not be a Ford Focus.

[Mirez]

So the Edge never turned up, there ended up being some issues with the transfer box which they wouldn't repair, replace or warrant so I'm still on the hunt.

What I hadn't realised is that the A6 All Road comes with air and is of course AWD so once I find a decent one of those I'll be on another test drive

[johnnyroper]

I almost bought one of those a few years back,the older model one lovely car to drive however it had the 2.7 and that naff multitronic box or whatever Audi call it. The 3.0 gets the proper auto and I couldn't find a decent one at the time so went with the Beemer.

[Mirez]

The 3.0 I'm guessing is the standard  V6 lump vag put in everything 'big'. I'm aiming for a 2015 so it's got the Euro6 version but by then, the all roads weren't very popular

[johnnyroper]

Yes I assume it's the standard 3.0 that goes in all the big vag stuff,like what was in your Porsche.

Totally off topic a lad at work has a 2013 1.6 cr caddy with the chocolate injectors made by continental. Runs like a dog so I have pulled injectors for testing although I suspect they will be condemned. They also can't be reconditioned as continental won't supply the piezo parts so looks like a new set required. Don't suppose you have the gear capable of coding new injectors do you?

[Mirez]

I never liked the Porsche V6, it wasn't refined for such a big lump although it could shift. The later revised one sounds far less agricultural and is about 30bhp more. It's also not got the stupid 4 timing chain arrangement!

I do, I have the full paid version of VCDS Hex-Can and also Launch Pro X431 - both can code in injectors - let me know if you want to borrow them (or bring it here and I'll do it - either is fine)

[johnnyroper]

My neighbour is looking at a cayenne with the 4.1 I think it is,sounds like a beast with 800 odd nm of torque.

Perfect I will let you know I gave him the news about injectors today all knackered so looking at £1400 for a set of new vdo ones as recon are apparently crap and won't last. He is mulling over whether to fit cheap recon to get it running and then move it on.

My foxwell can code injectors but I have read the vw piezo are fussy and require vag specific software?