Finding a car to buy

Not answering your question, but I have always found the AutoTrader site a very convenient way to see what is available if you have requirements like this. Depending on how "tight" your selection requirements are, you can adjust the "distance" parameter to get a convenient number of hits.

Good luck.

Given the weather we had last year, I reckon that's going to be one of the most sought after types of car over the next few months.

On Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:26:31 +0100, DerbyBoy stammered:

Try autotrader, and unless it's more than 10 years old, be prepared to pay the maximum tax rate upwards of £400 a year road tax.

I've been car hunting. I thought about one. I'm damned if I'm paying that to tax one though.

There are around 5,600 automatic diesel 4x4s on Autotrader. One thing you have to ask is "why?". What does your daughter want from a 4x4 diesel automatic?

A big shed for moving stuff - yeah it will do that. A big shed for that "f*ck off" driving style - yeah does that. Economy - no. Lifestyle - only if you have a new one and it had better be a new Range Rover Vogue, or possibly an Evoque. Freelanders are for tossers, Discos are for company droids with really small penises and the Range Rover Sport is for drug dealers. Mythical ability to drive in snow and get you out of trouble of your own making - well no, you see the operative term there is "mythical". You will need winter tyres and a buckefull of talent an automatic will generally piss away all the advantages.

So, what can she get? How much money does she have?

There are some tired old Pajeros (2-3k), Nissan Elgrand MPV (I'd have one, they're a laugh and the size of a house), some Jeep CRDs (avoid like the plague), wall to wall Kia Sportages, some Mercedes M-Class ML270s, the odd Hyundai SantaFe in fact, so many diesel 4x4s that you're spoiled for choice. Of that lot, the M-Class looks favourite. It's not that good, but it looks good on the drive.

On Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:37:30 +0100, Steve Firth stammered:

Mrs P has always wanted one. It's a cultural/sexist pig thing in her case. Women don't drive big cars in Colombia, the men don't like it.. So, you've really made it if you are a woman in a big FO 4x4 thing. Silly I know, but I thought I'd humour her until she realised they were really not all that nice unless you really need one.

Towing horsebox and taking stuff to shows - horse trials

And the next question is "how much?" If it's only being used a few weekends a year does it really need to be diseasel? How about LPG?

There are around 5,600 automatic diesel 4x4s on Autotrader. One thing you have to ask is "why?". What does your daughter want from a 4x4 diesel automatic?

________________

I guess I was hoping to shorten the time it takes for a dealer to prepare a car - put it on the forecourt and then get around to putting it on Autotrader by letting a dealer know of her interest as soon as the car came into stock.

On Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:41:51 +0100, DerbyBoy

But the dealer'll just see it as a way of finding mugs.

Don't! You will be sold anything that comes in for some silly price.

On Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:26:31 +0100, DerbyBoy stammered:

My wife has a Skoda Yeti 140 TDi 4x4. £150 a year road tax and 45 mpg. Has good ground clearance and hill ascent/descent control. A very capable package. A friend has a VW Tiguan DSG, also excellent.

Apologies if you already know, but unless your daughter passed her test some time ago, she may need to take another test in order to tow anything of significant weight.

It would be worth finding out the weight of the loaded horsebox, plus the weight of what may be carried in the vehicle (including passengers) before choosing a tow vehicle; you need to be certain that the various weight limitations can be met, and these will be vehicle-dependent.

Might also be worth talking to others in the same position (IOW "horsey" types) for recommendations?

You're looking at about 2 tonnes without trying. Well into the needing trailer license territory[1]

Ah, the M-Class. Right up there with the Vauxhall Frontera. And walking.

Roughly speaking, if she passed her test after 1997 and the 4x4 plus the trailer weighs more than 3.5 tonnes, she needs to pass a test.

G Wagon is the one she needs. Truly more capable than even a Landrover offroad.

JB

If you are ever likely to be carrying two horses then you ought to be thinking about something with 3.5 ton capacity, IMHO. That means a proper Landy, Shogun, etc. FWIW I have had a couple of Fourtraks, which I have always found OK. Forget about the small stuff. And get some insurance quotes: you'll find a lot of insurance companies won't touch Japanese imports like the Pajero (even though there are lots on the market). Merc G class as someone else suggested are very rare. And even with a diesel, budget on 25 mpg, less when towing (unless you can afford something modern).

Assuming you are already into horses, just see what other people have, before considering anything very different. I know a couple of ladies who manage with converted 3.5 ton vans, but strictly one horse!

obblers. It's a Chelsea Tractor.

For a start try saying G-Wagen in German.

There's one round here who lugs a horsebox and two horses[1] with a Rover 400.

No, we don't know how she manages it either.