New car time in the autumn, need something dull

How about a Honda CRV? 4WD not a bad car, ive been more than happy with my Accord too, hasnt let me down in 55k's worth of driving over the last 2 years:) in fact most of my clients were impressed i managed to get round and see them in last years harsh winter. And tbh, living on a hill, FWD was a godsend

Dont bother with the Mazda 6, its a decent car to look at, but it aint half cheap inside.
 
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I'm not sure if you realise, but a FWD or even 4WD car with summer tyres is going to be barely any better in the snow. If you have to change your car, just totally ignore the "snow" requirement, choose your favourite car and fit winter tyres.
When it snowed last year, there were plenty of people in FWD and 4WD cars that weren't able to even drive up my partly gritted suburban road, mainly because their tyres were rubbish. Unless you buy a proper 4x4, you will not be able to get away without fitting winter tyres if it snows.
 
I totally see your need to change the car regardless, so a change is in sight, but I also appreciate if you need to get a second set of wheels and decent winter tyres that its likely to come from your back pocket opposed to the companies.

Out of interest, are there any reviews/write ups comparing a RWD with winter tyres to a FWD with standard/summer/whatever tyres?
 
Last winter the 325 really frustrated me - twice I got stuck on the flat where the snow was deep let alone going up hills. Once the back end floated away and I side slapped a kerb costing me £120 in repairs and then to top it off I took the car out shopping - ten or eleven bags of food in the boot - as I was shopping it started to snow.

Eventually I abandoned the car half a mile from home cos I live on a steep hill - I got the kids sledge - went back to the car and loaded the shopping onto the sledge and dragged it home.

I was fuming. I've lived in the same place for 14 years and never only ever had problems with two cars - 330ci and 325. Common denominator?

Tbh I don't want this to turn into snow rage central - there's more to me picking a car than picking one that will cope better with snow - this isn't ever going to be the car of my dreams - it just has to get me the wife and our girls around in comfort.

I don't think I cba'd with swapping tyres etc.

Wohoo - I'd not touch a CRV with a barge pole as I suffer sea sickness. :D
They lean over like buses and the 4WD is imo a joke.
 
woodpigeon4 said:
I'm not sure if you realise, but a FWD or even 4WD car with summer tyres is going to be barely any better in the snow. If you have to change your car, just totally ignore the "snow" requirement, choose your favourite car and fit winter tyres.
When it snowed last year, there were plenty of people in FWD and 4WD cars that weren't able to even drive up my partly gritted suburban road, mainly because their tyres were rubbish. Unless you buy a proper 4x4, you will not be able to get away without fitting winter tyres if it snows.
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That's utter cobblers... 4wd makes a huge difference.
 
I am reading these links btw guys to autotrader cars but frankly if there's no leather and no nav then I'm going to give it a no irrespective of what it is.

:)
 
merlin said:
I was fuming. I've lived in the same place for 14 years and never only ever had problems with two cars - 330ci and 325. Common denominator?
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Common denominator being only the past two or three years have we had such weather events in such quantity.

If you want to equip for snow, buy the right tyres. Because an FWD car on summer tyres is almost as crap as an RWD one on compacted snow. Neither car/tyre combination is designed for use in persistent compacted snow.
 
I've had 5 x Impreza's over the years and the AWD on them all was absolutely awesome. Permanent proper AWD/4WD gets the job done irrespective of what tyres you have on.
 
Birmingham didnt really get proper snow before the last few years though did it? A dusting here and there but nothing like the year before last and to a lesser extent last year.
 
Stick a S60 D3 R Design Premium through Drive the Deal and add the driver support pack and the comfort pack and see what it ends up as new, or alternatively the S60 D5 SE Lux Premium can be had for the right sort of money. If you need to worry about car tax the D3 is the one to go for.
 
merlin said:
I've had 5 x Impreza's over the years and the AWD on them all was absolutely awesome. Permanent proper AWD/4WD gets the job done irrespective of what tyres you have on.
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I have to agree that both my Impreza were immense in the snow, going up hills no problem at all. The 335D was a disaster last year, fat low profile rear tyres didn't help and the Jag is not coming off the drive if its snowing...
 
[TW]Fox;20040800 said:
Common denominator being only the past two or three years have we had such weather events in such quantity.

If you want to equip for snow, buy the right tyres. Because an FWD car on summer tyres is almost as crap as an RWD one on compacted snow. Neither car/tyre combination is designed for use in persistent compacted snow.
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FWD gets me onto my driveway. RWD gets me about half a mile away from the house and doing the walk of shame with about 30 other BMW and Mercedes owners.

We hi 5 each other all the way home but once the front door shuts we all curl up with the labrador and cry ourselves to sleep.
 
[TW]Fox;20040817 said:
Birmingham didnt really get proper snow before the last few years though did it? A dusting here and there but nothing like the year before last and to a lesser extent last year.
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Last 2 years was messy, then a few virtually snowless years.

Going back maybe 5 or 6 years we had hell on earth - I remember one year getting home at 11.30pm - 5 hours to do 8 miles in the 330.
 
J1nxy said:
I have to agree that both my Impreza were immense in the snow, going up hills no problem at all. The 335D was a disaster last year, fat low profile rear tyres didn't help and the Jag is not coming off the drive if its snowing...
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Not just me who strugled then. 3 series in slushy snow is no problem, but show it the white stuff 9hard or soft) and it's game over.
 
Every car I saw abandoned last winter was a BMW, all the skinny tyred shopping trolleys were fine. Is it really as simple as sticking winter tyres on?
 
Tell me to FO if you wish but seeing some of the other random suggestions... can I throw in the Octavia while waving my fan boy flag?

The newest model is pretty well screwed together and feels like a quality package in my limited experience. Your budget will buy whatever model you fancy (including the vRS if you fancy it) with nav plonked in too.
 
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