spec me- not a bmw

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2012
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8,332
so, figured i'd put this out there see what opinions come back.

thinking of swapping the e90 for something a bit more reliable and a bit less impractical.

kinda casting the net wide so not really settled on exactly what make/model but using the following criteria:

4wd (rwd is also acceptable although i doubt theres anything meets my requirements in rwd, basically not fwd)

the same or more practical than the current car (so 5 doors, 5 seats, reasonable boot, maybe not quite as atrocious in the snow)

if it's gonna be a diesel suv then it'd better have some legit off road credentials (otherwise whats the point in a diesel suv)

cheaper to run than the bm (or at least less running costs- either doesnt go wrong or doesnt cost a bomb to fix)

less than 100k miles, less concerned about age if it's in good nick, ~7k max budget (but ideally less) although northern ireland only (which sadly means higher prices) because i cba going to the mainland to buy a car.

currently been just idly browsing autotrader and come up with:
09 impreza wrx- ticks all the boxes except running costs- anyone comment on what they're like to run?

08 freelander 2- freind who's into his landies speaks quite highly of these in terms of reliability, and the insurance/fuel economy is certainly making it the sensible hat choice

05 shogun sport- quite like the looks of this, although seems a bit on the massive side and probably desperately slow

11 jeep compass- threw this in just because jeep's not a brand i'd normally consider, although seems a bit soft-roader ish?

i'm open to suggestions if there's anything might be worth considering, especially in the realms of 4wd hatchbacks/saloons that aren't scoobys, i'm not in a rush so can afford to wait and see if something comes up.
 
Caporegime
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If you’re thinking of a smaller Jeep then it needs to be a Cherokee or Wrangler tbh. I wouldn’t really consider the Freelander to have “legit off road potential” either. Wasn’t it Landrovers equivalent of the X Trail and CRV?
 
Soldato
OP
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18 Oct 2012
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If you’re thinking of a smaller Jeep then it needs to be a Cherokee or Wrangler tbh. I wouldn’t really consider the Freelander to have “legit off road potential” either. Wasn’t it Landrovers equivalent of the X Trail and CRV?

Yeah i was figuring the compass probably wasnt the right offering from jeep.

The freelander does to me fulfill the off road potential, albiet granted its no defender/disco its at least got some pedigree to it.

I did look at the xtrail/crv/rav4 but none of them really appealed to me.

Will keep an eye out for foresters/legacys, although the only one on autotrader ni atm is a 2.0 non turbo which seems to have shocking performance for that amount of engine
 
Soldato
OP
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Freelander is a disaster for reliability in my experience - can you get an A4 Quattro estate?

That the freelander 1 or 2? I know the 1 has its problems but i've been assured the 2 is meant to be much better.

A4 estate is a possibility, none popping up on autotrader but then a lot of the dealers dont bother listing there so still need to do a bit of hunting in person.
 
Associate
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1,729
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Just to say freelander 2 is a good shout, have owned a 13 plate since feb and done 25k miles on it. Their one of the most reliable cars Land Rover made from my understanding, if it’s an 08 your looking at check to see if the rear diff is ok as they were more susceptible on pre facelift cars before 2013 ( will make a wining noise from the rear ) I would go read the forum www.freel2.com to get some information.
Fuel economy isn’t amazing, but not terrible, expect 20 to 30mpg max in town, can get low 40’s on a motorway run though.
 
Soldato
OP
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18 Oct 2012
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8,332
are you considering a new car because it snowed one day in a year? :D

Nope, not at all, definately not :p

He mentioned reliability so I'm guessing the OP has already had to throw money at it.

Nail on the head, i can deal with the poor fuel economy, high tax and insurance, but if she's gonna be throwing £500 repair bills left right and centre and failing to start thats where i'm drawing the line.

Its not the going wrong is the issue so much as the bmw tax on parts is too rich for my blood. The 4x4 thing is mainly that if i dont want fwd and i already have rwd it doesnt leave much left :D
 
Soldato
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28 May 2007
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18,190
Nope, not at all, definately not :p



Nail on the head, i can deal with the poor fuel economy, high tax and insurance, but if she's gonna be throwing £500 repair bills left right and centre and failing to start thats where i'm drawing the line.

Its not the going wrong is the issue so much as the bmw tax on parts is too rich for my blood. The 4x4 thing is mainly that if i dont want fwd and i already have rwd it doesnt leave much left :D

Anything new-ish and EU spec is going to be problematic with 50,000 Plus miles. After 50K you are looking at replacing flywheels, DPF's, cats and the usual suspension bits.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
18 Oct 2012
Posts
8,332
Anything new-ish and EU spec is going to be problematic with 50,000 Plus miles. After 50K you are looking at replacing flywheels, DPF's, cats and the usual suspension bits.

Problem is sub 50k is a tough target to meet for my kinda budget

had a dander round the local dealers see what's on offer, nothing really caught my eye apart from a newer shogun at one of them, very nicely specced and at first glance seems pretty good nick, although it's a 3.2 turbodiesel so suspect the fuel economy is not going to be, well, existent. might test drive it see if it appeals.
 
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