nearlywhite
Active member
Having popped mine through a hedge recently, I was wondering what the best replacement would be?
The best caving car?
- Thread starter nearlywhite
- Start date
Mark Wright
Active member
A self driving one possibly.
Mark
Mark
meanderthal
Member
Or do you want it in red?
Duncan S
New member
Hmm - interesting question; here's my 2p on features I'd look for...
Must have:
Decent boot - deep enough to throw a couple of full loaded Ikea bags without struggling.
Privacy - difficult to see into the boot area, probably boot lid, privacy glass or huge C-pillars
Air Con - very good for demisting when car is full of damp people/kit.
Waterproof keys - electronic fobs are a nightmare, but some allow the key to be separated
Ground Clearance - probably best to avoid sports trim
Nice to have:
Cruise Control - license preservation on roads with pointlessly low limits
Tough interior - leather seats are easy to wipe down
Good Range - Scotland needs about 500 miles on a tank or spend far too much time hunting for garages
Probably missed a few!
Must have:
Decent boot - deep enough to throw a couple of full loaded Ikea bags without struggling.
Privacy - difficult to see into the boot area, probably boot lid, privacy glass or huge C-pillars
Air Con - very good for demisting when car is full of damp people/kit.
Waterproof keys - electronic fobs are a nightmare, but some allow the key to be separated
Ground Clearance - probably best to avoid sports trim
Nice to have:
Cruise Control - license preservation on roads with pointlessly low limits
Tough interior - leather seats are easy to wipe down
Good Range - Scotland needs about 500 miles on a tank or spend far too much time hunting for garages
Probably missed a few!
PeteHall
Moderator
Duncan S said:Hmm - interesting question; here's my 2p on features I'd look for...
Must have:
Decent boot - deep enough to throw a couple of full loaded Ikea bags without struggling.
Privacy - difficult to see into the boot area, probably boot lid, privacy glass or huge C-pillars
Air Con - very good for demisting when car is full of damp people/kit.
Waterproof keys - electronic fobs are a nightmare, but some allow the key to be separated
Ground Clearance - probably best to avoid sports trim
Nice to have:
Cruise Control - license preservation on roads with pointlessly low limits
Tough interior - leather seats are easy to wipe down
Good Range - Scotland needs about 500 miles on a tank or spend far too much time hunting for garages
Probably missed a few!
If you want all of the above, with 7 seats into the bargain, I'm getting rid of my Land Rover Discovery II
Awesome caving car (if a bit too nice with the leather seats), but I have to do a lot of motorway miles for work and 20mpg from the V8 is getting a bit expensive!
Spike
New member
I'm trying to decide between a Subaru Forester or any of the Japanese/Korean mid 2000s SUVs (XTrail, Cr-V, Santa Fe etc.) Need to shift the Corsa first though...
They cover all the bases that Duncan outlined earlier, although some are more efficient than others. They don't look much and don't have same level of 4x4 that the Disco has, but they are shorter so they can go on ferries as cars, not 4x4s which makes that cheaper...
They cover all the bases that Duncan outlined earlier, although some are more efficient than others. They don't look much and don't have same level of 4x4 that the Disco has, but they are shorter so they can go on ferries as cars, not 4x4s which makes that cheaper...
JJ
Member
I have had both a Subaru Forester and an X-Trail in the past. The Subaru was excellent off road, as long as ground clearance was not an issue, low box etc. However it was not that big in the back with the seats down and it drank fuel constantly, not that easy to keep the interior clean either. Brilliant engine though and great to drive, excellent on snow.
The X-Trail was incredibly spacious in the back, remove the back seats and it all went completely flat on good wipe down rugged surfaces. Plenty of room for comfortable dossing etc. More economical that the Subaru but missing the low box.
Both vehicles proved to be reliable and neither spent too much time in the garage. If I was to choose again now I would probably go for the X-Trail due to fuel economy (still not good) and the space in the back.
The X-Trail was incredibly spacious in the back, remove the back seats and it all went completely flat on good wipe down rugged surfaces. Plenty of room for comfortable dossing etc. More economical that the Subaru but missing the low box.
Both vehicles proved to be reliable and neither spent too much time in the garage. If I was to choose again now I would probably go for the X-Trail due to fuel economy (still not good) and the space in the back.
andys
Well-known member
JJ said:
Yes to that. I had a string of four X-Trails (as lease vehicles, so each replaced after 3 years) and they did great service throughout. The huge flat boot area - and the ability to kip comfortably therein - plus the good performance both on the road and off-road had me coming back for more. And if the leasing company still listed them, I'd probably still have one now. The only "down side" in all that time was the catalytic converter, and its need for regular "regeneration" if it got an excess of cold winter starts and short non-motorway runs. I now drive a Kuga but haven't had much opportunity to use it off road: still a great vehicle and the boot - though smaller than the X-Trail's - can still be kipped in at a push.
Disgusted from Cornwall.
New member
Suzuki SJ Van. With a vaux 1.3 diesel conversion.
Duncan S
New member
I don't see 4x4 as a requirement...
Just enough ground clearance to allow me to park on the roadside and get to places like SWCC without worrying about the car.
I'm having quite a bit of trouble with my car at the moment and have been thinking about what I'd replace it with; hence this thread is of interest.
Tempted by a Nissan NV200 as it is fairly economical and the load space is over 2m so I'll be able to lie down in the back. If I go for a van instead of a car then this would be important to me
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/Nissan/NV200
Just enough ground clearance to allow me to park on the roadside and get to places like SWCC without worrying about the car.
I'm having quite a bit of trouble with my car at the moment and have been thinking about what I'd replace it with; hence this thread is of interest.
Tempted by a Nissan NV200 as it is fairly economical and the load space is over 2m so I'll be able to lie down in the back. If I go for a van instead of a car then this would be important to me
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/Nissan/NV200
tony from suffolk
Well-known member
There's really only one vehicle for the serious caver to be seen in :-
For there? Do you have a subaru forester like ours? Because the above poster saying ground clearence issue, at 8" clearence how the hell is that an issue? It is almost as good as my Xterra 4x4 which has 9". And forester is a gas guzzler? Really? It has a ctv transmission here and outshines its class in gas millage, i think topping out above 32mpg on the highway and your fuel is more effiecient than our crap 10% ethanol shit.
I know ya all have crazy ideas of mpg though, but small cars and MUCH better fuel does that.
I still vote probably a Forester zoom zoom fun rally car that can off road. Unless they butchered the Brit version. Our forester can go everywhere except actual rockhopping crap or terrible deep mud that requires 4-low. Because here, foresters are four wheel drive all the time.
I know ya all have crazy ideas of mpg though, but small cars and MUCH better fuel does that.
I still vote probably a Forester
zoom zoom fun rally car that can off road. Unless they butchered the Brit version. Our forester can go everywhere except actual rockhopping crap or terrible deep mud that requires 4-low. Because here, foresters are four wheel drive all the time.
Ship-badger
Member
Any decent van that you can sleep in the back of. Then you can escape all the snoring and farting that goes on in huts. And you have somewhere out of the weather to get changed. I've always been a Transit man myself, because I can sleep across the front seats. On cold mornings I can start the engine and get the heater on before I exit my sleeping bag
cavemanmike
Well-known member
merc sprinter every tiime
tiimeDuncan S said:I don't see 4x4 as a requirement...
Just enough ground clearance to allow me to park on the roadside and get to places like SWCC without worrying about the car.
I'm having quite a bit of trouble with my car at the moment and have been thinking about what I'd replace it with; hence this thread is of interest.
Tempted by a Nissan NV200 as it is fairly economical and the load space is over 2m so I'll be able to lie down in the back. If I go for a van instead of a car then this would be important to me
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/Nissan/NV200
We had a NV200 briefly. I have to say that despite plenty of neat ideas, it was horrible to drive thanks to a huge overhang on first to second gear and it felt pretty unstable. Swapped it for a VW Maxi life which is infinately better to drive, does 55+/gallon and is much roomier.
