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Take that middle pic for an example. If she hits a patch of black ice on her way up there and slides into the ditch, what will get back out? A Forester might. A 4x4 Saab 9-3 will not. If she slides off the other way, having a set of proper tyres might save her life. A soft-roader will just lose grip and slide into the loch.
Hopefully yous can see that I'm not mucking about. This is my mum we're talking about, shes nervous enough about being away, with no rescue committee and no phone signal, but this has real potential to be dangerous if not undertaken with the right tool and preparation.
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I don't really understand what you are getting at with your concerns. But that does come from a Scottish Lowland dweller. To be honest, i would think that any car would be toast if it hit black ice and the driver was not considering the conditions!
Use google to see what other locals are driving. I just did it and within the first couple of clicks along the road showed a pair of Vitaras and a Forrester. What do her new colleagues drive?
The roads are treated up there and the locals probably walk up the tracks to their customers, not even attempting to get up a dodgy track.
All the best,
Geoff.
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Looking at those roads, if I could choose any car to drive them in, it would be my Impreza, but I'd have confidence in any Subaru with a manual gearbox.
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 Specialist Bodyshop & Fabrication Classic, Retro, Prestige & Custom Small Repairs to Concours Restorations Mechanical Work Vintage to Modern |
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Is a Hilux Surf too big / agricultural? Honda reliability, capable 4wd.
Isuzu Trooper? Again maybe too big / agricultural but very capable.
To be honest I agree with other people's comments, an Impreza / Forester / Legacy will be more than capable on those roads.
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I would go with a forester on propper tyres.
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I live out in the sticks near Thurso in Caithness and have done all my life.
I must admit that now I run an Amarok and a berlingo van, the only reason I have the Amarok is that I am self empolyed and its through the books.
Prior to that I have run 2wd cars all my driving life as have my folks and never had a real problem getting about.
The last time we had any real snow worthy of mention was in 2010, and to be honest I found my old vectra on winter tyres better than just about anything other I have had except a 205 1.4 gl on skinny rubber which was bloody amazing.
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Paul Y
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,948
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Another vote for Forester. Be careful with the XC90. They have a tendency to become 2 wheel drive without telling you. Expensive to fix. My brother ended up scrapping his due to repair costs. P.  |
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rude
Part of things
Posts: 537
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Totally have confidence in our discovery 2 with my wife and kids travelling in it by themselves.
Support network is huge, and I mean massive. There are people that live to help each other out when things go wrong, especially up north... join any FB group.
Although 3 grand won't get you the best example any more.
They are very basic and hard working, love an oil leak and do try to destroy their own chassis but with good regular maintenance, there's no scary bits.
You do however have to learn to wave at other discovery drivers on the road, it's becoming compulsory.
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1986 Haunted BMW E24 635CSi
1999 Povo spec BMW E36 1.8i Touring Work Hack
2001 Petrol annihilating Discovery V8
2000 Jaguar S Type 3.0 V6 ~NEW~
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A guy on the other forum I posted this on put up this picture of the same road  |
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there is no need for a 4wd to drive on that, hardly a dusting on the road.
Plus that is typical of less than a week out of an entire year if you are unlucky.
Deer and frost on the road are way more likely to be the cause of your wipeout than a snifter of snow.
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rude
Part of things
Posts: 537
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^ see? You see that pub in the distance with all the Landrover's in the carpark? Ok, I'm biased... I'll get my coat.
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1986 Haunted BMW E24 635CSi
1999 Povo spec BMW E36 1.8i Touring Work Hack
2001 Petrol annihilating Discovery V8
2000 Jaguar S Type 3.0 V6 ~NEW~
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as a much younger chap, my mates and I would go out in the snow looking for drifts to see what we could get the car through, when we inevitably got stick we would walk home and get the tractor and drag ourselves out, then repeat.Mind you it wasnt often that the tractor was required for my mates nova saloon 1.2, one drift we piled into sent the snow up and onto the roof we couldnt get the doors open that time so had to dig ourselves out through the window.
Good times!!
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^ see? You see that pub in the distance with all the Landrover's in the carpark? Ok, I'm biased... I'll get my coat. you will not find many boozers in that neck of the woods, but you could try "The Pier" restaurant in Lairg for some absolutely top notch scran without the top notch price tag. They also sell hard liqueur  |
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,839 
Club RR Member Number: 40
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Petrol CRV on winter tyres, big enough to be practical, safe plus the engine is a proper cockroach motor they never die if been vaguely serviced. 2002-2007 ones with the side opening door are just kind of happy in themselves if that makes any sense. Diesel ones can spit out DM Flywheels and CV joints as more torque so at this price I'd stick to petrol. Manual ones pick up their skirts and go pretty well too. 3K would also get a nice FSH jobbie one too.
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Petrol CRV on winter tyres, big enough to be practical, safe plus the engine is a proper cockroach motor they never die if been vaguely serviced. 2002-2007 ones with the side opening door are just kind of happy in themselves if that makes any sense. Diesel ones can spit out DM Flywheels and CV joints as more torque so at this price I'd stick to petrol. Manual ones pick up their skirts and go pretty well too. 3K would also get a nice FSH jobbie one too. My CRV (Petrol Auto) got up this drive in the snow on non winter tyres, although getting back down wasnt fun as it came back down with the handbrake on lol.  |
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Last Edit: Oct 4, 2016 21:13:31 GMT by joem83
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Some good suggestions so far but how about looking at it from a different angle? 1. Driver training! 2. Item 3 asks for a 4x4 (sensible) but I had *very* impressive results from a smaller FWD fitted with mud-snow tyres, maybe 4x4 isn't essential? 3. A spare set of wheels with proper mud/snow tyres (or fit the tyres on the current rims and find a shiney set before next year) 4. 70s RWD?  (ok ... I'm biased but just to show what's possible on road'ish tyres)   more retrorides.proboards.com/thread/88892?page=2  |
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espeno
Part of things
Posts: 45
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Outback, CR-V, RAV-4 if she'll feel safer in a biggish car, but an Impreza or Octavia will honestly do plenty. Then go out and get the best winter tyres money can buy (Continental or Nokian, IMO). Are studded tyres legal in Scotland? XC90s or Freelanders are to be avoided at all cost, but maybe a XC70 would do? I don't get why BMWs or Mitsubishis would be considered unreliable, but hey - that's me |
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Last Edit: Oct 4, 2016 22:41:15 GMT by espeno
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colc
Part of things
Posts: 222
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Toyota Landcruiser.......of any description.
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Toyota Landcruiser.......of any description. Struggle for £3,000 |
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(ok ... I'm biased but just to show what's possible on road'ish tyres) 
