Soft 4wd cars worth it or not

[Solent Bombard]

Was going to get a defender but after searching for a few months and looking at a few.

I have come to the conclusion that with a budget of £7000 there all rotten at that price and too much of a compromise on fuel and comfort. With myself being over 6 foot tall leg and elbow room is also a issue.
(And if i did buy one I'd have it in bits in no time and never have a chance to use it)

So I have been looking into soft 4x4's like a Skoda Octavia scout or a VW 4motion, Audi Quattro.

But wondering if these are actually any good anyway for launching a boat with or is it just worth looking for a 2wd and a decent length of rope to launch with.

[A1an]

I manage to launch my boat with the missus' Toyota Rav4. Never had an issue yet.

Well, besides the moaning.

[Perroboy]

Octavia 4x4 fine for slips but as you would expect hopeless on beaches.

[treerat]

I used the Astra to launch with no issues on most good slipways. Only problem was when very low and water below the lip - then the rope came out.

I like the look of the yeti from Skoda but have the Insignia and that'll be fine. Depends on your launching area really. My local launch site is great, the beach we dive from an issue as I won't dream of taking the car down there.

[Solent Bombard]

Already have a yeti but it's the greenline version so only 2wd and a 1.6 diesel so lacking on power with general towing and spins out massively on slipways.

[Lee argyle]

What about a discovery 2, same running gear/ engine as a age related defender and half the money......

[Solent Bombard]

Originally Posted by Lee argyle

What about a discovery 2, same running gear/ engine as a age related defender and half the money......

Considered them and looked into it but everyone I asked said to totally avoid them as they rust even worse than defenders and are not easily repaired unlike the defender Meccano kit.

And discovery 3's all have serious mileage at my budget

[diver 1]

I've had two passat 4motion tdi's both great cars, very comfy loads of leg and arm space and fine towing even on steep slips and shingle at the bottom of the slip at low tide, no hassle at all even once or twice with all 4 tyres on steep ish shingle.

[Searider]

Was very pleased with my Volvo XC70.

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by Solent Bombard

Already have a yeti but it's the greenline version so only 2wd and a 1.6 diesel so lacking on power with general towing and spins out massively on slipways.

Would it if the tow ball was on the front? Must be possible to get a ball to attach to the towing ring fixing?

Doesn't fix the general towing.

[paddlers]

I've been looking at this same issue. Currently running a Defender & a Merc ML but I think a decent estate like the Passat or similar would do as 99% of the time I'm launching from a concrete slip. As long as whatever I get will handle the 1500 kg braked trailer I can't see I'll have any issues personally.

[cptsideways]

Get an early Subaru Legacy, came with low & high ratios, cheap as chips & just run one as a 2nd car.

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by Solent Bombard

Considered them and looked into it but everyone I asked said to totally avoid them as they rust even worse than defenders and are not easily repaired unlike the defender Meccano kit.

I have just sold my 13 year old Discovery and it had very little rust on it. I'd say that was rubbish, the ones that rust are the ones that have been ploughed through salt (or manure) and never washed underneath. There are some dogs around, but some gems too, choose wisely and find a decent one.

I would have bought another one if they still made them but as the new one is something I wouldn't touch with a barge pole, I'm replacing it with a Shogun. Land Rover has lost the plot, and the only vehicle they make now that might be faintly interesting might be the new Defender, if they don't fk that up as well.

[Chris]

Go for an Allroad, superb for boat towing / launching....

[HDAV]

anything with low range will tow well, Rav4 are pretty good (tyres make a difference and economy biased tyres aren't ideal) Nissan Xtrail,
Nissan X-Trail 2.2 DCI AVENTURA 4X4 5dr will tow 2 ton braked

[spartacus]

I tow with a 2001 Audi Quattro Avant 2.5 TDI. Otherwise known as an Amtrak Locomotive, the V6 hauls with ease. I wouldn't risk it by taking it on the beach, but have used ropes when required. One thing to remember if you opt for a soft 4x4 is that the rear springs are likely to break at some point. My Audi has sport springs so sits lower anyway, but hauling trailers takes its toll on the springs and rear suspension. Check the maximum tow weight on the car before buying. Some of the smaller engined cars have surprisingly low tow weights.

[lakelandterrier]

I've had sterling service from my x-trail - cheaper than freelander / disco tows really well. No probs on slips

[macattack101]

Bmw 5 series RWD self levelling suspension tows my 6.2m no problem. Plenty of traction and torque as the hitch pushes the arse down..had a disco 2 before the Beemer and I have no regrets.

[bmb779]

I use a Hyundai ix35, fine on concrete slips,hopeless on sand.

[Rokraider]

You could consider a Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ 2.7 TDi. They have a proper transfercase with low range, which will be useful on steep or slippery slipways . The engine is the Mercedes 5 cylinder turbo diesel that is pretty reliable (can suffer with injector problems, but easily fixable), quite powerful and economical. It is a good size and tows well. Very plush iside with all the usual refinements. If you can find the Overland model, it also has the clever Varilok diffs in the axles that are a limited slip diff that can lock up when needed. You will have change out of £7K. I tow my Pacific with a V8 version running on LPG.