Looking at a 4x4

[craig51]

OK, at the moment I have a mercedes 220 cdi sport auto. I plan to sell this next April.

I am looking at either,

1- Mercedes ML300 (Second hand,prob used and approved)
2- Nissan Nivara
3- Hilux

By top end budget is £22k, but would rather spend £18-19K. I defo want a 4x4, not anything too extreme, but capable. If truth be told, i really want the merc, looks great inside and out, but i know its nothing when compared to the other two for off road stuff.

(my offroad will consist of fields, and snow in the winter!)
What would you do?

 

[Alarm]

500cc Quad

 

[HERTS P&D]

What about a Horse. '4 leg drive.'


Andy

 

[gblades]

I doubt the merc is a proper four wheel drive. It's probably similar to my audi a4 quattro which has a 50:50 torque split front/rear and then standard traction control on each wheel to apply the brake if it starts to slip. It does work very well and in the snow last year I had no problems when I know for sure my older BMW would have no chance of getting out of my drive.
However it is certainly not as good as proper 4wd where you can lock the diffs and you may find on sheet ice for example the merc will tend to sit and spin one or two wheels while a proper 4wd will be able to move.

Personally if you done have an issue with the ground clearance then I would go for the merc and invest in some proper winter Tyres and rims for the winter months. Will probably cost around £500 but good winter Tyres make a huge difference.

 

[RedHerring2]

However it is certainly not as good as proper 4wd where you can lock the diffs and you may find on sheet ice for example the merc will tend to sit and spin one or two wheels while a proper 4wd will be able to move.

In a proper 4X4 you can only lock one diff, the centre one. If you want to lock front or rear diffs, you need to fit aftermarket diff-lockers, which are a bit extreme.

A 4X4 with the centre diff locked will still only provide power to two wheels, one on the front axle and one on the rear axle. This is usually more than sufficient for the average off-roader.

 

[kuytd]

Those Mercs have always been one of the bottom on the satisfaction lists, and prone to loads of problems. Honestly don't touch them, plus they will not be great in winter.

Best bet is a discovery 3, or 4 if one comes in budget. They have very high praise from all sectors, and considered about as reliable as a non Japanese 4x4 can be.

You should also consider the LandCruiser as well as HiLux, as both are very very good in all weather, and built like tanks.

Oh, and winter tyres for the colder spells are a benefit with any kind of vehicle...