Would need to be the 2010 model though as the engine on the older ones is a big step down.
If you can stretch the budget to a new 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe, they are supurb cars with a powerful and economical new engine, decent looks and ride quality, loads of space and very well priced.
I know - same reason why it's hard to find smaller Japanese cars used.
I believe the reason why there are so many SUVs available used at the moment is that they use a lot of gas - but in the end road safety is more important to me. I drove small for years when I lived in Basel but in Thurgau the road situation is totally different. So it's gotta be something bigger, even if this is going to cost me 1500 Fr. per year more for gas.
Peter
Can't buy a Hyundai - both my dad and my uncle had Hyundais. Both cars died with transmission failure. So even if, on average, the Hyundais aren't any worse, I'd have to live with my dad's constantly ranting about the car and I'm not sure my nerves can take that (we live next door to my parents).
Peter
I hired a spanky new Grand Vitara in Malta where roads appear to be an afterthought. Many cobbled streets and lanes, dirt tracks, potholes everywhere and a fair bit of offroad potential. It should have been great fun.
It wasn't.
It felt light, the steering could not cope with any road irregularities, and the car moved around like a thing bewitched. It was noisy and uncomfortable, the exhaust kept grounding even with just 2 up. The engine was completely dull and couldn't pull up a 15% hill in top.
Summary: imo the Grand Vitara is a pile of tinny crap.
http://www.autoscout24.ch/AS24Web/Li...&zipcountry=CH
Those are all your options for the year and budget in SUV form
thanks!
Peter
ps: I think I'm going for the Dacia Duster! (not)
Thanks - doesn't sound good :-/ I just called up a garage here, will be able to test-drive a 2.7L version tonight. Will tell you how it went
Skoda Yeti is getting some great reviews at the moment. You can grab yourself a brand new one within budget - in fact there are a number for sale with tow bar.
TBH you might be better served with 2 cars - an old Volvo estate (4000chf) for the shifting of building materials and moving the boat - and a Golf 4-Motion for the rest of the time.
hahaha yes I think you still need to do some weeding in there. although I only hear good things about those cheapos. kinda like skoda a few years back
+1 for Subaru. Check outbacks too. they have a ground clearance of 20 cm.
I have one and only great things I can tell.(ok consumption is not that great but there are smaller engines too)
Promised to give a follow-up on this:
We test-drove the Grand Vitara for a little over an hour on a good mix of roads (from your average Basel suburbian traffic-jam to high way cruising, everything was included) - and ended up buying it. The ride was comfortable, the steering pleasantly direct and the car in excellent shape. I should add, however, that ours isn't the average European model but the one intended for the Canadian market (Emil Frey imported a couple hundred of those in 2008 because the Swiss customers weren't very happy with the low-grade motor choices and the handling of European versions). It comes with a 2.7L 185HP V6 engine (not very quiet when accelerating but very much so when cruising - and delivering a nice punch, if not as much as the Maverick's 195HP 3l) + leather interieur.
Compared to the RAV4 we had previously test-driven, I felt the handling is much more direct, the interieur is higher quality and the motor is a lot stronger.
As much as I would have liked to consider a Subaru Forester, there simply weren't any available in our price range.
Peter
Subaru Legacy Estate would be my choice. Or the Forester. The estate of course is bigger boot, and with the rear seats down, very large. Totally reliable also and great in Winter.
I suggest you scroll through the "neuwagen" choices at www.adu.ch before you get. Anything, for 32000CHF you could get a brand new Mitsubishi Outlander with automatic and all wheel drive.
They also have Subaru Impreza's for about 23,000 with automatic and all wheel drive.
Personally, you couldn't go wrong with the Subaru - a good car at a great price, and swiss love Subaru, so you can resell it quite easily in a few years without loosing too much (since you'd buy at such a discount).
put inn an efford reading other comments guys...
he went and got the Suzuki.
Congrats on the buy btw. enjoy it. if they anything as good as those old ones they will run for a very long time.
we already bought the Vitara - and no buyer's remorse so far :-) but out of interest: has anyone here bought from auto discount uster? how's the warranty? is it honored by other dealerships? I couldn't drive to Uster every time the car breaks down. do they sell grey imports?
Peter
Congrats. Good choice. Ever wonder why the rental cars on Malta, Tenerife, Grand Canaria and even in Thailand, and everywhere you can find off road, are those Suzuki's? Cause they are reliable and good and easy to fix. My first car was a Suzuki, and although it made noise, it was plastic inside etc, I drove it for 20K and the only costs I had were a set of new tires, an oil change and a wiper blade change. (and it was already 8 years old when I bought it!)
Because they are cheap !!!
These places are also where the family car is a scooter.
;-)
yupp, they're super cheap! ?
Avoid the freelander!!! Biggest heap of poo going!