Are vans better offroad than cars ?

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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by slowsider »

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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by weeksy »

Couchy wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 9:56 am Just get any of the small diesel SUV and fit some decent all season tyres. Something front wheel drive like a qashqai etc with it's better ground clearance will do the job and can be had with a 1.5 diesel and low road tax
Nissan Qash has 188mm clearance.
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Just buy an old shitter 4WD SUV and run it into the ground in addition to having the Mondeo as a family car.
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by weeksy »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 10:28 am Just buy an old shitter 4WD SUV and run it into the ground in addition to having the Mondeo as a family car.
Crazy talk mate, we've already got a virtually brand new Focus, the Mondeo, my MT07 and a ZX6R, i'm not buying another car on top of all of them.
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

weeksy wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 10:28 am
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 10:28 am Just buy an old shitter 4WD SUV and run it into the ground in addition to having the Mondeo as a family car.
Crazy talk mate, we've already got a virtually brand new Focus, the Mondeo, my MT07 and a ZX6R, i'm not buying another car on top of all of them.
We've got 2 cars and 4 motorbikes, I'm considering getting a camper can just for holidays and trackdays, you can have as many vehicles as you can afford 😁

I had a 4x4 Pickup truck, it was great when I needed it, but a pain in the arse for normal use, drank fuel and was horrible to drive.
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by weeksy »

weeksy wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 10:15 am
Couchy wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 9:56 am Just get any of the small diesel SUV and fit some decent all season tyres. Something front wheel drive like a qashqai etc with it's better ground clearance will do the job and can be had with a 1.5 diesel and low road tax
Nissan Qash has 188mm clearance.
TBH this is sounding more and more like a decent plan now. They're not far off in terms of economy, not ridiculous in terms of road tax.... they kinda work. Might shoot out next week and test drive.
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by Couchy »

weeksy wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 10:37 am
weeksy wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 10:15 am
Couchy wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 9:56 am Just get any of the small diesel SUV and fit some decent all season tyres. Something front wheel drive like a qashqai etc with it's better ground clearance will do the job and can be had with a 1.5 diesel and low road tax
Nissan Qash has 188mm clearance.
TBH this is sounding more and more like a decent plan now. They're not far off in terms of economy, not ridiculous in terms of road tax.... they kinda work. Might shoot out next week and test drive.
Once you get into the realms of needing 4wd and more ground clearance than a FWD SUV with decent tyres you ruin the tarmac use. FWD, decent tyres and more ground clearance than a normal car can get you further off road than you imagine
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Couchy wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 11:11 am
weeksy wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 10:37 am
weeksy wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 10:15 am

Nissan Qash has 188mm clearance.
TBH this is sounding more and more like a decent plan now. They're not far off in terms of economy, not ridiculous in terms of road tax.... they kinda work. Might shoot out next week and test drive.
Once you get into the realms of needing 4wd and more ground clearance than a FWD SUV with decent tyres you ruin the tarmac use. FWD, decent tyres and more ground clearance than a normal car can get you further off road than you imagine
When I worked for BT (over 20 years ago) we had diesel Fiesta vans, I used to go down muddy farm tracks with them and they never got stuck, it was just a case of stick it in second gear and let the engine chug it's way along at low rpm.
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by weeksy »

So after viewing today I'm 99% sold on a Nissan Qashqai

My only debate is which one, which model and where.

I had a discussion with these guys as they're local

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144277957763

But whilst that's decent money and spec, it's not my only thought, there's 10 others on eBay.

Not many come with towbars though which would be nice and save me fitting one
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by KungFooBob »

Cashcows are the biggest selling car in the UK or something, there's plenty about.

I worked with a woman who had one, it had brilliant parking camera's.

Camera's pointing down in the mirrors combined with a fake image of the car in the middle of the screen made it look like when reversing the footage was from a drone hovering 6 ft above the car.
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by wheelnut »

KungFooBob wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 7:14 pm Cashcows are the biggest selling car in the UK or something, there's plenty about.

I worked with a woman who had one, it had brilliant parking camera's.

Camera's pointing down in the mirrors combined with a fake image of the car in the middle of the screen made it look like when reversing the footage was from a drone hovering 6 ft above the car.
I had one for three years, followed by an xtrail for three years and now a navara. All had the same camera system. It is very good.

The qashqai is a good family car weeksy. Comfy for long distances and will have enough room for all the shit you carry about.
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by Gregor »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 11:30 am
Couchy wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 11:11 am
weeksy wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 10:37 am

TBH this is sounding more and more like a decent plan now. They're not far off in terms of economy, not ridiculous in terms of road tax.... they kinda work. Might shoot out next week and test drive.
Once you get into the realms of needing 4wd and more ground clearance than a FWD SUV with decent tyres you ruin the tarmac use. FWD, decent tyres and more ground clearance than a normal car can get you further off road than you imagine
When I worked for BT (over 20 years ago) we had diesel Fiesta vans, I used to go down muddy farm tracks with them and they never got stuck, it was just a case of stick it in second gear and let the engine chug it's way along at low rpm.
My brother had an ex BT diesel fiesta van, we used it to go mtb racing in Malverns one year, 2 adults + mtbs +camping gear loaded up and that thing was scary slow on uphill sections of the Mway.
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by Gregor »

weeksy wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 7:09 pm So after viewing today I'm 99% sold on a Nissan Qashqai

My only debate is which one, which model and where.

I had a discussion with these guys as they're local

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144277957763

But whilst that's decent money and spec, it's not my only thought, there's 10 others on eBay.

Not many come with towbars though which would be nice and save me fitting one
Doesn’t the Qashqai have a low hanging exhaust back box that runs across the rear same as the T30 xtrail,I never bashed mine but on deep rutted tracks it was a bit worrying.
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by Felix »

Gregor wrote: Sat Nov 20, 2021 8:36 am

My brother had an ex BT diesel fiesta van, we used it to go mtb racing in Malverns one year, 2 adults + mtbs +camping gear loaded up and that thing was scary slow on uphill sections of the Mway.
Was that the early non turbo ones. Had that engine in an escort van what was hell. 18TD fiesta was a great wee van. Manage and indicated 110 from mine. Probably only 95 on the sat nav but loved driving them.
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by weeksy »

Gregor wrote: Sat Nov 20, 2021 8:42 am
weeksy wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 7:09 pm So after viewing today I'm 99% sold on a Nissan Qashqai

My only debate is which one, which model and where.

I had a discussion with these guys as they're local

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144277957763

But whilst that's decent money and spec, it's not my only thought, there's 10 others on eBay.

Not many come with towbars though which would be nice and save me fitting one
Doesn’t the Qashqai have a low hanging exhaust back box that runs across the rear same as the T30 xtrail,I never bashed mine but on deep rutted tracks it was a bit worrying.
Dunno, certainly not compared to the Mondeo lol.
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by Bigjawa »

X-Trail is a better bet than the Cashcow.
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by weeksy »

Bigjawa wrote: Sat Nov 20, 2021 10:59 am X-Trail is a better bet than the Cashcow.
More money

Too late anyway. I already own it now
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by Horse »

weeksy wrote: Sat Nov 20, 2021 11:17 am Too late anyway. I already own it now
:D you don't hang about, do you :D
Even bland can be a type of character :wave:
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by Taipan »

weeksy wrote: Sat Nov 20, 2021 11:17 am
Bigjawa wrote: Sat Nov 20, 2021 10:59 am X-Trail is a better bet than the Cashcow.
More money

Too late anyway. I already own it now

You know the drill, pics or it didn't happen! :D
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Re: Are vans better offroad than cars ?

Post by Bigjawa »

weeksy wrote: Sat Nov 20, 2021 11:17 am
Bigjawa wrote: Sat Nov 20, 2021 10:59 am X-Trail is a better bet than the Cashcow.
More money

Too late anyway. I already own it now
Ye don't hang about....
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