Used cars: mid-range all-wheel-drive station wagons

W he doesn’t necessarily have to cope with snowy mountain roads or dirt roads an off-road vehicle in wall unit format. All-wheel drive is also offered by other cars - for example mid-range station wagons. They are not only cheaper to buy, but also to maintain; In terms of consumption, in particular, they undercut real off-roaders by far.

The range of used all-wheel-drive station wagons is manageable

However, those interested in buying used cars must be aware that the range is manageable , if only because not every manufacturer has as many all-wheel drive models in their range as Audi, for example. While the Ingolstadt-based company also combine less potent engines with the Quattro drive, the selection at BMW and Mercedes is limited to the upper end of the performance spectrum. In connection with the low supply, this leads to correspondingly high prices for used cars and requires patience in the search for a suitable copy.

After all, the all-wheel drive vehicles are no longer significantly more expensive to maintain than their brothers with two driven wheels. The additional consumption is around one liter /100 kilometers, which leads to slightly higher CO2 emissions and a correspondingly higher vehicle tax burden. Cars that were registered before July 1, 2009, however, still pay the tax calculated on the basis of their cubic capacity and emissions standard and therefore no surcharge for the higher CO2 emissions. Even with the insurance classifications, buyers of all-wheel-drive station wagons no longer have to expect drastic price surcharges.

All-wheel drive offers greater driving safety

Whether 4Motion and Co. are really suitable as a replacement for an off-road vehicle depends on the other hand on the requirement profile. If you are looking for a towing vehicle, for example, you should consider the maximum permissible trailer load. This is usually between 1.5 and two tons. However, large caravans or horse trailers are often heavier, so that you can hardly avoid a real SUV, because such a vehicle can take up to 3.5 tons on the hook. In addition to plenty of traction, more ground clearance is often required on unkempt dirt roads, and many models can get tight. After all, this area of ​​application is not necessarily in the designer's specifications. Often the all-wheel drive should simply serve to get the performance of the potent units better on the asphalt.

Despite the constant improvement in electronicMany car fans simply continue to swear by driving dynamics systems on the higher driving safety thanks to 4matic, Quattro and Co. in wet and snow.