Manufacturer Winter SUV purchase advice
10.01.2017
A The spectacle is repeated every year in winter. Business travelers stranded in the powerful luxury limousine, commuters slipped into the ditch in their work cars, ski vacationers surrendering helplessly to the smooth slope. They are all happy when an off-road vehicle driver helpfully throws them the tow rope and frees them from their predicament. Anyone who has been driving an off-roader for a long time knows this 'fun' in every detail.
So that you don't even get to wait for an all-wheel-drive driver to pull you out of the snowdrift. We recommend switching to an inexpensive used vehicle that defies its white splendor with its superior drive concept. Even for owners of expensive high-tech off-roaders who do not want to be exposed to the salt orgies on highways and possible injuries while sliding on slippery surfaces, the search for a cheap winter car is not a bad idea. We have looked around for you.
SUV winter cars - from 3,000 euros
We have limited our purchase advice according to several criteria. The first registration from 2006 ensures that the current emission standards are more or less current, even for diesel models, because from this point on only cars with the Euro 4 emission standard could be registered. This also guarantees a green pollutant sticker for diesel and thus - at least until now - unhindered entry into all inner cities. Vehicles over 125,000 kilometers were excluded - after all, they should drive, not constantly screw. With higher mileage there are of course correspondingly cheaper offers, if you are not afraid of an endurance runner, you can buy it for very little money.
We set the upper price limit at 8,000 euros - a lot of money for a winter car, yes after all, such an expensive vehicle can be sold again at a good price. Perhaps, however, it is your entry into the SUV topic and you no longer want to give up the 'winter car'? We wouldn't be surprised.
SUV winter car: What to look out for?
What to look out for when buying a used car - test seal, warranty and used vehicle guarantee, rust, condition of brakes, Chassis, engine and transmission - of course, this generally also applies to a winter car from the SUV category. In our model listing, we have only listed vehicles - with one exception from the “cheap” area - thatshow no above-average susceptibility to defects. The origin of the car is more important: in southern Germany and Austria, much more salt is spread in winter, so it may be worthwhile to inspect a less cured specimen from a little further away.
It should be noted that In 2006 there was a generation change in a number of models, which resulted in correspondingly higher prices. If you can make compromises when it comes to emissions classification, some of the predecessor models are sometimes considerably cheaper.
SUV winter car - gasoline or diesel?
Although especially in the off-road sector In Germany the diesel share has been overwhelming in recent years, our buying tips tend to be in the direction of gasoline-powered vehicles. As a rule, they lack the enormous torque of the diesel brothers and the performance is sometimes a bit more modest. They also swallow two or three liters more per 100 kilometers than the diesel counterpart. But cool calculators know that you can still drive to the petrol station a couple of times today just for the tax savings that gape between an older 2.5-liter diesel and a gasoline engine of the same size. Insurance companies also punish diesel models with an imaginary frequent driver penalty.
Other points speak in favor of Otto engines: Even with the Euro 2 standard, which petrol engines meet from 1996, there is a green sticker for the German environmental zones. Modern diesel engines with their highly complex injection technology are also in some cases more prone to defects than their counterparts with spark ignition.
SUV winter cars: gasoline engines are cheaper
One of the main reasons why you should choose the Use as a winter car should decide in favor of a gasoline engine, its price. Because identical models with diesel engines quickly cost 2,000 to 3,000 euros more, which is due to the demand. A lot of money that can be spent over several winters. However, as our market observation shows, word of this has meanwhile also got around to more and more buyers, not least against the background of the recent diesel debate, gasoline engines are now noticeably catching up.
One very important aspect: gasoline engines are too Less prone to failure at low temperatures. Cars that can no longer get out of their parking space at minus 20 degrees because of diesel meltdown can be seen every winter. One reason for this is the diesel fuel that is now available, which with its high levels of “bio” fuel is no longer as cold-resistant as it used to be.
In our purchase advice photo show, we show you recommended SUVs and off-road vehicles with which you can give the cold shoulder to winter. And maybe soon you will be the one who rescues a helpless car driver from the snowdrift.
