Are they any good for having dogs in ?, seriously thinking about getting one in place of my Peugeot 406 estate, which is great but if we're going to get more winters like this I'd prefer a 4x4 with good ground clearance. They seem to be very popular round my neck of the woods with gamekeepers and horse folk, so I'm guessing they're pretty robust, but can I fit two SBT's and a Tibetan Mastiff in one ? ( prepared to have the back seats down, have to anyway as the TM won't get in the estate otherwise ).
Jane

HAve you had a look at Ford 4X4's we have a wildtrak and we can fit in two cages for collie size and stuff in the rear compartment. You can buy them with a truckman top and s/h come in reasonable. I drive ours (we have 4 on the company)  Not as luxuries as a Daihatsu but cheaper. We have been using our fiorms Fords for about 6 years and the dogs are fine in it. On a long trip back seat with seat belts - we go all over the country??

For day to day I have a tiny IQ which fits a collie and a cocker, but I drive the big 4X4 easily with power assisted.

Had one years ago and what a work horse it was, but the boot was rubbish small for the size of the vehicle - maybe the newer versions has better space though I don't know.

Thanks for the reply's, I didn't even know Ford did 4X4's, I'll have a squizz round the internet and see what they're like.

We have had two a GSL 4X4 about 52 plate and this 56 Wildtrak plate and with a workman  top (commercial vehicles) its really big now and yes a really good workhorse, not the most comfortable for long journeys but really dependable and reliable - i feel very safe in it with 4 wheel drive hi & low and the other bit RWS?? im not technical but I drive on that when its a bit icy.

The more I look into the Fourtrack the more appealing it gets, they seem to go on for ever, I found a place down south that tart's them up a bit, so that's an option too, I'd also like to get it converted to LPG as the mpg isn't great on them, there's a garage quite close to me that does LPG conversions so I might pop in and ask them where the tank could go on a Fourtrack, not to keen on it being in the boot.

Place down south would not be Hendy's would it? its where we get all of ours from.

This place is called Atkins I think, in Stoke-on-Trent

The foutrak gets great reviews offroad but not so great as an on road vehicle

Try looking at the Toyota Rav 4 (5 door not 3) and the Nissan X Trail (great boot size) for comparison.

Seriously though do not attempt to buy a 4x4 at the moment - the prices for secondhand vehicles have rocketed due to the bad weather bookending 2010.  Make do with your estate for now and look again in the summer. 

Thanks Dogs a Babe, I'll have a look at both those, if I do go for one I'll be looking in the summer so I have plenty of time to get any glitches sorted, tbh the estates fine, it does go a bit senile in the cold, this morning it was adamant that the fuel cap was open when it wasn't, but our village doesn't have a shop, nearest one is 2 miles away, so a 4X4 in this weather would be handy. But of course, you realise that if I do get  4X4 we won't get any snow at all next winter, in fact I predict it'll be positively balmy lol.