get the Cayenne Transsyberia

 

Range Rover with snow tires. You get a lo range transfer case and the ability to raise and lower for large snow banks and normal driving

 

the heated steering wheel on the range rover beats the pants off the one on the cayenne, i'm sad to say. lived with a full sized RRSC for 2 yrs. first you can actually turn it on when you want it, and second, you can really feel it.

 

i think i live in a colder zone, anyway , the heated steering wheel on my Cayenne turbo and GTS have no complaints - they are up and running in 1 km or so.

 

A lot of suggestions for the Range Rover, G wagon, and the Cayenne Transsyberia. The first two I have been eyeing because of the off road/traction stuff that they pack, but admittedly I am not too familiar with the Transsbyeria. I will do some research into this version of the Cayenne.

The range rover appeals to me because of the heated windshield. The G seems like it would work well too since the angle of the windshield would make it less prone to snow buildup when parked. That said, would the angle of the G's windshield make it difficult to drive through a snowstorm?

Aside from staying on the road, my other main concern is reliability. Any of those three stand above the others in that department?

It was asked where the vehicle would be used. It will be in Eastern Canada. Not sure on the laws re: studded tires but intend to find out.

I know I have been asking a lot of questions that northerners must be rolling their eyes at. I'd rather look silly now than be kicking myself come November.

 

Any questions?

 

I think that it's difficult to have your luxury features combined with a vehicle that is an "ultimate winter vehicle," because the majority of the winter vehicles are the same as the ultimate "back in the mountains where there aren't always paved roads" vehicles, and these aren't always the most comfortable in the ways of cushy seats, and heated everything. What you want is what will get you there and back, and maybe even keep you warm while doing so.

I, myself, am looking into relocating to Stanley, ID, a tiny mountain village (pop 100) up in the Sawtooths. There are only three roads that go there, and it is possible that at any given time, one of the mountain passes may be closed. It is not uncommon for Stanley to have the worst winter weather in the lower 48. These are my choices for Stanley:

1989 Toyota Land Cruiser - Diesel if possible
1968 International Scout - This will take you anywhere--period. Best part is, if you get the diesel, many parts are the same in International's semi's and tractors. Parts availability is your friend.
1969 Ford Bronco - Great for winters in Ft. Collins, CO, which can be quite cold.
Any ****** Wagon - Parts are hard to come by, but you can't kill these things.
Any Older Land Rover - Think pre-1990.

In any of these, I would choose a diesel over a petrol engine; the reason being that diesel engines are simpler to work on, have better low end torque (your friend in the harshest of winters), and get excellent mileage for their size. Many people would complain about diesel gelling in the winter, however, if your winters will be as severe as Stanley, ID, or my old town Wausau, WI, gasoline freezes, too. Get the diesel. Worst come to worst, just leave your truck running over night, or at work.

My choices are made for a number of reasons:
1) Ultimate Reliability. These trucks/wagons are nigh indestructible.
2) Ease of Maintenance. Save the availability of parts on some of these, they are very easy to maintain.
3) They are all 4x4, and are all available in diesel.
4) Most of them can be picked up cheap as dirt.

 

I had a Land Rover Discovery II back in 2004 and it remains one of my favorite cars. If I actually needed the LR for what it was capable of doing, I would still own it today. Since I lived in the suburbs and didn't off-road much, it wasn't practical, but if I was living somewhere like you described, I'd definitely choose either the LR Discovery or a full size Range Rover.

 

Oh! I completely forgot. You made mention that you have limited/nil winter driving experience. Here are a few tips that might save your life if things get down to it:

1) When breaking loose on a turn, steer into it, not out of it. This one is very basic, but it's easy to forget when not driving on slippery surfaces, unless you are in the habit of drifting your corners on pavement.
2) Be careful when braking while heading downhill. If you feel your vehicle starting to break loose, do not press the brakes. Instead, speed up gently. It sounds strange, but it will help. The same applies to short-box vehicles (Jeep CJ) on any rough terrain. Things will happen faster, but you will gain at least limited control of the situation, which is better than none.
3) Unless your vehicle has full-time 4x4 (AWD), do not drop it into 4WD unless there is visible snow (slick roads). If you do, you will stress the transfer case and risk damage that you really don't want to pay for.
4) Practice driving in parking lots in early winter. This helps, trust me. When I live somewhere with bad weathers (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Idaho, Colorado), I always spend the time to practice every year to make sure my driving impulses haven't gone sour. Late nights in large parking lots make for great practice space. Sometimes cops don't like it when you do this, mistaking you for a teenager out there just doing donuts (which is fun). If you explain to them that you are getting used to slippery conditions so as to make you a safer driver on the winter roads, they really can't complain too much.
5) When you break loose in a FWD or RWD vehicle, you still maintain a little bit of control (for the most part, and more so with FWD), and can usually get things straightened back out again. Although 4WD/AWD has excellent performance on slippery surfaces as compared to FWD or RWD (it is actually hard to make it break loose), when it does, you will find that you have far less control over the vehicle than you would otherwise. Basically, with 4x4/AWD, when you lose control, you have truly lost it.
6) Just be smart, and drive safe.

Enjoy Canada, guy. I hope you enjoy your winter.

 

that is disgusting

 

The G wagon is a unique vehicle because of its three locking diffs and the ability to lock all diffs in high range. That said the major downer with the G is the newer MB products really are not as reliable as the pre 2002. I have owned one 99 G wagon and 3 post 2001 G wagons, 2 '02's and one '05. All were troubled by quality issues and some poor design execution (window regulators fail regularly). Very few drive train component issues. I was driven to a Cayenne TS by the '05 55 eating its tranny at 50K after it had broken its right exhaust header at 46K. This was just ridiculous and is symptomatic of the new MB. On the other hand my 99 G short wheel base is absolutely rock solid with 75K and has never needed more than new brakes and an exhaust. Unfortunately the G and the Cayenne are polar opposites to drive. The G is a solid axle truck. It does not corner. It does not hustle well. Think of it as a civilized truck that is being made to drive close to a car but does not succeed. The TS is a car that is trying to offer the robustness of a truck and it loves being hurried and drives like a sports car. I am waiting for real snow for the verdict but my belief is that the Cayenne will be a better truck than the MB is a car. If interested I have a dealer who has a Cayenne TS with an October build date that is unspoken for. NY area if that matters. PM for details. NFI. By the way, G wagons as they have a completely flat wind shield are notorious for stone chips and pitting which does not seem to as much as a problem in vehicles with curved windshields.

 

+1 on the comments regarding the MB G-Wagon. I traded in an '04 G500 for my current '06 CS Titanium. The G is a true truck that has some nice interior finishing to "soften it up a bit". I was going to keep it "forever" :-) but after two years I had been to the MB dealer once too often for repairs. Nothing "major", but a PITA nonetheless. Window Regulators (x2), faulty paint on side mirrors, power seat motors and regulators, etc. Oh, did I mention that MB folded my hood in half when they performed a major engine service? The straw that broke the proverbial "camel's back" was the transfer case controller going out with 1 week left on the extended warranty. Out of warranty this would've cost me $1k to fix, and it wasn't even the transfer case! I lost faith in the G at that point. Lost more than that when I traded it in, especially when I had to explain why my hood was repainted...oof. Absolutely no problems in the bad weather, however it always felt a bit top-heavy, even though I'm sure I wasn't anywhere near risking a rollover. If you go near any parking garages, forget it. My roof was destroyed by them.

The G is a truck. Aerodynamics of a building. Great view down on everyone else on the road. Watch your head when going under anything low (like a blimp). Changing lanes can be interesting, as sometimes you can't see someone off your right rear quarter. Keep the speed down around curves, especially on/off ramps. Sometimes when parking I thought a tugboat to guide me would sure be useful. Niggly, expensive repairs. Less mpg than CS, but not by much. G is more "off-roadable" in my opinion than CS; felt like it was made from steel girders.

If you spend more time on the road, definitely the Cayenne.