What is the best winter car? Oh, it can’t be German and premium. Blegh.
You may have noticed that it has suddenly become a lot colder lately. This means that we are slowly starting two discussions again: that of Zwarte Piet and that of winter tires. All sense and nonsense will pass by and people will constantly want to persuade you without even having the slightest bit of empathy themselves. Then you already know that.
Another thing that comes up regularly is the following: electric driving and winter sports, is that possible? Not according to Roel. Roel should know, because he has been driving electric for a while and is an avid winter sports enthusiast. You would think that the short range is the worst, but it is not that bad. It’s the long queues and big crowds. Especially when he goes out with the children during the holidays.
Search for a winter car
Nowadays Roel has a Tesla Model Y, white with black upholstery. You shouldn’t dress the cheapest, says Roel. The car offers everything it needs in the Netherlands. For the 3-4 times a year that he goes on winter sports and other holidays, he is looking for a winter sports car or holiday mobile. He will suspend this car for most of the year and only use it during the winter sports season.
In terms of equipment and options, it is especially important that it has good seats and that it has four-wheel drive. In terms of power, it could be a little more, although Roel already points out that with four-wheel drive you often have a bigger engine. Consumption is less important, but it is nice that you do not have to refuel often. So certainly no V8 petrol or 300 hp+ monsters or big Range Rovers.
You can read the wishes and requirements for a winter car below:
Current/previous cars | Tesla Model Y SR |
Buy – Lease | Buy |
Private business | Mainly private |
Budget | 20,000 euros, but it can also be (much) less |
Annual mileage | Together about 10-12 thousand per year |
Fuel preference | Gasoline I think |
Reason for purchasing another car | Look for a car with AWD for the winter months |
Family composition | 2 adults, children already have their own transport |
Preferred models | Automatic, no more than 170K miles, no older than 2010 |
No go | German premium: look for a reliable car without a questionable image |
Suzuki Kizashi 2.4 4×4 Automatic Sport
€16,950 (brand dealer with warranty)
2011
95,000 km
What is it?
A Giant Suzuki! The Suzuki Kizashi is the car you always promised yourself. Then you must be the son of a Suzuki sales director. In principle it is a very handsome, well built and sporty driving sedan. Serious. You could get it in two variants, one with a manual gearbox and front-wheel drive, or this one: with four-wheel drive and automatic transmission. Since that is what Roel wants, we choose that version. You don’t have to worry about luxury: Dutch copies were packed with options. Some you still have to pay extra for with German premium brands.
How does it drive?
Eh, that was a long time ago! It is a surprisingly sporty car, but that is due to the steering and chassis. The engine sounds quite nice. It is an old-school car in terms of sensations: direct steering, fairly stiff tuning but fair. Of all the Suzukis, this is probably still the nicest to drive, although the Suzuki Across and Suzuki Swace may also be there. The seats are also surprisingly good. The only disadvantage: it is just not smooth enough, but that can of course also be very personal.
Costs Suzuki
- Consumption: 1 in 10.33
- Fuel costs: €213 pm
- Weight: 1,505 kg
- Motor vehicle tax: €77 pm
- Insurance: €55 pm
- Total costs per month: €345
Maintenance forecast
We have never had a single complaint regarding reliability of a Suzuki Kizashi. Just like with the Lamborghini Reventón! In both cases it is mainly due to their relative rarity. Tens of thousands of Golfs are sold each year, and around 150 of the Kizashi are registered. So there aren’t really any useful statistics to go off of. That said, most of the issues we encountered were finishing lapses. What was a recurring theme was the high prices for parts.
Depreciation forecast
Yes, this is a tricky one. In principle, you will depreciate very significantly. This car is at a Suzuki dealer and has not been driven much. This is reflected in the high asking price. The problem is that no one goes looking for it. There are a few experts who appreciate this and the rest are looking for a Passat or A4.
Lexus IS250 F-Sport AWD (XE30)
€18,500 (private, Netherlands)
2015
115,000 km
What is it?
A very sensible car! Just ask our colleague @rubenpriest, which has one from the previous generation. The Lexus IS is a premium sports sedan from the Japanese that had to compete directly with the BMW 3 Series. That worked out very well, by the way. Not really in the Netherlands, but yes in the rest of the world. So you can still get the IS in the US. This brings us to this specific IS. In the Netherlands, an XE30 is always a four-cylinder petrol with an electric motor (the IS300h). This is a 250, with a 204 hp petrol engine and four-wheel drive.
How does it drive?
More handling, balance and grip than power. Or couple. Don’t worry, you can really reach that 200 km/h on the Autobahn. And for its kind, the engine runs very nicely. Furthermore, it is a Lexus, so an excellent cabin with wonderful infotainment. However, it is well insulated. Great for long distances.
Costs Lexus
- Consumption: 1 in 9.74
- Fuel costs: €226 pm
- Weight: 1,555 kg
- Motor vehicle tax: €85 pm
- Insurance: €65 pm
- Total costs per month: €376
Maintenance forecast
It is a Lexus and also one that was delivered in the Netherlands. Problems hardly occur. The dragging rear brakes and rattling speakers are mainly irritating. It is still a fairly recent model, so you are still fine in terms of parts for the time being.
Depreciation forecast
This could well be the holy grail in terms of IS models. That hybrid technology is still okay now, but it is becoming less interesting every day. The battery will decrease and you will still continue to take the installation with you. This version doesn’t have that. That said, a Lexus is always a good trade. New it is a bit difficult, but used there are many enthusiasts for it.
Volvo S60 T6 AWD Summum (P3)
€17,490 (garage company)
2010
125,000 km
What is it?
A handsome Swedish sports sedan. It is important that you put ‘Swedish’ in front of it, because it is not the car with enormous temperament. That’s okay, because that’s not what you’re looking for. The S60 combines Volvo qualities in a smaller package. This means – especially in this luxurious Summum version – that you have great seats, excellent audio, excellent seating position and a lot of equipment.
How does it drive?
As said, not temperamental. However, the engine is looking forward to it. It is a 3.0 liter straight-six with a turbo, which produces 304 hp and 440 Nm of torque. Actually, that engine is a bit overkill for the car (and especially the Aisin automatic). A T5 five-cylinder is a better choice, but they do not have four-wheel drive. They are great long distance cars, real highway travel cars.
Costs Volvo
- Consumption: 1 to 8.92
- Fuel costs: €246 pm
- Weight: 1,580 kg
- Motor vehicle tax: €85 pm
- Insurance: €70 pm
- Total costs per month: €412
Maintenance forecast
Volvos are reliable and so is this one. The engine is an old acquaintance and actually the water pump is the only thing you need to check. These can leak from pre-facelift models. Furthermore, it is things like wishbones (particularly at the rear) and the spring plates at the front. Another thing: put the car on the bridge! This generation of Volvo can rust a bit and sometimes quite badly. Worse than its predecessor, especially for specimens that have always been outside.
Depreciation forecast
Volvos depreciate, but in the end it is limited. Especially if you have a special model. And a special model, that is an S60 3.0T Summum. Such a six-cylinder is very rare. And yes, an R-Design or Polestar is sportier, but an S60 is naturally comfortable. So this fits much better. So if you keep up with maintenance, you will be safe in terms of depreciation.
YOLO: Jaguar XF 3.0 Prestige AWD (X250)
€18,995 (Okasie Palace)
2013
100,000 km
What is it?
A Yay. The Jaguar XF was a kind of BMW 5 Series competitor from Great Britain. A rear-wheel drive sedan with a great chassis and fabulous dampers. Both the exterior and the interior still look very modern and fresh. Of course, the infotainment system was never great, but hey, you only use a smartphone for that. Nice: the leather is really beautiful leather. The wood too. In terms of exclusivity, it is more of a British Ghibli than an English 5 Series.
How does it drive?
Like a Jaguar. So sporty, but with a little bit of manners. Especially in this case. Where you can still drift with a rear-wheel drive XF, the AWD system here acts as a mechanical chastity belt. While with the Volvo you wonder a bit whether it has 300 hp, that is not the case with the Jaguar. This engine is looking forward to it! The XF is also a size larger than the other three in this overview. So if more people need to go on holiday, it is sufficient.
Jaguar costs
- Consumption: 1 in 8.3
- Fuel costs: €266 pm
- Weight: 1,770 kg
- Motor vehicle tax: €101 pm
- Insurance: €80 pm
- Total costs per month: €447
Maintenance forecast
We’ll be honest: these Jaguars are not Japanese cars. That said, it’s actually not too bad compared to the German competition. At least, it’s more or less the same. The engine is a good unit. It is in fact the V8, but with three cylinders in the bank. So the V6 is just as big as the V8! In terms of issues: check all electronics! Does everything work as it should? Nice. Furthermore, things such as wishbones and rear brake discs wear a little harder than normal.
Depreciation forecast
Fat Jaguars tend to depreciate considerably. Fortunately, the previous owners have already done this for you in this case. With a few options this was just a one-ton car. Just like with Volvos, you can always sell Jaguars to an enthusiast, but you have to look a little harder for Jaguars. This engine is the one you should have: nice and powerful, sounds good and the consumption is still somewhat manageable.
Conclusion winter car for 20 grand
Which one should you choose if you are looking for an ideal winter car? Simple: get that Suzuki. If necessary, one with a few more kilometers that you buy from a private individual. The Volvo and Jaguar are more fun, of course, but you often run the risk of things happening that cost money. In any case, they are much more expensive to use. The Lexus is a great alternative if it needs a little more oomph than the Kizashi, but the disadvantage is that there is only one in the Netherlands.
This article Winter car for long journeys (20K) – AB Advies first appeared on Autoblog.nl.
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