What Car Q&A January 2010 - What 4x4 should I buy?

Q) The recent heavy snow has convinced me to buy a small 4x4, but as well as being able to handle icy conditions, it also needs to be nippy enough to handle my daily motorway commute.

So far, I've looked at the Fiat Panda 4x4 Cross – any thoughts?

Jack Turner

A The diesel Panda 4x4 is surprisingly capable in slippery conditions, but it's painfully slow and at £12,850 is expensive for what's essentially a small city car.

For an extra £445 we'd recommend the larger Fiat Sedici 1.6 Dynamic – it's more spacious inside and far more capable on the motorway. However, it won't be as frugal as the Panda, because it runs on petrol rather than diesel and has a more powerful engine.

If fuel economy is a priority, a 2.0-litre diesel version of the Sedici is available, but at £15,895 it bumps up the price by a hefty £2600.

If you can afford to stretch your budget even further, you might also want to consider the new Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI S 4x4 (£17,220).