RRs are expensive, unreliable and a fashion accessory. Stick to a Japanese made equivalent like a Toyota Landcruiser. A RR will bankrupt you.
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Audi All Road?
I have a Full fat RR.I too live in out in the country.I figured I would need it too. But in the 2 years we lived here prior to getting the RR, we never once struggled with our 535d, the weather just doesn’t get that bad and the car loves the country lanes (but can understand in-made roads).On the odd day that it has snowed significantly in the last 10 years, we don’t drive anywhere if at all possible.That said I did have a hospital appointment last year in icy conditions and was fairly amused by how easily I could drive past people struggling up small gradients.
I bought the RR because it is the most lovely place to sit when driving any car.Looked at lots of others but despite the seemingly classic styling, they are still the most enticing and nothing else touched it for luxury finish.With that said, they are disgustingly expensive too.So much so that it’s the first time I purchased on PCP as I couldn’t stump up the full cost outright!
It’s a lovely car no doubt, but it is a bit excessive.Something like an All Road and some winter tyres (with sensible sized rims) will cover you 99.9% of the time.
We're on our 2nd Volvo XC90 - great for towing, works well off road (with the right tyres), 7 seats, mahoosive boot space, and a very comfortable place to sit. Bought our first new and sold it 13 years later, bought this one as a 3 year old, low mileage example for £20k.
The only problem we ever really had was the auto box started slipping occasionally on the older car - a known overheating issue, corrected in the later 6 speed auto boxes - which is what our current machine has.
I know you've said you don't need 7 seats, so how about the XC60? (Just be sure to buy a 4WD one, as there are a few 2WD models out there)! An R-Design will have all the toys, it's available in various engine configs, even hybrid; and will do everything you need of it - they're very popular in the sailing world, every other family seems to have one, as they will swallow the kids, and lots of gear in comfort.
My initial idea, and why I have arrived to RRS after my initial research, was to buy one car for everything. Keep it for many years to come, maintain it and make it our workhorse. Hence the high suspension, great comfort, full of toys, good off-road, good on-road, etc. However, it seems like this idea of one-do-it-all vehicle is really not easy. There is always something... I still think RR or RRS would be our best bet, but its unreliability and outrageous running costs, makes it a really difficult choice to make.
Audi All Road was and still is on the list. I like the looks, I like the toys, I like pretty much everything about it, I'm just not sure whether its suspension is high (and tough) enough. I also suspect a fix bill could be very high as well, it being a premium brand. Plus most of them are all diesels.
Volvo XC-... I love the look of the new ones... I'm not sure about the older ones though (the ones within my budget). They have dated very quickly.
I still have some time to make the decision and there are still factors that could change in near future, so I am still hopeful that I will be able to commit more money and find that do-it-all vehicle.
Just my opinion, but if you are working to a budget, then buying a RR would be like buying a yacht.
The two happiest days of your life, are when you buy your yacht....
....and when you sell it!data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
If you do decide to buy any 4x4, I would suggest a day's training. You would be amazed what you will learn about the off road abilities and also how it affects driving them on road as well. Put a 4x4 into the wrong mode on tarmac and you can actually reduce the amount of grip available!
I used to be an instructor doing military driver training and experience days with these guys: https://www.allterrainservices.co.uk/ Bob and his team have sites all over the UK and it will be well worth the money. They can also suggest what vehicle might be suitable for you based upon your intended roads and usage.
Guy at work has a RRS diesel, its had some pretty big bills, 2 were self inflicted though when he put petrol in it and against my advice he went to halfords to get a headlight bulb changed and they blew out the ballast and control unit. Halfords ended up paying for the repair.
Definitely agree with this - good training is essential, and yet it's amazing how many 4x4 owners don't bother. Over the years we've, (my wife and I), have done several off-road courses - 2 in particular were very very good - our instructor taught fire-engine drivers, and had a nice easy way of imparting great information. Just like in flying, the instructor makes all the difference - I like to think that when I taught people to fly I was a good instructor, but then I learnt from some really great guys on my UAS and took on board as many of their good traits as I could, so can't claim any originality.
Go by other peoples recommendations when finding an off-road course to do - sounds like @noiseboy72 knows a bit about it, and has already pointed out a good first port of call.
Sounds like a good idea with off road training. I never driven a proper 4x4 car. Still, I don't plan to be doing any rock crawls or taking it for a swim in a river. It's more to be able to get to major roads.