5 of the best used four-wheel-drive cars for less than £10,000
It's not just SUVs
As temperatures drop and the weather gets even more inclement than usual, the temptation to buy a four-wheel-drive car may creep in. And thanks to our budget 4×4 guide, you won’t need to break the bank to get your hands on one.
The benefits are clear. For starters, splitting the power between both axles means there’s the potential to gain more traction. If the front wheels, for example, are resting on mud or ice, the rear wheels might have more purchase. In a front-wheel-drive car, that would leave you struggling to get moving, but an all-wheel-drive vehicle may simply pull away without a second thought.
And that doesn’t just help on snow or a muddy track – it’s useful in the wet, too. Especially if you have a powerful car.
Naturally, all-wheel-drive systems are not a fix-all. If you’re driving on bald or otherwise unsuitable tyres, it won’t help very much, and while four-wheel drive may help you get moving, it won’t help you stop. But combining all-wheel-drive with all-terrain, all-season or even winter tyres could leave you with a much better shot of keeping on the move when conditions get slippery.
Some might not need to change their car purely on the basis of the three days a year when the weather doesn’t play ball, but those who live in areas with frequent snowfall during winter, or those who regularly drive on muddy tracks will all benefit from all-wheel-drive traction.
But four-wheel-drive cars can be expensive – particularly if we’re talking about luxury SUVs – so we’ve picked out five of the best all-wheel-drive cars you can buy for less than £10,000 on the used market. It just goes to show what you can get for a relatively small outlay if you shop around a bit.
Our list isn’t all-encompassing by any means, but it includes a range of cars that will all suit different buyers’ needs and give you an idea of what’s out there.
1. Dacia Duster 4WD
Independently sold used cars start from £3,000
The Dacia Duster is perhaps the quintessential budget 4×4, with no-nonsense styling inside and out, as well as fairly conventional engineering. But it has everything you need and nothing you don’t, which makes it appealing for those who want a capable 4×4 — and the Duster is remarkably capable — for sensible money.
After all, Dacia is all about common sense, and the Duster is one of the most rugged and fuss-free SUVs you can buy. It is, in many ways, the perfect tonic to the over-complicated likes of the Range Rover Sport and BMW X4.
But don’t go thinking the Dacia’s simplicity means it can’t compete on rough surfaces. Although not all Dusters have all-wheel drive (the 4×2 versions are front-wheel drive, so stick with the 4x4s), those equipped with four-wheel drive can surmount some pretty rugged terrain, and they do so with a kind of glee that makes them quite endearing. While they may lack some refinement and equipment compared with more expensive contemporaries, they do at least have plenty of charm and you won’t be afraid to treat a used Duster like a true workhorse.
They can be pretty cheap to run, too, thanks to the choice of small and frugal petrol and diesel engines, and while the technology on board may not be cutting-edge, range-topping Prestige versions get touchscreen infotainment and a reversing camera, among other creature comforts. Even mid-range models tend to have everything you really need.
At today’s prices, the top end of our nominal £10,000 budget should pay for a 2016 car with relatively low mileage — certainly less than 50,000 on the clock — and a mid-range trim level.
Newer, more luxurious cars will cost a little more, but those who can stretch their budget by just a couple of thousand pounds should find five-year-old, generously-equipped cars within their reach. And if you’re more interested in mileage than age, some 10-year-old cars with fewer than 50,000 miles on the clock will cost well under £7,000.
Browse the Dacia Duster 4WDs for less than £10k on Auto Trader
2. Suzuki Swift AllGrip
Independently sold used cars start from £3,000
When you think of 4x4s, small hatchbacks don’t usually come to mind, but it’s worth remembering that all-wheel drive doesn’t have to mean bulky bodywork and a towering ride height. In fact, the Suzuki Swift manages to combine the delights of a well-sorted, fun-to-drive hatchback with the traction of an SUV.
Of course, not all Swifts come as a 4×4, so look out for cars that wear the AllGrip badge. Choose one of those and you get four-wheel drive to help out in wet and snowy weather, but you also get a car that’s reliable and good fun, albeit built down to a price.
The Swift has been around since the 1980s in various forms but the car as we know it was launched in 2004. That first-generation vehicle soldiered on until 2010, when AllGrip versions were introduced in the UK. The current-generation car went on sale in 2017, offering a more modern body and a bigger boot than before.
Buyers will essentially have a choice of three trims, with the basic SZ3 joined by more upmarket SZ4 and SZ5 versions. But all will come with a small, 1.2-litre petrol engine producing around 90bhp. Some more recent cars, however, will be mild-hybrids, using an integrated starter motor system to extend the capabilities of the stop-start system and reduce fuel consumption. With all Swifts proving reasonably economical, however, there doesn’t seem to be much need for such a thing.
The cheapest Swift AllGrip models on offer will likely be around 10 years old and with six-figure mileages, but tidy cars with fewer than 50,000 miles on the clock come in at less than £7,000. The upper echelons of our £10,000 budget should be enough to secure even a high-specification, low-mileage, all-wheel-drive-car from 2019. It’s extremely affordable for an all-wheel-drive vehicle that’s less than five years old.
Browse the Suzuki Swift AllGrips for less than £10k on Auto Trader
3. Audi TT quattro
Independently sold used cars start from £1,500
Perhaps the most surprising car to feature on this list, the TT is hardly a 4×4 in the traditional sense, but plenty of tidy quattro all-wheel-drive examples can be had for less than £10,000, offering both style and grip within budget.
The TT has gone down as something of a design icon, thanks to its stylish design and likeable handling characteristics, so the first-generation car’s introduction in 1998 was followed zealously by a second generation in 2006. In 2014, the third-generation car was introduced, and it bravely (and successfully) carried on until its demise in 2023.
While the early cars had quite a rounded — and, some might say, more attractive — shape, later cars offered increasingly aggressive bodywork. Although the mechanical parts were largely shared with the Audi A3, the TT sat lower and offered a sportier driving experience as a result. And customers could choose whether they wanted a solid roof or folding soft-top.
The engine range generally comprises 2-litre, four-cylinder engines, but the TT was also available in some more powerful forms, complete with larger engines. The less powerful variants tend not to be all-wheel drive (denoted by the quattro badge) although plenty of 1.8-litre quattros will be available.
Most buyers will want one of the 2-litre petrol or diesel quattro cars, while the 3.2-litre V6 petrol engine, which was also paired with the all-wheel-drive system, seems to have fallen out of favour thanks to its high fuel consumption.
Later TTS and TT RS models were also fitted with all-wheel drive as standard, but though you’ll find some second-generation TTS models within budget, even high-mileage examples of the TT RS still fetch well over £10,000.
When scouring the classifieds, be aware not all TTs are offered with all-wheel drive, so look out for those with ‘quattro’ in their names, but you should be able to find high-mileage first-generation examples with the 1.8-litre petrol engine for around £1,500. Budget for something over £5,000 if you want a decent second-generation car with sensible mileage.
Some low-mileage, newer, second-generation TTs will be available within budget if you’re prepared to travel, but the only third-generation cars offered for less than £10,000 will likely be front-wheel-drive examples at the present time.
Browse the Audi TT quattros for less than £10k on Auto Trader
4. BMW X1 xDrive
Independently sold used cars start from £4,000
While mass-market 4x4s would ordinarily dominate lists such as this, premium products have their place, too. The first-generation BMW X1 may not go down as a classic but the German company’s smallest SUV put premium quality and a modicum of off-road capability into a usefully compact package.
As with so many modern SUVs, not all X1s are all-wheel drive, so look for those with the “xDrive” badge, which denotes BMW’s all-wheel-drive system that can distribute power between the axles as it sees fit.
It may not be an out-and-out off-roader but with that xDrive system, the raised suspension and some cross-climate or winter tyres, the X1 should be pretty unstoppable. Yet it’s still a pretty pleasant car to drive on the road, with BMW’s classic steering feel and good body control that allows it to handle properly in corners.
For this kind of money, you’ll probably be looking at earlier, less well-equipped examples, but you can still get a 2-litre petrol or diesel engine. The petrol-powered examples are relatively rare but the diesels are economical and powerful enough to be getting on with, while there’s a choice of trim levels.
Those who prefer the sporty image will want an M Sport version, which can be found in budget and with sensible mileage, while those more interested in rugged off-road styling will prefer the xLine trim. There’s also a Sport variant that sits somewhere between the two, while SE versions are the entry level and offer a relatively lowly specification for a BMW SUV.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, those shopping at the cheaper price points will be looking at tatty, high-mileage examples, probably with the “18d” 2-litre diesel engine and a manual gearbox. But 2011-2013 cars with sensible mileage and in reasonable condition can easily be picked up for less than £8,500.
Newer, lower-mileage cars with automatic transmissions will come in towards the top of the price range, and there are plenty of 2014 cars with fewer than 50,000 miles that fall easily within budget.
Browse the BMW X1 xDrives for less than £10k on Auto Trader
5. Volvo XC90 4WD
Independently sold used cars start from £1,000
For those seeking a spacious, winter-proof 4×4 with a hint of luxury, the Volvo XC90 is perhaps the obvious choice. A big 4×4 with luxury credentials, the XC90 was a game-changer when it arrived, and it became a very popular rival to the Audi Q7 and Land Rover Discovery. In fact, the big Volvo was so successful it became one of the longest-serving models ever on sale, having been introduced in 2002 and not replaced until 2015.
For our budget, you’re looking at first-generation cars, and even those have held their value well — particularly those with only a few miles on the clock — but tidy examples can be found. Although the styling is looking a bit dated, these cars looked great when they came out, and they offered a luxury car look with Volvo’s unassuming image. Safe, reliable and offered with a choice of engines, the XC90 was deserving of its popularity.
For the most part, used examples tend to be 2.4-litre diesels, which favour economy over performance but offer just-about-acceptable speed off the mark. Some 2.5- and 2.9-litre petrol options can also be found in the classifieds, but if you’re going for petrol power, you might want to seek out one of the few 4.4-litre V8s that were sold, sacrificing efficiency for power and a lovely noise, and making the XC90 surprisingly rapid.
Admittedly, the XC90 isn’t exactly a byword for reliability — a few electrical and gearbox gremlins have appeared in plenty of examples — but it’s an awful lot of luxury SUV for the money.
Speaking of which, early examples are now 20 or more years old, and those with six-figure mileages can be snaffled for less than £2,000. For those wanting a car with fewer than 100,000 miles under its chassis, there’s plenty of choice below £7,000, and you will find the odd 10-year-old example with five-figure mileage for less than £10,000.
For the most part, though, the XC90 has held its value well, and while tidy, mid-mileage examples are numerous at this price point, they tend to be around 15 years old. Those prepared to stretch the budget a bit will find some newer examples — we’ve seen a one-owner, 2014 car for less than £15,000, but second-generation cars with six-figure mileages still cost £16,000 or more.
Browse the Volvo XC90 for less than £10k on Auto Trader
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- If you were interested in used all-wheel-drive cars, you might like to read our guide to buying used 4×4 estate cars
- For an ultimate off-roading experience, you might want to take a look at what we said about the new Land Rover Defender
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