How do small cars stand up on gravel roads
 

It's time to replace my wife's truck and we are trying to decide what to get. We live on an acreage that requires us to travel 5 miles of gravel each way for work.

My wife thinks that a small car would be better for purchase cost, fuel mileage and insurance but I am thinking the gravel roads will absolutely eat it from under her. I'm trying to persuade her to get another truck so I am looking for some feedback from anyone who has tried to use a small car to commute. She is thinking something like a VW Jetta, Mazda3 or Toyota Corolla.

We did have a 2006 Toyota Tundra and I was less than impressed with how it stood up to the gravel roads making think a car is not a good idea.

I'm interested to hear your experiences. Thanks in advance for any replies.

I would go with an import suv. Honda or Toyota. Cheaper American cars will get eaten up on gravel.

Not very good on the gravel roads we have currently

Japanese AWD wagon/SUV, heavy duty set of mudflaps and all season tires. wife unit will be happy winter or summer.

The vehicles themselves are OK. Tires are an absolute bugger. Forever fixing flats, wearing them out. 5 miles each way isn't too bad, anything should work for that.

I had an old Ford Probe back when I was younger and I rode that think everywhere and a ton of places I went were either gravel or dirt roads. It really is dependant on how you drive. If you beat it then it will break but if you take it easy and find the right spots you will be good.

A lot depends on if you drive like you bought and paid for it, and care about it or if you drive like you stole it.
I had several cars and even have 1 now that I bought new in 99 that I took to countless fires down gravel roads. Still like new with 280km

we have a Ford Fusion. It's standing up well but we're only 2 miles off the pavement.

I find it depends on the car itself. Our Jetta was white knuckles at 100km/hr on the 20 miles of gravel each way, whereas my old 1983 Sunbird was way more relaxing. The Jetta never seemed to fit into the tracks we get out here which the farm trucks press in. Get into a truck though, and lets just say you can make some good time and still stay relaxed. Our Firebird sits about 4.5" at it's lower points, and we try to keep it at under 60km/hr on the 2.5 miles to the highway, but we still have some rocks that we can feel bounce along underneath. I found that a lot of the Jetta's components were not made to stand up to the washboard either, the Sunbird surprisingly took way more abuse than it should have been dished. Even our explorer was not really built to handle the gravel roads, where our Tahoe has stood up very well. I think the idea of a cute yute is probably the best route, and these days some are pretty decent on fuel, just don't know how the parts would withstand rough roads.

one of the managers at Cadomin (Cardinal River mine) would drive close to 2 hours a day driving to, from and around the mine site.

he drove and swore by Toyota Corollas getting well over 300k on those rough gravel roads. said the door seals (major dust) would cave before the motor and main body.

Wife has a Honda Fit that is brutal on gravel.

The issue is gravel getting trapped in the brakes between the cooling plate and the rotor.

Huge squealing noise until I clear it

Every 2 trips of 10 down gravel has me having to stop and reverse and sometimes a pry bar to clear the rocks.

Crazy making not to mention it tracks poorly in gravel and constant directional shifts make it unrelaxing:)

I drove a VW golf all around logging roads in BC for a summer chasing salmon, and for one fall around central alberta chasing geese. No ill effects from driving on gravel that I can remember except for one time that I hit a big chunk of pavement that came loose from an approach and cracked the oil pan.

I also got mobbed by horses one time when I was unloading decoys to hunt a farmer's dugout, and they broke my mirror. But I don't think I can blame that on the gravel roads.

Cars on gravel
 

I think that you have to stay away from the smaller economy cars, and stick with some sort of small suv. IMHO, the smaller cars are barely put together well enough to withstand a couple years on the so called paved roads in Edmonton, never mind the pounding and the muck and mud of a gravel road. Even if you are carefull they still take a pounding. I drive an AWD Ford Edge. I put one size larger, almost offroadish lite truck tires on it, and it has treated me well. Another thing to consider since you live in the country, is the possible impact of an animal. Nobody ever wants to hit anything but it does happen. It's nice to have something substantial in front of you to absorb that. I hit a muley buck in November, took out the hood, grill, one headlight, and the rad support. But we were fine in the car.
Trevor

C class Mercedes 4matic is great on gravel, even at high speeds, and the width of the tires matched the ruts the pickups push into the road. Small car, and pretty good on gas.

Would also look at subaru and mitsubishi. She won't like a small car when there's drifts that take a week to get cleared across the road. Get something more substantial...

Something more substantial might not be as cheap on gas, but all it takes is one or 2 repair bills not covered by warranty (due to whatever damage gravel does) and you've lost all your gas savings and then some.

Lada Niva all the way,

30 million vodka enforced Ruski drivers cannot be wrong,


Bad Roads , caused the collapse of the Soviet Union :scared0018:

I drove a couple small cars at least 25km one way for years on gravel. It's not that bad and I don't recall ever getting stuck. Get some good winter tires when the snow flies and you will be fine.

My inlaws drive about 30 miles of gravel up to 5-6 times a day everyday. the gravel is brutal on their van and small suv. Tires are destroyed, everything underneath is beat up, fenders take a lickin. They normally buy used and run them till they die.200 t0 300,000K

Get an 80's oldsmobile or buick, off the main road small town Saskatchewan is full of them. Those cars must be able to take a pounding because it's a 150km round trip to pickup smokes and a flat of pilsner.

Most of them got no backseat, it's now a couches ,,

Car
 

Thank you for all the replies to my/our question. The roads here do have a lot of sand so they shed water pretty well and seem to avoid the ruts many other roads develop. My wife drives fairly slow with her truck so in a car she would be slower, no rally driving for her! I guess we will try it, see how the car thing goes.
My first car was a '78 Honda Civic and that thing took me everywhere and even a few places it shouldn't have! I realize they don't build them like that anymore but hopefully the newer one's are half as tough.
Thanks again, all the responses are appreciated.

Well, I'm gonna go on a limb, and recommend a subaru.

This is what they were made for, yes, you'll get rock chips (that's what mudflaps/clear bra are for), but any subaru will stay together much longer than most other cars on gravel roads.

I've put mine thru hell (gravel at much higher speeds) and it still keeps on ticking. Just need to keep up with regular maintenance.

You are right about that. Don't forget to install running boards. I'm not sure you absolutely need them but they look so damn hot!!

Cars are fine on gravel. Before the minivan we had Ford tempo's on the gravel/fields. No problem. Way cheaper than a truck. Remember when no one had 4x4?

3500homasson
 

As others have mentioned, an import would be nice. I have an AWD CX-5 that works well on grid roads. Also consider its younger brother the CX-3 in AWD.

I think a 2017 F-150 with the new Ecoboost matted with the 10 speed transmission and 4X4 would be your best option.

I understand the need for saving where you can,
Until you need something and don't have it.

I own a pickup, not for work, it is my daily driver, grocery getter.

Many times I think I don't need something like this for my every day,
But then when the snow flies I am glad for 4X4,
And of course the outdoors activities I enjoy, which is what I bought the truck for anyway.

I am sure peace of mine is something you can't put a price on when you know your loved one is making that 5 mile trip in the worst of conditions,
Far better than with a small car.

Either way you go , you lose 30% of it's value as soon as you drive it away anyways,
May as well get something you will end up needing that off sets the cost(s).

Whatever the final choice, I would have it undercoated.

the biggest question is condition of the road in question.

Is it a well maintained,Properly built road?

Washboard and potholes will kill a smaller car if speed isn't adjusted accordingly. Bigger tires and better suspension will help handle that over a small car.

As for the gravel itself, that stuffs hard on everything.

I've lived on gravel since I was a kid and have drove Toyotas, VW's ford, Chryslers, Chevy's cars trucks and vans. The biggest issue I have is clearance, for snow and the mud right now!. They all loosen up faster on gravel. But I have gotten over 300k on Most of them. I have a 08 ford focus that is holding up well, I dont think I would buy another Import. The less electronic junk the better!
Brad

I have a (since new) '07 Corolla that just turned over 250,000km and still runs like a champion. Only about 10,000km of that is on gravel. With winter tires it is very good in snow. Only work to date has been brakes. Think I average a bit under 7 liters per 100kms. Change oil every 5000kms.

Many backroad miles in an Echo and a Mazda 3. (combined, about 600 000 km, half on gravel).

The front wheel drive pulls you better than a rear wheel drive pushes you, so I found them easier to drive in all weather conditions.

Tires are crucial. I run all seasons in the summer (rain can make dusty roads a bit slick), and studded winters in the winter, and I've stayed out of the ditch while others in 4x4 have found residence there on lesser skins.

Great on gas, and easier on tires because they're lighter. Pay attention to your air filter (maybe go K&N, so you can self-maintain).