WITH the doom and gloom merchants predicting severe winter weather it may be wise for some to consider changing to a used 4x4 or SUV to cope better with the snow and ice.

But a recent survey has proved to be something of an eye-opener when it comes to the reliability and cost of repair of some of the better-known names.

The survey was carried out by Warranty Direct and best performer with only three in 100 examples recording a fault in the last 12 months was Honda's HR-V which was produced between 1998 and 2006.

In second place was Suzuki's Grand Vitara which was produced from 2005 onwards.

In stark contrast, Land Rover's Range Rover (2002-onwards) was shown to be the most breakdown-prone off-roader. Two thirds of its reported faults were suspension or electrical hiccups.

Also way down in the ratings were the Jeep Grand Cherokee (1999-2005) and surprisingly Volkswagen's Touareg (2003 onwards).

The study of nearly 16,000 three- to eight-year-old 4x4s and SUVs revealed the market segment to have some of the most expensive to run vehicles on Warranty Direct's books.

Predictably, the top 10 best performers list is dominated by Japanese and Korean manufacturers, but Land Rover's Freelander (2006 onwards) breaks their stranglehold, with only one in five breaking down annually and a modest average repair cost.

But the fact remains that although a 4x4 may sometimes by expensive to repair and run they prove their worth time and time again when the weather cuts up rough. Late summer and autumn can be an optimum time to buy used examples because as the thermometer drops the prices on the forecourt can rise sharply.