Favorite car

[Earwig]

I'm looking at buying a new car for hiking, camping and climbing trips. I've been looking at either a Subaru Forester or an Nissan Xtrail. any advice? What do people drive?

[Penguin]

The Mitsubishi Outlander should be on your list of maybe's. Having driven a newer Forester recently, I think I prefer the older Foresters for off road work. The new ones seemed a bit more geared to a road car. I would be interested what others say about the older compared to newer Subies.

P

[sthughes]

I've got an Outlander. Big boot and drives well on gravel, but not sure I'd buy one again, it has it's drawbacks. The x-trail has a very nice boot and a more comfy back seat, but not as safe and a bit ugly in my opinion. I'd probably be tempted by a diesel Forester if I was buying today, or maybe a Suzuki Grand Vitara or even SX4 but they are a step down size wise. Probably Range Rover Vogue if I won Tattslotto

Edit: I'm referring to the current shape X-trails not the old shape, they are horrible to drive compared to pretty much all their competitors, except maybe the Honda CRV when on gravel.

[gayet]

What about the Mitsubishi Challenger? Better clearance than the X Trail, bigger boot area. Just bigger, in price as well though. Diesel is OK. I haven't actually taken it really off road yet but its fine on gravel and better dirt tracks. At least so far....

[Penguin]

Probably Range Rover Vogue if I won Tattslotto

C'mon. Go the Cruiser. Not something for English lanes and Prep school fetes

[sthughes]

Yeah the Challenger is well worth a look, although it is approaching a different price bracket and is more an off roader than soft roader - depends what your priorities are.
Skoda Yetti is nice to.

C'mon. Go the Cruiser. Not something for English lanes and Prep school fetes

Sorry Penguin, you know my opinion of the type of people who drive Cruisers. Notice how little I've walked with you since you got it?

[Drifting]

Love our XTrail. The hard surfaced back, the economy, the whole package. We found the more mid-sized softroaders to be very fuel hungry, and not really that much bigger anyhow. Just can't speak highly enough about our X Trail. Subarus just didn't impress us for whatever reason. CRT's and RAV4s similarly didn't fit the bill. From memory one was too small and the other can get a power kick/ jolt when passing onto ice that can be a problem, and was too small anyhow.

Just make sure that if you get a newer XTRail with the CVT Transmission that its had its diff replaced- they have a fault that is pricey to fix if not under warranty.

We got a 18 month old XTrail with 30k of warranty left from Eurocar in Launny for something like 4k under the book price.

[Earwig]

Does your xtrail have the CVT? What is it like? Sounds weird.

CVT = continuously variable transmission. One gear that changes ratio. First thought up by Di Vinci.

[jjay]

We've got an older forester and a ford escape. The forester is a bit under powered and doesn't have that much more clearance than an ordinary car...I'd hate getting caught out somewhere where I needed a bit of 4wd in it as well. Drove an xtrail hirecar around the back of nz recently and while it did ok in getting us to the trailhead down a muddy and rutted track I did manage to ding the bottom of the bumper going through a tiny ditch! (don't tell the hirecar company!). That said the inside and the boot were fantastic for camping what with the flat hard boot floor and the drawers for storing stuff.

I love my escape. It's not a real 4wd but it's light enough and has enough grunt that you can get through pretty muddy stuff if you get rained in somewhere.

[marangaroo86]

Have a good look at the Suzuki Grand Vitaras. Economical,great size and great clearance and transmition for off road.

The Mitsubishi Outlander should be on your list of maybe's. Having driven a newer Forester recently, I think I prefer the older Foresters for off road work. The new ones seemed a bit more geared to a road car. I would be interested what others say about the older compared to newer Subies.

P

Yes I agree the older Subies where better off road. Have had numeorus Subies and currently have a 08 Liberty(Wifes) and I have a Suzuki grand vitara.

Marangaroo86

[stepbystep]

Don't buy a cruiser or you'll find you have to find excuses not to drive on every walk that involves more than a couple of people......
Mine has a gas conversion so isn't too pricey on fuel. Extremely reliable and robust vehicle, and is the ultimate 4 season tent when solo car camping

[Drifting]

Does your xtrail have the CVT? What is it like? Sounds weird.

CVT = continuously variable transmission. One gear that changes ratio. First thought up by Di Vinci.

Works great now that they replaced it.

[Nuts]

Extremely reliable and robust vehicle, and is the ultimate 4 season tent when solo car camping

I dont doubt the first part but ultimate tent? not quite :

2a82_1.JPG.jpg (25.25 KiB) Viewed 24848 times

[Leppy]

Hmmmm I have only in the last few weeks been thinking again about moveing the A4 s line on and getting somthing that suits my weekend activities a little more... Forester XT prem looks to be the go

[johnw]

Have owned a 2003 Forester XS manual for about 18 months. Quite happy with it so far and does what it needs to. Dual range helps a little but it isn't a substitute for real 4WD. I do miss the old 95 XJ series Jeep Cherokee it replaced after 9 years, which was tough as old boots and confidently went almost anywhere. I don't miss the fuel bill though , and the Subaru is more refined to drive.

[walkinTas]

Does your xtrail have the CVT? What is it like? Sounds weird.

CVT = continuously variable transmission. One gear that changes ratio. First thought up by Di Vinci.

I bought a Murano mostly because of the CVT. I have never driven an automatic that came close to being this smooth. Also because I like lots of space - its bigger than an xTrial and I can fit a full double mattress (Dune 4WD mat) in the back if I choose to car camp. Its 6 cylinders (11-12l/100Km) so not the same fuel economy as the xtrail.

[Redtail]

Earwig - do you mean new as in unused, or a replacement, as in used?

If it's the latter, look no further than Nuts' photo. Proper 4WD, V6 or turbo-diesel, and it's a van. Heaps of room for people, gear, and everything else. It's a Mitsubishi Delica, in case you're wondering. Or wandering.

[Nuts]

ha ha..
they do have a cult following... http://www.delicaclub.com/portal.php

[Earwig]

Thanks everyone. Decided to settle on an x-trail. Next, the used car yard ...

[recurveron]

Too late to put a vote in for an older subaru?. I have an o5 forrester x manuel that has duel range , no hard core 4wd but get me into and out places that a 2wd wouldn't go , it also tows a 1400kg boat around no probs although it is thirsty especially towing any load.

[Bluegum Mic]

Love my xtrail! When time comes to replace it I will get...another xtrail

[Leppy]

Has anyone ot some feedback on the Nissan dualis?

[Strider]

Has anyone ot some feedback on the Nissan dualis?

Your profile says you are male. Enough said.

[Leppy]

lol thanks Strider,
It is the styling, off-road capabilities or name?

[jackhinde]

subies...pffft, the people that used to wear hats while driving volvos now drive them instead- "*&%$#! suby drivers" is a regular refrain from my missus

I like toyotas, in fact they should give a discount for spruiking them. I had an 88 hilux that clocked half a million k's (with the original clutch!). replaced it with a 2001 rav4 edge, which i replaced with a 2008 rav4 cruiser and next month i replace it with a brand new version of the same.
Over twenty years of driving and never been to a mechanic.

[north-north-west]

Over twenty years of driving and never been to a mechanic.

I feel sorry for any car that doesn't get regularly serviced.

[Strider]

Over twenty years of driving and never been to a mechanic.

I feel sorry for any car that doesn't get regularly serviced.

Who said it wasn't?

[Strider]

lol thanks Strider,
It is the styling, off-road capabilities or name?

None of the above. It's just a chicks car!

[Leppy]

Came to me senses. That for the head check.

[Earwig]

I bought myself an Xtrail after all that. Great car. I took it for a 'test drive' and found myself where only work cars should go and survived. The (4wd-ing, not bushwalking) trip report is here.

http://ian-folly.blogspot.com/2012/01/test-drive.html

Thanks everyone for your comments.