leeky wrote: i'm pretty keen on a scooby - are the foresters and legacys a fun drive? I've test drove an impreza years ago (the old bug eyes) and loved the direct steering
Not that long ago I had a couple of days running about in a 8yr old petrol Forester, a 3yr old diesel Forester and a 10yr old Impreza.
The old Impreza was great fun to drive and really stuck to the road. I got out of it and back into the younger Forester and had negotiated a couple of bends before I realised I was going to have to cool it a wee bit. The newer Forester is still a bit of a flying machine compared to the older one and is comfortable to drive, but you couldn't throw it about like you could the Impreza. I don't know how the Legacy compares to either...
You can’t corner as hard in the Forester because you’ll be running semi off road tyres and not the low prof. tyres that’s on the Impreza.
Rookie wrote:Well actually... It has got relatively low profile tyres on it. Probs not as much as the Impreza but I can't remember what it had on it.
Ye, the Forester has more suspension travel as well to cope with rougher surfaces, so you get more body roll, but ye, I have to agree, they can move some. The S Turbo of mine is faster than the Lexus GS300 I had, and the dog, guns and all the other stuff fits in, not just the her in doors hand bag like the Lexus.
We have just replaced our old Peugeot 306 HDi estate with a Skoda Octavia 12 plate 1.6 TDi. We have only had the car for a week, but so far we are very pleased with it. Good ride, comfortable, and every control is light and easy. Lovely gearbox and economical engine, however, never take the manufacturers fuel consumption figures as gospel, as they are achieved using a highly skilled test driver in ideal driving conditions on a test track. In reality take 10mpg off the official figures, more if you have a heavy right foot. The tailgate does slope, which makes fitting the dog crate ( safedog crash tested dog crate, single large dog,we have a GWP), a bit tighter than in the 306, which has a more upright tailgate, but safedogs website still lists this crate for the Octavia. You will need the addition of the cargo floor though as the Octavia has a deep floor.
As we never go off road I can not comment on 4WD. Some one mentioned the Skoda Yeti, but the space behind the rear seats is rather small, but I would imagine the 4WD Octavia Scout is a viable proposition.
At the moment there are some good deals on Octavias as there is a new model out in a few days, and the last few of the present model are being sold off, minus the VAT.
Hadnt checked this in a while, should've known the mention of a defender would cause controversy. When we moved into our house our neighbours had 2 110s - i thought "his n hers" - no, one was a donor (seriously), the number of mornings i left for work leaving them jumping one off the other and swapping parts
Comfortable? A jiggly ride but i would argue a fun one - a silly agricultural go-cart, and i love it personally! Numb backside and sore back after a long distance (not to mention ringing ears), the 05 plate driver door doesnt close (there's a "knack" ). I do need a 4wd but not for off-roading, really for crappy roads non-gritted and steep gradients (winter tyres on OH's car didnt do the job that well).
The scoobies are still appealing to me just dont know which !?!?!?
After all my talk about wanting a driver's car, i came across a nissan pathfinder at a independent dealer over the weekend. I appreciate it wont be a driver's car and will probably be rather wallowy, but it seems to offer everything we need with regards to space. Has anyone driven one? The one i saw was a 57 plate but i would be open to older, or possibly newer if a good deal came up.
I've had a 06' Pathfinder diesel one year now and I'm quite pleased with it. Lots of space, more than Land Cruiser (I have 6 spaniels). Goes 7,5-8,0 litres/100 km on highways and of course more on the small roads and city. Mine is automatic which I didn't like first, but when the engine and gear box were re-programmed it became very good. It has now 205 hp's and enough torque... Enough ground clearance and handles well terrain and deep snow. This winter I have hauled 9 cars from the snow with my Pathfinder (one was Land Cruiser, which was fun!)
It really does depend on your circumstances, if you flush you get the Range Rover , its the Best if you buy one you should not be thinking about MPG. Disco's are very good and are more optional in terms of load space, Freelanders are really ok but no room unless you drop
the seats, I have /had all , I do beleive though the forrester is a great all rounder.
We got offered a disco 3 just before we went on holiday. I had an overnight testdrive and was pleasantly surprised with the responsive direct steering and suspension harder than i thought (my disco 2 is somewhat wallowy and wafty to drive - i prefer something a little more planted feeling). Only prob was it wouldnt pull the skin off a rice pudding in 3 and 4th until into the higher ranges which is to be expected to a degree, but my 03 plate disco 2 was nippier apparently its been chipped so i might try to get a drive of another un-chipped standard disco 3 - the space in the back is brilliant still like the pathfinder but difficult to get one in decent nick on the outside (OH is an avid polisher) as they tend to be workhorses from what i've seen. Still considering an xc70 too!
Probs not as much as the Impreza but I can't remember what it had on it.
Hadnt checked this in a while, should've known the mention of a defender would cause controversy. When we moved into our house our neighbours had 2 110s - i thought "his n hers" - no, one was a donor (seriously), the number of mornings i left for work leaving them jumping one off the other and swapping parts 
). I do need a 4wd but not for off-roading, really for crappy roads non-gritted and steep gradients (winter tyres on OH's car didnt do the job that well). 
just dont know which !?!?!?
