Getting a SUV - Subaru Forester/Outback, Toyota RAV4, VW Tiguan?

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Getting a SUV - Subaru Forester/Outback, Toyota RAV4, VW Tiguan?

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Dingbatt

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#2369955 7-Dec-2019 10:19

I noted when I checked the price of the RAV4 they have jacked up the price by $4000 compared to release this time last year. Not sure if it’s a cynical ploy to take advantage of the proposed rebates in 2021 or just popularity meaning the price goes up to see what the market will bear. Either way it’s out of my price range again for now.

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#2370037 7-Dec-2019 13:19

bluey:
I have an 04 outback. It is fitted with Geolander G015 tyres which are awesome. The tyres are quiet and massively better traction off the seal than the standard tyres.

Have taken the car through a lot of backcountry roads like Nevis etc.

My experience with the outback is that it gets great traction if all the wheels have good contact. If you get on really uneven ground and a wheel becomes light it will just spin. No comparison to a 4wd with longer travel suspension that can keep the wheels on the ground.

The sales pitch that the drive will be redistributed to the gripping tyres is pretty much fake in my experience. The car will sit there and spin a wheel in the air all day. It is possibly still better than the competition though..

The reason for that spinning all day is because nearly all awd and 4wd use open diiferentials, power goes to wheels with least traction.

The mechanical fix is inserting a lock axle diff (not centre diff) found on some serious offroaders.

All other awds nowadays would use computers to brake the spinning wheel to allow the open diff to send power to the other wheel (the one with traction). However they usually are not implemented well.

The newest outback has xmode v2 which is quite effective. V1 was useless it just cuts all engine power when wheels were spinning! Don't buy!

Sport oriented awds would use a limited slip diff which a
dds a touch more assistance but its really there for max acceleration.

Dynamic

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#2370152 7-Dec-2019 21:16

I'm fortunate enough to have a 2015 Outback Premium 2.5L that I picked up new on a 1/3 1/3 1/3 finance. The Greenlane dealership wasn't offering that deal at the time, but the competition was. One quick phone call and they said they could do it. I would have loved the 3.6L model, as I was coming from a 2002 3.0L Legacy wagon, but couldn't justify the extra $. The Eyesight is pretty good, but I do wish I'd done my homework and held out for the 2016 model with blind spot protection, and I really wish it had CarPlay.

While taking it on the beach is not something I do commonly, I've confidently stopped twice in soft dry sand and pretended to be stuck, driving off once the kids have 'got out to push'. I couldn't believe they fell for it a second time. 😅 I've never got it really dirty or stuck, but I don't tend to invite trouble. Especially after I got the Legacy stuck in a soaking wet paddock a couple of years before and had to be towed out.

I paid $1200 (?) for 3 years scheduled servicing, got the towbar and a coupe of other small extras, and 4 years down the track I'm still enjoying it. Almost as much as I would have the 3.6L. 🤭

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turtleattacks

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#2370170 7-Dec-2019 21:52

Dynamic:
I'm fortunate enough to have a 2015 Outback Premium 2.5L that I picked up new on a 1/3 1/3 1/3 finance. The Greenlane dealership wasn't offering that deal at the time, but the competition was. One quick phone call and they said they could do it. I would have loved the 3.6L model, as I was coming from a 2002 3.0L Legacy wagon, but couldn't justify the extra $. The Eyesight is pretty good, but I do wish I'd done my homework and held out for the 2016 model with blind spot protection, and I really wish it had CarPlay.

While taking it on the beach is not something I do commonly, I've confidently stopped twice in soft dry sand and pretended to be stuck, driving off once the kids have 'got out to push'. I couldn't believe they fell for it a second time. 😅 I've never got it really dirty or stuck, but I don't tend to invite trouble. Especially after I got the Legacy stuck in a soaking wet paddock a couple of years before and had to be towed out.

I paid $1200 (?) for 3 years scheduled servicing, got the towbar and a coupe of other small extras, and 4 years down the track I'm still enjoying it. Almost as much as I would have the 3.6L. 🤭

I’ve taken my 2003 Forester out to Muriwai soft sand and have never been stuck, fingers crossed.

Apart from possibly getting the 3.6L - would you do it all again? How did you find Winger Subaru service wise.

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langers1972

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#2370295 8-Dec-2019 06:48

Skoda Kodiaq, awesome vehicle and great bang for buck

Dynamic

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#2370450 8-Dec-2019 12:04

turtleattacks:

I’ve taken my 2003 Forester out to Muriwai soft sand and have never been stuck, fingers crossed.

Apart from possibly getting the 3.6L - would you do it all again? How did you find Winger Subaru service wise.

I found Winger's service to be pretty good. I booked in advance to get a loan vehicle as I'm 20 minutes drive from them, and just paid a token amount for the insurance waiver (an accident doesn't have to be your fault for you to get landed with a bill for someone else's car!). There was unfortunately an issue with the GPS in the the head unit after 30 months and the supplier sent the wrong replacement unit, but they made it as hassle-free as possible.

I checked out utes last time and even had a test drive in a Dodge Journey. I'd be tempted to have a look at some of the Huyundai models.

I'd quite like to seriously consider something fully electric, except that we go camping (glamping) I need to tow a pop-top camper to the far north a handful of times a year.

Ultimately, would I do it again? That's a confident yes from me.

“Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.” Douglas Adams

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