Which Small/Medium SUV

[scottar]

Thanks for the tips guys. Xtrail is definitely on the test drive list. I like the look of Mux but not sure i can justify a 7 seater. I feel like i am paying for a row that would never be used. I will probably give the challenger a test drive too.

We are only a one car family as the missus doesn't drive. Over half my km's are spent driving to either coast with the yak on the roof so i'd rather get something comfy then a beach only clunker. Call me old. One thing i admit to loving on the GC is the heated seats on the drive home after 4-5 hours paddling the kayak.

If you had to "justify" everything you would be buying your fish from a shop. Sometimes you've got to do things simply because you want too. Life's too short - spoil yourself

[hainsofast]

take the third row out, old boy has a MUX and loves it, bloody great on fuel too, just get what feels right mate, good luck with the purchase

[SUPERDAFF]

Have owned Challenger (not a bad package but odd sized tyres and suspect 4WD selection mechanism at times); Kluger (Toyota refused to listen to my issues about brake fails, then a year later did a factory recall on exactly the same condition I had been telling them about - will never go there again); three Grand Vitara V6s in succession which have been absolutely outstanding - still own one which The Gorgeous One drives and also own a 3 litre V6 Touareg turbo diesel - the daily drive. All vehicles purchased brand new. Best for comfort and toys - obviously the Touareg as it should be at twice the price of the Grand Vitara Prestige. Best off-road performance, reliability, low ownership cost and high re-sale value- Grand Vitara without a doubt every time. Used to tow a 5 metre CruiseCraft Explorer with the Grand Vitaras - road stability better than Challenger or Kluger. Even current models with the semi-bonded ladder frame are pretty rigid. Needed the Treg for the mass of the Outsider 625 now owned. Experience includes heaps of pretty serious off-road work (including three Wynn's Safaris) etc etc. Overall, Grand Vitara is the way to go - albeit a few more toys would be nice. There's a new SWB 'back to the original concept' version headed our way next year.

[GBC]

The TriBeCa has heated seats and I agree, once you've had them they are very noice... And the third row seats disappear into the floor like they were never there.....downside - my cross racks whistle with the kayak on and the sunroof open. Close sunroof and problem goes away. Depends on how much you want to spend, there's touregs, q5's, evoques, my favourite is the diesel Volvo s60 d5r at the moment. My engineer has one and it goes pretty hard. Better start weighing up the driving experience vs the budget vs the ego and divide by the wifeage factor.

[ozscott]

That's an easy one. Freelander 2. They might start a little higher though.

Cheers

[ozscott]

I have pulled most brands of AWD out of soft sand at some point or other. Hard sand of course no probs but you have to get to and from the hard. Forester used to come with a transfer case in manual guise originally but I think they canned it.

Cheers

[LonxBW]

I've a manual 2010 diesel xtrail. Rated to tow up to 2t, does around 7.2L/100km on freeway runs and add around 1.5 when towing a 1.5t load. One word of warning would be clearance on the latest models, they lowered them slightly... Idiots.