4 my other half and child - Rav4?

[8>Darren<8]

My trouble and strife gets around in a manual 01 Rav and loves it. We took it to Walgett recently which included some red mud padock bashing and it performed well. My only complaint being that with the 2.0L you have to go back a gear or 2 when it came to any sort of a hill.

Darren.

[Spammy]

Actually, we're anti - "4WD because it's trendy at the moment".
:D

To answer the original question, if you need the ability to drive through not-too-deep mud etc, then I believe any of the dinky gerlytrux will do it. However, none of them are particularly exciting to drive (or stable c/f a car), so they're all much the same; Forester & RAV4 probably have the best resale, CRV not far behind, and the rest would be a bit behind that. In terms of reliability, they're all going to be much the same.
In other words, I doubt you can lose out buying any of them; Vitari, RAV4, CRV, Forester, Entrail. Oh ... maybe avoid the Freeloader.

After 3 years of ownership I would back the Forrester as being a safer/more stable/less likey to get into trouble family car than any front/rear drive car you care to mention. The constant 4wd/abs/ebc etc make it rock solid in the wet or dry...something that can't be said about many cheap jappo front drive cars.

In the massive hail storm that hit the northern parts of Sydney last september we were driving along like it was a clear and care free summer's day whilst every other wood duck was spearing off into the gutter or up on the footpath due to uncontrollable wheelspin.

We are buying another Subi next year when the lease is up on our current Forrester...we wil probably go with a Liberty wagon or outback.

[rj-astra]

After 3 years of ownership I would back the Forrester as being a safer/more stable/less likey to get into trouble family car than any front/rear drive car you care to mention

A fact that was not proven in the latest Wheels active safety whatever test.
The Forrester didn't live up to the AWD hype.

A lowly corolla seemingly can run rings around it. Go figure.

[Spammy]

Sorry...I was talking real life experience...not bullshit from a 4wd hating gaylord journo with nothing to write about.

[DRIFTIN]

Even the base model Forester X has a 5-star NCAP rating .. that's awesome.

I'm keen to trade my WRX on an 06 XTL but reality dictates otherwise.

[smellytofu]

In the massive hail storm that hit the northern parts of Sydney last september we were driving along like it was a clear and care free summer's day whilst every other wood duck was spearing off into the gutter or up on the footpath due to uncontrollable wheelspin.

We are buying another Subi next year when the lease is up on our current Forrester...we wil probably go with a Liberty wagon or outback.

Until you realise the lightweight and soft aluminium bonnet is suppose to dent to save pedestrian's head when they get run over.

But in any case, all of the current softroaders are more or less the same. It's what style, what badge and what suits you more. You really can't go wrong with any of them.

[Spammy]

Until you realise the lightweight and soft aluminimum bonnet is suppose to dent to save pedestrian's head when they get run over.

But in any case, all of the current softroaders are more or less the same. It's what style, what badge and what suits you more. You really can't go wrong with any of them.

Guess who just go their Subi back from the panel beaters with a new bonnet ???

[smellytofu]

A fact that was not proven in the latest Wheels active safety whatever test.
The Forrester didn't live up to the AWD hype.

A lowly corolla seemingly can run rings around it. Go figure.

You are seeming to forget that these are softroaders. Go take your lowly Corolla on a beach... I know I'll run rings around that even before you get the rear wheels on the sand.

If you wanted a city car, then buy a city car but it's not designed purely as one (even though people do drive it as a city car). There is that element of being able to handle low-moderate amounts of offroading.

[smellytofu]

Guess who just go their Subi back from the panel beaters with a new bonnet ???

Price you pay for a better pedestrian rating I guess. You can't have it both ways unfortunately.

[Spammy]

Until you realise the lightweight and soft aluminimum bonnet is suppose to dent to save pedestrian's head when they get run over.

.

Which is funny when you look at a Rangie...the only panel that is steel is the bonnet....designed to kill harold Scrubby no doubt.

[DRIFTIN]

softroaders are attractively priced too. part of this would be the lower import tarriff, but there must be more in it than that.

i've said before - i paid $42490 for my wrx. at the same time they were selling the 05XT for $42990 which had a bigger/torquier motor, huge sunroof, leather interior, reasonable audio setup, less road noise, less of a rough ride. i guess the upside of the wrx was the handling and better tyres (the Geolanders are awful).

[smellytofu]

Which is funny when you look at a Rangie...the only panel that is steel is the bonnet....designed to kill harold Scrubby no doubt.

Unfortunately for Scruby, he can't kill any pedestrians because the Outback not only has an aluminium bonnet but also it has a device on the hinges of the bonnet which can go down further than the front quarter panel line to "cushion" the pedestrian's head as ít's being whacked.

I got to stop sounding like a sales guy.

[DRIFTIN]

I got to stop sounding like a sales guy.

Tell me about the '06 Impreza range..... engine specs in particular :p

[smellytofu]

*looking innocent*... eh? what 06 Impreza? never heard of it before!

[DRIFTIN]

Closely guarded secret I hear........ must be good news!