Subaru Advice?

[The Groke]

So,

Having passed my driving test and emigrated to Dubai in the space of a month, I am now looking to buy a new car.

Now, I have a genuine need for a 4 wheel/all wheel drive vehicle with slightly higher ground clearance than your average car here as some of the places I will be driving round have exceedingly rough roads/trails/bits of desert.
It also needs to be a capable motorway car.

I am loathe however to buy a huge, guzzling "proper" 4x4 like the ubiquitous Ford Explorer/Toyota landcruiser, so I am considering the Subaru Outback or maybe the Forrester.

Does anyone have any experience with either of these cars, Subarus in general or indeed any other recommendations for something else of a similar nature?

Cheers

 

[han]

Have you considered the RAV 4? Much smaller, reliable (http://www.reliabilityindex.co.uk/trends1.html?apc=3128339010848601), nippy, but also capable of offroading , and Toyotas are everywhere in the middle east aren't they so parts never a problem!

There's the Toyota Hilux as well...

I don't know anything about Subarus unfortunately!

What are you doing in Dubai?

 

[han]

Japanese models seem to be v common in the middle east don't they...

 

[snadge]

I would also keep away from subarus, I have seen very few hi mileage one for sale ( which says a lot ).

rav 4's aren't very sturdy and are more for the pose than use.

depends how much cash ya got, look at the volvo cross country and the audi all roader ( go for diesel in both), estate cars with 4 wheel drive and built to bounce.

 

[The Groke]

Japanese models seem to be v common in the middle east don't they...

Oh yes very!

The Landcruiser, the Nissan Patrol and the Pajero's and Prado's are hugely popular.

Is quite scary being surrounded by these huge 4x4's when you factor in the insane road layouts and absolutely psychotic driving!!!

I did take a look at the RAV - it is quite nice, but you get more stuff for your money with the Subaru and the Subarus rate as 5 star safety which (see above) is also a high concern here!

New cars are very cheap here compared to the UK.

The Subaru Outback I was looking at came in at between 18500 and 21000 pounds new looking at UK websites.

The same spec model new here works out at 12000!!!

Add to that the fact that you only pay 4% interest on car loans and the fact that filling up your tank costs around 10 quid and motoring is pretty cheap.

As for what I am doing here?

Our company in London bought a company here and I got the chance for promotion as the new IT manager.......quite a jump up from "Slacking IT monkey" which I was before.

Problem is, travelling between sites (we are an engineering company) often means travelling between building site areas and other very rough roads as well as motorways.

There are also some very nice trips out to Oman and other areas which involve rough stuff - hence the desire for a 4x4

Cheers

 

[The Groke]

I would also keep away from subarus, I have seen very few hi mileage one for sale ( which says a lot ).

It could say that people are very happy with em and keep em until they finally die rather than selling em!
Certainly I keep hearing how reliable they are.

rav 4's aren't very sturdy and are more for the pose than use.

I did suspect this......

depends how much cash ya got, look at the volvo cross country and the audi all roader ( go for diesel in both), estate cars with 4 wheel drive and built to bounce.

I did check out the Volvo - problem is that I could not afford a new one and would have to go second hand - Jap and AMerican cars are much cheaper here compared to European.

Now buying second hand is not so bad per se, but a lot of cars get thrashed something rotten here and you have to be real careful when buying 2nd - even from a dealer. "Consumer rights" are dirty words in the UAE and you can get screwed over without much legal comeback if you are not wary.

Plus the fact that new, you get 3-4 year full warranties plus servicing which is also a bonus.

 

[han]

Our company in London bought a company here and I got the chance for promotion as the new IT manager.......quite a jump up from "Slacking IT monkey" which I was before.

Problem is, travelling between sites (we are an engineering company) often means travelling between building site areas and other very rough roads as well as motorways.

There are also some very nice trips out to Oman and other areas which involve rough stuff - hence the desire for a 4x4

Cheers

Wow - sounds amazing and bloody interesting!

Sounds like the Subaru is your best bet then! I'd definitely go for Japanese....reliability etc...

 

[liquidlunch]

Buy a subaru,buy it,buy it,buy it.In Australia where i live it is pretty tough on any sort of vehicle and you cant buy a secondhand one anywhere.The reason is the buggers keep on going and going.No bullshit about those,they are a remarkable car.On the paved roads they absolutley fly and on the dirt they handle exceptionally well.Buy one and you will not be sorry.I can put you in touch with other subaru owners in Aus to verify my comments if you like.

 

[han]

^^ sounds good!

 

[geminisnake]

A few of our friends have subarus. My pal has had a subaru of one type or another for over 10 yrs. She lives about 2 miles up a really crap farm track so they must be able to handle some 'shite' iykwim.

None of our pals have ever had anything serious go wrong afaik. You see a lot of subarus in rural Scotland so they must be ok.

 

[pogofish]

so I am considering the Subaru Outback or maybe the Forrester.

Subaru's have long had a "farmer's friend" type reputation here & can take some beating. I also know plenty of folk who swear by them. Personally, from limited experience of the Forrester, I'd wonder if its extra ground clearance might be offset by the length of the bloody thing? Easier to ground? If it is any help, my work's Forrester owner reverted to his wife's Polo for travelling-in from the country in the recent blizzards!

 

[The Groke]

Thanks for the advice gang!

I think I am definately veering towards the Outback over the Forrester and it is nice to have some confirmation that they are solid cars.

WIll go for a test drive this weekend and see how it goes.

Quite exciting really - my very first car!!!!

 

[weepiper]

Another vote of confidence for Subaru, my mum has an old Legacy and my dad has a slightly newer Impreza and they are both very happy with them.

 

[rorymac]

You wouldn't expect to see too many high mileage subarus but that doesn't actually say anything about the car itself in that a formula whatever motor (for example) is undesirable when all its bits and pistons are a bit worn as they must be after millions of miles. I know fuckall about them really but if you want a subaru then you don't want a high mileage one same as any other motor.
See that ol sherpa diesel with 3000000 on the clock and stiill chuggin away .. it's impressive too right .. but should you buy it ?
You should if you like I guess

 

[pogofish]

I know fuckall about them really but if you want a subaru then you don't want a high mileage one same as any other motor.

I'd guess that most of the issues over cheap high-milage Subarus can be laid mainly at the feet of the Impretzza & that a high-milage example of that model is highly likley to have been thrashed, modded & bodged with varying degrees of expertise by one or more of the boy-racer fraternity. So apart from the general concerns, The Groke probably has little to worry about as he is looking at less fashionable models.

The first of my local force's traffic-duty Imprezzas are due for pensioning-off next year & they will probably go for next to nothing at auction. Thanks to a near full-value exchange scheme, dedicated manufacturers maintenance programme & a spec to make most car-lovers mouths water, these vehicles are highly anticippated. Only a few extra radio holes!

 

[ICB]

Solid as you like, consistently very high scores in JD Power surveys in spite of most of them being turbos.

Only weaknesses are thirst and typical jap plastic interior. Exterior styling obviously horrible on some of them as well but the Legacy is generally alright in this respect IMO.

I've long hankered after a Legacy twin turbo estate as our family car but Shmu won't let me ditch the Pug cos it's about twice as fuel efficient.

 

[ICB]

I'd guess that most of the issues over cheap high-milage Subarus can be laid mainly at the feet of the Impretzza & that a high-milage example of that model is highly likley to have been thrashed, modded & bodged with varying degrees of expertise by one or more of the boy-racer fraternity.

:nod:

Two things:
oil changes
restricted revs during cold running

If everyone with a turbo got these right they'd all do 200,000 easily.

 

[weepiper]

The first of my local force's traffic-duty Imprezzas are due for pensioning-off next year & they will probably go for next to nothing at auction. Thanks to a near full-value exchange scheme, dedicated manufacturers maintenance programme & a spec to make most car-lovers mouths water, these vehicles are highly anticippated.

they only do about 2 mpg though.

 

[pogofish]

I don't think the folk likley to buy them worry much about that!

 

[Reg in slippers]

groke

a second hand nissan patrol will go on and on..with reasonable residual

just make sure it's got FSH and all sand filters have been replaced

 

[The Groke]

groke

a second hand nissan patrol will go on and on..with reasonable residual

just make sure it's got FSH and all sand filters have been replaced

Hmm - lots and lots of those in Dubai - but they are too big and too wallow-y and too thirsty.

If you are doing serious off-road driving then fine, but I will be spending more time on-road than off, and when I do go off-road, it will be dirt tracks and beaches, not mountains!!

I test drove the Forrester over the weekend. I really liked the Outback, but the cockpit is slightly on the cramped size for a 6 foot, 17 stone lad like myself!

I really like the Forrester! Ok, admittedly, in my short drive career, I have not got too much to compare it with, but it drove really nicely.

I will be testing the Mitsi Outlander and the Nissan X-Trail over the week to compare with others in its class, but it is looking good for the Scooby at the moment....

Cheers Urban!