Where's it all heading, with the soft roaders???

Someone asked the same question/similar comment a few years ago...

Soft Roaders certainley ripping sales off the family sedan!

Cheers
Greg

We're definitely spoilt for choice now; although I'm not too keen on brands that were sold here years ago and are now back. And the new breed of SUVs are excellent, not 4WD by any stretch, but great for towing and the occasional soft road jaunt, particularly the new diesels. I bought a new 2.2 diesel ASX a few months back, excellent for our lightweight camper. I'm a little sus on some of the brands that were available in Oz many years ago, they disappeared from our market for a while and now they're back again: Skoda, Renault, Ssang Yong, Jeep, Dodge, one wonders if they will remain this time around. Isn't it annoying though how there is never one vehicle that suits all your requirements?

The interesting thing about the new Kluger, is that it is really the US manufactured Highlander.

Let's hope Toyota are building some more vehicles in the US for the right hand drive market, like the Tundra, rumoured to be replacing the 70 series after they drop a Cummins V8 diesel into it.

At least there is no reemergence of the Lada Niva. Not that I have seen anyway. I believe they are still in production.

Before deciding on the ASX I had a look at the (then) new Rav4 diesel. Extremely ugly interior but quite a nice car otherwise, diesel engine very punchy and it drove well. Luckily I checked the specs on redbook and found they were only rated to tow 500kg. Toyota said they were still doing testing and would be upgrading it's rating in the near future. They finally upgraded it - it's now rated to tow 1000 kgs. The Xtrail is rated for 2000 kgs, the ASX 1400 kg, Sportage and IX35 1800kgs?, even the petrol Rav4 is rated for around 1600 kgs, What on earth are Toyota thinking.

We are all getting older. Well, everyone else is, not me! But I do have trouble bending my back to get into a regular car, and getting out is hell. The latest SUV's fit the bill quite well. I bought a Mitsubishi Outlander for my wife and a Pajero for me, both manual transmissions. The Outlander is a 2WD and is used for regular commuting etc. The Pajero is used as a tug to tow our caravan around (when we can actually get away).

The Outlander is petrol, because when I did the sums, I couldn't justify the extra purchase price for the diesel (the diesel is the 4WD model), but both vehicles have 1000 km range in the tank (the Pajero has nearly 1200 if I drive quietly), so we don't have to fill either vehicel very often. But gee, it hurts when I do fill them up - 88L Pajero or 63L Outlander.

The important thing is that my wife loves her car, and I am in raptures with mine.