andyfr
04-20-2007, 02:17 AM
I am due to change my car this year so I thought that I would have a look at the alternatives to the Freelander. I have had two of these since 1998 and I don’t really have any complaints but as I have never been off road, and have no desire to do so, I thought I would look what else could deal with the Highland winters. Also I don’t like the look of the Freelander2, a bit too bland for my taste.
So I arranged three test drives for a Friday morning:
First up was the Skoda Octavia 4x4 2.0 TDi.
This had only just come off the transporter and wasn’t registered but they stuck trade plates on it and let us go for our test drive. First impressions were that the seats were a bit hard but I tweaked the lumbar support and it did improve things a bit.
The TDi engine was a bit vocal when first started but not too bad, it can’t half shift though, and the cornering was really good. We had a drive on a mix of roads and it was a bit louder than I expected, a mix of road and engine noise but not quite as bad as our Freelander TD4.
After half an hour though those seats were really starting to feel uncomfortable, in fact when we got back into our car we remarked how much more comfortable they were than the ones in the Skoda.
Next up was the Mitsubishi Outlander 2.0 TDi.
This also had just been delivered so was fitted with trade plates for the test drive. I understand that initially the Outlander is powered by the same engine as the Skoda this being the VW 2.0 TDi. Later this will be replaced by the PSA 2.2 diesel.
The first thing to note is that the engine seemed much less refined and noisier in the Outlander, it’s also slower although this is partly to do with the additional weight, the gearing probably being the main cause. The ride was pretty poor, picking up every pothole and making for an unsettled ride. Tyre noise added to the engine made it a less than pleasant experience. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not unbearable but just not what is expected from a new model these days.
It’s not all bad news though, the seats are much better than those in the Skoda, in fact we both said that they were more comfortable than the Freelander when we got back in it.
Finally the Honda CR-V 2.2 CTDi.
The first thing we noticed was the build quality was much better than the others. The seats were the most comfortable and there was very little road or engine noise. The ride quality was excellent, we felt that we could have just carried on for one of our regular 400+ mile trips. It was hard to believe it was a diesel after the initial start from cold and it pulled really well. The handbrake is a bit unusual as it's at 90 degrees but easy to get used to. The 6 speed manual gearbox was very smooth and precise.
The styling of this new model isn't to everyones taste and I didn't like it at first, but it's grown on me.
Pricing:
It’s easy to forget about depreciation when you are buying a new car but as we have been through this exercise a few times it has become a major consideration. The Skoda is the cheapest but loses more in depreciation whereas the Honda is the most expensive but holds it’s price the best.
Conclusion:
The Honda has to be the one.
__________________
Andyfr
So I arranged three test drives for a Friday morning:
First up was the Skoda Octavia 4x4 2.0 TDi.
This had only just come off the transporter and wasn’t registered but they stuck trade plates on it and let us go for our test drive. First impressions were that the seats were a bit hard but I tweaked the lumbar support and it did improve things a bit.
The TDi engine was a bit vocal when first started but not too bad, it can’t half shift though, and the cornering was really good. We had a drive on a mix of roads and it was a bit louder than I expected, a mix of road and engine noise but not quite as bad as our Freelander TD4.
After half an hour though those seats were really starting to feel uncomfortable, in fact when we got back into our car we remarked how much more comfortable they were than the ones in the Skoda.
Next up was the Mitsubishi Outlander 2.0 TDi.
This also had just been delivered so was fitted with trade plates for the test drive. I understand that initially the Outlander is powered by the same engine as the Skoda this being the VW 2.0 TDi. Later this will be replaced by the PSA 2.2 diesel.
The first thing to note is that the engine seemed much less refined and noisier in the Outlander, it’s also slower although this is partly to do with the additional weight, the gearing probably being the main cause. The ride was pretty poor, picking up every pothole and making for an unsettled ride. Tyre noise added to the engine made it a less than pleasant experience. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not unbearable but just not what is expected from a new model these days.
It’s not all bad news though, the seats are much better than those in the Skoda, in fact we both said that they were more comfortable than the Freelander when we got back in it.
Finally the Honda CR-V 2.2 CTDi.
The first thing we noticed was the build quality was much better than the others. The seats were the most comfortable and there was very little road or engine noise. The ride quality was excellent, we felt that we could have just carried on for one of our regular 400+ mile trips. It was hard to believe it was a diesel after the initial start from cold and it pulled really well. The handbrake is a bit unusual as it's at 90 degrees but easy to get used to. The 6 speed manual gearbox was very smooth and precise.
The styling of this new model isn't to everyones taste and I didn't like it at first, but it's grown on me.
Pricing:
It’s easy to forget about depreciation when you are buying a new car but as we have been through this exercise a few times it has become a major consideration. The Skoda is the cheapest but loses more in depreciation whereas the Honda is the most expensive but holds it’s price the best.
Conclusion:
The Honda has to be the one.
__________________
Andyfr