All rounder midsize SUV

Anyone got hot tips on an all rounder midsize SUV? I'm keen on something that is good off road, all wheel drive, decent on road driving, mid sized, and good looking.

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Originally Posted by Fiordland Moose

Anyone got hot tips on an all rounder midsize SUV? I'm keen on something that is good off road, all wheel drive, decent on road driving, mid sized, and good looking.

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https://www.kia.co.nz/vehicles/sportage/

Good offroad and SUV don't really go together.
Are you looking for new or used?

I am looking at diesel X5's at the moment

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Originally Posted by Fiordland Moose

Anyone got hot tips on an all rounder midsize SUV? I'm keen on something that is good off road, all wheel drive, decent on road driving, mid sized, and good looking.

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No idea what they are like (beyond my pay grade), but the Subaru Forester offroad tests on youtube suggest they are pretty capable. And likely the Outback too.

Disc: Own a 2006 legacy with the SOHC "grandma" engine option.

VW Touareg

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Originally Posted by thegreatestben

Good offroad and SUV don't really go together.
Are you looking for new or used?

I am looking at diesel X5's at the moment

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New or used - is there a price difference anymore ? :) I dont mind either way.
I know ute's a bit better offroading but surely there are still some good offroad SUV's left?
Those range rover sports manage to do it all - but you gotta pay $$$ and the brand is a bit pompus. Want to find an everyman's equivalent

Ford Everest perhaps - probably not seen as mid size though...

The Honda CRV is worth a look. Hondas generally are extremely reliable and troublefree; although most of the Jap and Korean brands are.

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Originally Posted by Entrep

VW Touareg

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Yeah the 320kw diesel version - buy it before they ban it.

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Originally Posted by freddagg

Yeah the 320kw diesel version - buy it before they ban it.

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Expect to pay multiples of the purchase price to keep that V10 maintained.
The only other option with the air suspension and rear difflock is the V8, and feeding that currently is looking expensive too.

Have recently got a diesel Land Rover Discovery (09, very last of the model 3's off the line).
Was comparable in price to a typical 90's Jap 4wd diesel (which are ridiculously overpriced for what they are), has half the k's and has been religiously dealer serviced since factory.
Excellent on-road and off - very happy.
Remains to be seen how maintenance costs go - mechanicals seem bulletproof - electricals may be a bit iffy in time .... ;)

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Originally Posted by dln

Expect to pay multiples of the purchase price to keep that V10 maintained.
The only other option with the air suspension and rear difflock is the V8, and feeding that currently is looking expensive too.

Have recently got a diesel Land Rover Discovery (09, very last of the model 3's off the line).
Was comparable in price to a typical 90's Jap 4wd diesel (which are ridiculously overpriced for what they are), has half the k's and has been religiously dealer serviced since factory.
Excellent on-road and off - very happy.
Remains to be seen how maintenance costs go - mechanicals seem bulletproof - electricals may be a bit iffy in time .... ;)

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"has been religiously dealer serviced since factory."
This is another way of saying , heaps has gone wrong with it and the dealer has had it every other month to fix something ......

Could go for a size 12,underwired full suspension ,sports model with a c cup,and quick release,turbo support shift.

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Originally Posted by stoploss

"has been religiously dealer serviced since factory."
This is another way of saying , heaps has gone wrong with it and the dealer has had it every other month to fix something ......

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:) Indeed.
Although in this case mostly just scheduled servicing, and it also came with records and receipts for *everything* done (tyres, wiper blades(!), awning fitment...), all date and km stamped, including all the common expensive failure items that my research had pointed to, all having been replaced by qualified staff, relatively recently.
First time I'd ever seen such fastidious records for a vehicle and I would have likely not bought it, or would have offered a substantial amount less, without this.

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Originally Posted by dln

:) Indeed.
Although in this case mostly just scheduled servicing, and it also came with records and receipts for *everything* done (tyres, wiper blades(!), awning fitment...), all date and km stamped, including all the common expensive failure items that my research had pointed to, all having been replaced by qualified staff, relatively recently.
First time I'd ever seen such fastidious records for a vehicle and I would have likely not bought it, or would have offered a substantial amount less, without this.

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Keep us updated !!!

@FM What does your "off roading" entail?
That will probably narrow down what sort of 4wd system and ground clearance will do the job.

Hyundai Santa Fe from 2014 onwards or Kia Sorento from 2015 onwards would be the pick of the all-rounders in my opinion. Essentially they're the same car. Get the diesel 2.2l version. They drive well on road and can handle off-road and towing just fine too. Good fuel economy, plenty of bells and whistles with a more european feel so they look decent too.

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Originally Posted by BobbyMorocco

Hyundai Santa Fe from 2014 onwards or Kia Sorento from 2015 onwards would be the pick of the all-rounders in my opinion. Essentially they're the same car. Get the diesel 2.2l version. They drive well on road and can handle off-road and towing just fine too. Good fuel economy, plenty of bells and whistles with a more european feel so they look decent too.

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Yes we are waiting on a new 2022 Kia Sorento 2.2D to turn up ... will sell or trade our present 2015 Premium Sorento(pretty much same till 2020).. great powerful SUV not great off-roader.... gravel snow roads fine..not rock hopping

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Originally Posted by JBmurc

Yes we are waiting on a new 2022 Kia Sorento 2.2D to turn up ... will sell or trade our present 2015 Premium Sorento(pretty much same till 2020).. great powerful SUV not great off-roader.... gravel snow roads fine..not rock hopping

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Good longevity on these Korean 2.2l diesel engines too by the looks of things. Kind of surprising that the Koreans would make a good diesel but they seem to have done it. I came across this video on youtube of a guy putting a Santa Fe through its paces off-road in Australia. He appeared to manage ok considering the Santa Fe is definitely not an off-road beast like a Landcruiser, Nissan Patrol or Mitsubishi Pajero. From 3:00 - 5:00 minutes in the video shows him going up and down a pretty rough looking trail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtYqOCtWJEU

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Originally Posted by BobbyMorocco

Good longevity on these Korean 2.2l diesel engines too by the looks of things. Kind of surprising that the Koreans would make a good diesel but they seem to have done it. I came across this video on youtube of a guy putting a Santa Fe through its paces off-road in Australia. He appeared to manage ok considering the Santa Fe is definitely not an off-road beast like a Landcruiser, Nissan Patrol or Mitsubishi Pajero. From 3:00 - 5:00 minutes in the video shows him going up and down a pretty rough looking trail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtYqOCtWJEU

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Yeah great motor ... was very impressed by are present one and new one seems to go even better only few more Kw in power but much nicer 8 speed trans

To think the latest Sorento can do 0-100km 6.5sec .. Heaps of passing power

I think its important to describe the extent to which one wants to go off road. Mrs B can't really make her mind up on this.

In my opinion, for most folks wanting to engage in the occasional drive on some friends farm, going along back country gravel roads, up mountain roads to ski fields or driving along the beach these are perfectly adequate.

Essentially the brief of this thread, mid sized all rounder SUV type with moderate off road capability and excellent on road manners is what Mrs B wants. I am trying to steer her towards a Toyota Rav 4 adventure https://www.toyota.co.nz/new-car/rav...YAV-NM1-6X3-20 - getting supply is going to be a big problem. Useful off road 5 year warranty with cheap fixed price servicing at Toyota.

Another well credentialed alternative in my opinion is the Subaru Outback https://www.subaru.co.nz/showroom/outback Looks like a pretty handy bit of gear to me and well priced and very well specified. I like the Tan leather option in the top spec model. Either this or the Rav 4 adventure is where I would be headed as first two ports of call for a test drive if anyone has any demonstrators in stock to evaluate.

Another option might be a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk https://jeep.co.nz/vehicles/cherokee- Not so sure about the quality control around the Jeep and the modest 3 year warranty speaks for itself in terms of the confidence they have in their own product.

If you don't really need any off road capability the field opens right up and there's oodles of others contenders. We've owned a Hyundai Sante Fe and Honda CRV in the past and both were pretty useful bits of kit but there's all sorts of other possibilities.
Maybe google mid sized SUV comparative tests and do some reading. Here's one such comparative test https://www.drive.com.au/drive-car-o...dium-suv-2021/

I recently spoke with the owner of a well regarded towing company and asked him which vehicles he tows the most. He answered -

1 EVs that had run out of battery ('bread and butter')
2 Mercedes SUVs
3 Volkswagen SUVs

He said the newer Merc SUVs have over 50 computers in them and if 1 fails........ The massive rate of depreciation must hurt even more while sitting immobile on the side of the road.

Yes a good mechanic friend of mine won’t touch anything euro or yank in his workshop just nightmares to work on..and deal with there ongoing issues .. also have contact that runs a euro workshop that told me when we were looking at a cheap low kms A8 Audi .. if you can’t afford to buy new and get the warranty ......avoid as repairs (which happen often as kms build) can out way value of vehicle

As to way we want to buy new and get the 5yr 100k kms warranty with KIA which we have been impressed with the support with the last one...

Buying second hand I’ve been impressed with my 3.0 Subaru Legacy outside tyres and basic servicing has now clocked 245,000kms .. see if I can break 300k (owed since 115kms my third 3.0 legacy)

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Originally Posted by JBmurc

Yes a good mechanic friend of mine won’t touch anything euro or yank in his workshop just nightmares to work on..and deal with there ongoing issues .. also have contact that runs a euro workshop that told me when we were looking at a cheap low kms A8 Audi .. if you can’t afford to buy new and get the warranty ......avoid as repairs (which happen often as kms build) can out way value of vehicle

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Never a truer word has been spoken! If reliablity and minimum servicing are your thing, stick to Japanese or Korean. Just hop in and drive them till they die of old age.

I am very happy with my new Toyota RAV4 hybrid. A good allrounder. Great size boot. Cheap to run, 5 year warranty and fixed cost servicing. Due to high demand, depreciation is very low.
I have owned Subaru outbacks, they are very good, less body roll but excessive oil usage and had to replace short block at 120000km

Love a Toyota Highlander. Great ride and plenty of power!

A mate of mine recently taken delivery of a RAV4 Hybrid - very happy with it

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Originally Posted by Jay

A mate of mine recently taken delivery of a RAV4 Hybrid - very happy with it

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Amazing economy for the size of the vehicle. Very long lead times for delivery though.

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Originally Posted by voltage

I am very happy with my new Toyota RAV4 hybrid. A good allrounder. Great size boot. Cheap to run, 5 year warranty and fixed cost servicing. Due to high demand, depreciation is very low.
I have owned Subaru outbacks, they are very good, less body roll but excessive oil usage and had to replace short block at 120000km

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I'm guess must of been 4 cylinder Subaru ? ..the flat 6 is pretty legendary ... mine just about to go over 250000kms hardly uses oil at 10k changes .. think it could make 300000km might have to get a new set of brake pads rotors though ...

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Originally Posted by Beagle

Amazing economy for the size of the vehicle. Very long lead times for delivery though.

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Ordered in July last year I think it was

Honda doing zero deposit and 2.9% finance on their CRV range https://www.honda.co.nz/ and in their marketing blurb apparently they have stock on hand to sell...which probably in this market means they're no good lol...actually Mrs B had an earlier generation CRV and it was fine as a suburban shopping trolley.

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Originally Posted by JBmurc

Yes a good mechanic friend of mine won’t touch anything euro or yank in his workshop just nightmares to work on..and deal with there ongoing issues .. also have contact that runs a euro workshop that told me when we were looking at a cheap low kms A8 Audi .. if you can’t afford to buy new and get the warranty ......avoid as repairs (which happen often as kms build) can out way value of vehicle

As to way we want to buy new and get the 5yr 100k kms warranty with KIA which we have been impressed with the support with the last one...

Buying second hand I’ve been impressed with my 3.0 Subaru Legacy outside tyres and basic servicing has now clocked 245,000kms .. see if I can break 300k (owed since 115kms my third 3.0 legacy)

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VW.Amarok.
Took the owner and me,after borrowing a decent jack, one and a quarter,s hour to change the front tyre.
2 or 3 calls to VW agent were a bit of help.
Friend uses it to go fishing in the back country.
Would be impossible to change the tyre on a slope or at night.
Admit we will never get a job as Max Verstappen's tyre changers,however would have taken me about 5 minutes to change my Nissan's front tyre.

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Originally Posted by percy

VW.Amarok.
Took the owner and me,after borrowing a decent jack, one and a quarter,s hour to change the front tyre.
2 or 3 calls to VW agent were a bit of help.
Friend uses it to go fishing in the back country.
Would be impossible to change the tyre on a slope or at night.
Admit we will never get a job as Max Verstappen's tyre changers,however would have taken me about 5 minutes to change my Nissan's front tyre.

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they look pretty cool and drive well. pricey though same league as some of the audis. latest body model drives really well but not as capable as the last model

test drove a new Subaru outback this weekend. I was pretty impressed! drove well, nice interior, comfy as seats, pretty decent off roading, peppy engine, and pretty reasonable price i thought. Didn't like the console and a bit crossovery for me - but good overall set of compromises. will check out some more.

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Originally Posted by Fiordland Moose

they look pretty cool and drive well. pricey though same league as some of the audis. latest body model drives really well but not as capable as the last model

test drove a new Subaru outback this weekend. I was pretty impressed! drove well, nice interior, comfy as seats, pretty decent off roading, peppy engine, and pretty reasonable price i thought. Didn't like the console and a bit crossovery for me - but good overall set of compromises. will check out some more.

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Enjoying our new KIA Sorento(finally arrived after year wait!!) ...But I see KIA NZ hasn't been taken orders or even advertising for the Diesel ... we were lucky one of the other long waiting buyers had pull out and went for one of the EV plug ins ...or else we would have had to wait to the next shipment next month etc

Such a Brilliant motor/trans .... going off present fuel range 800-900kms to a 65lt tank. 147kw 440nm ... very grunty ... Car like handling

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Originally Posted by JBmurc

Such a Brilliant motor/trans .... going off present fuel range 800-900kms to a 65lt tank. 147kw 440nm ... very grunty ... Car like handling

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The LR3 has identical power and similar range, although from an ~80lt tank.
Have seen high 7's on highway trips and 10-11 round town and off-road.

Now have ~10k k's on it and nearly ran over a Moose in Fiordland on the Borland Saddle!
Last seen disappearing into the undergrowth, definitely still on foot, and not in a Subaru.
;)

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Originally Posted by JBmurc

Enjoying our new KIA Sorento(finally arrived after year wait!!) ...But I see KIA NZ hasn't been taken orders or even advertising for the Diesel ... we were lucky one of the other long waiting buyers had pull out and went for one of the EV plug ins ...or else we would have had to wait to the next shipment next month etc

Such a Brilliant motor/trans .... going off present fuel range 800-900kms to a 65lt tank. 147kw 440nm ... very grunty ... Car like handling

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Mate of mine had a lot of "fun" with his Hyundai Sante Fe diesel engine at 160,000 km's. Same generation engine I believe.
New Sorrento a good looking bit of kit though for an SUV but I'd be going down the EV6 route if I was going that way.

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Originally Posted by Beagle

Mate of mine had a lot of "fun" with his Hyundai Sante Fe diesel engine at 160,000 km's. Same generation engine I believe.
New Sorrento a good looking bit of kit though for an SUV but I'd be going down the EV6 route if I was going that way.

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Fair enough I like to tow a boat bikes etc ... EV plug in Sorento was offered but such a low tow rating small turbo petrol engine ...no thanks ... like the Diesel Power/eco

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Originally Posted by dln

The LR3 has identical power and similar range, although from an ~80lt tank.
Have seen high 7's on highway trips and 10-11 round town and off-road.

Now have ~10k k's on it and nearly ran over a Moose in Fiordland on the Borland Saddle!
Last seen disappearing into the undergrowth, definitely still on foot, and not in a Subaru.
;)

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lol yes, nearly got 'em!

whatever I go with probably won't be too fast.

I bought a fast german saloon in 2017, thought it was pretty cool. inline turbo, all wheel drive.

sadly now anyone with a tesla / similar can smoke me

end of an era

Some people thought microwaves would make ovens obsolete too.

Just been reading about the Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge Plug in hybrid in the May Issue of N.Z. Autocar. XC60 is Volvo's biggest selling model and this their highest specification / performance version.
A good read and a very nice bit of kit for those prepared to invest $119K. Up to 78 km's on E.V. power, combined electric and engine power of 335kw and 709nm of torque, (those are very impressive numbers for a vehicle at this price point), really strong performance with 0-100 of 4.8 seconds, tows 2250 kg's, (that's a reasonable sized boat or caravan), and comes with all sorts of luxury goodies as standard including a very high end 1,100 watt 15 speaker Bowers and Wilkens stereo system, air suspension, leather, adaptive cruise, heads-up display...the list goes on and on and on. Room for at least 2, maybe 3 dogs in the cargo area. Hmmm, its certainly piqued my interest and has a very interesting combination of abilities, performance and luxury at this price point. Pick up a copy of the magazine if you want to know more or video review here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw8YlrzcF6g

I have a 2015 XC60 D5 from new and it's now done 175,000kms. It's fantastic and don't get sucked into the old boring branding cliches. Compared to the alternatives available at the time it's a very good drive and package. They are also an interesting size and larger than small SUVs X3, Xtrail, RAV4 etc but smaller than the X5, Santa Fe, XC90 etc.

COVID has delayed any plans for replacement but when the time comes another one will be the starting point

Good feedback thanks mate. If the markets finally start being kind to us, (gosh its been a while) and you have more money to burn there's the all new Range Rover Sport that's just come out with up to 530 horsepower :ohmy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4wBrYyu8U8
They have a plug-in model with a 38 kw/hr battery, good for 70 miles, about 110 km's ! and 510 horsepower and its good for the environment...oh my goodness, just show me where to sign. Gosh, that metallic red colour looks sharp !

I have a couple of British toy cars in my shed. I would take a lot of convincing to have one as my daily!

New Range Rover Sport only just released on 11 May 2022. Up and running on the U.K. configurator so I had a play on there with the 510 horsepower plug in version in that nice metallic red and added a few options like tow bar, bike carrier for future electric bikes, pet carriers for future Beagle, Golden Retriever and Choclate Labrador, (all at the same time, yet to convince Mrs B that's a good idea lol), and of course cooler fridge for drinks and one or two other things and it came to 116,000 pounds :eek2:...so probably going to be about $220,000 Kiwi :ohmy: Not sure I'm that keen.