Placey

lol OK I lose!!!

Hmmm that looks ike a Forestry Commission spec fence to me - judging by the pine are you a Forester in the Midlands by chance?

LOL I knew I had a photo of the previous Scout in its 'heyday' !!!

I was concerned about noise and the feel of the tyre - but the experience has been that there is no real noise at all and the tyre feels like a road tyre. Interestingly, I used to get a lot of punctures but have only had one since last summer - could be a coincidence but it was good news for me - the only slight snag with these tyres is that if you do get an unrepairable puncture it might take some time to get a replacement tyre as they are hard to get through the summer months - well the Pirellis are. I carry a spare tyre in the garage in addition to the space saver in the car to fit on if this happens.

Thanks! Yes, my experience with these tyres has been nothing but positive and wear has not been an issue at all, although I have not run them in very hot conditions yet - this summer will be interesting I guess. They DID transform the car this winter in mud and snow !

LOL I think my Scout will spend the next three years caked in mud - as the last one did!!!

Nice one!! I get my tow bar soon too!

My last one was Black Magic too - I really liked the colour combo with the silver front and back :)

You mean the Pirellis? Well, I had the last Scout for three years and the only in the last year did I fit mud and snow Pirelli tyres - I have to say I have not noticed any more noise OR wear rate - they are very good - the only thing I did notice was slightly less dry weather grip in cornering - but I think I am being fussy. Hence I have fitted a new set on da new car - they look the part too! The wheels are std fit, although on the last Scout the wheels rotted in front of my eyes and the dealers just laughed when I asked for a warranty claim :'( I am hoping these 17 inch wheels last a bit better - I'll try and post a pic of the old ones as they were a real mess after three years!!! Based on my experience, I should not have got another Scout but I have faith in the brand and cannot believe that they are that bad!!!

Gear lever!

Yes - I guess the suspension woes are as a result of some off roading but I would have hoped it was designed for that - esp the rear axle. Oddly enough - most of the miles are from the motorway as I live in Lancashire but work in Alnwick and anywhere in between where trees are!

No logo is still there - just out of the shot. The logo IS smaller though. Improvements include a SD card slot for the improved stereo - great addition!

I guess the problems started around 70k with turbo etc but the real nasty one was last year - 2 weeks before the warranty ran out there was a grumble from the rear. I suspected diff bearings but they changed them and it made no difference so it was a whole new rear diff at a cost (to them - I saw the bill) of £2500. The actual warranty bill for all the work was £4000 as they did the turbo for the second time as well. That must have been around 80,000 miles. The guy at Simpsons in Preston said if I had been out of warranty the total bill would have nearer £5000 with VAT and retail labour rates!! yikes. Tip - if you here a grumble from the rear get it checked while still in warranty!!

Got some Pirelli Sottozero m&s tyres fitted - makes a massive difference in bad weather

Somehow I think I would know if it was a Scout!! lol Now where do I start: Suspension front and back 4 times Turbo failed - twice Airflow meter failed on Swiss border.... Rear axle / diff failed (that cost £2500 just for the part - beware if out of warranty!) :no: Engine water leak - this was never solved and defeated three garages rear wheel bearing Engine warning lights coming on then off intermitent fuelling problem causing car to conk out - usually on motorway. Not related to turbo or afm. Inoperative rear door - this defeated one garage Failed electric windows in rear Crackling speakers.. Intermitant air con - this defeated Hadwins at Lindale and was never sorted ESP kept engaging on right-hand bends under moderate speeds - went back to Simpsons in Preston several times but their 18 yr old mechanic could only look on in wonder...never sorted by them - turned out to be a faulty tyre side wall. I could go on but off the top of my head this is what I came up with - maybe I have just been lucky with other cars and a tad unlucky with this - dealers have been universally crap though - not interested in problems - just like servicing I think. Like I said - I got another because basically they are a great car