Today, I took my Scout via an interesting gravel track up to 1975 metres in the French Alps. I am interested to hear how high others have gone? I am guessing there are tarmac roads that reach similer heights but is not as much fun as 6 km of good old forest track

That's very cool! They look like press shots, I presume it was a whole lot of fun. Did the four wheel drive have to kick in at all?

Cool photos... Have yet to tackle mountains, but certainly driving down muddy tracks always brings a big grin to my face!

Was great fun, had my 13 week old baby and three year old son plus wife and auntie in the car and they loved it. Have to say that the Dunlop Sport tyres are not the best for this activity and so the 4 wheel drive was required on some of the hairpins and when pulling away after taking in the views on the way up. The gearing was fanstastic on the decent and worthy match for the low ratio option I had on my previous outback.

I was in the Swiss Alps last week, I went through three passes (boringly good paved, however exceptional beautyfull scenery!):

• Gotthard pass (2108 m)
  
• Furka pass (2413 m)
  
• Susten pass (2224 m)
  

I got engine error messages in the maxidot three times when going into high rpm (close to or a little bit into the red area), however no actual problems with the engine.

I agree on your opinion on the Dunlops. I drove onto paved roads, no problems with the Dunlops SP during the stay in Switzerland (mostly sunny and one day rainy).These will be replaced with all terrain/all weather tires (to be decided what exact type). I had severe aquaplanning with the Dunlops on the German Autobahn, I want tires that have better performance in bad weather.

As we are at present living in Austria, and vacation is coming shortly where we intended to visit the Alps anyway, we will see what we can achieve. A few off road pics from Croatia we have posted on Briskoda from a year ago, but not at any great height. Hope you won't exclude us because we are not a Scout !!!!

Not been high in mine yet but I did use 4WD to recover a Diving RIB from the water on a very steep slipway covered 1n several inches of slippery sea weed...

Well speaking to my wife its the 18th of his month we are on vacation, and we would like to take this opportunity to put to rest this idea that the SCOUT is so much superior than the standard octy 4x4. Maybe its the drivers bottle, or maybe its the added height of what a few millimeters !!! lets see if the SCOUT is so much better than the standard OCTY 4X4 the gauntlet is thrown !!!! What ever its a bit of fun over the summer !!!!

.. this idea that the SCOUT is so much superior than the standard octy 4x4. Maybe its the drivers bottle, or maybe its the added height of what a few millimeters !!!..

I can't comment on which is more superior having not driven the standard Octavia 4x4. I did choose the Scout because I liked its looks better and having had a Subaru Outback before was quite keen on the idea of the extra body protection offered on the Scout. Certainly was an advantage on some of the tracks last week, noticed that the alloys did not hold up that well to flying stones, so dread to think what the paint work on the arches etc and indeed the front fogs would be like without the extra protection. Certainly some of the cross track drainage ridges might well have given a standard clearance car the odd scrape. Having said all that, I have had some of my best off-road experiences in a Renault 4 so I imagine that both cars are very capable and its more a question of the driver

Well speaking to my wife its the 18th of his month we are on vacation, and we would like to take this opportunity to put to rest this idea that the SCOUT is so much superior than the standard octy 4x4. Maybe its the drivers bottle, or maybe its the added height of what a few millimeters !!! lets see if the SCOUT is so much better than the standard OCTY 4X4 the gauntlet is thrown !!!! What ever its a bit of fun over the summer !!!!

Erm... who said the Scout is "so much superior" to the standard 4x4? You're the first person I've heard say that!

Look, it's a non-arguement. They are 99% the same cars. The Scout is clearly going to be slightly better off-road, it's main advantage being slightly higher ground clearance. It also has the hill-hold control. But I doubt there is much else in it really.

It's horses for courses, buy what you need for what you think you'll be doing. By far the biggest difference between the Scout and the standard 4x4 is marketing/styling. I (just about) preferred the understatedness of the standard 4x4, but I still think the Scout is great. Because as I say, it's 99% the same car as mine!

If you're really obsessed with how good your off-road performance is compared to other cars, I suggest you go and buy yourself a Suzuki Jimny, that will leave most other vehicles behind off-road

obsessed !!!! I like that, no not at all, like Kayak our most elevating and most hazardous was with our old Nissan 2d front wheel drive, even split a tyre on way down the stony tracks. Just thought it was a bit of fun, but never mind ours was also bought for other reasons than off roading, more as a dog, and people carrier than anything else.

obsessed !!!! I like that, no not at all, like Kayak our most elevating and most hazardous was with our old Nissan 2d front wheel drive, even split a tyre on way down the stony tracks. Just thought it was a bit of fun, but never mind ours was also bought for other reasons than off roading, more as a dog, and people carrier than anything else.

Perhaps "obsessed" was a bit strong, I didn't quite mean it like that, if you know what I mean... what I meant was if it's something you're bothered about

My 4x4 was bought for much the same reasons as yours. I don't envisage doing serious off-roading, but I do envisage slippery fields and mountain roads now and again.

i would like the off road setting in the scout which limts rev's for those really muddy bits.. the highest i ever got in the scout was when SWMBO drove me back from amsterdam after a mush room pizza:thumbup: