The Outback looks a serious contender as a diesel.

I would leave it a few months though. The VW 1.9 and 2.0 TDI units are reasonably bomb-proof, but an innovative lightweight boxer diesel sounds like a recipe for a load of early life reliability issues to sort out.

Otherwise sounds like a great engine though - low CO2 compared with the Scout.

Cheers,

Les.

p.s. handling and NCAP rating need sorting too.

Couldn't agree more, Subaru's new Diesel will more than likey be a lot more refined than the current VAG 2.0TDI but I wouldn't want to be the first to find the teething problems especially that this is Subaru's 1st diesel (car).

I too was contemplating waiting for this model, looks stunning & all the specs measure up & then some, but too risky for me at this early stage! Still could be top of my list again in three years time unless the new Superb will be built in estate version.

Drove the top end diesel outback in our search for a car and wasn't impressed at all with the handling, ride quality, gimmicky back seats with no luggage space and price. When the sales guy said that this would be available with the Pug 2.2 diesel a little later we looked into it but the price hike really didn't help.

Someone mentioned the Allroad and XC70 above - both nice pieces of kit but at nearly twice the price of the Scout for similar spec and a little more technology that wouldn't get used we thought it wasn't worth the money.

So glad we went for the Scout now....

Regards

Mark

Drove the top end diesel outback in our search for a car and wasn't impressed at all with the handling, ride quality, gimmicky back seats with no luggage space and price. When the sales guy said that this would be available with the Pug 2.2 diesel a little later we looked into it but the price hike really didn't help.

/quote]

Marky - you sure it was a DIESEL outback? Subaru have been pretty slow to develop a diesel engine and they'e only just announced the 2.0L diesel boxer. A rare thing at the moment.

I agree the Scout is a better bet, by the way - can't stand body roll.

Yeah, my brief swither towards the Subaru is diminishing when I realised that they will retail for £23k and won't handle so keenly. (from memory Auto Express thought the Scout was much better than the Forester when cornering, if thats any indication of what to expect).

Also by the time I'm looking to change (3-6 months or less), a raft of nearly new Scouts will be available at hopefully slightly keener prices than they are now (some with 6k ish miles are £17k:thumbup: and some are £19k:thumbdwn:, with identical specs?!?)

I can probably live with the slightly poorer economy and higher car tax bracket due to the differences in initial purchase price.

Anyway, back to saving money in advance of proper test drives.

Niall

Also by the time I'm looking to change (3-6 months or less), a raft of nearly new Scouts will be available at hopefully slightly keener prices than they are now (some with 6k ish miles are £17k:thumbup: and some are £19k:thumbdwn:, with identical specs?!?)

Niall

Aye don't blame you, I wish I could have done that too but at the time I had a Vauxhall Signum to part exchange & it was losing money so fast that i had to make a decision quick - trouble is the Scout had just been released & there were NO nearly news..:(

Looks like the autoexpress guys liked the Legacy diesel.

Hi

As we have little data on how the actual Scout is performing, we can say that our Amb 4x4 is alive and well.

I think it's good to report on the happy times so we can forget those rough days we sometimes have. Our 4x4 octy has now had her 2+months birthday and done 10,200 km already. Wife managed to take car to the company car wash this morning, a rare occurrence due to her busy schedule. Not a single problem to report, fuel 5,90 lts diesel -100km that's 45.73 miles per gal I think, 90% motorway driving. Oil has been topped up once just under 0.25lt, and still running 15s winter Pirelli carving tyres, as possibly more snow before month is finished. Mobile/Photo's are taken this weekend while site seeing near our local river, conditions are now only muddy, not nice for all you weekend cleaners, but we like it. There are pics of our Octy a lot cleaner on this thread, if interested.

http://www.jones.hr/skoda/10-02-2008_1.jpg

http://www.jones.hr/skoda/10-02-2008_3.jpg

Octy 2, 1.9 TDI PD Ambiente 4x4 Combi and Nissan Sunny 2.0 DLX, Company Octy 1.9 TDI Tor Combi.

Been driving my scout since last September and it's been great, compares really well with my previous Golf 2.0 tdi. and gives great confidence during these winter months. The flywheel business is a slight worry especially if the 2.0tdi engine is continuing to be sold with the known fault?

only odd thing I can report is that the little compartment for putting your shades into (above the driving mirror) is a little sooty and I can't be sure if that has always been like it or has developed, son pointed it out.

Surprised I'm not seeing more Scouts on the road.

Does the scout come with a metal sump /engine guard as standard?

Standard 4x4 does so I would assume yes as the spec is detailed in the brochure as over and above the 4x4.