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Forester v Overlander v Freelander 2


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I'll ask the question, why diesel preferred ?

If it's not going to be doing decent mileages, then a modern diesel with a DPF is a recipe for continuing expense and problems - more so at the age and budget you're looking at.

If you're not doing big miles, then a Forester petrol might not be the worst thing - our 2012 / 62 plate 2.0 petrol Forester averages about 30mpg (a bit less if towing or on the fields, obviously) - it's got 104k on the clock, and still goes brilliantly.

The only thing I'd say if looking at the Subaru is to get a good test drive - personally I think that the CVT automatic is horrible to drive, and I wouldn't even consider it unless it was a manual, but that's a very personal subjective choice

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1 hour ago, robbiep said:

I'll ask the question, why diesel preferred ?

If it's not going to be doing decent mileages, then a modern diesel with a DPF is a recipe for continuing expense and problems - more so at the age and budget you're looking at.

If you're not doing big miles, then a Forester petrol might not be the worst thing - our 2012 / 62 plate 2.0 petrol Forester averages about 30mpg (a bit less if towing or on the fields, obviously) - it's got 104k on the clock, and still goes brilliantly.

The only thing I'd say if looking at the Subaru is to get a good test drive - personally I think that the CVT automatic is horrible to drive, and I wouldn't even consider it unless it was a manual, but that's a very personal subjective choice

Always preferred diesels, perception of lower running and fuel cost I guess. 

Appreciate the dpf issue, but it will be getting a 3 hour motorway run once a month at least to my main stalking ground, with other journeys in addition to local driving. Assuming we return to a level of normality which will allow me to get back to stalking. In no rush to buy until that's on the near horizon!

Also will be after a manual in whatever I go for. 

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22 hours ago, Novice said:

Always preferred diesels, perception of lower running and fuel cost I guess. 

Appreciate the dpf issue, but it will be getting a 3 hour motorway run once a month at least to my main stalking ground, with other journeys in addition to local driving. Assuming we return to a level of normality which will allow me to get back to stalking. In no rush to buy until that's on the near horizon!

Also will be after a manual in whatever I go for. 

Ok, but (and bear with me here)

If you do (for example), 10k miles per annum. A petrol (non-turbo) will do 30mpg. That works out to roughly £1820 per annum in fuel costs

A diesel will be more like 40mpg, and that works out at £1370 per annum in fuel costs.

So the petrol will cost somewhere between £400 and £500 more to run a year.

But the petrol car will be cheaper to buy, will not have that very expensive DPF to go wrong, will not suffer injector or glow plug problems, will not have the DMF on the clutch which is another notorious fault on these - and all of those are horribly expensive to fix.

If we were in 'normal' times and you lived locally, I'd offer to take you out for a run in ours, it's really a bit of a hoot to drive

Edited by robbiep
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4 hours ago, robbiep said:

Ok, but (and bear with me here)

If you do (for example), 10k miles per annum. A petrol (non-turbo) will do 30mpg. That works out to roughly £1820 per annum in fuel costs

A diesel will be more like 40mpg, and that works out at £1370 per annum in fuel costs.

So the petrol will cost somewhere between £400 and £500 more to run a year.

But the petrol car will be cheaper to buy, will not have that very expensive DPF to go wrong, will not suffer injector or glow plug problems, will not have the DMF on the clutch which is another notorious fault on these - and all of those are horribly expensive to fix.

If we were in 'normal' times and you lived locally, I'd offer to take you out for a run in ours, it's really a bit of a hoot to drive

Fair comment. And to be entirely truthful, your original post has had me questioning my reasoning since I read it. You're right, while petrol vehicles aren't perfect, the glow plug and dpf issues do seem to be the source of the majority of complaints. 30mpg does sound a bit thirsty though after years of diesels!

Edited by Novice
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8 minutes ago, Novice said:

Fair comment. And to be entirely truthful, your original post has had me questioning my reasoning since I read it. You're right, while petrol vehicles aren't perfect, the glow plug and dpf issues do seem to be the source of the majority of complaints. 30mpg does sound a bit thirsty though after years of diesels!

Perhaps you are like me. I have to say that I just prefer any day to sit behind a Diesel engine. They are just so much more relaxing to drive, none of that thrashing and high revving you get with a petrol.

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On 29/01/2021 at 12:26, Wylye said:

Interesting you should say that. I've had two German cars and they were the biggest pile of **** I've ever owned! Ran a Freelander 2 up to 100K and it never had a spanner on it apart from servicing. 

I've had 3 Mercedes and done 300,000+ miles in them and apart from tyres scrubbing hardly had any bother. Still running one now.

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We have a 2014 outlander and the outlaws have a fl2 so I have driven both a fair bit.  The outlander is far more car like.  It will do 50mpg sat at 75 on the motorway and will happily sit there at 90 if you are in a rush.  The only problem we have had was seized rear callipers but these were subject to a recall.  It’s been fine on slight off roading but we haven’t used it much as I have an l200.  The boot is bigger if you have gear to go in / dogs 
The fl2 does feel more solid and truck like and economy is a bit lower.  Theirs is at 50k and hardly driven, the only real issue was a replacement diff I think which apparently is a common failure. Despite all if I was doing much off road I would choose this but if mostly on road the outlander

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