Dogconker Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Midlands looks like snow tomorrow. If you have dogs, we have a lintran dog crate made to fit the back of the XV. It's about £300 but a good piece of kit, this is our 2nd our last one we traded in to lintran for £70 enter we'd owned it for 11years. I can put photos up if of interest. Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidwm Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Many thanks, Yes, it will be interesting to see the crate. I shall take a look at their website as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin61 Posted January 13, 2016 Author Share Posted January 13, 2016 6 hours ago, davidwm said: Hi again, I collected the XV last weekend, and drove the 100 miles home in torrential rain and brilliant sunshine. All went ok. The other half is struggling a bit getting to like it, as it doesn't have some of the 'luxuries' she was used to in previous German cars, but she is warming. We have kept the BMW anyway, but sold her Mercedes to give way for this. Its main purpose is to put the dogs in the back etc etc , and be reliable and functional.. On another note...and this may surprise you, the best price offered for the Mercedes B class was by We Buy any car. I know everyone says the price they quote is ficticious and they will knock you down etc, but if you are accurate with your assessment they shouldn't have a reason to. Their quote was £1150 more than trade in and only about £500 less than I would have put it in for a private sale. (and a major service was due, and only 4 months MOT). I shall keep you posted on the XV......did they say snow was forecast today??? That is worth remembering. I had always just assumed you would get a really crap price from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidwm Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 4 hours ago, robin61 said: That is worth remembering. I had always just assumed you would get a really crap price from them. Well, its probably rare that people don't get absolutely hammered down from the original quote that they use to drag you there. I guess the car either has to be totally free from all blemishes etc, (so they cant justify knocking the price down) or probably the opposite, where it is so bad you are just glad to see the back of it! Well the Subaru has 4 years warranty on it , so it wont be going anywhere for a few years.! (although I also said that about the X5 the 330d the CLS the Carrera 4S etc lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dug Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 well have to say I am still loving my xv great to drive and big enough for what I need. getting good fuel mpg so happy have to say after all the weather we have had of late, the car has never missed a beat. some big puddles and heavy rain journeys and the car was well planted on the road never felt unstable or light. even in the snow car has been good ( not that deep though but some big hills ) it's deffo a useable AWD system as apposed to some lets say some look great but cant back it up cars lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanH STHLM Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Mentioning snow, we have that now in Stockholm, Sweden. Along with appr. minus 10-15 degrees Celsius. That equals = FUN :) That brings me to my question. Sometimes I disconnect the VDC using the designated button. and the display confirm the disconnection. I then expect it to be turned off. Right? But later when I loose grip a bit in a cornering, the VDC is activated in that situation. I can feel it and the display pointing that out also. So.......what is the meaning of giving the driver this opportunity to disconnect VDC if it will self activate anyway?????? Does anyone know the reason? Or is it only my XV 2.0i sport AT gasoline, that behaves like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stants Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Did write a massive reply but TT crashed and lost it all, anyway have a read through this http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=336233 Think they have found a way to disable it without the dash going mental Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanH STHLM Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Hi Stants Its not just the dash/display that goes mental. The VDC function is mental and reactivates it self. Spoiling all the fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogconker Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 You cannot turn off the VDC via conventional means. However I believe there is a fuse you can pull that will disable the VDC, there are vids on YouTube. A lot of cars have this background VDC whereby even if you turn it off it still activates in severe slides as it assumes most drivers are not hooligans. Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanH STHLM Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 4 minutes ago, Dogconker said: You cannot turn off the VDC via conventional means. However I believe there is a fuse you can pull that will disable the VDC, there are vids on YouTube. A lot of cars have this background VDC whereby even if you turn it off it still activates in severe slides as it assumes most drivers are not hooligans. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk OK. Thanx. Maybe its just turned off in straight driving, but as soon as something happens sideways it reactivates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogconker Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I think the traction control turns off, because you need to be able to do that on a gravel hill for example, but the stability control I just think is just a reduced sensitivity so still active. Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stants Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 You have to be winding a fair bit of lock on for it to re engage, it will ignore small slip angles but after a certain point it's like whoah ! What are you up to, engage vdc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogconker Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Yeah I had mine drifting in the snow but it eventually decided I was being a nob and re-engaged the VDC to stop me dong something I shouldn't. Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stants Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 [emoji23] 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanH STHLM Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kvz2000 Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Not impressed with my XV , owned it now for over 2 years and its my least favourite of the three I have , my 1992 Merc 190d is smoother , quieter and more enjoyable to drive , my 02 Discovery is also a better vehicle and has retained it's youthful feel. The XV is noisey, both road noise and squeaky interior , Subaru admit to a fault in the rear seats that cause the noise but want paid to repair !!!! It's got the poorest notchy gear change I've experienced in years , hands free phone has never worked and can only hold one user phone number . cant wait to get rid in the summer..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogconker Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Sounds like you've got a lemon. I find mine very easy to drive, got plenty of go I it handles well for an SUV, we had a CRV before which was like a boat comparitively, Subaru are more rough and ready then other "luxury" branded cars it's true but that's the charm in my opinion, and I would suggest cheaper to repair and run than a Discovery. The road noise is higher than a luxury car but on a par with a civic Type S I used to have, that's just a side effect of stiff suspension and all season tyres, and is a matter of preference. As for your seat, if Subaru have admitted a fault and its within warranty and they won't repair it then it's off to trading standards, a refusal to repair an accepted fault you'll have no trouble winning. Is this main dealer that have rejected the claim or Subaru UK? I agree that the gearbox is a bit rough and ready but only really in 1st - 2nd or at least in my car that's the case, the higher gears I've found to be quite smooth. You must have a major fault with the hands free, i find the hands free in my vehicle to be fine, I've got a load of numbers stored in it, me and the wife switch phones around with no issues. Might be a other warranty claim to chase. im sorry you haven't liked your XV but it does sound like you've got one riddled with problems. Most of the people on here love theirs so it could be you've been really unlucky and had a duff one. One of the things about the Subarus is durability, unfortunately that comes at a cost and is usually refinement, you can't compare a Mercedes saloon or a discovery to the XV they're just not the same beast and not even in the same price ranges when new and totally different levels of refinement. You might have been better with a good spec legacy or maybe an outback which are the more luxury end of the Subaru range which looks like it would have been more suited to your needs. Subarus are a niche market, people love them or hate them, those that love them keep buying them, those that hate them think those that love them are mad, and we probably are. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kvz2000 Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Excellent points there Dogconker, i forgot to mention that the plus side is the very responsive boxer Diesel engine , and yes the gears are more annoying in the lower gears , as for the squeaking back seats it was the Subaru main dealer that acknowledged it was a recognised fault with under the seat and they have a fix for it but at a cost , our main warranty is now out . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kvz2000 Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 I think my main grip is that as a car fan and its my main hobby , I have bought and sold classics and after running them for a couple of years I get my money back or sometimes make money , my old Merc is 24 years old with 176k miles and it drives better than the Subaru , whilst the merc bought 3 years ago for £1450 and now worth £2000 Subaru bought 3 years ago for £20k and now worth less than half ..... On top of that Subaru wanted £500 to service so I can't see any financial reason to like them especially when the driving experience is so poor... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogconker Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 I only pay about £250 for a service at a main dealer, so not sure where you're going? Also if you bought a car 3 yrs ago it must have been almost new and you paid £20,000 you can't possibly expect it to be worth more than you paid for it, even the diesel version is only £24k new, it'll devalue 20% as you drive it off the forecourt. All new cars lose approximately 50% of their value after 3yrs if you have average mileage. My wife's car is 3 years old and is valued at £13k so hers hasn't reached less than half value, hers has 45k on the clock. I think you're comparing things that just aren't comparable. Of course you can buy a cheap classic car for £1500 and after a period of time sell it for s bit more, you can do that when your talking a couple of thousand, you can't do that with nearly new cars that are readily available on the market, the old Merc has hit the limit of its depreciation after which it becomes a classic and will actually go up a bit. However if you had bought that Merc nearly new (like you have the XV) you'd find that you'd have the same %age depreciation after 3 yrs, if not more, only difference being the Merc would have cost a lot more. I think you're doing some unfair maths. The driving experience isn't poor, it's actually a very good driving experience as long as you understand and accept what the car is, this is a crossover it has stiff suspension to allow this, it's not a Bentley, it's not a Ferrari, I've driven many crossovers and this is by far the most fun to drive and one of the best handling. If you're looking at a modern subaru as an investment, I wouldn't. Your main gripe seems to be that a new car depreciates loads and an old one doesn't and the fact that a rugged crossover 4x4 doesn't drive like a luxury saloon means it's a poor car. I'm sorry but I think you're expecting something that no new car can provide. Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kvz2000 Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 No I'm not slating the Subaru due to depreciation , I am well aware about buying new something I've done often , what my main complaint is that over a few years the Subaru is showing its age far too soon , as I've said noisey,terrible gear change , poor equipment , etc etc , you seem to make the excuse its a crossover 4x4 but my old Disco which is a proper 4x4 and is 14 years old is wearing better than the XV , anyway enough said , most trade people I speak to seem to agree that the XV was not the best .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogconker Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 And your old discovery 14 years ago probably would have cost twice as much new as an XV does now, you're making unfair comparisons, and you seem to have had a duff one, I would suggest most of your issues are probably warranty issues, you're clearly not a fan of the car which is fine, Subaru are known as being rough and ready, they're robust cars that tend to keep going. As for spec, in its class (which is what you're not doing) it has one of the highest standard specs for the price, one of the longest warranties, it's not refined etc it's rugged and will just keep going. If you want truly refined 4x4 experience then go and spend £70k+ on a Range Rover. I just get annoyed when someone dislikes a car because it's not what they expected and then slate it as a rubbish car because it doesn't do what cars that are in different classes do. You can't compare a crossover to a luxury saloon or for that matter a luxury 4x4. . . Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kvz2000 Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 I don't agree that I'm being unfair to the Subaru , lets not compare it to any other car , and its still a poor vehicle , not terrible but too many poor quality or cheap things about it , my main point is how quickly it has turn into an old car ,lack of quality might be the issue , enough said , you are correct in that I won't be buying another , also it's actually my wife's car and she doesn't like it either ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogconker Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 That's fine. I disagree, and in here you're clearly the minority. No one else is suffering the same as you. Everyone else on here likes theirs so I guess these cars just aren't for you. Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kvz2000 Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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