Dogconker Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 Picked up my new Pearl White Subaru XV D SE today from Carstins in Coventry. Very pleased with it so far although still bedding it all in, returned 60mpg on way back home so looking pretty efficient too. As promised the other week here's a couple of photos from when I took the dog for a walk If anyone wants to know anything about the XV let me know, I couldn't necessarily say i'll do a review but I'll give you my opinions. Thanks Dog 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambit Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 Looks great I really do like the look of it. Does look like it could do with bigger wheels to me, but still like the look of it. A good buy I think :) Think you are now the 4th owner of one on these forums :D but looking at your's I can't understand why 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogconker Posted December 21, 2013 Author Share Posted December 21, 2013 I think its deceptive, its actually already got 17" rims, they're pretty big wheels as standard. I think they just look small because of the wheel arch clearance? I've seen about 3 since I bought my wife one in September, not sure why they are so rare, not complaining I like having something no one else knows what it is. its a good looking car too, would love to have an STI or a BRZ but sadly I go to a lot of construction sites in the deepest darkest bits of the country, all secret squirrel stuff so need the ground clearance which I wouldn't get with anything else, the forrester isn't my style of car, so it was this or the outback and I thought this looked the smarter of the two. obviously I had the extra bonnet trim which I think really smartens up the front end on the light coloured cars and gives a bit of a purposeful look to it. Looks like everyone is buying the XV's competitors and mainly the Nissan Quashqaui or however the hell you spell it, because its a 4x4 (cough cough) and is only £19k unless you want an extended warranty, and by extended I mean like all other manufacturers give you, a 100,000 mile 4 yr warranty for a Nissan last I looked was £2800, that makes the XV only £2k dearer and its a hell of a lot better looking than the Nissan jelly mould. anyway I've wittered on enough now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tlag Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 I've never really looked at them til now but I like what I see of yours. :) Just off to google what the back end looks like, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tlag Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 Hmmm, not sure about the back end if I'm honest. The bumper is a bit boxy when the rest of the car has curves.. Just my opinion. On the flip side, the interior looks really nice. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay762 Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 Great looking car - having black wheels makes them look smaller as well - ask any lady with an LBD :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambit Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 It's the black bonnet trim I think I liked about it it does add a little something more to the car. I'm going to have to go look at some !Removed! now ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogconker Posted December 21, 2013 Author Share Posted December 21, 2013 I know the wheels styling is a bit Marmite but I think on this car, particularly the lighter colours they work well, wouldn't put them on an STi though. I'll get some picks of the back end later and stick them up. I agree with you Gambit, when researching this car I noticed the bonnet trim and thought it definitely improved the look of the car, and it'll save me some stone chips as I do quite a bit of motorway driving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambit Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 I like the style of the alloy's I think it's another feature I like about that on the car just look's like it should have bigger knobbly sort of Range Rover wheels to me. But like you have said might be the arches. And had a look at the rear it does look a bit hot hatch but it wouldn't put me off I wouldn't be sat in traffic needing to look at it ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogconker Posted December 21, 2013 Author Share Posted December 21, 2013 arses were never meant to be pretty, purely functional. The back end on the XV is mainly functional, I don't mind the back myself but its a matter of taste. and of course the XV is basically a hot hatch that's been jacked up, i.e. an impreza with a bit of a steroid shot, in that end I guess the extra bulge in the bumpers seems to work, as a sleek street racer . . . er no. I think its the jacked suspension and the oversized wheel arch clearance allowing for the near 9" of ground clearance. anything bigger than 17" rims though would make this difficult to handle off the road. Knobbly tires might be great off road but they're particularly unpleasant on motorways, the summer/winter tires fitted to these seem a fair compromise, i guess I'll confirm that or not the next time it snows and I've got to drive over the Welsh hills. I've also just done a price check against some of this cars main rivals and it doesn't stack up why they don't sell, what I've done is build a car to the same spc as the XV i have, inc engine size, transmission and extras such as cruise control, Bluetooth, Xenon lights etc, the results are surprising Nissan Qashqai - 1.5D manual 4x4 - £28900 (this only comes with a 3 yr warranty not 5) the 2.0D only comes in auto and starts at 27k so thought I'd give it a fair crack and drop to the 1.5 D Audi Q3 - 2.0 D - £29800 Skoda Yeti 2.0 D 140PS - £25100 At £23995 with a 5 yr 100k warranty the Subaru looks a no brainer. Problem is, Subaru just don't advertise this car or any of their other cars for that matter, we only found it by accident at a game fair when the dealer was doing a display. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambit Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 I was only talking about how it should look to me I'm not saying it's a bad thing and would be happy to own one without a doubt. Well one like your's anyway I do think it looks smart and has to be put into the best one I have ever seen, even if I haven't seen many. I know the car did get a 5 star rating from a review I was reading topped everything. And out of the cars you listed I think are all ugly cars. I agree think Subaru is on to a winner with this car. I might even email them a picture and ask why they are not pushing to sell this car more here. And sort out the ugly new impreza ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogconker Posted December 21, 2013 Author Share Posted December 21, 2013 I know it was an opinion, i'm cool with that. not sure why Subaru want to keep it so quiet, its a class beater, or at least it would be if only people new it was even in the class. do you not like the new imprezza concept? I quite like it actually, but I can see its going to divide the Subaru community. thanks for the complement on the car, I think its just that bonnet trim, apparently no one buys them, so its one of the first ones they've fitted, yet it makes a massive difference to the attitude of the car, all for £80. I do agree with you that the front is definitely better looking than the back though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambit Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 I love the concept I posted some videos of the released impreza looks nothing like the concept car but it's a WRX I'm holding out slim hope that the STI impreza will be more like the Concept. And one thing I like about the Subaru community is we are like a big happy family even if some don't wave back at me from their foresters ot Legacy's I always wave though if I see one. :D just think it will take me awhile to get used to seeing any XV's :D But if they do sell the new impreza here I will still wave. Even if I think the person who bought it would need glasses B) £80 silly not too for the difference it does make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kvz2000 Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Our new XV , well the good ladies . Had it now for about 6 weeks and really enjoying it, great road holding , fantastic performance and all round great car , MPG also very good. First ever Subaru and so impressed I might fancy another , like a Forester ?? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay762 Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Said many times - they are addictive :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambit Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Very nice I must admit I'm starting to like these XV's I'd still look at getting the bonnet trim like Dogconkers, I'd even look at a white one to make it stand out :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogconker Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 welcome to the XV club, you've had yours a bit longer than mine, I'm not sure the bonnet trim would look right on a dark coloured one, my wife has the dark metallic grey, which is a gorgeous colour as its really metallic and sparkly, also makes the car look a lot more butch than the light colour which tends to look more sporty. its amazing that when mine and my wife's are parked next to each other and they don't look like the same car. I must admit though that my wife is thinking that next time she changes she might go for a forester instead, so looks like we're with Subaru for a bit now. I'm still running mine in at the minute so the engine & transmission is still a bit tight, but its still turning 69mpg on the M6 over about 80 miles which is pretty impressive for a permanent 4 wheel drive weighing 1.4t What I did buy though which we have for both cars is the rear bumper trim that protects the top face of the bumper behind the boot, its about 90 quid but that will get really scratched in no time, especially if you have a dog! @Gambit - to be honest I'd suggest that the white one is a bit understated for you, I think you'd be more of the colour below (though I've been advised they devalue quicker) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogconker Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 forgot to ask because its not clear in the photo, is that the black or cherry pearl colour on your XV? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogconker Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 I want some snow!!!! I wanna do this :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambit Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 That bonnet trim would look good on any car I don't care what you say ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Pete Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I like them and think the back end looks very similar to the hatch. Just a bit beefier. Wheels don't do anything for me any would be the 1st thing to go. Look to much like the wheels of a hot wheels car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambit Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I would be happy to won one I don't mind the wheels. But I don't like that Orange. It's like the Focus RS. I don't like them Green ones <_< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kvz2000 Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Hi , it's the metallic cherry colour , quite nice , it's not new 18 months old with 9k on the clock, so far so good . My car is a 1992 Merc 190d and I also have an 1989 Landrover defender 200tdi , I was thinking a good secondhand forester might be the answer and get rid of both, but I do like the merc and the Landie , but think it would be cheaper with just one and the Landie is hardly ever off road, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambit Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 The forester is a good all round car so I've heard from people on here ask Farmpug he ditched his offroad and it's still driving :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogconker Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 drove mine up to North Wales yesterday, mostly motorway driving returned 71.6mpg, pretty impressive for a permanent 4x4. Carstin's Dealership are submitting it as a story, might end up in the Subaru mag? so far the XV has been pretty impressive around, just wish there was some snow to test it out on. although the other day when I went up to Spurns Head near Hull and it looked like it had been hit by a tsunami I did have some mud and some floods to contend with, although to be fair they were probably passable with care in a normal car. one thing I have found is that the white car is a pig to get clean, all the water marks and brake dust spots show up even after you've washed it. I had to use a clay bar to clean the lower half, looks nice when its done though, just a thought for anyone buying one and unsure of colour, if you don't like cleaning your car, don't get a white one! If I get time over next couple of weeks I'll put together a little review with some pics and stuff for anyone interested 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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