errr a Forester is a wagon dude....

I just drove one of the new Rav4s 3000km around NZ.

It drove really smoothly, handled the light offroad stuff we did and was really really comfy.
The plus over the forester is that it has more boot space. Seriously considering getting myself one now
Plus, they look like a little prado almost! :P

and yeah, the beauty of a car at that height is its easy for you to get the bub in and out

For that type of car I have always liked the look of the land rover freelander.

Yeah nothing wrong with a Forester, probably have higher running costs than other alternatives though due to big 4 cylinder engine, awd system etc. Parts are also pretty exxy.

You might be able use an evo for towing - it has the tow hook opening,well it looks like it anyway, not sure how many people do but I wouldn't :) I'd use my big dirty f*** off V8 Ute for that..if I had one.

+1 for the Forester, probably the only Wagon/4x4 I'd get as well.

XR6!

X5

Territory.

You might be able use an evo for towing - it has the tow hook opening,well it looks like it anyway, not sure how many people do but I wouldn't

the towhook is for towing the EVO out of sandtraps etc...

Towing anything heavier than a skateboard with an evo would be instanity.

Fair enough if you don't like the look of it pharcyde, it just seems to fit the bill for what you're describing you need, albeit a bit expensive. I don't like the forester cos its narrow and rather small inside for what appears on the outside to be decent-ish in size. If you're hell-bent on getting a 4wd cos you refuse to believe they're a wagon, then look at all the cars in its class, xtrail etc.
If i was you and needed a wagon but didn't want a corolla/commodore wagon, i'd be looking at a Nissan Stagea. Now that's cool.

last edited by Mr Hardware at 21:21:07 28/Sep/09

We're looking at buying a new car, as we've just had a baby and

That automatically qualifies you for a 4x4. Go and get the biggest one you can find. Your baby will be a lot safer. As a matter of fact, just get a big f*** off truck.

To answer your question, I have nfi. Unless you have money to burn I wouldn't recommend paying an assload for your car. What's wrong with a regular commodore?

Genius ^

Currently sussing out the Mazda 3 hatchbacks. Judging by the pics I can see on carsales.com.au, they seem to have a decent amount of legroom (well, moreso than our LX Pulsar), with lotsa bootspace.

Is there something I'm missing here?

Also just to note: I don't need f***tonnes of bootspace. Just more than your normal small-medium sedan can provide. I need decent legroom, and I want around an '05 model and above ideally. I don't *need* a Forester, we just liked the look of them really.

Any other large 4-door hatchbacks you guys could recommend? Also, I hear Mazda 3's are super safe and reliable. Confirm/deny?

I love my Mazda 3, I am 6 foot and there is plenty of leg room, I have the seat enough far forward so there is legroom for the person sitting behind me. Ancap rating of 4. 108kw so was one of the more zippier of the small sized cars.

you can tow with a forester, s*** you could tow with a motorbike if you wanted - but you're in a big car with a small motor
something has to give, eventually - probably a clutch or gearbox while towing.

when i was reading your post i was picturing a crewman X8 (holden commodore ute but 4 doors)
think a commodore sedan with a ute tray instead of a boot

get a hard lid for the back and theres your ample storage space

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c168/OzJavelin/cross8-1.jpg

hahah, Mr Hardware, asif recommend a commodore over a subaru.

http://www.autospies.com/images/uploads/large/SP32-20060226-214205.jpg

Engine Size/Type
4.2-litre, double-overhead cam, 32-valve direct-injection V8.

Power
309 kW at 7800 rpm

AWD

VW Tiguan although it's more than your $20k budget so I got no other suggestions.

mazda cx-7?

that's not a new mps, looks more like a wrx or something

new mps looks alright, don't like the grill bit in the front bar

yer. its a caldina gtfour!

slushbox = perfect for disciplining kids while driving

you used to be cool spook

to buy slush boxes?

i like autos cos i dont like downtime
plus why do something yourself when it can be done for you
that being said, i do enjoy a zap in a manual every now and then, but they're just too much like hard work day in, day out

haha hardware, just go buy a skirt now

we won't think any less of you

im so awesome at changing gears, i dont even know im doing it;

i suppose it's just plain personal choice then.

really qmass
how should i be driving

har har har

I've owned both Auto and Manual cars, I like driving the Manual better.
However if I had to put up with peek hours highway traffic as the majority of my driving time it may cause me to swing back to the Auto.

Auto is arguably superior for beach driving too... as long as it doesn't overheat and turn everything off, which a lot of the 'Not quite a 4wd'-wagon type cars actually do.

audi A6 i drive along the great ocean road a couple of months ago s*** me to tears with wanting to change to 6th gear going around a corner or something retarded, the only thing that saved it was the padel shift

hah, im gonna drive the great ocean road in 6 weeks and im hiring a manual purposely and i'm an auto lover! imo on that kind of road it'd be perfect for a manual, rite?

k

Budget Melbourne CBD
they and most places'll hire you an astra convertible

last edited by Mr Hardware at 13:22:20 29/Sep/09

lucky you didn't find any mx5's mission, you'd look gays as a hairdresser in one of those

way to derail thread into penis measuring over something completely trivial.

I had a 2007 XT Forester for two years. While mine was modified to suit the road they are a fantastic car. The non-turbo ones are definately not fast but if you're not into fast cars are fine for general traffic driving.

They aren't all that roomy. I'm over 6ft which makes it a 3 seater as no one would comfortably fit behind me. The book is useful when you fold the rear seats down but I wouldn't say it was hugely bigger than a Commodore etc.

Towing - They don't have a huge tow limit. I towed my 5m Aluminium boat ok, but I wouldn't want to tow it around Australia with that. They're just not heavy enough to tow easily.

Offroad - I have seen plenty of Foresters on Fraser Island etc but never took mine off the road. Obviously the biggest problem with them is ground clearance.

If you're not planning to use it offroad or very little have a good look at the forester and compare it to say a Subaru Outback. I also looked at Delica's which are a fantastic car if you can find a good one that has had the known cooling issues sorted. They carry heaps of stuff, have low range and are very comfortable to drive around town because you sit nice and high.

Yeah im with Mr HardWank on this one. I got over MT in s***** brisbane traffic, especially being stuck in traffic on the gateway/M1 so i got myself an auto with cruise control and power everything, soft c*** style.

make you sure you fit it out with a massive front mount intercooler that requires you to cut most of the front bar out so everyone can see it, loud blow off valve and a 3" exhaust + canon

last edited by paveway at 15:48:59 29/Sep/09

last edited by paveway at 15:49:28 29/Sep/09

yeah that's a pretty sensible choice mission, the i30s are pretty decent aye

i dont mind the look of i30's either


id buy one