What's the Antara like?

[wildcat45]

I have a requirement for a 4x4 suv which will be needed for city driving/commuting, a weekly 260 mile round trip on single carriageway A roads. It will also live in the country and have to face the odd rutted track/field and whatever snow comes along.

Enough space for a couple with a dog who now and then need to carry passengers.

Leather, SatNav, Cruise, Xennons, auto lights etc need to be on the spec list.

I want decent overtaking performance

I could spend upto 30k on something second hand and originally expensive, but like the idea of a warranty and low miles. I could get a new Freelander, but it wouldn't have all the toys.


The Antara looks like it would fit the bill.

There's a lot of VX hatred out there on general forums. I had an Astra H Sportshatch in 2006 fully speced Leather AFL VXR kit etc, and I loved it. decen't little car.

I notice I can get delivery miles Antaras for 8K off list. They obviously depreciate, but after 80k and 4 years of stone chips, dogs, scuffs etc, that won't necessarily be an issue.

So, what's the score? Are they any good? What's the warranty like? Dealers? The one I had experience of wasn't much cop.

I

[J5MBF]

Dealers will vary but as its PH, every dealer will be a fraud, rip-off, theif etc etc.

Some of the cars may qualify for lifetime warranty - Worth asking

They generally don't age well, we had an '08 in the workshop yesterday, starting to look rusty underneath, tyres wear quickly/unevenly due to the size & are expensive. Shock absobers are circa £500+, we've had problems with a number of steering racks.

Servicing is approx £300 per year. They aren't the best on fuel either. 20/25mpg

Obviously geting one under warranty will negate any expensive bills. They nice to drive imo & look quite smart.

[wildcat45]

Cheers for that.

How does the lifetime warranty work? I guess you have to buy it new.

I remember Volvo Lifetime Care. Is it really worth the paper it si printed on?

[Roop]

Not as good as a Kuga. Surely that's all you need to know...!

[wildcat45]

Kuga's never really floated my boat for some reason. Don't know why.

What soet of lifespan does the Antara have? In car terms, its oldish. How much production life doess it have left?

[C350]

I had one out for a 24hr test when it came out because we were also looking at the Captiva.

In the end we went for the Chevy because we wanted 7 seats and thought it looked better. The Antara had bluetooth but that was about the only major difference.

They are bascially the same though. The car is underpowered in my opinion but as a family bus and tow car it is very good. The MPG is rubbish but servicing has been cheap. Had a few issues, rear parking sensors, shock replacement, rear wash packed up but nothing major.

[bzh1p9]

I would wait a couple of weeks or so and go test drive a Mokka , new smaller 4x4 , went to a Vx event last week and drove one . Much much more refind than the Antara , New range of engines and much better ( published ) mpg . Plus the sat nav was where you can see it , not near the gear stick like the Antara
I guess the deal breaker would be how big your dog is , as the boot space was not huge ,

I think Vx have info & PDFs on their site , or your local dealer will have literature

HTH

[SE2]

It's one area where VX really do lag behind, the SUV market. Foisting GM Korea chassis on them can't have helped, because it looks too tall and narrow to be a typical VX product, which normally look quite substantial.

[wildcat45]

I've seen loads aaround since fist posting this.

Is the Chevrolet version actually bigger. It appears so.

[StarmistBlue400]

Not sure on dimensions but it does have a third row of seats which fold flat. Sod all room in the boot when they are up though.