SUV - help....

[nickw]

I need to buy a secondhand car & the misses is angling for an SUV. Since she''ll be doing most of the driving it seems to honorable thing to swallow pride & get one. We are looking at a Ford Explorer but are there any horror stories I should know about (other than Firestone tyres flipping them over). Other recommendations would be appreciated

[mel]

Isn't yes they look sh1t a good enough reason not to get one !

[Gaffer]

I have a Suzuki GV2000 3 door soft-top and it does me fine. It's has a 2 litre 16v engine which gives about 126bhp so it can happily sit on the M-way at 80/90mph or toodle round Tesco's car park. The only problem I have found is the size of the boot. Not big. But if you lay the seats down it does become very roomy I have had various Suzuki's over my 8+ years of driving and never had a problem with them. You just have to remember you can't take corners like you are in a TVR (I admit I forget sometimes) but other than that they are fine to drive. Oh and it's good if you are nosey like me and like looking into peoples houses over their hedges

[nickw]

The size of the boot is an odd thing. We are in the mindset that we need loads of room to, erm .... not sure actually. We dont have kids or horses, so why do we need a portable warehouse? Thanks for the tip on Suzuki's though - I was thinking that I'd get more for the dosh with a jap model.

[Gaffer]

I don't find the size of the boot that much of a problem to be honest. I have never really had to use it apart from the time I moved house, I managed to get all my stuff in (including a computer and stereo system) without a problem. And they are getting cheaper. I am (nearly) 26 with 5+ years NCB and my insurance is just over £300 fully comp. They are fairly cheap to maintain as well and if you drive it sensibly, petrol isn't that much of an issue either. If you want more details on Suzuki models, feel free to mail me as I have had just about every model in the range.

[nickw]

I'm in the US so the Suzuki models & specs are a bit different, but thanks. Also, when you can fill up a 45L tank for about 13quid, fuel consumption is not really a problem. Which I guess explains why the 4-5L SUVs sell out here.