Underclocking my tuning box...

The price-tag suggests it is.

I'm not the one driving an expensive MkIII Chavalier with the engine from a 1980s Trooper / Midi van.

Oxymoron alert.

They all sound like a bag of spanners.

Once the 2.0TDI lump has warmed up, if you're listening to the radio at even a relatively low volume, you have to check the rev. counter to make sure the engine is still running.

It is a s**te engine. The Frontera isn't particularly heavy nor that brick like compared to other 4x4s. It's an over-large four pot pile of crap that just doesn't seem to have the necessary oomph.

I feel sorry for Saab, once great, now just another assembler of GM/Isuzu components.

Everyone for a half mile around knows it is.

And again, no disprespect, but I reckon when it comes to real crossing countries that the Exploder would leave yours for dead. I get to Italy faster in the Exploder than I ever did in the Jag, or indeed in any of the vehicles I've done the journey in, including a Golf Synchro GTi.

And if it was *real* cross country, I'd leave you for dead after the farm gate.

Aye, well... I suspect, given some of the typos you've generated this evening, that the drink is talking... again.

I would offer a trackday, but for one thing I'm looking to replace this imminently with another Prelude, and for another, a track doesn't really reflect the width of your average country lane...

any of the

Of course... but then if that was the game plan, I'd be buying a shitty old Land Rover for the challenge. ;-)

They've just bought another chunk ov VW - up to 29.9% now IIRC - so expect the porsche saloon to be based on the phaeton, the R8 never to be faster than the 911 and a smaller 4x4, probably based on the golf...

Geeze, all the best cars were designed with crayons when we were 5.

You're missing the point. The Passat is not as good a drive as a basic 3 series. And most people lease them.

No, I'm not missing the point in the slightest. Lease costs on a half decently specced 3 are quite scary compared with the cost of the Passat.

When I'm stuck behind a 7.5 tonner full of sheep on a mountain road, 'the ultimate driving experience' is far down my list of priorities - however, electric seats, little slidey blinds over cupholders and tactile surfaces all become hugely important.

Electric seats... I actually prefer manual adjustment (unless car has key memory) as that way I don't have to wait minutes while adjusting car after someone else uses.

When compared to a passat of equivalent power, they're not. Yes a base 105 td passat can be yours for 215 quid/mth (1.9 105TD S 157gm/km 48.7mpg combined), but would you want it to be?

The Passat is not as good a drive as almost anything in its class. It's not as good handling, as well built, as large inside, or as reliable as a Mondeo.

I did back to back drives this week in a 54 plate Passat TDi, a '54 Mondeo TDCi, a '53 320d and an '04 Rover 75 CDT Estate[1] . They'd all done roughly the same mileage - between 25-30k,. they'd all been repmobiles, and I drove them on the same route.

Was the first time I'd driven a Rover 75, I was surprised how well it drove, not the sportiest thing in the world, but handled ok, was comfy and very well equipped - this one had the full BMW spec satnav thing in and was full of toys - I suspect it was one of the last built and had had every option thrown at it. I thought it was a shame that Rover couldn't have built more cars like the 75.

The 320d felt typically BMW. Seats weren't that comfy, the clutch was 'orrible, the gearbox notchy but it felt ok, nothing special other than the RWD element which does make a difference. Engine felt better in the 75 estate though, which is weird.

The Mondeo was comfy, huge, quick, quiet once warm, great stereo, handled brilliantly, gripped well, lovely steering (about as good as the 3 series but with a touch of torque steer if driven like a maniac) , excellent brakes, great seats and a decent stereo.

The Passat was typically new VW. Notchy gearbox, over servoed brakes, under-damped suspension, awful seats, artificial feeling steering, and gave a feeling of imminent understeer when on lanes the other cars had felt completely composed on. It felt very similar to that old Mk4 GTi I was flogging on ebay last week.

If I had to choose one as a everyday car, it'd be the Mondeo, then the 320d, then the 75, then the Passat - although if I had to have the Passat I'd be changing employers a.s.a.p.

Yea, they were devestatingly quick cross-country weapons - so much so the owners chopped them in for fear of having a massive crash ;-)

"Pete M" wrote in message news:ekasea$4gu$ snipped-for-privacy@registered.motzarella.org...

A friend has just got themselves a nearly new Golf GTi. The interior is pikey. It may or may not have the crucial soft touch shit - I haven't quite figured out what that is yet - but the interior of my 2 year old 206 feels tougher.

Followed one of these out of Filey the other day. Oh the sound...

If it helps Jack - I'd bet left arm that the 206 would get down a country lane quicker than the Explorer - I dunno about the Golf - probably in the hands of a pro it would... Granted, off road and I'll give the advantage to the Explorer heh.

Heh, it's a good job looking at the Explorers mighty 0-60 time of 11 seconds :-)