Subaru XV G5X (2017-2022)

This car is great. I have bought 2019 base model and still running well. I have travelled Brisbane and sunshine coast couple of times from Sydney. Its very convenient and easy to drive. One thing I don’t like about this car is it’s entertainment unit. I’m neat picking but. It seldom disconnects the apple carplay and fails to connect. Also while… Read more

using navigation and map, you need to change the volume and it darkout the screen with volume icon. Is this really needed instead of small notification that do not shut the entire map? Its already been more than 6 years and now i have slowly getting dust particles on the inner edge of the screen. Well apart from that, this car is wonderful and will keep driving.

Car is a lemon. Subaru Australia a bitter disappointment – Less than 97K on the clock, and the XV engine fails, requiring >$7000 in repairs. At the time of our previous service, we alerted the dealer that we were worried about the head gasket and were told *not* to worry; the Subaru service did not raise any concerns. Six months later, there's oil in the coolant and multiple failures and damage. The… Read more

local dealer made a "Goodwill claim" on our behalf to Subaru Australia. Readers of other posts won't be surprised that it was rejected, with no formal reason given other than "it's not a manufacturing defect". I've returned to the local dealer, who is reasonable and helpful, to ascertain the reasons behind the rejection. The Subaru Australia "Customer Relations Consultant" has been unforthcoming, other than they don't consider this to be a manufacturing issue. In sum, the dealership are doing the best they can. The Subaru cars are good, unless you get a lemon. We got a lemon. My experience of Subaru Australia has been awful. They seem to have biased their "Customer Relations" approach towards rejecting reasonable claims and reasonable requests for information and hoping you'll go away. To avoid future dramas, take Subaru off your shopping list.

Subaru Australia Bad Experience – Nice Car but Paint Very low Quality , New Car in Pearl, Clear Coat Stained from Day 1. Subaru Australia would not support. Dealer and Accredited Spray painter agreed it was an Warranty Issue. Subaru Australia refused claim. Please everyone review Subaru Low quality Paint issues before buying Show details

Absolutely Brilliant – Our vehicle was purchased new in Feb 2021 and now has 25,000 kms on the clock. It has performed faultlessly over that time., we have just returned from a 2 week touring holiday and covered 2060 kms and obtained 6.6 litres per 100 kms. The vehicle drives perfectly and is very comfortable and has excellent vision when you are driving. It cruises… Read more ·  1

along the highway effortlessly and the suspension is brilliant over rough surfaces, the ride is top notch and is up there with far more expensive vehicles. The sensational CVT transmission has the vehicle doing 1800 rpm when cruising at 110 kph on the highway. We could not be happier with the vehicle, everything works as it should and is perfect for our needs.

Review submitted in Feb 2022 Our XV is now 12 months old with approx 9500 kms on the clock and we could not be happier with the vehicle. Everything works as it should, it is beautiful to drive and we can not fault the vehicle. It is very impressive on longer trips, comfort, visibility and fuel economy are all brilliant. A recent fuel economy check on a trip over 525 kms was 6.3 litres per 100 kms. It is booked in for its 12 month service this week, I will continue to submit a review on the vehicle every 12 months

Review submitted in April 2021: Purchased new 2 months ago we could not be happier with our XV, we knew it would be great and it has exceeded expectations in all areas. The vehicle has a very smooth ride is very comfortable and spacious inside and has great vision when driving. The CVT transmission is an absolute gem, two fuel economy checks have come in at 6.8 & 7.0 litres per 100 kms, a great result as the XV had less than 1500 kms on the clock. Performance is more than adequate for our purpose and when cruising at 110 kph in neutral conditions on the freeway that awesome CVT has the XV cruising along at a very low 1800 rpm. We live in Ballarat in regional Victoria and the XV is used for everyday driving and regular trips to Melbourne. The safety features are fantastic and the radar cruise control is brilliant. We plan to keep the XV for 8 - 10 years and I am very confident it will serve us well. We also own a BRZ which has provided us with 6 years of trouble free motoring.

4th Subaru and Wife (still) loves it. Expanded review at 70,000km – I have owned a 98 Impressa RX, 05 Forester X, Outback 2.5l Petrol and now my wife had an 2017 XV - S Premium. Bright Orange for safety and individuality this has the lot. Auto safety front and rear, leather, heated seats front, distinct interior styling, headlight that go around corners, etc. etc. RRP on road was over $40,000 AUD but we dealed… Read more ·  3

and secured a demonstrator actual show car , never registered with 800km for just on $37,000 drive away. However this was orecobid price rises.

WHAT WE LIKE pretty much everything. As my wife’s car it is sporty without being fast, very safe, very comfortable and easy to drive. It’s not fast or super economical but like all AWD Subaru it sticks to the ground like glue. And living in an area with snow, hail and black ice - that matters most.

THE GOOD - AWD, safety, heated seats, reversing camera incredible. Looks. Build quality. CVT. Auto front and rear braking. Sunroof. Headlights (led) and turn around corners. Interior quality APPLEPLAY. Keyless entry or locking * Full size spare. Runs happily on 91 Octane ULP. Wheel rims are not only stylish but with the tyre budge so you don’t scratch or scuff on gutters. Auto on/ off hi beam actually works. Auto rear mirror dipping. Safety everywhere.

THE NOT SO GOOD- tyre wear, poor sound in rear - hard to hear driver talking.

Subaru mapping is Tom Tom and cannot be updated easily after a few years. Using APPLE maps is better.

Keyless power off or off is vague, more than you should you exit to find engine is still on in fuel saver mode down mode, but that is me and I don’t drive often.

THE UGLY - dumb design.

The side rear view mirrors turn in like many cars but only on a button with power on. This means once you close the mirrors you are inside the car and blind when you open the drivers side door! A serious error Subaru! It should be turn in on locking the car. Out on unlocking. Clearly Subaru added as a last minute.

Take a phone call and an icon comes up telling you so, except it deletes the digital speed display.

No overhead rear boot light the design is low and sporty at the back so it frankly dark. One right side lights is there but if you have anything in the boot it obstructs the light.

No rear AC vents. Seriously? The back gets hot and if I had a baby in a seat I would be concerned. It’s stuffy and frankly poor design or Cousy cutting or both.

THE INCREDIBLE

THE REAR CAMERA is amazing. Yes it beeps and yes it has lines of your orientation and where you are going swings but it lights up night into day. Uber clear. Ok My outback was good, this is incredible. My hilux is rubbish.

X MODE and Hill ASSIST I have used these sparingly but a trip to Mt Buller in real snow, in a line of vehicles crawling nose to tail towards the car parks, well it gripped like you know what to a blanket. I could see much $$$$ 4wd like BMW struggling but the XV just engaged the park brake automatically each time we stopped on a grade. It never slipped up or sideways and was running std original road tyres.

NOTE ON THE BOOT it’s small. A family of three yes, we can holiday by soft bags only but I am not going to say it’s a fail because it is obvious. The outback boot was cavernous. Need a big boot - wrong car.

NOTE ON INSURANCE essential to have windscreen cover and good insurance. Replace windscreen is $2000 because of the need to fit. Front headlight 1 only is $2700 due to complex features. Be warned.

Good car except for the poor fuel economy – I talked my parents into buying a new car. They ended up deciding on an XV. In general its a good car and suits their needs in terms of ride height and ease of entry and exit, compact size, active safety and my father who's in his 80s is happy with the way it drives. I drive it at least once per week. Personally I'm not a fan of the cvt. I find it… Read more

a little unpredictable depending on throttle input.

The main reason for giving the car only 3 stars is the fuel economy. Getting better fuel economy was one of the reasons I wanted my parents to get a new car. We mainly do suburban driving in Sydney. Over the first year of ownership, the XV has consistently averaged over 11.5 ltrs per 100kms over a tank of fuel. Its not uncommon to see the trip computer showing over 12 ltrs per 100kms. I consider this to be poor given the car's weight, the engine and the fact that we use premium 95 fuel. The car has now done over 5000 kms and there's no sign that the fuel economy is improving as the engine is run in. I get better fuel economy driving my Mazda in peak hour and it weighs 150kg more, has 60% more power and more than double the torque of the XV. When I took the XV in for its 12 month service the guy serving me tried to convince me that the fuel economy isn't excessive which I totally disagree with. They supposedly did a number of tests but couldn't find anything wrong with the car.

Paint is chipping in odd spots, is the paint ok? – I bought a brand new 2021 XV and had the car Permaguarded paint protected prior to collection in February (2022) this year, I have travelled just over 7,000 km. In the past few of weeks, tiny chips in the paint have started appearing, right down to the metal, the paint colour is Plasma Yellow Pearl. Is there anything wrong with the actual paint.… Read more ·  3

The chips are high up on front passenger door and in middle of boot, the spots seem out of the way for flying stones to hit ….. Otherwise, the car is terrific! I use the car for Highway / street driving, it is off street, in a carport overnight. The car is used at least three times per week and has it’s regular service checks.

Love my Subaru XV – I owned a 2012 model and then bought a 2022 model because I just really liked it. Was a good price point for me, I like the dash and the steering wheel feeling like it had weight (wasn't a fan of the sparse look of other cars). I really like the extra ride height. The only issue is space - sometimes I throw my bike in the back but it takes a bit… Read more ·  1

of working out in the new version. I usually commute just to work but have taken it on the occasional road trip and its done well so far.

Love the car, interior wearing prematurely – Daily drive, purchased new 2020. No mechanical issues serviced as per log book. Front drivers seat stitching starting to wear at 40k have purchased seat covers but this is my only issue. Show details ·  1

Great car but Apple CarPlay connection is making me mad – It is my daily car to drive to work. Great car to drive but I have been frustrated with the Apple CarPlay which keeps cutting on and off on warm day. The worst time is the hot day in summer which it would take more than 15 minutes to connect to CarPlay. Talked to Subaru Service when I put my car in for service. Of course, no issue occurring… Read more

during service and they reckoned that my USB cable was no good. I have tried many new cables and the problem doesn’t go away.

Very disappointed – Never again will I buy a Subaru. Two years old and undriveable. Subaru Australia are telling me it’s not a manufacturer fault so not covered under the 5 year warranty. Those warranties are advertising to get people to buy the cars. Show details

Important Features I did not realise before my purchase. I thought Subarus Were better – I Purchased a staff used 2018 Subaru XV with 10,000 km on the clock from a subaru dealer in Rosebery. After the horrible sales service from the Roseberry dealer. I noticed the XV that sells for $40,000.00 New that it does not have some very important features that probably would have made me look at other brands if I had known. -Does not have… Read more

Auto Door Lock feature that comes standard in most cars these days. Even A cheap 2016 Kia I was using for work had this.

-Can not permanently disable auto stop/start this feature is only put into cars to help the manufactures reach emission tests and the system will not stay off it resets to ON when you start the car again. It puts serious wear and tear on the car and saves very little petrol.

- Mirrors have an electric folding function however unlike most cars in this price segment they will not fold automatically when the car locks. Even the Mitsubishi ASX and VW Golf have his why does Subaru think no one wants it or cuts it to save costs.

- When on phone calls using the bluetooth system it blocks out the electronic speedo (very annoying) when your trying to watch ur speed.

- If all doors are closed and no windows open the last door to be closed has to be slammed very very hard to get it to close properly it's obviously the air pressure preventing it this could be solved by a simple valve to alleviate internal air pressure.

Probably one of the best things about Subaru is the way they hold their value and their AWD system but if they keep cutting corners they will no longer have the customer base they currently hold.

Great car – Looks great and fits in with the best We had a good look around on most competitors This car ticks all boxes Enough power for around town and country travelling Very comfortable for 2 people,without having to use a ladder to get into Show details ·  1

This is the best car without doubt for safety and comfort in its range – I use this car family transport and transportin my golfing equipment. I use this car every day. I get this car serviced as per the service manual and have had no issues. Show details ·  1

Perfect car without a punch – Perfect for city drive and weekend getaway. But every time you stop in front of traffic light you’ll wish it’s a 2.5 or turbo version you can’t buy in Australia Show details ·  1

Comfortable and great off road , performance not that bad at all – No problem with our 2015 or our new xv. Very good handling , fun to drive off road and as a general commuter, Servicing a little more than 2wd cars but not that bad. Its not a fast car off the mark but considering the average speed limits and everyone saying slow down on the roads i do not see a problem with the power it has, its really ok with us.  Show details ·  1

Great Car For The Money – I have owned a 2019 XV Since September 2019 and love it! The car is the top of the range unit that more than covers all our needs. I was skeptical about owning a Subaru due to never owning a Boxer motor or a CVT transmission. But I was pleasantly surprised at the performance (no race car though) and fuel economy of the vehicle. The eyesight… Read more ·  1

feature is excellent with adaptive cruise control and lane guidance.

The onboard navigation (TomTom Platform) updates itself via your home wifi which is great.

1 x recall so far and that was just an ECM update.

Being top of the range it would have been nice to have an auto tailgate as the top of the line Subaru Outback has.

The local Subaru dealer seems fine and does a good job so far.

We test drove Hyundai Kona, Honda HRV, and CRV, Ford Escape, Nissan x-trail among others before settling on the Subaru.

OK, but – Bought the XV new from local dealer July 2019. Test drove their demo model first, couldn't find any faults. BUT, my car has what seems to be typical Subaru CVT issues. If there was such a thing as kangaroo petrol, I've got it. The car very quickly exhibited jerky acceleration, would shudder when going around 60kmh. Took it back to the dealer,… Read more ·  1

who told me it will settle down. Wrote to Subaru who deftly shunted me sideways to the dealer, whose last words to me were 'drive it hard'. Now the behaviour has shifted to not so subtle roughness when accelerating, so still faulty. It's a real shame, because otherwise it's not bad a s a compact SUV. Total travelled is 7K. I drive our other car in preference to the XV. Won't repeat hit purchase.

Great car, Subaru is excellent – Good car, drives well . Commuting to and fro from work, occasional weekend use. Good driving position and technology has been updated for car play. Recommend as Subaru has less breakdowns in the long run Show details ·  1

Good car - goes anywhere with a small boot – Got a new 2.0-i base model for my wife a few months ago. It goes well and no problems at all, but.....The boot feels like something out of a Toyota Corolla....which was her previous car...So small......That said the driver and passengers are far more comfortable in this Subaru.....considerably more than the Corolla......It is a funny car, seems a… Read more ·  4

bit of wasted space for the factory......we liked the ground clearance of the XV.....and the rugged persona.....but if Subaru did a lift kit on the Impreza hatch...and added X-mode...we would have gone for it.

Contrary to reviews etc....from the XV we are getting 6.5l/100k....consistently in mixed freeway and local Perth driving and better than any review I have read. It feels strong enough and goes where it is pointed......Good car, great quality, and I am impressed enough to be saving up for a Forester.....It has a good size boot.....

Extremely Impressed! – I had never owned a Subaru before and cannot be happier with my purchase, I'm so impressed! The price point is amazing for all the features. We test drove other makes and models with the same features we were looking for but they couldn't beat or even come close to the price of the XV. Love Love Love my Subaru!! Show details

Love this car – After driving so many SUV vehicles and weighing up vehicle features, cost and best value for money the XV wins hands down. We purchased the top of the range for under $40,000 fitted with tow bar, roof racks, floor mats, alloy pedals and a few other accessories. It’s fitted with all the tech you’d find on vehicles worth $60,000. The only advice I… Read more ·  1

will give after owning our vehicle for 3 years with a growing child, check the boot space. We purchased the Subaru and did a couple of checks at he time in relation to boot space however didn't consider growing children, friends, bags etc that go along with that so we have upgraded from the XV. I initially wanted the outback when we purchased the XV but my wife didn't love the styling which still hasn't changed. We have now moved away from the Subaru brand to Toyota, still love the Subaru brand however.

Please think carefully before buying this car! – Huge disappointment about the quality of car including Subaru service! This is my second buying of this Subaru XV 2018, top of the range. On the first day of collection of car, it was found that there was a malfunction on touch screen on a entertainment unit and another major issue on air inlet vents. More precisely, when I closed the vents to… Read more

prevent outside of air from coming into the cabin, but the air kept coming in and it was very unpleasant and all unwanted outside air was directly flowing into the car cabin. Then, I raised the issue through Subaru service and was told to bring the car in the service, then the mechanic went through the inspection and he said it was nothing to worry and was normal which made us very surprised with their reaction. Cut the long story to short, after tedious email conversations with Subaru service, the car was accepted and turned out to be fault and the they said the actuating motor must be replaced. And I had to wait for more than 3 weeks for the part to arrive in Australia from Japan. Besides of that, the unpleasant engine roaring noise was very severe and bothered us while driving. And noticeable outside of air comes in through the door handle which was really ridiculous. In winter, while driving, I had to gently blow my right hand to keep it warm as my hand gets cold. Not only that, when it comes to Apple Car Play.... please don't believe what Subaru advertise about it, it simply doesn't work. It keeps being off a few minutes right after being turned on. I had to bring my car to the service again about Apple Car Play and the service had updated latest software a few times, but it doesn't work even right this minute. The service advised me I should use all Apple genuine USB cable and keep my phone with latest software which all these were already updated and genuine cables. It is not about genuine cables or latest iOS, it is definitely all about Subaru software's instability. I now just gave it up and don't expect anything from Subaru as I have really had it enough. Pleasant driving as they say? The car was so wobbling in driving and when you turn on defrost switch, the reinforced air directly hits your face and hair then it turns back to the inside of the front window. It is really annoying! My previous car was the same 2015 XV top of the range and it was really nice and had never had any issue and the capped service price was very reasonable as they promised. Simply, I highly NOT, NOT, NOT recommend this car. This gives you a lot of hassle and headaches. I am now so regretting that I should have not bought this car. This is my genuine experience with this car for more than 12 months. If you really want to buy Subaru, please go with other model, not XV. But not a great choice for Subaru, please just buy other car makers.

Great little car – I needed a high wheel base vehicle. I bought a demo model that had all the safety tech. It is a smooth ride, my dad loves it, even my Euro car fan beloved loves it. I would like a little better fuel efficiency and the Carplay only works intermittently but otherwise I really like this car. Never had anything so new and hi tech! Show details

Great driving – New to Subaru, great driving so far, however, very new so no apparent issues currently. Would like to see automatic lock feature, always appreciated that in my previous car. Only local driving to date, used for business, planning a small road trip to test more features. Show details

Multiple Paint Chips totally spoil an otherwise great little car – Within 6 months of purchase our new XV, I noticed a number of chips to the paint on the bonnet. I notified the dealer who referred it to The Technical Department of Subaru Australia. Without undertaking any testing (I specifically asked if any tests were done and was told in an email "no"), Subaru determined that the chips were caused by "outside… Read more

influences" (as if that wasn't bleedin' obvious) and that there is no problem with the quality of the paint. This is despite many references on the internet to similar problems with the specific colour of Sunshine Orange. Check them out for yourself.

Since then the number of chips have steadily increased (now 15) and spread to other areas of the car. Our car has never been driven on anything other than suburban roads and highways. Clearly we could now never risk taking it off road. It appears that the paint can't even handle normal suburban driving. Subaru appear untroubled by that. Hardly a vehicle of the "rugged character" were lead to believe it was when we bought it.

Anyone else having similar problems?

I Love my XV! – Ok, I’ve only had it a month but I love my new XV-S. I bought it because it was the best value SUV in the my budget range ... the other contender was the Mazda CX3 which I thought was pretty unexceptional. It is so smooth, no engine vibrations and drives nice and tightly on the road. It took a while to trust the Stop/start at traffic lights… Read more ·  1

etc and to get used to the adaptive cruise control and some of the other features like the lane keep assist which are all quite new for me but it’s been easy to learn and integrate all the safety features into my driving. The interior is well appointed and comfortable and plenty of room in the back although the cargo area is not big.

My only negative is that the radio cannot seem to pick up and tune in the radio stations accurately ... especially since my Mazda 2 had no problems and could pick them up loud and clear. I don’t listen to the radio very often but I’ve downloaded a radio tuning app to my phone and can very clearly get the radio stations now through Apple Carplay better and clearer than going through the Subaru radio.

CVT not good – This car is great except for one MAJOR glaring fault. It has a CVT transmission which shudders and jerks in bumper to bumper situations (Sydney traffic) at low speeds, when the revs are between 1000 and 18000 rpm. Not a comfortable driving situation. Seems like it is on the verge of stalling. If it wasn't for that extremely annoying trait this… Read more

would be an excellent car. The problem is so bad I am going to sell it and NEVER buy another CVT transmission. Also - I have researched this issue and it is obvious it is not just my car but a design fault. American owners are requesting a recall or a lawsuit.

Update - I didn't sell due to too much loss because of depreciation. My car now has 75000 klms on the odometer. Once it passed 30000 klms the above mentioned problem stopped. I am not sure if it was due to a software update to the cars CVT controller, or if it just needed to be "worn in", however the problem no longer exists. I service the car exclusively with Subaru, and I suspect that they have updated the software during one of the usual scheduled services. I have now raised the star rating of this vehicle from 2 to 5.

Great car - no regrets buying it – Okay I am not a car buff so I just wanted a comfy car that is safe and useful. This is our main car - but I have kept my old Jazz as second car. (The Jazz has a bigger boot though) Love the car very much and the eyesight safety is brilliant. So safe and this made it very cheap it insure - less than $500 comprehensive. Love all the features,… Read more

but wish the boot was as big as the Jazz.

Cost wise it was amazing value really. So pleased we bought it.

2018 XV L great car so far – My wife changed over from a 2010 Forestor, and is very happy with the XV experience. Took a little while to get used to the new generation controls and work out what features she wanted to use. Recently completed a Melb > Sydney return trip in it. Very comfortable over long distances with very good fuel economy. Found the start stop… Read more ·  3

feature annoying at first when we go to the city, but found it was easily controlled by easing off brake pressure when stopped, the the motor keeps running. Or just switch it off on the dash. Most of our driving is regional.

CVT seems to loom large in peoples mind, and i was interested to see what it is like. We really dont notice it in normal operation.

Seems a very competent car and build quality is way better than competitors.

Practical, Safe rugged car – I am now on my sixth Subaru. From the Sportswagon, two Foresters, and Impreza, and Outback and now a 2018 XV. I've had nothing but reliability. No Subaru has ever let me down or cost me a fortune. The XV is the best car ever. The Safety tech ad creature features are just amazing. I have only ever got these cars serviced once a year, on their… Read more

birthday, by the dealer. I do about 10Km per year. 80% in town, the rest off-road. I don't do mods to them, just add some amateur radios and antennae. Go Subaru!

About the best in our application - all considered – We are a family of 2 adults and 3 teenagers. We live in a rural area, and our big focus is practicality. We detest glitz … preferring to leave such frivolity to city folks. So when it came time to replace our stalwart X Trail the list looked a bit tedious. The brief we needed filled was - it had to have 4WD capacity; had to be basic .... carpet… Read more

and leather is for loungerooms ... not cars; It needed good clearance, and it had to have space for our monstrous boy's legs in the back. That was it!!

Tried a Hyundai Kona … but with our knees brushing against the dash, and even less room in the back …. it seemed more of a joke than anything else!! The fact that I couldn't fit under it even to visualise the engine oil drain plug didn't help its cause!

Reference to the "Australia's Best Cars 2018" website revealed a heady performance by the XV … taking out second place from all comers in its class …. and there were a stack of them. So off we went to have our first serious look at a Subaru … ever. And we walked out an hour later having signed up on the spot!! There was no need to look anywhere else!

Ooodles of leg room front and back - belying it's "small" look. Ground clearance was unbelievable …. we have yet to find anything on the market that compares in the class. Even more than the X Trail it's replacing. The vehicle is only available with an automatic transmission … and a CV one at that. We have slashed a star off the score just for this. We are staunch manual transmission people, and cannot fathom why many manufacturers are dropping this option from their lineups. Having said that though, it's not hard to learn to live with the CVT with its unusual (to us) joltiness … and the steering mounted paddles easily allow manual up and down changes.

The engine oil filter is mounted right at the upper front of the engine. If this is any indication, this car will be an absolute cinch to maintain …. we do all our own.

At first we didn't like the "engine cut out while idling at traffic lights" thing … but again we have adapted to "get" this. It will probably result in a more expensive battery, with more frequent replacement … but this remains to be seen, and living out of town, this feature doesn't come into play all that often for us. The feature can be de-activated, but it has to be done every time you start the car if you don't want it.

The daytime running lights for this model are the front fog lights … and it doesn't seem to be able to be deactivated. This leads to an interesting conversation - in QLD it is illegal to drive in daylight with fog lights if it isn't foggy or raining. This car has passed Aust design standards… so we should be OK …. maybe!!

We love the fabric seats with their loud orange highlight stitching …. but some may not. Seats are comfy. No seat warmers at this spec level … we couldn't care less!! Rear centre seat has an odd seatbelt arrangement. The belt originates from an outlet in the rear back cargo area. When needed it has to be physically grabbed and fed through a permanently placed guide arrangement mounted above the centre seat back. It looks and sounds a bit odd …. but is simple and intuitive in use. Doesn't worry us at all … but may others.

Many have accused this model as being "gutless". Wonder why they bought an SUV?! We are more than happy with the engine. It revs along sweetly, and without fuss. We are obliged to ascend and descend the Toowoomba Range at least twice daily each weekday, and are happy with the car's performance … even fully laden. The fuel usage has varied from between 7.4L to 8.0L/100KM (measured) averaged. This is well above the usage of the X Trail … and is a bit of a shame considering the XV has a 300Kg weight advantage, and 9 years worth of evolution over the X Trail. Added to this is the fact that the onboard computer is over generous by around 0.9L/100KM with its usage calcs. The worst by far of the three computer equipped cars we own. We have no clue why it's so difficult for manufacturers to get this right!!

I have an awful suspicion that this model comes with a space saver spare …. but at least it's a spare!!

We found out after delivery that there are NO air outlets in the back. Yep, you heard right - climate controlled A/C, but no rear outlets!! Rear windows open all the way down. We can't stand those awful articles that only go half way down.

The car has a bit of a sassy look about it. It's primary driver will be the mother of the family … and she absolutely loves it. It has a lot more tech in it than we were expecting at the price point, and it's on dash info display centre has several intuitive screens available showing very useful information. The Android system is intuitive to use, the synthesised voice is very clear to understand, and is accurate in its interpretation of our own voices.

Make no mistake about it - the cargo area is SMALL … but we bought the car having taken that into account. It's fine for us. Towing capacity is light on … but again is OK for us.

Overall we're very pleased with this car's simplicity, and just what we got for the money. It's a faithful little mate that has found its niche very easily, and … it has 4WD. If only it came in a manual!!

Best in class – The new generation XV is as good as it gets for its class, even though it lacks sprinting engine grunt at 115KW it performs well on and off road and is more than adequate power for normal driving. It is the only real all wheel drive and its sure footed handling quickly shows on unpaved or rough roads. In handling it grips the road and takes even… Read more

sharp corners and pot holes in stride and the steering wheel has a very responsive feel. The road noise is minimal even at highway speeds and the eyesight assist system works well. Only gripe is with the rough stop-start mechanism in traffic when the engine comes back to life with a jolt. The premium model is the best value for money. Fuel economy is quite good and averages about 8 liters for 100 kms in combined city/highway traffic. The icing on the cake is that in the days of gouging fuel prices, the XV runs perfectly well on regular unleaded 91 RON. The fit and finish is above average and no interior or exterior rattles or noises detected so far. From a previous Lexus owner, with an eye for quality and reliability, Subaru has met the challenge. However, Subaru needs to match the 5 year or 7 year warranty of its competitors as only 3 years coverage makes it sound like Subaru is not sure about the quality and reliability of its cars. All cars sold after 2016 should be covered under a retrospective 5 year warranty.