After much consideration and testing... my mother has decided the Mitsubishi Outlander is too big for her now that she no longer has to cart Dad around (He died last year)
So after looking at the stretched hatchback with High ride height market (Captiva 5, Skoda yeti, Mitsubishi ASX, Kia Sportage, Kia Soul and the Nissan Cashcow) She settled on the New Suzuki S-Cross.
All the Vehicles she looked at were the 2WD Variants and not the AWD so since most fell in the $25-$28,000 range, She doesnt need AWD as she never even used the dial on the Outlander... ever...
The Nissan Cashcow was too expensive sitting at $28,000 and it didn't really have anything more than the S-Cross did except for a Bigger motor...
The Captiva 5 2.4 petrol felt gutless and the Interior was not all that good.
The ASX chews the same amount of fuel as the Outlander.. No point changing to a New vehicle if it is going to cost the same amount in fuel.
The Kia Sportage was nice but it sat a little too high for my mothers liking and despite Kia's best efforts it still handles like a small 4x4 even in 2WD option. Also the lowest Price they would go was Cashcow Money at $28G.
The Kia Soul, a little too small in the rear to be comfortable and they only make the 1 model now called the Si and its $28,000... Too much cash for not alot of metal. Boot was surprisingly bigger than I thought.
The Skoda Yeti we looked at was indeed very nice, But its 1.2 litre Turbo 4 cylinder engine felt a little lack lustre until the boost came on and at $25G plus onroads... a Little dear.
The S-cross was the least expensive and has the least amount of power on paper It has a tiny 1.6 litre engine compared to the normal SX4's 2.litre engine... but the S-Cross is larger.
(Not sure what Suzukis reasoning is for dropping capacity in a larger vehicle but apparently it was to do with fuel saving)
We managed to score a NEW S-Cross GL Automatic for $19,990 (Yes we are trading our Outlander in on it and there was ALOT of back and fourth between two dealers vying for the money)
(Free Auto Upgrade was on offer aswell making it more affordable as the Auto is Normally a $2500 option on the GL Model.)
On the test drive I was impressed.. This tiny 1.6 litre engine coupled to the CVT gearbox actually felt pretty good..
The Base model does get the same CVT as the Higher up model but there are no flappy paddle gear changers so you cannot change the gears yourself.... If you want that You have to get the GLX model which is another $6G.
The Base model Auto has a sport button which allows the CVT to rev out higher, but its not really a HUGE difference.
We found the tallest hill within the local area and the CVT coped with it with ease.
Its no race car... but its not as slow to take off as the Captiva 5 was.
The Front seats feel good, The dash layout looks easy to navigate and the speedo and tacho are highlighted in Blue and white so its easy on the eyes at night.
The Base model is neither spectacular or terribly well equipped but for the $19,990 Mum is spending... Its decent value.
It has cruise, Blue-tooth,Trip computer with Distance till Empty and Outside temperature Display and the radio sounds good for what it is.. a 4 Speaker MP3 CD with USB.
The rear seat is comfortable and easy on the back... Its not a park bench. Every door gets a bottle holder big enough for 600ml Coke bottle or 1litre Sports drink bottles.
The boot has a 12v outlet and is split level so you can store things under the false floor.
There is a decent amount of rear leg room and head room in the back seat even for a 6.1ft chunky brother like me...
Downsides :
Although the rear seat is Comfortable, 3 People are gonna be a tight squeeze.. More suited to 2 people on a long trip as opposed to 3.
Even though every door gets a bottle holder, there is no rear arm rest or cup holders so could get a little tiring on long journeys.(Base model)
Base Model Auto has no manual mode..
The 1.6 litre motor on the CVT is best described as Adequate rather than outstanding.
You also only get a space saver spare wheel...
The rear hatch has a small rear window so rear visibility makes a reversing camera mandatory and sadly this is a $1100 option.(Upper spec models get Camera and sat nav as standard)
Towing capacity is 400kg unbraked or 1200 Braked so even though the S-cross is a larger vehicle than the SX4, It is also lighter and the 1.6 litre engine doesn't display a huge amount of Torque.
The Gap between the Base model GL and the next level up is HUGE...
Entry models start at $23G and then the Next model up is $29G (Add another $2500 if you want Auto on the base model ) The range topper with AWD and Leather Interior is $37G..
The Top Spec Model is really well fitted out but comes with a matching price tag.
Conclusion
If your in the market for a Wagon that has the ride height of an SUV then the S-cross fits the bill.
If you can do some wheeling and dealing and get a good Price then its good value. Take advantage of the Free Auto upgrade while it lasts as spending $2500 on a Auto transmission in this vehicle is not worth it.
I cannot see the Value in this Vehicle if it was not for the free auto upgrade. $26G would be too much to pay for what you get. $23G is a far better price.
The Manual model is more sporty than the CVT and is a better choice of transmission for the base model...
As with all cars.. its a matter of personal tastes...
Take one for a test drive.. I was surprised with the performance of such a small motor in such a big car... but Suzuki should have given it a Turbo at least to make up for the lack of capacity.
We take delivery at the end of the month so stay tuned for a long term review..
