"Bob Edwards" wrote in message
...
Earlier you insisted on concentrating on the "FACTS" - so lets just do
that - it is a fact that I know someone that has moved from a 40k+ merc
to
a
22+ Sorento and genuinely feels that he has lost out on nothing
whatsoever
of any importance other than "the badge". If you know anyone that has
moved from a respected "big name" make costing 40k+ to an Xtrail and
genuinely feels that they have not lost out on anything other than the
badge, then by all means let me know. Personally I dont, and I cant
really
imagine anyone doing so.

Yes - I moved from a top spec. Discovery XS with just about everything and
which cost £35,000 new, to an X-Trail, which in my opinion is a better car
for all the reasons stated previously.

Christ - not the one that What Car give one star out of five to overall??

The bottom line is that the discovery is basically a 22k car and all the
bits that you add to it to push the price up by that amount aint going to
change the basics.

Do the same to the merc I was talking about and you are probably looking at
something obsene like 60k!

For your sake I hope you bought the disco second hand! - or did you really
move from a car that actually cost you 35k to the X-trail??

We all know that you can buy big cars cheap second hand and moving from a
second hand car that cost a lot new but cost you a lot less to a new one
that cost you a similar amount is hardly same as moving from something you
paid 40 for new to something you pay 20k for new. (if that is what you did,
I dont know).


The X-Trail has nearly as much "kit" as the Sorento, apart from maybe
self-levelling (not that good when towing - too rigid for the caravan) and
low range (which I have never used) and the price is comparable, if a
little
cheaper. Therefore the only reason I can think of why you believe the
Sorento is "much more of a car" is that it is BIGGER. Well, if bigger is
better then you have won this argument!

Exactly!!!..................... to a point!

There is some truith in that certainly, but whilst I do accept that "big" is
not best for everyone (it is for me), the REAL POINT is that it would
normally be reasonable to expect a significantly bigger car with similar
spec and similar fundamental "quality" to be a significantly more expensive
car than another model that is definately "the next size down".

Within any one manufacturs range you will see that - a base spec X type jag
is cheaper than the base spec S type although much kit is similar. Same
with Freelander to Disco to range Rover and so on. Please dont try and be
cleaver by pointing out that you can get a ford van for less money than a
ford "something smaller" - I thnk you will understand the point!!

With the Sorento you get a high spec vehicle with probably very similar
usable space to a Range Rover (certainly more than a disco) for the price of
a moderate spec Freelander. The chances are it will prove to be far more
reliable that your average land Rover product to boot.

It will be interesting to see what Kias new smaller 4x4 is like when it
comes out to replace their current very old offering. It is perfectly
possible that it is similar in size to the X-Trail with similar or better
spec and well put together for 5k less - we will just have to wait and see
(may be smaller and cheaper still).

You stick to your Xtrail and you will be happy with it - I will stick with
my Sorento and I will be happy with it - the only difference is I will feel
that I have somehow "beaten the system" because everyone else who has bought
a different vehicle new of the same sort of size and quality, with a nice
3.5v6 engine, auto box, leather, cruise, full time 4x4 plus low ratio box
and loads of other spec will have paid a LOT more for it.




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