Used Subaru Outback v Holden Adventra v Ford Territory v Volvo XC70
Subaru introduced the concept of a four-wheel-drive wagon based on a conventional family car (if you could call any Subaru 'conventional') back in the 1970s, so it was appropriate for this to be the company to take the next step up the soft road.
This was the Outback, which made its debut in 1996. Where 1970s Subeys were agricultural in character, the Outback combined the civility, refinement and spaciousness of a Liberty wagon with increased ground clearance, dual-range gearbox and the visual cue of two-tone paintwork to link it with offroad culture.
Arriving in time to accommodate grey nomads not in need of a LandCruiser and two-tonne caravan, the Outback also appealed to family wagon buyers desiring a little more ability.
Rivals took a while to follow with Volvo first a year later with its first V70 XC, a vehicle severely compromised by lack of ground clearance as well as the wrong wheel/tyre combination. The Swede's second attempt was far better.
Holden took a short cut by beefing up and lifting up the Commodore wagon to create the Adventra, while Ford Australia bravely developed a whole new wagon, the Territory, based on Falcon underpinnings.
How clever were these people? They realised that some customers (read most customers) did not really want all-wheel drive, at all. They wanted the carrying capacity, the (slightly) higher ride height, the elevated driving position and the tougher look.
Despite some similarities, the Territory and Outback represent opposite approaches to the medium softroader question. Indeed all four vehicles spotlighted here are utterly different in character and considerably different in their strengths and weaknesses, all of which shows how new this market sector is.
TheFord Territory celebrated its third birthday in April this year, and quite a few are finding their way onto the used market. How well does the innovative Ford shape up to its rivals, both on the road and off it?
SUBARU OUTBACK (more here)
In October 2003, Subaru introduced a new shape Outback. Rather misleadingly, this model is referred to as Generation IV -- even though there have only been three shapes, the first running from late 1995 to August 2000 and the second for the next three years.
The familiar 2.5-litre horizontally-opposed four-cylinder engine shared with the Liberty (on which the Outback is based), has been the standard engine on all models but a 3.0-litre six was released from August 2000 in its own dedicated variant known as the H6. This engine is also 'flat' in configuration but lacks the kind of low-down torque one might expect from a six-pack of its size.
When the current series arrived in 2003, the name H6 was dropped in favour of 3.0R. Apart from its more interesting appearance, this latest version also boasts a much improved interior, essentially shared with the Liberty range.
The Outback has always had 200mm ground clearance, which gives it good rough road ability. But the low range is not truly 'low' in the LandCruiser sense and for those intending to tackle steep climbs, the automatic model is preferable because the torque converter enables slower speeds to be sustained without mechanical damage (to the clutch in a manual!).
On the road, the Outback drives like a Liberty with less grip and more body roll. The ride comfort is good over all surfaces.
Performance from the 121kW 2.5-litre engine is only fair, as the Outback has stacked on a bit of weight over the years, while economy is still good at about 11.5lt/100km overall. Despite its shortfall of torque, the 180kW 3.0-litre engine provides sparkling acceleration along with a increase in thirst.
The distinctive engine sound is an acquired taste but overall the Outback is an impressively refined vehicle of high quality.
Prices of 2003-2004 Outbacks start at about $25K for high km examples and climb to about $43K for a low km six-cylinder Premium variant with leather and other inclusions.
HOLDEN ADVENTRA (more here)
Holden probably made a mistake introducing its Adventra as a V8-only vehicle in October 2003 as a VY Series II. Performance from the 5.7-litre 235kW engine was outstanding but economy was, er, poor. At a steady 100km/h figures in the order of 12lt/100km were attainable but the overall consumption was more in the 15-16lt region.
A six-cylinder engine was not offered until March 2005 when the VZ Commodore range was introduced but by this time the Adventra's poor sales results looked to be a permanent condition.
Because it was essentially a high-ridin' Commodore wagon with some macho 4WD visual treatment and a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system underneath it, the Adventra failed to find the sweet spot with buyers wanting to make a strong all-wheel-drive statement. In fact, it was and is an excellent vehicle with surprising offroad ability.
On the road it drives very well, although the steering is somewhat unevenly weighted. The ride is plush. Finish is okay, but not to Japanese standards. And the styling is very dated.
Probably the best news is that depreciation has savaged the Adventra and you can now buy a CX8 for $30K and $40K has become the ceiling. The luxurious leather-trimmed LX8 variant with very low km, at this figure, is now just two-thirds of its original price.
FORD TERRITORY (more here)
Ford Australia took advantage of not being among the first companies to launch what the Americans like to call a Sports Utility Vehicle. The engineers and marketing people were able to look long and hard at existing vehicles, chief among them the Subaru Outback and the BMW X5.
Midway through the design process, the saga of the rollover Ford Explorers began to change Ford's reputation. Choosing between a higher and lower ride height, the engineers chose the latter in the interest of vehicle stability.
So that's why the Territory has limited offroad ability because its ground clearance is a carlike 180mm -- not much more than a Falcon. It is also why some of the advertising is misleading. Great on a beach or on any kind of road, the Territory is absolutely not a go-anywhere vehicle. No matter, it has hit the spot, though Ford selling more rear-drive than AWD variants tells a story.
The 182kW Falcon six-pack provides reasonable performance but consumption is heavy at an average of 14lt/100km due to the sheer mass of the vehicle.
The Territory in all-wheel-drive form weighs 2100kg, compared with a little less than 2000 for the Adventra. Much lighter are the Outbacks with the four-cylinder at 1440 and the six at 1570.
Prices of the AWD variants of the SX Territory (May 2004 to October 2005 when the SY went on sale) range from $33-$48K.
VOLVO XC70 CROSS COUNTRY (more here)
The first Volvo XC, sold here from 1998 to 2000, was a half-hearted gesture, lacking sufficient clearance and wearing the wrong kind of wheels and tyres. Because its ground clearance was less than 180mm it did not qualify for the lower rate of duty applied to offroad vehicles.
The second-generation Volvo is the real deal, however. Its 147kW turbocharged five-cylinder engine gives it strong performance, good overall economy in the 12.5lt/100km range, and a distinctive engine note.
Inside and out, it is arguably the most stylish vehicle of this group, as well as the most expensive. The permanent all-wheel drive system normally feeds 95 per cent of torque to the front wheels but automatically switches to 50/50 when required.
Very high km cars can be obtained for less than $20K but lower mileage 2001 models typically cost from $35-40K.
THE CARSALES NETWORK'S PICK OF THE BUNCH
The Driver's Choice
More than usually, this answer will depend on the driver. Choosing between the Adventra V8 and the Outback 3.0R is difficult, but the rear-drive bias of the Holden edges it ahead for the enthusiast, especially on the road rather than on tracks or the beach. The Territory Turbo would be best of all (except offroad), but it is outside this comparison and the naturally-aspirated variant, like the four-cylinder Outback, is short of grunt.
From the backseat
This will always be between the Cross Country and the Territory with most kids choosing the latter.
The Sensible Choice
The Outback 3.0R offers strong performance and reasonable fuel economy in a beautifully-made vehicle with offroad ability to equal the Adventra and surpass the low-slung Territory.
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