90 County Station Wagon 2dr SUV

If you understand why you are buying - a gem.

I've had this vehicle for 6 years now after 17 years with a Series 3 leaf sprung model with drum brakes. I've posted up this review after a previous one - so banal and infantile in it's content - prompted me to bring (hopefully) a little sanity to those considering such a vehicle. First off - it's a 1948 design and only ended production a couple of years ago. Anything in production for nearly seven decades deserves a little respect. It is - was - and always will be - a workhorse. Anyone buying one just for vanity seem to end up hating them. Sorry - but if you sink thousands into such a vehicle without understanding what it's built for, then you are an i****. Would you book a family holiday in Siberia in February and complain it's cold? Right.
So - these vehicles evolved in Darwinesque fashion from the 1948 design as needs evolved. In my case - I needed to tow two tonnes in moderate comfort with brakes that did not boil. Roof rack a heavy canoe easily to get to awkward locations. Needed something without a lot of electronic frippery that could not be repaired with rudimentary tools and without huge expense. Needed car that did not depreciate if looked after. Enter a low mileage, well cared for 200Tdi that was as clean as the day it left the showroom and had been maintained well.
Put simply - it does the job. It's never broken down - not once in the 15k miles I've put on it. It tows without a murmur. Off roads in places others simply cannot reach. On the motorway for long distances it's misery. Slow, thirsty and rather noisy. Around town it's cumbersome and awkward - like a 6' rugby player in an infant school classroom. So - leave it at home and use the urban hatchback for both those occasions. You can get cheap, good parts. You learn basic mechanics. Looked after properly - you have a vehicle that could (depending on your age) outlast you. Oh - and wherever you go - people seem to open doors for you. You aren't seen as some urban poseur talking their dog to the poodle parlour. You are seen as a worker - doing a job of work. People respect that.

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