Estate 2.5i SE Premium Lineartronic 5dr

Better than expected

Difficult to choose the perfect car for my forestry job. No wish to haul a heavy diesel 4x4 around and not convinced of hybrid vehicles many of which have no spare wheel - an essential piece of kit in my opinion. The Outback also has an opening sunroof and bags of standard kit although I would like a heated windscreen.
After three Freelanders (great design and great for my job) returning to petrol brings almost silent motoring. The 2.5 petrol engine simply purrs along. It can be noisy when overtaking but careful use of the accelerator helps the CVT make quieter decisions. The really good news is that my first 2,500 miles show a recorded 40.2 mpg which is someway better than I had expected. I do not do much town driving and accept that it's much thirstier in that environment but for rural Scotland it's a great drive.
The adjustable steering wheel would benefit from more travel for tall people. To have the wheel comfortably in hand my legs are bent more than I'd like.
As a tall person I'd also prefer the tail gate to open a little higher. My head is already getting used to a few collisions - not sure how I missed that at the test drive?

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