Faults:

Anti-roll bar bushes failed at 60,000 miles.

(Original) clutch failed at 82,000 miles - not bad considering it's dealing with over 300 lb/ft of torque and 4wd.

Eats tyres.

General Comments:

Stunning car which is still a match for the Impreza and Evo boys. Engine is a thorough rework of the Cosworth / Ford 2.0 unit by ex-works Ford driver Andy Rouse and his engineering team. Develops a massive 300 lb/ft of torque which peaks low and holds through the rev range. Stunning in-gear acceleration will blow just about anything away. 60-80 in 4th takes just 2.5 seconds! No lag, no rough edges, just a wave of torque which squeezes you into the seat. It might be outdragged off the line by some of the more heavily tuned Cossies and Scoobys, but in any real road situation, this car just squats and leaves them standing. It still makes me laugh after all this time.

The chassis was also sorted by Rouse and sports reworked suspension and revised geometry. Steering has bags of feel and the gearbox is slick despite a slightly long throw. There is stupendous grip when cornering hard, and if you push on, it will give way to controllable power oversteer thanks to the rear biased 4wd system.

The whole car has a sorted, balanced feel and it's a testament to the engineering quality that despite 94,500 miles, this nigh on 150 bhp per litre engine is still rattle free, smooth and seriously quick. Even the oil consumption hasn't increased much.

This car does everything. It will cruise motorways in comfort with 5 people on board and a bootful of luggage, yet it will embarass much bigger badges on both road and track. I'm not sure a car exists today which can match its all round ability which is why I will never sell it!

Faults:

The only fault to date has been a new battery at 56000 miles and this was only after leaving it for 2 weeks at Gatwick Airport.

General Comments:

So far this car has been seriously cheap motoring.

The car was bought with one previous owner and a full service history so had been well looked after.

The auto box is well suited to the engine making the car very relaxed and easy to drive.

It can feel unstable and its road manners are not up to modern standards.

Long journeys are comfortable and easy.

Faults:

Clutch cable snapped and the front discs were warped when I bought it.

General Comments:

The XR4x4 is a an absolutely storming car. Its blisteringly quick with massive torque, giving a quick ride even with 5 people in it. There's not much that can beat it to 60mph and even less to 100. It tops out at about 140mph (on a private road of course) and handles superbly, especially in the wet when the four wheel drive comes into its own. Replace the lame front seats with Cosworth Recaros, and you've got a real flyer for less than £1500.