Faults:

Passenger seat bolsters are wearing. Not a manufacture or quality fault, just due to a my passengers sliding in and out.

General Comments:

This is only the second car I've owned and the first thing that strikes me is the size. Its massive inside and out, great for holidays and carting rubbish to the tip.

Inside It has a high quality feel to it, Recaro seats, twin DIN CD and cassette radio and positive feeling switches, with more electrics than you can shake a stick at (windows, sunroof, aerial, rear window, mirrors)

If you take this car out in the dry it's a great drive and handles like a car with soft suspension. Take it out in the wet and beware. With the large tires and no weight over the rear end it slides like on ice.

I have had the car over a year now and am the first UK owner. Regular oil changes keep the car running smooth and once warmed up it just goes and goes. Fuel is no big wow at 25ish to the gallon though, (the Volvo did 45).

For of car of this age it is in great condition no rust or damage. In an attempt to keep it that way all of the arches got pressure washed and undersealed and just before we salt the roads it undergoes a full under-body wax oil.

Although the car rarely sees real off road use it does get put in the odd field and just bounces through them, use the choice of 4wd and the low in the auto box and it will creep along.

My only gripe is that in the UK there are no glaciers to take the car on. If money were no object I'd take the car as it is and have every faith it would take me anywhere I wanted to go.

Faults:

One battery terminal needed replacement as it was badly corroded.

General Comments:

This is my second time owning a Surf, having had a '93 model before (see http://www.carsurvey.org/review_11585.html)

This is a seriously comfortable vehicle. Plenty of leg-room and generally quite spacious, both front and rear. The boot-space is terrific too.

This is the top spec (in theory) SSR-G model, which includes a number of extras, including a rear mounted spare wheel with electric drop down mirror in the rear spoiler for parking etc. This is however one area of poor design, as the wheel badly obscures the view afforded by the mirror. Nice gimmick though.

Seat bolsters are not taking the high mileage incredibly well (but still better than many other manufacturers would).

Fabulous to drive; one of the most car-like driving experiences you can get in a (proper) 4X4.

This in my second Surf; it won't be my last one.