SecondHandSense: Ssangyong RextonAt the other end of the scale from the BMW X5 and the Volvo XC 90 there is the unsung Ssangyong Rexton, a car that has none of the cachet of the former two but costs a damn sight less than them, writes Donal Byrne.
This fairly massive Korean four wheel drive is unlikely to make you any friends with an environmental conscience on the basis of its size alone. There is a justified demand for four wheel drives as working vehicles and the Rexton is a fairly honest offering in this respect.
The Rexton has been around for four years now and has been selling in reasonable numbers to those who actually need its capabilities and are smart enough not to be swayed by image alone. You won't see too many farmers driving X5s or XC 90s but the Rexton has attracted a certain following, both in its commercial and passenger guises.
Made in Korea, the Rexton is a typically Korean car. Its looks are curious and rather dull but it has very good levels of standard equipment. Its image is poor enough and people don't usually recognise the name.
But it is very well priced and represents a value-for-money package, as long as you have a requirement for four-wheel drive. This is not a city car. It is simply too big to drive in town, has a huge turning circle and can be almost impossible to park in confined spaces.
This is a working car that will do an impressive job towing a horsebox (I checked with an owner recently) and it provides plenty of interior space for passengers and storage.
Inside the Rexton is quite well finished and is better than many Korean cars, although there is the usual mass of dull plastic and this doesn't add to a sense of comfort, looking as it does - cheap. Seats are big and comfortable and the boot is very generous. There is a choice of five or seven-seat versions.
The newer 2.7-litre diesel engine is from the Mercedes stable and provides ample performance and pulling power but the engine fitted in the first year of the Rexton's life - the 2.9-litre diesel - is entirely agricultural.
However, you will not find even the newer Rexton a refined drive. It is noisy and lacks finesse but it chugs along nicely when you wind it up.
Fuel consumption is not great either and four-wheel drive will consume fuel faster than you can fill a tank.
The Rexton has not been crash tested in the EuroNCAP crash test programme (but it does have multiple airbags, ABS and an electronic stability programme) and there is no list of major recalls for the car. An internet trawl does not reveal any very serious gripes from owners.
A 2005 version with extras such as alloys, leather upholstery, air conditioning, electric windows, metallic paint and various other items of kit and with 29,000 kilometres on the clock is on offer for €33,995.
A 2004 car with similar equipment but without the leather has 63,000 kilometres on the clock and is on sale for €26,500.