6 Months after the Discovery died, we have bought a used Nissan X-Trail (Nov 2007 T31 Model). It has all the luxuries we used to live without, but are quite happy to accept. Mick used to disparagingly call these oversized puddle-jumpers "N-Trails", but now has a new respect for them.

Try getting 6.8 Litre/100klm from Sydney to Wollongong in a Landrover (also a 2.5 L engine)! Add to that a healthy 2 Tonne load on the tow-bar, and 125 kW power, 226Nm of torque, and overall we are not complaining, especially for a humble $20,000. It has great road manners also. OK, it ain't a big-time 4WD, but its 4WD system is remarkably clever. It even has the descent control its big cousins have! It just doesn't have quite the clearance of some, nor a low-range (probably Mick's one slight regret).

Mick has already "blooded" the car as a workhorse this weekend by hitching up the trailer and moving 1 Sq Metre of dirt. In 3 weeks He takes it and a bunch of students to the Snow country for a mission retreat; and in 6 weeks we go to Parkes for a week of camping at Mamre Farm with Jeff Evans and the Vision Ministries crew.

Tags: New Car