Should you buy one?

Unless you fit into a very specific use case, no. The Subaru XV is a very tough car to justify. Against more conventional compact SUVs – like the Peugeot 3008 or Toyota RAV4 – the Subaru’s old-fashioned interior, high running costs and miserable engine mean it feels about a decade behind the competition.

The XV isn’t particularly comfortable or spacious, nor is it much fun to drive on the tarmac. It’ll cost a lot to fuel, and Subaru’s limited dealer network could leave you out of support unless you live close to one.

If you truly need to go off-road with regularity – to places where simply equipping a normal car with mud and snow tyres wouldn’t help – then the XV may suit, as it’s much better on the rough stuff than anything in its class. But in these scenarios we wonder why a double-cab pickup truck or a used example of something like a Toyota Land Cruiser wouldn’t be a better bet.

On the plus side, the XV is well-equipped, should prove very reliable and has an admirable amount of safety kit.

Historically Subaru hasn’t been able to offer much in the way of deals, and in particular was forced to charge higher APR on its cars due to the size of its UK operation, which automatically cuts out a large swathe of new car buyers.

What we like

It’s technically interesting and looks different enough to stand out from the crowd.

What we don’t like

It’s inefficient, expensive and not especially good to drive on road. Another question is whether the local Subaru dealer is local enough for you. There aren’t huge amounts around and they’re usually in rural locations, so if you’re a city buyer then check first.