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Honest John Reviews SsangYong

SsangYong Rexton (2003 – 2012) Review

SsangYong Rexton (2003 – 2012) At A Glance

2/5

+Well equipped for the money. Some have seven seats. Capable off-road and a tough all-round workhorse. Keen prices.

-Dreadful ride and horrible handling. Some dubious trim, such as the plastic wood.

Insurance Groups are between 26–29
On average it achieves 102% of the official MPG figure

It's obviously designed to supply a lot of status. The styling isn't quite the way Land Rover would do it, but when you see Rextons in glass and chrome showrooms in places like Bangkok you can understand how they are trying to nick a chunk of the fat cat 4x4 market. All this is very important because if it doesn't grab you that way then there is no point at all in buying a top-spec Rexton 270 SX XDI which is the subject of this test.

Adopting a completely different mind-set, the Rexton 290E Tdi does make a huge amount of sense to farmers and anyone needing a cheap, big, basic 4x4 to haul something heavy. Like a 3,500 kilo livestock trailer, horsebox, chrome caravan or mobile hamburger stand. The difference is the list price: just £17,499 on the road for a massive motor, the only gap in the spec of which is a lack of aircon.

What do owners think of the SsangYong Rexton (2003 – 2012)? Check out our Owners' Reviews from people who live with the car day in, day out.

Real MPG average for a SsangYong Rexton (2003 – 2012)

RealMPG

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Average performance

102%

Real MPG

26–35 mpg

MPGs submitted

14

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

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Reviews for SsangYong Rexton (2003 – 2012)'s top 3 rivals

Kia Sorento
3/5
Has the hardware and ability for serious off-roading. Easy-going, pleasant drive. Useful tow car. Owners...
Hyundai Santa Fe
3/5
Pleasant, relaxing drive. Kitted out generously. V6 makes a good sound. A lot of 4x4 for the money.
Mitsubishi Shogun
2/5
Excellent tow car and rugged off-roader. Better ride quality than the previous Shogun.

Ask Honest John

I need a reliable, sub-£10k vehicle to tow a horsebox. What do you advise?

"I'm looking for a good tow car under £10,000 to tow a horsebox with minimum braked towing weight of 3000kg. Running cost and reliability are most important."
We'd recommend a Toyota Land Cruiser. You'll be looking at quite an old one (probably from around 2007) but they're very reliable and capable of towing 3000kg. Alternatively, a SsangYong Rexton makes an excellent tow car and you'll get a much newer one for your budget.
Answered by Andrew Brady

Used car is faulty after 4 days - can I reject it?

"I bought a 2005 Ssangyong Rexton with 143,000 miles on the clock from a dealer two weeks ago. When I bought the car the seller told me that there was an intermittent engine light problem, but he said he had investigated it and it was nothing. The car also had its oil topped up prior to collection and need a jump start, due to its battery being flat – again the dealer said this was nothing as the car had been standing a long time. I bought car at £300 discount, but the faults were nothing to do with the discount, we had established the reduction before I even saw the car. They also gave me three months warranty. I took car home, next day didn't start had to jump off, in fact everyday needed jumping off. I drove it four days in total then discovered diesel leaking from the injectors. I told the garage the engine light wasn't intermittent, the battery was shot and the oil leak was in fact injector seals and I was told to get the work done then claim on the warranty, But i have to pay first, which I can’t afford to do. The seller has also refused to replace the battery, claiming it’s wear and tear. Am I entitled to ask them to pay for the repairs, or send the car back to them to fix or am I entitled to money back?"
No one can claim for the injectors on the warranty because the fault existed before the warranty was taken out and this would be criminal fraud. Take the car back to the dealer and demand your money back. Threaten court action if he refuses. Law here: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/consumer-rights/
Answered by Honest John

Seven seater tow car

"I need a reliable seven seater which will tow my caravan, 1300kg. I have 6-7k to spend. You've always come up with winners in the past, what would you recommend?"
Don't know about a Rexton. No feedback. Not nice to drive. A Nissan Terrano II 3.0 would do the job. Decent reports of them. Santa Fe much better from 2010, but way out of your price bracket.
Answered by Honest John
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