Hi, newbie here. Just joined as last week I ordered an Outlander Warrior with leather - hopefully here in 2 to3 weeks. If I'm honest I did have a CRV EX lined up as my first choice but after turning down a red one (with 19" upgraded alloys for free) found out that Honda were only subsidising them through June and the price went up significantly and out of the range I wanted to pay.

Anyway, looked around for another 4WD SUV and liked the look of the Outlander more than the rest (probably more than the CRV actually) so checked a few reviews and decided to order one. Ok, I don't get all the toys that I would have got on the CRV but hey, you live and learn...

A few questions:

I've read a number of reviews that say that the 2.0 VW diesel engine is poor low down and very noisy - is that true? I'm coming from a 2.0T petrol engine so I'm guessing that any diesel may sound noisy but is this one worse than most.

Also, what is the resin guard at the front of the warrior for? I'm guessing that it's just there to make the car look a little more 'rough and ready' - but doe they serve any sort of purpose? I prefer the look of the other models without it but it is the Warrior that has the good deal on at the moment.

Any other advise on the car would be appreciated. I've never had a 4WD/SUV/Diesel/Mitsubishi before...

Apologies - just noticed that this isn't a UK based forum so my question might not be appropriate.