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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: dave1068 on September 12, 2021, 07:06:41 AM
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Any 2016-2018 Crosstrek or Forester owners here?
If so, how do you like them, ride, comfort, long term maintainence costs, 4x4 use in snow, etc etc
Also, wont dont you like about them
Thanks,
D
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Sorry, my Forester is a 2009 but I'm very happy with it and have no reason to get a newer version.. mostly trouble free, just got new tires, new stabilizer links and one wheel bearing ($1400) and she purrs down the road. Superb in snow ( I have winter tires then). About 130k now, new timing belt and plug wires at 105k, $1400. Uses no oil, some do being a boxer engine. Newer version has a timing chain, after that change somewhere in 2012-2015? They had an oil consumption issue, check with google to know more about that.
Love the sunroof, leather interior. I treat it more like a truck, dogs own the back seat, tows a motorcycle trailer with ease.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/Guzzi/i-VSsZ8vd/0/301aa074/M/2020012817551509--8008639330754200387-IMG_0608-M.jpg) (https://fotoguzzi.smugmug.com/Guzzi/i-VSsZ8vd/A)
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The drivers compartment is a bit small.If I’m wearing a baseball hat it hits the roof and I’m 5”10.The doors don’t automatically lock when you start it like my old Saturn Vue did. But I do have the no frills model
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We've got a couple of relatives who have or had the Crosstrek.
Besides it being horribly slow many are not a fan of the CVT used on the automatic models and it seems they might be more prone to transmission failures/repairs than many other modern alternatives.
Most of our personal Subarus (both the Baja, and Impreza Wagon) were manuals and very trouble free.
They all go unbelievably well in rain and snow.
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2014 Outback with the CVT is our family hauler. 60K miles. CVT is fine once you get used to it. BTW - They have offered a 10 year warranty on the CVT.
It's been very reliable and I've not driven anything better in the snow.
I do keep an eye on the oil, and usually add a bit when the oil starts to get old.
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There's always Scotty Kilmer...... :evil:
https://youtu.be/5xylBi6ImiQ
https://youtu.be/qKPnpWd2P-I
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2014 Forester with 140K mi, aka the dogmobile. I keep up with maintenance, but otherwise beat the crap out of it: minimal pride in ownership, and even so, it's been very reliable and I think a good value. Performance is not at all exciting but more than adequate for me. At somewhere over 100K, it started burning a quart of oil in 6k mi. Good in the snow, decent mpg. Overall, a good utilitarian vehicle. I'm definitely considering buying another.
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Appreciate all the replies, of course I did some sunday morning looking while dealers were closed and came across a 2017 MINI COOPER S CLUBMAN ALL4,
an AWD sport car, wasnt familiar with that and performance to boot...
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Can't say about the other models but we have a 13 Outback with the 6 cylinder 3.6 engine and the non-rubberband transmission. No complaints, plenty of power but with slightly less gas mileage. I've towed my CX and could hardly notice it was back there; engine takes a large amount of oil but I always take it to the dealer as they give (suspender snap) free oil changes. I have test driven the new 3.6's with the CV transmission and they are greatly improved over the older models. This is our first Subaru; have owned plenty of Toyota's but grew tired of the local dealer's BS.
I think we have 80K on the vehicle.
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Have a 2019, its my work car and has 155K miles already. Has been reliable and has cost me only regular maintenance. I hear a lot about the CVTs, fingers crossed, no problems. If buying a new one go with the 2.5L engine, the 2.0 is a bit of a slug but I wind mine up to 75mph on the freeway happy as can be to sit there all day.
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The Mini Cooper Countryman All 4 is larger/taller than the Clubman. Clubman is sportier thus a little stiffer ride. Would recommend the manual. In years past Mini has had some issues with their automatics. Not that it has any bearing on your search, but our manual 2006 Mini S went 155,xxx miles on original clutch. We have several friends with Subaru Outbacks and Foresters and they all love their cars.
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(https://i.ibb.co/YQsY2v1/i-r-TZSCjf-4-K.jpg) (https://ibb.co/YQsY2v1)
(https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-rTZSCjf/0/4K/i-rTZSCjf-4K.jpg)
MINI Countryman FTW! :thumb:
I also owned a 2013 Subaru Forester.
Both are excellent values and are computer-controlled AWD so if any family members are intimidated by the levers and operation of part-time 4WD they can rest easy as the vehicle manages traction and torque vectoring at all times.
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A friend of mine needed something bigger than his Mini Cooper S. After searching the market he just wasn't getting excited until I suggested he go back and check out the Countryman. Yup. He went with the Sage Green and brown leather interior. Just did the deal about 3 months ago. Beautiful car, especially the interior. Nice color combo.. Would be the one I would choose. Go drive one so you can compare to the Subie's.
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Currently have a 2014 Outback, last year with a manual. Love it, and with snow tires it is amazing in the fluff. This is my second Subaru, and when it dies I will rebuild the motor because a manual won't be an option. We have also owned a Mini Cooper. Will never own another.
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Scotty Kilmer is like the "Judge Judy" of cars. :grin: Occasionally entertaining, often annoying and rarely right.
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We got a new Forester a few years ago. Sadly, it had a string of electrical issues (including de-activated passenger airbags) and we ended up dealing with Subaru corporate who cut us a check but didn't buy the car back. They were fair about it, but all I wanted them to do was give me a new-car warranty as of the date they finally fixed everything. That's when they cut me a check, but it soured us on the brand. Unfortunate, because I think they are overall good cars. My wife was the primary driver, so we sold the Subaru and got her a Toyota RAV4. Like someone else said about the Subaru, The RAV4 gives very little pride of ownership, but it is reliable.
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My ex-wife and also my daughter and son-in-law have Crosstreks. The ride is surprisingly decent for this type of vehicle. Horribly slow, especially when loaded down a bit. I'm not sure if they ever truly re-engineered the head gasket issues after accumulating some miles? I think it was in here somewhere that someone mentioned that UK dealers were re-torqueing head bolts as part of preventive maintenance while US dealers haven't been doing it....? I worked with an engineer who had one of the first ones and had a surprising number of irritating small issues, mostly electrical but I believe that was an anomaly as Subarus aren't know for this sort of issue that I've heard of.
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Appreciate all the replies, ill probably keep my jeep renegade trailhawk, like it, the color is great, good mileage, etc
My thought process was Jeeps arent the best for longevity and i have about 57k miles on her now, drive 100 miles daily a(when weather and my back permits, I take the goose 2x a week) and was thinking if I got a subaru as an example with low mileage, it might make it over 200k miles but I know the Jeep well.
I have been persuaded by a Jade green Audi Q5 which ive never seen in that color but its a bit pricey at 32k and 50k miles. She's a looker...lol
(https://i.ibb.co/X3rgrwR/audiq5.jpg) (https://ibb.co/X3rgrwR)
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I have a 2013 (1st year) I bought in Dec 2012. Now has almost 60,000 and has been fantastic in all respects. The CVT trans is not my favorite but works well once you
learn how to modulate your throttle inputs. My understanding is they use it because it gives a better mpg rating than a conventional auto. I will definitely replace it with
a new model when I find out when the last NON electric/hybrid will be available, which here in CA may be soon.
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Dave, you think an Audi will treat better than a Jeep?
This reminds me of dear friends in Colorado. The husband had a heart attack and the wife had to do all the driving when he was healing. So she traded the 4 door Jeep for a Honda CRV. He's so pissed now that he refuses to drive it. It's a nice car, leather, roof, AWD. Nice little car.
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A 2016 Forester, here 35Kmi. No real problems whatsoever. 30 mpg if you take it easy in the highway. 25mpg pulling motorcycle on trailer. 4-cylinder is a kind of a dog on hills with AC on and a 1500lb trailer. It has the 6 speed standard and no roof rack. I would have got an Outback, but std tranny was no longer available in '16 for Outback.
Hit a curb going very slowly on ice and due to that had to replace front noisy wheel bearing.
I put 5w30 oil in it instead of the 0w20 by brain fart and mpg went down 15%. I was surprised. Stick with 0w20
I dislike the seat belt dinger and it cannot be defeated by plugging the right male seatbelt into the left female seatbelt socket. They made them different sizes! You cannot dim the lcd screen on the radio/navigation lcd screen in the middle of the console for night driving. The automatic/remote doorlocks have a weird logic to my way of thinking. The back is too short for my 6'1" frame to sleep in stretched out. I do not like ABS and it cannot be defeated. I believe it has superior awd non-slip than other AWD cars.
Other than pet peeves, it is wonderful, but it aint no V8 Tahoe and it would not be a vehicle to abuse off road even though it will handle terrain and snow good as a stock jeep 4 cyl YJ.
If they would put their 6 cylinder with their turbo and their 6 spd standard into something, you would almost have a supercar. I have only heard of junkyard guys doing that, however.
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Dave, you think an Audi will treat better than a Jeep?
This reminds me of dear friends in Colorado. The husband had a heart attack and the wife had to do all the driving when he was healing. So she traded the 4 door Jeep for a Honda CRV. He's so pissed now that he refuses to drive it. It's a nice car, leather, roof, AWD. Nice little car.
I did have a VW rabbit (5cyl) and it one of the most reliable cars I ever had, I dont think it needed anything aside from oil changes.
I think Audi may have better longevity than Jeep...Definitely a more comfortable ride..
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A 2016 Forester, here 35Kmi. No real problems whatsoever. 30 mpg if you take it easy in the highway. 25mpg pulling motorcycle on trailer. 4-cylinder is a kind of a dog on hills with AC on and a 1500lb trailer. It has the 6 speed standard and no roof rack. I would have got an Outback, but std tranny was no longer available in '16 for Outback.
Hit a curb going very slowly on ice and due to that had to replace front noisy wheel bearing.
I put 5w30 oil in it instead of the 0w20 by brain fart and mpg went down 15%. I was surprised. Stick with 0w20
I dislike the seat belt dinger and it cannot be defeated by plugging the right male seatbelt into the left female seatbelt socket. They made them different sizes! You cannot dim the lcd screen on the radio/navigation lcd screen in the middle of the console for night driving. The automatic/remote doorlocks have a weird logic to my way of thinking. The back is too short for my 6'1" frame to sleep in stretched out. I do not like ABS and it cannot be defeated. I believe it has superior awd non-slip than other AWD cars.
Other than pet peeves, it is wonderful, but it aint no V8 Tahoe and it would not be a vehicle to abuse off road even though it will handle terrain and snow good as a stock jeep 4 cyl YJ.
If they would put their 6 cylinder with their turbo and their 6 spd standard into something, you would almost have a supercar. I have only heard of junkyard guys doing that, however.
on mine I can turn off the seat belt dinger after the initial ring and same with doors locks I can turn off with some sequence of key turns and window switches or something, it was a long time ago I set that up but have you googled a work around?
Or try a dummy seat belt input,
(https://i.ibb.co/7rNXmLX/963-CC61-D-E5-A6-4-DB8-A628-96-F1-BD602-DB7.png) (https://ibb.co/7rNXmLX)
plenty lyrics (https://poetandpoem.com/Rudyard-Kipling/The-Masque-of-Plenty)
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on mine I can turn off the seat belt dinger after the initial ring and same with doors locks I can turn off with some sequence of key turns and window switches or something, it was a long time ago I set that up but have you googled a work around?
Or try a dummy seat belt input,
(https://i.ibb.co/7rNXmLX/963-CC61-D-E5-A6-4-DB8-A628-96-F1-BD602-DB7.png) (https://ibb.co/7rNXmLX)
plenty lyrics (https://poetandpoem.com/Rudyard-Kipling/The-Masque-of-Plenty)
So what is the purpose of these?
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I've had a long series of Subarus, primarily because nothing beats them in snow, but also because they've been reliable, inexpensive to run and maintain, and reasonably comfortable. Current incumbent is Gail's 2008 Forester turbo, now at 165,000 miles. It's been dead reliable. It's no sports car, but the turbo makes it fun to drive -- I can always pass going uphill, even going over 12,000-foot passes. Downside is 25 mpg on premium fuel, compared to 30 to 32 highway mpg for the normally aspirated 2.2 and 2.5 liter engines.
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To be clear our first generation Forester made it to nearly 300k miles before it was given to a family member for more use. Don't know the final tally on it, but it needed very little maintenance all those years.
Our other ones were sold newer because of vehicle ADD and just wanting something different.
But I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.... except I still don't like the CVT. I had one in a Nissan Juke that I bought on a whim (turbo, CVT, AWD, kinda fun). I guess I had it 20-30k miles give or take before I "sold" it to the eldest who has been driving it for 6 years. He's fine with it, and somehow gets the rated gas mileage (30 mpg) that I could never achieve. But I still don't like CVTs.
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I have a 2012 impreza, pretty good car but I dont *love* it. I have the 'Sport' wagon which is a normal impreza running gear with side skirts, a low front bumper, and low profile tires on aluminum wheels. It has been reliable and it mostly shines in rain & snow even tho I run sporty-ish all season tires year round (I even did in montana) and the ground clearance isn't great.
I only chime in because it is an underpowered dog lol... since the crosstrek is more or less an impreza with more weight and huge tires, that thing has to be a joke in the performance department.
For the years you are looking at, I think the head gasket issues and timing belt woes Subies are known for have been resolved. I never had any electrical issues except losing the 'high' setting on the driver's heated seat. I add about 2qrts of oil between changes (5kmi interval)- usually add a qrt after 2kmiles, then another at 4k. Has been like that since the day I bought it new off the lot (110kmi now)
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So what is the purpose of these?
defeating the seat belt dinger, it was something Ozark wanted to do.
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defeating the seat belt dinger, it was something Ozark wanted to do.
Is this meant to drive with no belt? Or for some other reason?
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I had a 2011 Outback with the CVT. I equated the CVT similar to Turbo Lag... you step on the gas and the engine winds up to the optimal RPMs before the transmission decides what ratio to start you in (and then continuously vary the ratio from there... duh). Anyways, I've heard the newer models, when you select 'sport' mode, are much better... but I would try before you buy and really feel for that lag. If you are someone that pulls out into traffic expecting immediate throttle response, you could be in for a rude awakening.
Reliability? Awesome.
Comfort? Awesome.
Dry to Rain to Snow grip? Awesome.
MPG? Awesome.
Slow as balz? Absolutely.
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I had a 2011 Outback with the CVT. I equated the CVT similar to Turbo Lag... you step on the gas and the engine winds up to the optimal RPMs before the transmission decides what ratio to start you in (and then continuously vary the ratio from there... duh). Anyways, I've heard the newer models, when you select 'sport' mode, are much better... but I would try before you buy and really feel for that lag. If you are someone that pulls out into traffic expecting immediate throttle response, you could be in for a rude awakening.
Reliability? Awesome.
Comfort? Awesome.
Dry to Rain to Snow grip? Awesome.
MPG? Awesome.
Slow as balz? Absolutely.
For passing, I just grab a "downshift" with the left paddle (possible in "Auto" mode) and it goes just fine. Just don't forget to "upshift" afterwards as it doesn't go back to Auto right away.
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We Love Subarus
My wife had an 05 Outback 3.0R wagon that we put 150K+ in 10 years with few issues. Biggest was the valve cover gaskets, rear wheel bearings front control arms and 02 Sensors at about 120K miles. Other than that, the car held up amazingly well. Our youngest drives an 08 Outback Sedan. He beats the thing to death, and it just goes and goes.
My mom drives a 2017 Cross Trek and loves it, her husband has a 2014 Forester and had trucks before that. No issues or problems at all for either.
When my wife wanted a new car in 2016, she was used to the power from the 3.0R and though the Crosstrek was the right size, it was way underpowered, and she wanted smaller. The Outback and Forester were too big for her. I TRIED to get her to go for the Turbo Forester, but she fell in love with a Mercedes GLA250 with the AMG package. 65K miles and completely trouble free.
Before I bought my truck, I had a series of Jeeps, 84 Cherokee, 96 Grand Cherokee, and 06 Commander. Put over 150K on each with little drama. I gave the Commander to my Daughter last year, and it is still going strong at 170K miles.
I think your instincts on the Renegade are spot on, that is built on the Fiat Chassis, and may not be the best long term option. You really cant go wrong with a Subaru. Very solid well built vehicles.
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Is this meant to drive with no belt? Or for some other reason?
I don't know why Ozarquebus wants to block the beeper. But I worked as a UPS delivery guy in my personal vehicle for one winter called a PVD. getting in and out of the car every block or two I used the false belt to squelch the beeper and not have to use the seat belt. Only on the delivery beat otherwise I always wear the belt.
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Subaru, colloquially known as the official car of MAINE...rain, sleet, snow and ice, and of course mud!! We've had 3 Foresters and now an Outback. The Outback is by far the most comfortable, much quieter and doesn't give up anything to a Forester.
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We Love Subarus
My wife had an 05 Outback 3.0R wagon that we put 150K+ in 10 years with few issues. Biggest was the valve cover gaskets, rear wheel bearings front control arms and 02 Sensors at about 120K miles. Other than that, the car held up amazingly well. Our youngest drives an 08 Outback Sedan. He beats the thing to death, and it just goes and goes.
My mom drives a 2017 Cross Trek and loves it, her husband has a 2014 Forester and had trucks before that. No issues or problems at all for either.
When my wife wanted a new car in 2016, she was used to the power from the 3.0R and though the Crosstrek was the right size, it was way underpowered, and she wanted smaller. The Outback and Forester were too big for her. I TRIED to get her to go for the Turbo Forester, but she fell in love with a Mercedes GLA250 with the AMG package. 65K miles and completely trouble free.
Before I bought my truck, I had a series of Jeeps, 84 Cherokee, 96 Grand Cherokee, and 06 Commander. Put over 150K on each with little drama. I gave the Commander to my Daughter last year, and it is still going strong at 170K miles.
I think your instincts on the Renegade are spot on, that is built on the Fiat Chassis, and may not be the best long term option. You really cant go wrong with a Subaru. Very solid well built vehicles.
Funny you mentioned the MB, I actually like the look of it and it was on my list. Not sure how great the view is as the windows all seem to be minimal, good to hear the feedback on Subarus, I did find a 2016 Forester with with 27k miles for about $21k, if i can get 18-19k on trades, its about 3 grand out of pocket
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I don't know why Ozarquebus wants to block the beeper. But I worked as a UPS delivery guy in my personal vehicle for one winter called a PVD. getting in and out of the car every block or two I used the false belt to squelch the beeper and not have to use the seat belt. Only on the delivery beat otherwise I always wear the belt.
thanks for that :blank:
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I dislike the seat belt dinger and it cannot be defeated by plugging the right male seatbelt into the left female seatbelt socket.
There's a strange work-around for disabling the seat belt dinger, at least for the 2014 Foresters and I think others made around that time. Check the net, but as I recall, you turn on the ignition, but don't start the engine. Click and unclick the driver's seatbelt twenty (yes 20) times in less than a minute. Turn off ignition. You have to do this every time the battery is disconnected.
Rich A
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There's a strange work-around for disabling the seat belt dinger, at least for the 2014 Foresters and I think others made around that time. Check the net, but as I recall, you turn on the ignition, but don't start the engine. Click and unclick the driver's seatbelt twenty (yes 20) times in less than a minute. Turn off ignition. You have to do this every time the battery is disconnected.
Rich A
So?
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So?
Uh, that was in response to the post (quoted in my post), "I dislike the seat belt dinger and it cannot be defeated by plugging the right male seatbelt into the left female seatbelt socket."
Rich A
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My family has owned a ton of Subarus over the years and I've worked on even more. In my opinion the older cars were solid, easy to work on, and the AWD system works well for pedestrian activities in all weather. The AWD failed to impress me when driven hard because I found it predictably unpredictable. The newer cars seem to have lost their durability edge. My parents are currently driving a 2017 with 60k miles and it is has had a lot of electrical quirks and a couple of warranty claims.
As much as I like Subarus, I don't like what I feel are overinflated prices in the used market in my locale. I found myself in a bind one winter hen I sold my last personally owned Subaru and ended up buying an Audi to get into something cheap and AWD again. It and the other Audis I've bought since have been some of the best cars I've owned. Although I did briefly consider buying back my old Legacy GT I built I don't think I'll be back in a Subaru real soon. My Audis would have to seriously betray me first.
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Uh, that was in response to the post (quoted in my post), "I dislike the seat belt dinger and it cannot be defeated by plugging the right male seatbelt into the left female seatbelt socket."
Rich A
I still don't get it.
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The AWD failed to impress me when driven hard because I found it predictably unpredictable.
OK, you're gonna have to explain this one to me.
As a long time fan of AWD and 4wd systems who has owned and driven a ton of them always searching for the perfect one I can't imagine what you mean by this.
Our first gen Forrester/auto was an absolute tank in the snow and blizzards (granted Blizzaks help a lot).
Same with my Baja/stick - it was even better if that's possible. I remember driving for hours home in a blizzard so bad that I was going through over a foot of unplowed snow on the PA turnpike. When I reached backroads I was plowing with the front end. This went on for miles and miles of snow so deep I had trouble determining what was road and what was shoulder, never mind lane.
Damn thing never missed a beat. So sure footed it wasn't funny.
Only better system I had felt at the time was my first gen Quadra-Drive with the three variable locking diffs which could mechanically send all power to one wheel or any combination physically necessitated by wheel spin. Thing was a Billy Goat and could scale shale walls.
So what was so unpredictable about the Subie you drove?!?
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I WAS a Subaru guy. '01 Impreza Sport, '02 Outback, '06 Legacy wagon. Went to replace the Sport and drove a new Outback with the CVT. What junk! Bought a '15 Audi Q3 and am very happy with it. YMMV.
Larry
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I have an '07 Forester LL Bean edition that I LOVE! Great adventure wagon and daily driver (when the weather keeps me off the bike or I have to haul things). My generation had a head gasket issue that owners need to watch out for/get replaced. My wife was driving mine to work (before I replaced the head gasket) and blew my motor. I like the car so much I had a full rebuild done. I hope it lasts me another 160,000 miles. Other than the head gasket issue, they are awesome cars! Mine is super capable off-road and in deep snow (puts my sister's stock TJ to shame), comfortable for long trips, and has room to fit tons of gear/tools and friends/family/dogs.
I drove a 2020 outback when mine was getting the motor rebuilt and was not a huge fan. Don't get me wrong, it was plush but just didn't feel like a Subaru. It was too techy for me. Now, granted, my other car is a 1969 Ford F100 so maybe I am not meant to be in newer cars. lol.
Reach out with any questions!
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After retirement I worked in a NAPA store for a few years. I sold a lot of front axles for Susie's. Hardly any for other brands. Headlight bulbs were something else. It was a lot, I don't know why repair shops didn't keep them in stock. Head gaskets were a well known issue. Even with some of these issues Subie owners are some of the most loyal out there. My step daughter had a head gasket go out on hers, she still traded it for a new one.
kk
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https://www.torquenews.com/1084/now-subaru-s-oil-consumption-lawsuit-settled-what-should-you-do
https://www.licmotorsports.com/blog/the-dreaded-subaru-head-gasket-issue
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After retirement I worked in a NAPA store for a few years. I sold a lot of front axles for Susie's. Hardly any for other brands. Headlight bulbs were something else. It was a lot, I don't know why repair shops didn't keep them in stock. Head gaskets were a well known issue. Even with some of these issues Subie owners are some of the most loyal out there. My step daughter had a head gasket go out on hers, she still traded it for a new one.
kk
i had that headlight burn out problem on my previous Subi. I contend that the bulb got hit with a high current when starting the car.. these headlights were always on.. filament got weak over time? But there was a work around for that, I removed a relay type thing so under the hood then I decided with the switch when to turn on headlights (after starting car)