Subaru Forester or something else?

[tvguy]

Post a pic of that mustang. I’d love to see it!

Here you go.

 

[MillauFr]

I'm partial to Toyotas. I've had an MR2 (yes, showing my age), 4 Runner, Sienna minivan and now a Highlander. My husband is on his 4th Toyota truck. We've been pleased with them all. My daughter just receives my Mom's Honda CRV, great car.

Sandy you are a youngster.... TVGuy was still driving his Ford Model T up until a few years ago....

 

[kanerf]

Take a look at the new Forester PHEV that is coming out next year. I have a Kia Niro PHEV and as a rule this format is great. You can run pure EV most of the time for short trips to town or work and have the ICE for longer trips on the highway.

 

[kymom99]

Here you go. View attachment 632466

Wow! Very nice!

 

[disykat]

We were looking at the same cars, but ended up with a Mazda CX5. A little less cargo room, but we love the car!

 

[DisGirlAllie]

All sound like great choices, only thing I'd add is to look at the Honda HR-V; we're a Honda family and I was debating that or the CR-V, went for the HR-V because I could get a higher-tier model for the same price as a basic CR-V and I'm absolutely in love!

 

[jliehr]

All sound like great choices, only thing I'd add is to look at the Honda HR-V; we're a Honda family and I was debating that or the CR-V, went for the HR-V because I could get a higher-tier model for the same price as a basic CR-V and I'm absolutely in love!

Coming from someone who owns a HRV and a Forester, the Forester is light years ahead.

IMO, the RAV4 was loud, the engine noise was obnoxious when test driving. The CRV is nice, but it was bland. The Forester looks better inside and out, and the visibility and safety features are fantastic.

 

[Praying Colonel]

We bought a 2015 Forester in 2018 and overall I've been pleased with it. (We bought it because it was supposed to have the best AWD of the smaller SUVs, but we haven't had to use it yet, of course.)

It's had a few small issues but nothing that took it out of action. I'm hopeful we'll get several more years of service out of it.

 

[RangerPooh]

I just recently went from a Jeep Cerokee Trailhawk to a Jeep Grand Cherokee L (needed 6 seater). The trailhawk did fantastic in the snow and off road (camping). Smaller/mid-size. Worked well for communities too. Gas mileage was decent.

 

[AussieFan8]

Last year, I test drove the three you mentioned, plus the Mazda CX-5. The RAV drove too much like a truck for me. I liked the look of the Mazda the best, and I love our local Mazda dealer, but I didn't like the visibility out the back and some of the interior finishes. The CR-V felt the most upscale of the four to me and had a very cushy ride, but once I drove the Forester and saw the amazing rear visibility it had, I opted for the Forester. I have gotten more anxious about driving in snow as I've gotten older and I trust Subaru's all wheel drive more than the others. I've had the Forester almost two years and no regrets yet. I bought the Sport version because I like the orange trim (I realize some hate it) and I really wanted the paddle shifters. Prior to the Subaru, I had two Acuras and felt more comfortable driving in the snow with the paddle shifters, so now I'm addicted to them. (The CR-V did not have them.) I like the look of the Forester better than the Outback, and the Outback feels "heavier"/slower to brake to me. (I had one prior to the Acuras.) My biggest concerns about the Subaru are the longevity of the CVT and the windshield; fingers crossed. Good luck with your search! Having a new car is always fun.

ETA: My biggest annoyance with the Subaru, and it's a small thing, is the auto stop feature at stoplights/signs and the fact that you have to disable it every time you start the car if you don't like it. I wish you could disable it permanently and then turn it on when you want it. Not sure if that's changed on the newer models, but again, it's a fairly small annoyance. Very happy with everything else.

 

[OKbyme]

Had a Forester for a few years. Worst thing, and it can get expensive, is the need to replace ALL tires at the same time if one gets damaged. Has to do with the AWD system. Also, the engine went in ours around 142,000 miles. Did not even consider Subaru vehicles an option this time around.

My friend's son recently bought a brand new Subaru Impreza Sport. Hadn't driven it too long and ended up with a flat. They only replaced the one tire, but that is rare. I think he also bought some kind of tire insurance.

 

[Jeannie]

I have a Subaru Impreza, hatchback w/sport package. I love it! My husband liked it so much that he got rid of his Jeep Grand Cherokee for a Forrester. He loves everything about his car, and I will say that it's much more comfortable for looooong drives. Plenty of storage in the back, but I will say that when we went on a week long trip to OBX from NJ with extended family, we purchased a Thule roof carrier for some of the 'extras'.

 

[Jeannie]

Had a Forester for a few years. Worst thing, and it can get expensive, is the need to replace ALL tires at the same time if one gets damaged. Has to do with the AWD system. Also, the engine went in ours around 142,000 miles. Did not even consider Subaru vehicles an option this time around.

My friend's son recently bought a brand new Subaru Impreza Sport. Hadn't driven it too long and ended up with a flat. They only replaced the one tire, but that is rare. I think he also bought some kind of tire insurance.

That has not been our experience. My husband recently got a flat, and Subaru only replaced that tire.

 

[rangerxenos]

Hello from a fellow Nutmegger! I had my Subaru Outback for a decade, and finally got sick of it, it was still running wonderfully when I sold it. Best car I ever owned.

I was planning on buying another one, but also test drove the Forester and the Rogue. LOVED the Rogue, but talked to a mechanic in the family who recommended against buying a Nissan as they tend to have transmission issues at 50,000 miles or so.

I ultimately ended up buying the Forester instead of the Outback last year because it had a little less electronics. I prefer knobs and buttons for my heating and air conditioning. When we test drove it, we couldn't figure out how to turn the heat down!

Still great in the snow, just like my Outback was. I've had the Forester for a little over a year now, and I think I made a good choice. My only complaint is that it's got a feature where it will turn the car off if you're stopped at a light, which is really annoying. You can turn it off by hitting a button, but you have to do it every time the car has been turned off. I get why they put the feature in, a lot of cars have this now, but I really don't care for it. I've gotten to the point where I can find the sweet spot of keeping my foot on the break just hard enough to stop the car, but not shut it off, LOL!

I don't think I'll ever go back to a different carmaker now, I've loved both Subarus. I owned two Honda accords before this, along with a poor choice of a Chevy Equinox that was a piece of crap in between.

 

[nene0182]

We were looking at the same cars, but ended up with a Mazda CX5. A little less cargo room, but we love the car!

I got a 2021 CX5 in April and I absolutely love my car. I had a Ford Escape before so there isn’t much difference in the cargo room for me but we’ve been surprised what we’ve been able to fit in there.

 

[debster812]

I had a 2004 Forrester. Drove that thing for 10 years and 175,000+ miles, then passed it down to DS. (I got another Subaru, a 2007 Impreza Sport). DS drove the Forrester for a year and half in HS, it stayed home for his 1st 3 semesters of college, and then went back to school with him. He was in a pretty serious accident, which should have totalled the car, but we have a relative who owns a body shop, and was up to the challenge of repairing it. Got it fixed, and DS drove it for 2 more years, and up to 250,000 miles.

Sold it for $1,000 about a year ago, and last we knew, it was still going strong in North Carolina.

I would not hesitate to get another Subaru. They’re great to get you where you need to go in bad weather, and the fact that DS walked away unscathed from his accident is enough for me!

Full disclosure, I did just get a car in May, a 2021 Mazda CX-30 which I LOVE. But I would absolutely go back to Subaru in a hearbeat, the deal we got on the Mazda was just too good to pass up.

 

[luv2cheer92]

I was set on getting a Forester, but after reading lots of info, reviews, looking at prices, and driving, I went with the CRV Touring. Love every bit of it!

 

[AussieFan8]

That has not been our experience. My husband recently got a flat, and Subaru only replaced that tire.

From what I understand, whether they can replace one or have to replace all depends on how much wear is on all the tires.

 

[robinb]

My family members who have had Subarus all had oil issues. My sister has one that at just over a year old had the oil light come on when out of town on vacation. They added oil and took it in to be looked at when they got home. The service people blew them off saying yeah sometimes they use a little oil. What? Like it wasn’t even on the stick.

What year was her car? I've read that Subaru's oil problems are much better after the 2014 model year.

Anyway, they like their cars, but they are not trouble free. My sister also recently walked out to her car and the entire rear window was shattered. The whole entire thing. She was told it wasn’t a flaw, so not Subarus fault or covered by warranty. It cost a fortune to replace. This is on an outback.

My daughter's front window cracked on her while on vacation. I found a dealer notification (or whatever it's called, not quite a recall) for it and I made the dealer replace it for free. That's been the only thing that has been wrong with her car in 40K miles of owning it.

 

[disneyseniors]

My family members who have had Subarus all had oil issues. My sister has one that at just over a year old had the oil light come on when out of town on vacation. They added oil and took it in to be looked at when they got home. The service people blew them off saying yeah sometimes they use a little oil. What? Like it wasn’t even on the stick. Anyway, they like their cars, but they are not trouble free. My sister also recently walked out to her car and the entire rear window was shattered. The whole entire thing. She was told it wasn’t a flaw, so not Subarus fault or covered by warranty. It cost a fortune to replace. This is on an outback.

We always check the oil in any car before any trips, so I don't know if the Subaru uses more than any other car? My husband takes care of that and he hasn't mentioned any thing about the oil use being more than normal.