considering new Subaru ride

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Donald

Donald

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I am considering a net new Subaru to my small fleet. I am down to Outback, Forester or Crosstrek. Maybe hybrid CrossTrek. I can get very low new car financing on 2014 or 2015 vehicles and lifetime power train warranty. Need a 4WD drive car for my wife when she needs one and for a family car. All three are check rated at Consumer Reports.

I owned a Subaru back in the 1980s when the spare was in the engine compartment and it was front wheel drive.
 
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I would probably go for the Forester of those three.
The Outback is too fancy for me while the Crosstrek is just a gussied up Imprezza.

Do some research on oil usage as Subie seems to be having some issues since going to low tension rings for MPG purposes.
 
Wife wanted a new 2014 forester and we loved how it drove and felt, i did my due diligence and before i signed papers i came upon a flood of complaints..which leads to a class action lawsuit against subaru. http://www.torquenews.com/1084/2nd-new-oil-consumption-lawsuit-suddenly-filed-against-subaru

I have had foresters, legacys, imprezas...i love them but have went though all the issues (head gasket failures, piston slap etc)..

The lifetime powertrain warranty will probably cover you but from my reading you have to use their oil and filters and their intervals.

I decided to wait and see how the lawsuit comes down...will they recall? will the market be flooded again with defects?
 
What is it going to be used for...maximum ground clearance? Outback. Smaller size, Forester or XV. Sportiest looks? XV.

The problems with oil consumption should have been solved by the 2015 model year and there was a class action for previous years. They were worse in the 2.0, which is the engine for the XV, which would steer me towards the other two.

If you're going Outback, the 3.6 is pretty much proven bulletproof and has carried over unchanged from I think(don't quote me) 2011 or 2012.
 
As mentioned by PBM, the Crosstrek is essentially an Impreza with a small SUV body. It would only be on my list if I were crazy about the style. It is quite basic inside.

As far as the Forester and the Outback, go test drive them both and decide for yourself. I chose the Outback over the Forester because of interior space. The Outback is wider. My wife didn't like the small spacing of the Forester seats. There is one particular advantage of the Forester over the Outback. That is being able to select the XT version, with the 2.0 liter turbo engine. It gives you 250 hp. Everyone I know love driving them.

As far as the Outback being too fancy, that's a matter of which trim level you choose. I went with the Limited, because dual climate control was a must for the wife and me. And we enjoy it.
 
Two key things...

First, make sure the seats are to your and your wife's liking.

My sister and others bought either a Forester or Outback in the past 2 years and found that after a few hours, the seats were killing them. Two people I know literally had to trade them shortly after purchase, and of course took the financial beating.

Have the dealer sign a car out to you as a "loaner" (they'll copy your drivers license and insurance card) and go drive about 2 hours or more, both of you. It may not be an issue, and I hope it isn't....and I'm not knocking Subaru. But forums do note the problem for some folks.

Second, make sure you can see out from over your left or right shoulder (like for lane changes, etc.) Again, not something that is an issue in a 20 minute test drive, and not an issue for all people.

For the Subie lovers here, I am not hating on the cars at all, nor am I trying to dissuade you from Subaru as a choice. My older brother, his daughter and two sons each have one and LOVE them. Just stuff to look for that several I know had issues with.

Keep us posted!
 
I own a 2011 Subaru Impreza, going into my 4th winter... here is my take on the experience...

Zero mechanical issues, period. Nothing has broken, or stopped working.

AWD with good winter tires ... FANTASTIC. Stock all season tires ...TERRIBLE.

AWD with poor tires is dangerous. AWD gets you moving... or, as I like to say... launches you INTO trouble... you find out how slippery the roads REALLY are when you go to turn or stop...

Interior quality is adequate... does the job, but some of the finishes, like the metal "look..." trim, scratches if you look at it wrong... and the plastics are hard... i don't spend a lot of time fondling the dash etc., so I don't really care... it looks ok.

I did have to chase a couple of rattles down... no big deal, they were easy fixes.

The newer generation models are nicer inside, but still not top of the class...

The car does everything I want, holds my stuff ( hatchback...) and gets ok, sort of, mileage... way better than some friends SUV's , but not as good as similar sized Focus and Mazda3 etc....

I' m ok with that...I bought the car primarily for winter performance, and that it delivers... !
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
I am considering a net new Subaru to my small fleet. I am down to Outback, Forester or Crosstrek. Maybe hybrid CrossTrek. I can get very low new car financing on 2014 or 2015 vehicles and lifetime power train warranty. Need a 4WD drive car for my wife when she needs one and for a family car. All three are check rated at Consumer Reports.

I owned a Subaru back in the 1980s when the spare was in the engine compartment and it was front wheel drive.


Don't get too hung up on the Lifetime Warrantee, it is not from Subaru, it's an insurance company. From my experience, they deny every claim possible, and they can deny a engine warrantee claim because you didn't rotate the tires. Read the fine print, the maintenance and record keeping requirements is ridiculous.
 
Can't go wrong with either one if you can a lifetime powertrain. Test driving is the only way to decide which one is best for you.


If I were to get another Subaru to replace what I have, it be the Forester. It's larger and I like the compact SUV look as opposed to the stationwagon look of the Outback.

As far as the oil consumption goes, it's hit or miss as are problems with any other car make so don't let that deter you. My Impreza is one of the early FB20's built in November 2011 and I don't burn any noticeable oil. It stays over the full mark the entire OCI, which is up to 6k miles.
 
Forester hands down. the crosstrek is for twenty somethings who do not realize its a tarted impreza.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
I am considering a net new Subaru to my small fleet. I am down to Outback, Forester or Crosstrek. Maybe hybrid CrossTrek.


The Crosstrek Hybrid has got some pretty poor reviews; from what I remember, the extra weight of the batteries slows it down, and doesn't give enough of an increase in mpg to be worth the hassle. Seems like it's really just Subaru testing out the technology.

Both Forester and Crosstrek are Impreza-based, but the Forester is longer and taller, so it has more interior room. However, it's also less aerodynamic than the Crosstrek, and has a bigger engine, so fuel consumption in the Forester will be significantly worse at highway speeds. Even driving on a windy day makes a noticeably different to highway mpg.

As for oil consumption, in the 2015 Forester, it only seems to affect manual cars for some reason. Some suspect it may be due to manual drivers holding the revs higher for longer; my CVT Forester is coming up to 5,500km and has used no oil at all, but it spends most of its life between 1,000 and 2,000rpm. Despite a few niggles, it's by far the best of the small SUVs we test-drove.
 
I would not buy a Subaru until the oil consumption problem is resolved once and for all. And I don't see that happening, my opinion is it is a base design flaw in the FB engine series (2011+). And I own and like a Subaru, albeit an '09 with the EJ engine which so far has been bullet proof and for only 5hp less than the FB.
 
We need more info on this so-caled "lifetime warranty."

Likely, it's through a 3rd party company or just something the dealer offers to drive sales. I wouldn't put much faith into it.
 
My wife and I just bought a 2014 Crosstrek. It's my wife's car. She knew exaclty which car she wanted and which options she wanted, so that's what she got. The oil consumption problem apparently doesn't affect the 2014s from what I've read. It has 9500 miles on it now and hasn't consumed any oil yet. It's a great, comfortable car with excellent handling. We're very happy with it.

It has a 60k mile warranty. The dealer offered a lifetime warranty, but you have to get all maintenance done at the dealer. I do all maintenance myself, and I just did an oil change on it last week myself, so I guess I can kiss that lifetime warranty goodbye. I figure the money I save doing things myself will pay for any potential repairs in the future. I'm confident it will be reliable and won't have many issues anyway.
 
Originally Posted By: krismoriah72
Wife wanted a new 2014 forester and we loved how it drove and felt, i did my due diligence and before i signed papers i came upon a flood of complaints..which leads to a class action lawsuit against subaru. http://www.torquenews.com/1084/2nd-new-oil-consumption-lawsuit-suddenly-filed-against-subaru

I have had foresters, legacys, imprezas...i love them but have went though all the issues (head gasket failures, piston slap etc)..

The lifetime powertrain warranty will probably cover you but from my reading you have to use their oil and filters and their intervals.

I decided to wait and see how the lawsuit comes down...will they recall? will the market be flooded again with defects?


The lifetime warranty says you must have Subaru do all the required maint. But that is in disagreement with Magnuson-Moss law, which would consider that an up-sell and not legal. Wife is an Asst. Attorney General.
 
Originally Posted By: stephen9666
We need more info on this so-caled "lifetime warranty."

Likely, it's through a 3rd party company or just something the dealer offers to drive sales. I wouldn't put much faith into it.


While there maybe others, this lifetime warranty is from Goldstein Subaru in Albany NY. I have read the fine print and like other drivetrain warranties, if its lubricated its covered.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: krismoriah72
Wife wanted a new 2014 forester and we loved how it drove and felt, i did my due diligence and before i signed papers i came upon a flood of complaints..which leads to a class action lawsuit against subaru. http://www.torquenews.com/1084/2nd-new-oil-consumption-lawsuit-suddenly-filed-against-subaru

I have had foresters, legacys, imprezas...i love them but have went though all the issues (head gasket failures, piston slap etc)..

The lifetime powertrain warranty will probably cover you but from my reading you have to use their oil and filters and their intervals.

I decided to wait and see how the lawsuit comes down...will they recall? will the market be flooded again with defects?


The lifetime warranty says you must have Subaru do all the required maint. But that is in disagreement with Magnuson-Moss law, which would consider that an up-sell and not legal. Wife is an Asst. Attorney General.


I believe that only applies to manufacturers warranties. The lifetime warranty is likely a 3rd party warranty
 
Why does your wife prefer.

The Outback and Forester are great cars in their respective class, driven 2015 Outback and 2015 Forester(loaner). I will state a Outback is simply a nicer vehicle and always has been vs Forester. The CrossTrek is an acquired taste IMHO but seems to be a hot thing with the 40+ crowd where I live.
 
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