Subaru???

[TFucili]

Anybody on here have Subaru feedback? We are at the very early stages of thinking about my wife's next car. She currently has an 2012 Acura TSX, which has been the most absolute stone-reliable car we have ever owned. It will be going to our son at some point. The only dislike of the Acura is rear seat room, and ingress/egress. The current TLX is about the same room-wise. Before the Acura, we had a Charger which was OK, but definitely not trouble free, and the 3.5 V-6 was less than stellar. She really liked the Charger, so we have not ruled out going back to a Charger, but this time either an R/T or R/T Scat Pack. Obviously MPG goes out the window versus the miserly Acura. I have considered the Accord, but don't like the looks too much, and I am a bit wary of gasoline-direct-injection, reading of carbon issues, not necessarily with Honda, though. Her sister just bought another Subaru Outback. The old one has 190K and is still going strong, so it led me to take a Legacy for a test drive, and I was very impressed. It was easy to get in and out, the back seat is very roomy, and it is much quieter going down the road than our Acura. MPG is about where we are right now, maybe a hair better, BUT the 2.5 does not feel as snappy as our current Acura. They offer the Boxer 6 but the MPG penalty is quite significant at 5-6 MPG. Any feedback is appreciated. Sorry for the long post.

 

[jgillott]

Go and drive a WRX. Not in the size category you are looking for. But, as a good consumer, you owe it to yourself to explore all options.

Those cars are just stupid fun. They aren't big enough to be comfortable, but just stupid fun.

 

[jhenderson]

You are correct about direct injection gas motors. My buddy owns an auto machine shop and they’re beginning to see heads with real carbon problems. A side note is he’s driving what we refer to as a “ crummy”. It’s a 12 year old 200,000 mile outback. A dozen years in New England have taken their toll on the body but it runs well. The leather gut is still comfortable and every option still works. He loves it.

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

I have a '14 Crosstrek and love it almost as much as my Ram! Quite possibly the best car I have ever owned. Doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles but is good on gas and great in the snow. The Subaru AWD is by far the best out there.

 

[TFucili]

Good feedback! Speaking of bells and whistles, I have developed a hatred for nanny gadgets and autonomous anything. At least these don't have "stop-start", and you can find them without Eye Sight, their nanny-in-the-box system.

So another question for those that own or owned one. How much additional maintenance related to the AWD is there? We have no need for AWD in this part of AZ, but I don't view it as a negative, unless there is a reason. So far I have not uncovered anything in the way of problems with the AWD.

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

How much additional maintenance related to the AWD is there?

None. It's a very reliable system that's been around for years.

 

[TFucili]

Go and drive a WRX. Not in the size category you are looking for. But, as a good consumer, you owe it to yourself to explore all options.

Those cars are just stupid fun. They aren't big enough to be comfortable, but just stupid fun.

Then I could get a flat-billed hat, and put a "BWAAAAAA pipe" on the car, and...............

 

[Wayne M.]

You’ve got all ends of the universe considered.
If you’re considering a scat pack, or a RT Charger, you better get that out of your system! Scats are extra hard on fuel, but a regular RT can knock on 23-25 on the highway.
Subies on the other hand are also a great niche car. My cousin in law just got a outback and she loves it. Guy at work has a STI, and it’s pretty fast. Subies have always had a decent reputation, and that rep is viscous up Vermont/ New Hampshire way.
GDI is a whole nother discussion, and yes, carbon buildup is one of the big issues. One thing about a big ‘ol Hemi, is that it gets the job done with older, proven technology.

 

[Wayne M.]

Then I could get a flat-billed hat, and put a "BWAAAAAA pipe" on the car, and...............

NOOOOOO. they don’t make that noise. That’s the Mitsubishi. Piped subies sound like a Cessna coming in hard, clipping the trees!

 

[TFucili]

None. It's a very reliable system that's been around for years.

Thanks. I have been digging around for a few days, and really haven't read much negative stuff.

 

[jgillott]

Then I could get a flat-billed hat, and put a "BWAAAAAA pipe" on the car, and...............

When I test drove one, the 12 year old salesman said to me......."sir, people your age don't usually look at these cars"....lol

 

[TFucili]

NOOOOOO. they don’t make that noise. That’s the Mitsubishi. Piped subies sound like a Cessna coming in hard, clipping the trees!

 

[TFucili]

You’ve got all ends of the universe considered

LOL As I get older I have tried to become more open-minded(no, really!)and it leads me to some incongruous places

 

[Wayne M.]

LOL As I get older I have tried to become more open-minded(no, really!)and it leads me to some incongruous places

Yes, but there are so many exciting vehicles out there!
You’ll always be able to get a toaster on wheels, but if she likes the Charger, then you should know where my vote is. Go get a R/T in a wild color!

 

[jgillott]

My brother-in-law has a Challenger GT AWD with the 3.6L Pentastar V6 and absolutely loves it. I would imagine the Charger version would be quite a nice car.

 

[TFucili]

I know the Pentastar, by all accounts, is head and shoulders better than previous V-6s, but I have had such bad luck with every one I have owned-2.8 and 2.9 Ford, 3VZE Toyota, 3.5 Dodge-there may be others, but they are the ones that come to mind. I was going to get the 5.7 when we bought her '06 Charger, and in a "fit of practicality" thought we would get the SXT instead, as her use is mostly around town. As it turned out, the motor was a dog, the gearing was a mis-match, and it got about the same MPG as a Hemi anyway.

 

[jgillott]

I know the Pentastar, by all accounts, is head and shoulders better than previous V-6s, but I have had such bad luck with every one I have owned-2.8 and 2.9 Ford, 3VZE Toyota, 3.5 Dodge-there may be others, but they are the ones that come to mind. I was going to get the 5.7 when we bought her '06 Charger, and in a "fit of practicality" thought we would get the SXT instead, as her use is mostly around town. As it turned out, the motor was a dog, the gearing was a mis-match, and it got about the same MPG as a Hemi anyway.

My father had an old S10 with the infamous 2.8L V6. I lost track of how many head gaskets we put in that thing, but it was quite a few. That thing spoiled him for V6 powerplants for ever. He will not even consider one no matter who makes it or how proven it is.

Getting back to your original question, I've yet to find someone around here who doesn't like their Subaru. They seem to be quite reliable and a great value.

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

They seem to be quite reliable and a great value.

They usually hold a very good resale value as well.

 

[TFucili]

My father had an old S10 with the infamous 2.8L V6. I lost track of how many head gaskets we put in that thing, but it was quite a few. That thing spoiled him for V6 powerplants for ever. He will not even consider one no matter who makes it or how proven it is.

Getting back to your original question, I've yet to find someone around here who doesn't like their Subaru. They seem to be quite reliable and a great value.

Oh yeah, when I helped my buddy who owned a machine shop, we did tons of 2.8 GM V-6s. They were a real dud.

 

[GrantP]

I put about a thousand miles on a Subaru rental, I couldn't complain about a thing. Power was good enough and the transmission always did the right thing. I even drove it "rally style" around Hungry Horse reservoir in MT for a couple hours, fun car that handled great.

The downside, you're not going to get any friendly waves from people driving 4x4's on the back roads. There's a certain stigma that comes with the brand, justified or not.