Subaru Question?

[ADKechoes73]

So I finally have some money saved up, regardless of being a college student, and it's time to get rid of my old junker and get a decent used vehicle. I cannot decide between a Outback or a Forester and I was wondering if an present or past owners could give me the pros as well as the cons regarding both vehicles. Also is there any pros/cons I should know about subaru as a whole, as well as other vehicles which are similar in design that can give subaru a run for their money?

[lumberzac]

I owned a '98 Forester for 5.5 years. I loved the way the car drove and handled. One thing to note, is repairs are very expensive (I just retired it at 214,000 miles due to $3000+ repairs that were needed; 2 catalytic converters, 2 O2 sensors, and an idle control valve) and repairs should be done by someone that knows the ins and outs of Subarus. I had the timing belt replaced (do not let the belt break or the motor will be shot, because it is an interference engine and the loss of tension will result in the rods being drove through the head) and the head ended up damaged.

The car worked great for carrying my canoe and kayak. With the rear sets folded down, it was just long enough that I could sleep in the back semi comfortably; I'm 6' tall.

I'm going to miss not having AWD this winter.

[adktyler]

Subaru LOVER!

I own a 2002 Subaru Forest that I purchased this past June. I LOVE it. Let me be a little bit more helpful, though. It as 81,000 miles on it, 4,000 of which I've put on.

Cons: little things seem to break often. Like the net in the back, and the cup holder, he clock, and such. The inside parts seem a little cheaply made.

Pros: lots! It gets about 22 mpg city, and about 26 highway. I usually have a lot of gear (including 2 kayaks) when i drive highway, though, so that could be a factor. The engine has been great. No problems whatsoever. It's also very, very hardcore. I've taken it on some pretty sick offroading, including though some small creeks, a corn field, and lots of Adirondack logging roads. It's handled very, very well. The awd is great. I also like the size. I have done at least 10 side-of-the-road car sleeps this summer, and it's the perfect size for me to sleep in. Plus it can haul so much gear. I brought my entire college room pretty much in it, with room to spare. I have about $5,000 worth of outdoor gear, plus my regular college things, so it's a feat.

As far as the difference between the Outback and the Forester: I tried getting this answered when I did my searching last Spring. It seems to be an open ended question. Even the people at the Subaru headquarters couldn't tell me one way or the other. The best answer I got was that the Outback is a little bit beefier. Tougher shocks, stronger frame, and all that jazz. I looked at several Foresters and Outbacks, but I eventually decided on the Forester, mainly because it was cheaper. The engines are all the same, they both get about the same mpg, they have awd, etc. I guess it comes down to if you want to spend the little bit extra on the Outback. Either that, or what design do you like better.

The only two complaints I've hear about Subaru's consistently is that the head gasket blows around 80,000. But I know of many people (including myself) who haven't had that problem. Also, oil leaks have been mentioned as well. But again, I know of a lot of people who don't have that problem. The one downside, since Subaru's are fairly nice Jap cars, they will cost a little bit more for parts and such.

Over all, there really aren't many cars that can beat out the Subaru. Volvo makes a pretty nice sports utility wagon, but it's very expensive. The Toyota Rav4 is a V4 (like the Subaru), but it doesn't have as much room. There's also the Ford Focus, but it's definitely not as hardcore.

Overall, Subaru's are amazing cars. The economy of a sedan, but the ruggedness of a SUV. I would totally recommend Subaru's ANY day!!

[PA Ridgerunner]

We bought a 2001 Outback Wagon, new. It now has just over 90K. On the whole, I would say that I have been very satisfied, but would probably take a good look at the Toyota Rav4 next time. Our other car is a Toyota and it just seems to be on a higher quality level. We looked at the Forester back in 2001, but I was turned off by how tight the cab was...banged my knee getting in. It also was a new model at that time and didn't seem as solid as the Outback. As stated above, the new Forester is supposed to be all new...bigger and better?

Re our Outback:

Pros: nice handling for an AWD, lots of cargo room, good in snow (with winter tires only!), comfortable, good body integrity (so far), decent clearance underneath for a car-like vehicle, good heat and a/c, compass feature is nice, weather radio (I believe they have discontinued this).

Cons: 4 cyl engine is weak compared to the 4 cyl in our Toyota Camry...not even close, noisy (lack of framing around door windows), had to replace handle on hatch at about 60K, plastic on inside of rear hatch not well attached and wants to pop free, mileage not what I would expect from a smallish 4 cylinder (22mpg), oxygen sensors go bad.

[Navig8r]

Personally, I love my '98 Legacy.. though not an outback (it's a GT sedan), it shares many features and most parts with the Outback. Some have stated repairs are expensive. I do my own work, or get help from a friend who is a mechanic, so this is not an issue with me. I do know that parts are NOT expensive for this car (many are interchangable with almost all Subarus) and it is an easy car to work on, very well thought out. Many vehicles with high mileage have O2 sensor problems, and catalytic converters are expensive on ANY car, BTW.

I DID have to replace the head gaskets on my car, which is common with some of the older Subarus. Some model years, up to a certain mileage, will be covered by Subaru, so if you look at a used one, do some research and ask if there has been any problem with them.

There are many subaru discussion forums out there.. NASIOC (North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club) and SL-i.net (Subaru Legacy International) are 2 that I am familiar with..... I am a member at SL-i.. there is a ton of Legacy/Outback wisdom to be gained there!
Good Luck!

[skichucky]

I bought a '99 outback impreza back in '05 and we just had our last payment last month. we have 108,000m on it, I have put 40,000 on myself. No major problems, no minor problems either, has to replace struts ($1600) ouch, but they were all messed up from the old lady who had it before me on a dirt road, I am stupid and did not get it examined before the purchase. Little car, can carry my 17' Aluminum without issue. I get 25MPG around town, and anywhere from 28-34 on the highways. Hyper-miling! All summer
I keep my paddles, fishing gear, in there, and in the winter there are always at least 2 pairs of skis, never in my way and plenty of room for more. Make sure yours comes with cruise control and Cd player, mine didnt and the radio sucks., the unofficial state car of vermont works for me. make sure you get snow tires

[SLJames]

Another Legacy fan here. Pros are traction on snow, good mileage, high resale value, overall reliability, cargo room. I really can't think of any cons.

[WinterWarlock]

Interesting that you should ask about Subaru and Saranac in separate threads on the same day. Did you know Subaru is the Japanese name for the Pleiades star cluster (as shown on the Subaru logo), and Saranac is the native name for "cluster of stars", as represented by the Saranac group of lakes?

Well - that helps with the 'learn something new every day'! Maybe that's why there are so many Subaru's up there!

I should add that I had an Outback, and now have an Expedition...while I like the space, I miss the handling and fuel bills from the Sube'y.

[sp_nyp]

My mom had a forester back when they first came out, don't recall the year... must have been late 90's or so.

Being a somewhat tall person (6' 2") I found it un-fun to drive for more than a mile or two. I was very cramped in the cockpit and when driving for longer stretches, was painful on the legs where they got jabbed by the edge of the console and such.

Other than that, it handled well and I don't think I heard my mom complain about anything in it. My dad disliked driving it as well, if I remember correctly - could have been from the compact nature of it.

In comparison, my wife has a 2006 saturn vue and I like that vehicle 100 times more than the forester.

Its mileage ranges from low to high 20's depending on the obvious. I actually got mid-high 20'smpg towing our 19' boat this summer. I was super psyched about that... it has some decent power. The roominess inside is much greater than the forester as well. You can easily ride 5 people in the vue with no crowding. I love driving it. We also have the roof rack and a hitch gate for hauling extra gear, both work fantastic.

I am actually contemplating getting the Saturn Outlook for our family vehicle.

kids + dogs + gear = lots of space

[ADKechoes73]

Interesting that you should ask about Subaru and Saranac in separate threads on the same day. Did you know Subaru is the Japanese name for the Pleiades star cluster (as shown on the Subaru logo), and Saranac is the native name for "cluster of stars", as represented by the Saranac group of lakes?

I actually did know this since I took two college credit Astronomy classes in high school and am just an astronomy nut in general, never pieced the irony of the two together though

[Kevin]

Val recently traded in her 2004 Subaru Baja (Turbo = premium gas, and not that great of mileage) for a 2008 (or is it '09?) Forrester. It's completely redesigned and looks more like a SUV than an Outback.

I'm 6' 3" tall and it fits me fine. Rear seats fold almost all the way down but the back isn't big enough for me to sleep in without being somewhat bent into a pretzel. She got the 4 cylinder engine and its 170hp are plenty, even with AWD. We're getting 22-24mpg highway which may improve with time. This is still better than the ~20mph she was getting with the Baja, plus the Forrester runs on 87 octane so we're saving at the pump right away.

The steering is a bit tight and I don't like how it tends to oversteer early. The ride is smooth and it does handle well for a vehicle of its bulk. So far no experience on snow or ice. Off roading to get to a camp spot was good, with plenty of clearance.

The stock stereo is kinda crappy, so if you're into music like me opt for the premium system or expect to install aftermarket head and speakers.

[ADKechoes73]

Thanks for all the replies everyone, this thread remphasized the decision I was leaning towards, Forrester. Off to the lots in a few weeks hopefully.