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I don't plan to buy another Subaru automobile again. The same can be said for the 2024 Tacoma with the 4-cylinder turbo engine, nor the Tundra with the smaller turbo engines. These are not only overpriced, but in my view won't be a reliable as the 2022-23 engines. Also, the undercarriage is not as well protected as in previous years when metal plates were used to shield the engine...
Yeah, who would want a turbo charged Toyota. Wait, what? Me, me... Sign me up!
The new engines are more powerful than the previous, with less emissions and better MPG. Whether or not they will be less reliable (possibly more so?) is yet to be determined. Toyota has a pretty good track record with turbos. It's probably safe to say that we won't see a return of 6 or 8 cylinder engines from Toyota, regardless.
OTOH, I understand the appeal of old school, dinosaur 6 cylinder Toyotas. After all, I own two of them from the 90's myself. One is the backup for my new Subaru. At less than 1/2 the MPG, I imagine it will see limited action going forward.
Are you referring the the plastic front air dam on a new Tacoma? I find it hard to believe they've dropped metal skid plates from this truck.
Bummer that your wife found the 2009 Forester quite uncomfortable to sit in. An unexpected danger when buying a gift vehicle for someone before they've had an opportunity to check it out.
Yeah, who would want a turbo charged Toyota. Wait, what? Me, me... Sign me up!
The new engines are more powerful than the previous, with less emissions and better MPG. Whether or not they will be less reliable (possibly more so?) is yet to be determined. Toyota has a pretty good track record with turbos. It's probably safe to say that we won't see a return of 6 or 8 cylinder engines from Toyota, regardless.
OTOH, I understand the appeal of old school, dinosaur 6 cylinder Toyotas. After all, I own two of them from the 90's myself. One is the backup for my new Subaru. At less than 1/2 the MPG, I imagine it will see limited action going forward.
Are you referring the the plastic front air dam on a new Tacoma? I find it hard to believe they've dropped metal skid plates from this truck.
Bummer that your wife found the 2009 Forester quite uncomfortable to sit in. An unexpected danger when buying a gift vehicle for someone before they've had an opportunity to check it out.
Nah! I just bought and gave it to her as a present. She didn't like it, so I traded it for another. She would like a 2023 Tacoma so I will buy one for her and hand her the key around Mother's day, maybe later. I will let her drive it this time, or course.
If I were a mechanic, the only Subaru I would have is the WRX with fart tail pipes Just kidding I just don't care for Subaru cars anymore. Well, if one is given to me, I take it and sell it.
By the way, the 6-cylinder engine in my wife's RAV4 has a clear record of being very reliable, and it is relatively frugal relating to fuel consumption, considering that it produces 270 HP. The new 4-cylinder engine with a turbo has to work extra hard over the 6-cylinder engine in the tacoma. Higher RPM means greater wear. It also consumes nearly the same amount of fuel in the city (both 20 MPG), and just 3 MPG less on the highway over the 6-cylinder 2023 Tacoma's engine. Yes, you can drive it faster, tow faster, and so on, but the higher RPM consumes more fuel in both the city or highway when towing.
Also, take a look at the undercarriage and the way the engine is shielded with a piece of "soft-rubberized/ flimsy something," not even hard plastic. A truck that costs from $40,000-$50,000 should at least have an aluminum or steel plate (shield) from the radiator to the back of the engine. For that price the engine itself should at least have a plastic cover like the one in previous models, including the 2012 Corolla, 2010 RAV4, 2013 Tundra and so on.
You also should look at the rear suspension, the bracket the shocks are mounted on. See how close it is to the ground. The tailpipe should be closer to the tire to avoid smashing it when driving over a large rock. The same can be said about the shock absorbers' ground clearance. We are talking about a truck that could reach the lower $50,000 in price depending on the options. There are several videos at YouTube where all midsize trucks are compared.
Bottomline for me: no new Tacoma, RAV4, Subarus, no cars with CVTs (regardless of brand).
I haven't read the entire tread, so I'm probably repeating what others have said upthread. Anyway, my personal car is a 2015 Forester. I've held on to it because the prospect of trading it (and the cost) seemed really daunting, but I wish I'd gotten the RAV4 instead. My favorite car, our Honda CRV from 2008, got totaled in 2015, so I had to find an alternative, but by then the new CRVs had shrunk and the cargo space was no longer sufficient. Ha, it turned out that neither was the Forester's. To this day I grumble about the lack of space for small items, like coins.The speakers are terrible. On several occasions the gas pedal has not engaged properly when accelerating in a turn, and we've been told it's because of the AWD. I think that's BS. But...on rainy days (in SoCal) it's been a marvel, totally steady on the road. And the mileage is good for a commuter car, so I've put up with the rest. But I'm beginning to flirt with the thought of getting a new SUV--the Forester repairs are increasing. I'd never get another Subaru, so I'd probably be looking for a RAV4, finally.
I liked the original RAV4; the new ones are as big, if not bigger, than the Subaru. I have a 92 Toyota Corolla that's cost me less money to maintain since I bought it new in 1993 than the 2016 Forester has. I can't complain about still getting 30 mpg or more out of the Forester, but the maintenance is the reason I would never get another one.
I have a 2019 Crosstrek. People give me compliments on the blue color, sometimes at a stoplight. I never had anyone compliment me on my car before, and I've had 3 other cars before this one. I bought this car used from the dealer at 7k miles, it was originally a loaner...and I didn't specifically chose the color, but the price was good for the quality of the car. So the CVT engine took me about 6 months to get use to. It jiggles just a bit as I slow down at a stop sign. The suspension is tight. It handles off-road very well IMO. When it's windy and I'm driving down the highway, the wind will definitely blow this car around a bit. It is also noisy with road noise. I wear earplugs when driving on the highway. Gas milage is good. On the highway I'm up to almost 40mpg. At about 20k miles, the back wheel bearings went out for no reason that I know of, but the dealer replaced them for free. The breaks have only needed to be replaced once at about 70k miles. Same for the tires. It's fun to drive.. and other Crosstrek owners have camaraderie with my car. That means that they will sometimes park next to me, and the drivers will sometimes wave at me with the same Crosstrek color.
The Saab effect. It’s quirky and weird and goofy enough that Barney would drive it. They are great for what they re designed to do, which is haul liberals. Joking aside, I don’t know how anyone can live with that goofy styling Subarus have. Owners of of Subarus must like one thing and one thing only, functionality. There are no other emotions, no design, no mystique, nothing. A to B cubicle that’s transports you reliably.
I'm also confused about your comment here... goofy? How so?? Plus you're kinda contradicting yourself, by calling it quirky/weird/goofy, then "no design, mystique, NOTHING." So which one is it?
I have a 2021 Crosstrek Limited, and for the most part I really love it. It's not as much fun to drive as my old BMW or VW, but definitely more reliable and hardy. I live in the mountains with two large dogs, so it's just the most practical choice for my lifestyle right now. But it does have some fun features, and was the most enjoyable ride of the similar vehicles (e.g. Hyundai Kona & Honda CRV) I tested. The only major issue I've had is something with the front axles, which has caused me to wear through 3 expensive sets of tires in 3 years. And Subaru didn't notice/inform me of this, whether that was intentional or just an oversight; it wasn't until I took it for brakes at an outside shop, when they noticed the issue and explained why my tires wore down so quickly. Oy!
But yeah, I still wouldn't call it goofy OR emotion/design-less. I think it's just perfectly in the middle. This is the one I have (same color and everything), plus I added a few things like tinting the front windows. I think she's pretty.
I personally would want nothing to do with the Soobie Doobie Doo image, organic wheatgrass etc. Other opinions may vary.
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