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I am in the market for a new car. I have a Mazda 3 now. I really like the new Impreza RS. I did have a Subaru before. It was years ago and I had a major problem with it. There came a point when the pedals weren't retracting properly. It turned out the pedals weren't welded properly when the car was manufactured. They had to remove the interior and reweld the pedals. They nearly had to total the car. That and I had a customer service issue. The CD player stopped working and it was covered under the extended warranty. It took 4 months to get the CD player fixed. I kept calling the dealer and getting the runaround. That was the dealer though, not Subaru. When I finally escalated it and went to Subaru customer service, they turned it around within a couple of days. I know I will not go to that dealer again. I would probably give Subaru another shot. Subaru has a good reputation. It is not like Jaguar, known for poor quality. The only person I know who has had bad luck with a Subaru is me. Anybody on here, have you had any recent experience with Subaru?
Apparently, based on consumer reports and other on-line sources they have improved, but so have other makes.
They used to have a lot of head gasket issues, but I guess they have figured it out.
It also depends on what factors are important to you more. Gas mileage, reliability or fun factor.
If it was gas mileage and reliability only, then probably a Toyota Hybrid. But if you want to have fun too, then you have to go test drive a few cars.
Mazda might still be a better bet though but my recent experience with a CX-5 was not good at all but maybe I got a lemon (according to this forum I did!).
If people are still mentioning the Subaru head gasket issues from a couple decades ago don't ask about a Ford or they'll start talking about the Pinto.
If a car I'd upsize to the Legacy, a CUV would be the Forester.
2010 Forester with over 200K on it. 2021 that's not even broken in yet.
Last edited by North Beach Person; 05-05-2024 at 07:31 PM..
If people are still mentioning the Subaru head gasket issues from a couple decades ago don't ask about a Ford or they'll start talking about the Pinto.
If a car I'd upsize to the Legacy, a CUV would be the Forester.
2010 Forester with over 200K on it. 2021 that's not even broken in yet.
I have a 2019 Forester that I've had for 5 years now - it's not perfect, but I have been very satisfied. From what I have read about the new 2024 Impreza RS - with stiffer chassis, reduced NVH (noise, vibration and harshness), upgraded 2.5l engine, upgraded Eyesight system, improved seats, and continuation of the nice Subaru fulltime AWD system, it sounds like a nice little hatchback and a bargain.
P.S. If you wind up getting one, make sure to get the rubber armor for the cargo area - the cargo tray and seatback protector. :-)
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,764 posts, read 58,200,174 times
Reputation: 46265
Most new / recent buyers love their 1 owner / low mileage. / Sell before 150k cars.. regardless of model.
See what fits and suits you.
Several friends have new subies. They too, are very happy with their choice. Good for them!
I have an old subie, it's a utility vehicle for my months of freezing rain and blowing snow. It's by far my least favorite car. It doesn't fit my driving, economy , performance, reliability, or comfort expectations.
It has a good heater and a manual transmission+++
You do you!, and live happily ever after!
Go try stuff out and see what fits and gives you pleasure and reassurance to drive.
Audi really fits and is fun to drive (I live and drive switchbacks, canyons, and mtns every day)
I'll never own one, unless it's a short term euro delivery.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,662 posts, read 81,421,151 times
Reputation: 57922
We have a 2020 Outback that my wife drives normally but I will drive it on trips. So far in 25,000 miles the only problem is that the navigation by voice totally sucks. One time I said "Navigate to Dutch Bros Coffee" and it phoned my dentist. Since the last time it led us astray we use Apple Carplay.
I am in the market for a new car. I have a Mazda 3 now. I really like the new Impreza RS. I did have a Subaru before. It was years ago and I had a major problem with it. There came a point when the pedals weren't retracting properly. It turned out the pedals weren't welded properly when the car was manufactured. They had to remove the interior and reweld the pedals. They nearly had to total the car. That and I had a customer service issue. The CD player stopped working and it was covered under the extended warranty. It took 4 months to get the CD player fixed. I kept calling the dealer and getting the runaround. That was the dealer though, not Subaru. When I finally escalated it and went to Subaru customer service, they turned it around within a couple of days. I know I will not go to that dealer again. I would probably give Subaru another shot. Subaru has a good reputation. It is not like Jaguar, known for poor quality. The only person I know who has had bad luck with a Subaru is me. Anybody on here, have you had any recent experience with Subaru?
What kind of driving do you do and where do you do it? Do you haul people or stuff often or not? You have to prioritize what's more or less important for a car you own.
I've driven Subarus for the past 27 years (Forester & Outback) and have had little trouble with them. I live in a cold, snowy, and wet climate so the AWD/snow capabilities matter more to me than it may to you. I don't particularly care about "fun" or sporty behavior, nor do I care about fancier passenger amenities (infotainment, navigational aids, connectivity, "luxury" grade features, uber silent smooth ride...all the roads here are rough so sort of moot) others may insist on. Good visibility is important. Just HATE cramped, beetle-like closed cabins dictated by style instead of utility! I want to own one vehicle that can wear multiple hats; large and sturdily built enough to haul without being a behemoth gas guzzling SUV, comfortable enough for this nearly 6' tall, long legged, big boned person to sit in for longer distances, easily maintained interior for wet & muddy dogs, people, and cargo.
Getting good service for it locally is also important. If I buy something that can't be serviced locally, I could face an 85 or even a 230 mile drive to the next town of any size. Not something I'm willing to do very often especially when winter driving conditions can last half the year. There's a great independent Subaru shop right in town. Kind of telling that you'll see older Subarus everywhere here. People buy them, maintain them and drive them for many years. When the time came to sell the old manual 5 speed at age 22 potential buyers were lined up to bid for it. Bought the new-to-me gen 5 Outback used 3 years ago. So far, literally no trouble at all and it may well be the last car I ever buy.
In short, Subaru had someone like me in mind and consequently, the car suits me very well. It may not suit someone else. Of course, in terms of reliability/cost of ownership it must be said: YMMV.
Last edited by Parnassia; 05-06-2024 at 02:25 PM..
We have a 2018 Forester with 51k miles. Just did brakes to pass inspection (first time doing brakes). Also had a CVT pan leak sealed, under warranty. Lower control arm bushing is deteriorating and needs to be replaced sooner or later.
Overall, it's been very reliable.
Both of our sons bought Imprezas, one in 2022 and another in 2023. They're happy. No issues.
A guy at work bought a bottom-of-the-line Forester in 2013 and has had a lot of problems.
Subaru seems almost cultish.. Like Harley-Davidson or something.
Those who love them won't say a bad word about them.
Either that, or they're the best damn vehicles on the planet.
It's one of the two. I never see any middle ground on them. People who own them just seem to love them.
And there's this whole Subaru Moo-Moo thing I'm just learning about, too. Very cultish behaviour.
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