Tell me about Subaru Outbacks...Maybe Crossteks too

[NWSharpshooter]

As much as I hate to think about it, my wife will probably need a new car in the next 12 months. We are trying to get her 2014 Escape to limp on as long as possible since right now is the absolute worst time to buying a car, but I am trying to do some research on my next purchase in advance.

My parents had Subaru's all through the 80s and 90s and they were reliable cars then. I have several friends with WRX and STIs who had nothing but problems and keep telling me to look elsewhere, but none of them had outbacks, and I can't help but think their standard vehicle offerings will be vastly different than their high performance street legal "race cars."

My wife likes the RAV4 from Toyota, and I am strongly pushing for that, but she also really likes the Outback and Crosstrek.


Anyone have any real world experience with the 2017 and newer Outbacks or Crosstreks? Or maybe a horror story about a new generation Rav4 I should consider.

 

[GoDawgsGo]

I highly recommend Subaru's. We had a Crosstreck and really loved it. Great gas mileage and smooth driving on trips. Most importantly they are very safe vehicles. my wife had a F150 pull out in front of her and she hit the truck going 55mph. It totaled it obviously but the cabin of the car was unfazed the doors would all open and the engine would even turn over. I bought her a forester as a replacement and love it to.

 

[Ixraypeople]

Subaru is legit

 

[blazedawg87]

Ive had 2 wrxs and a Forester. Ill never own another one. My 2008 was pretty good. My 17wrx ate a rod bearing at 14k, the forester i sold before the CVT could let go (normally around 70k).

Hyundai, Kia, Toyota is about all i would look at thats not a truck.

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

I can't speak to the mechanical aspects but I drove a LOT of Subarus at the port. I liked the Forester the best. Now I prefer the looks of the Outback. But we never drove /processed any of those since they're built in Indiana. And that MIGHT be an important fact to someone buying a Jap car. ( Back in my Toyota selling days I showed two identical Camry's to whatcha call a " Consumer Reports" couple. They loved one and never gave the other any consideration. Turns out one was Japanese and one was American built)
Anyway, I dig that you can get anything in the Subaru line with a manual transmission. You can get them in steel wheel base models and save a good bit. To ME Subaru is hard to beat value wise. I like the looks of the Outback better since it's more wagon looking. But I have never even sat in one.

 

[spistols]

Loved Subaru to a point. Bought a brand new 2016 Crosstrek- Manual trans. Had major problems with oil consumption. I listed my issues here about 2 years ago when someone asked about Subarus. Lost a quart of oil the first 2500 miles. In and out of the deal with head swaps and new lower block. Finally said F it and sold it to Carvana at 22,000 miles.

My sister in law who swears by them gave me one bit of advice when I was going through the issues- she said, "They are great cars, but expect to add oil every 2,000 miles and change the oil every 3,000 miles". I said hell no, not on a brand new car. In my 1976 Impala, back in 1989, yes, but not on today's cars.

Subaru said due to the thinner oil to achieve the higher gas mileage, oil consumption is expected, and for me to check the oil every other gas fill up. Plus I got a free Subaru sweatshirt for my troubles.


Have a sister with a 2018 Subaru Outback. Plagued with electrical problems.

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

Ive had 2 wrxs and a Forester. Ill never own another one. My 2008 was pretty good. My 17wrx ate a rod bearing at 14k, the forester i sold before the CVT could let go (normally around 70k).

Hyundai, Kia, Toyota is about all i would look at thats not a truck.

I own a paid for 2010 Soul and I am about to have the front wheel bearings replaced AGAIN to the tune of $630.00. The Kia we have has not had a catastrophic failure but it has nickel and dimed me to death. For a while it just ate coil packs one at the time. It had to have a starter and a crank sensor. It has some problem with a valve between the fuel tank and filler neck that keeps the idiot light on. If you put gas in it with it turned off it will take a while to crank it back up. I'm just glad it has a timing chain and not a belt. It's kinda like they built these cars with all Auto Zone parts.
Again, during my time at the Brunswick port we routinely had to call for jump starts on Kia Souls and that stupid ass Hyundai Velositer. Lots of them came off the ships with bad headlights/taillights. They just cut too many corners to me.

 

[Kman]

As much as I hate to think about it, my wife will probably need a new car in the next 12 months. We are trying to get her 2014 Escape to limp on as long as possible since right now is the absolute worst time to buying a car, but I am trying to do some research on my next purchase in advance.

My parents had Subaru's all through the 80s and 90s and they were reliable cars then. I have several friends with WRX and STIs who had nothing but problems and keep telling me to look elsewhere, but none of them had outbacks, and I can't help but think their standard vehicle offerings will be vastly different than their high performance street legal "race cars."

My wife likes the RAV4 from Toyota, and I am strongly pushing for that, but she also really likes the Outback and Crosstrek.


Anyone have any real world experience with the 2017 and newer Outbacks or Crosstreks? Or maybe a horror story about a new generation Rav4 I should consider.

In-laws have a new outback and really like it. My wife has driven it and liked it. My relatives in the north east swear by Subaru. I have not heard anything bad as far as reliability from any of them.

 

[AmbiEncE]

I have a 2014 Crosstrek that has been great. 160k

 

[NWSharpshooter]

I have a 2014 Crosstrek that has been great. 160k

How is the shoulder room? I'm a big dude, so in a small car I cramp my wife if there isn't much shoulder room.


I used to have a HHR I used as a company vehicle. Made the mistake of driving to Charleston with the wife in it one time thinking the fuel savings would make it worth it. She dang near flew home.