I'm recommending a Subaru Impreza for a fren's daughter (do you agree?)

I've not owned a Subie but have been next to plenty of first hand experience with them and .... well meh. I simply do not understand the small but fanatical following they have. Different strokes for different folks I guess. My guess is the 20 yoa female is going to boycott it on looks alone anyway (I raised two daughters). :p

What about a Mitsubishi Outlander Sport? Just as reliable if not more so, still AWD if you want it, costs the same or less with a better warranty IIRC and most importantly it's an SUV which all young women absolutely MUST HAVE. :unsure:
 
AutoMechanic said:
Subaru for sure. Me and my family will never ever buy a new Toyota ever again. They are horrible about warranty so that’s enough to turn me away. The Subaru is easier to work on than most Toyota too. With the exception of spark plugs and a few other things. Personally I’d look at a Crosstrek over Impreza but that’s just simply because it would fit my needs better but both are a solid choice. As a Subaru and Toyota mechanic I can safely say Subaru. Subaru is also king of the snow now too. Toyota in my opinion has gone downhill over the last few years with warranty and quality and the price has skyrocketed too. I agree with your recommendation to them. And generally Subaru will always take care of you in some way even outside of warranty. Toyota will not nor will Honda from my experience.
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The Crosstrek is an Impreza with a lift kit and plastic cladding all over it. But not a bad suggestion I'd bet she'd like it much better.
 
Lubener said:
If she's paying for it she should get what she wants but I rarely have seen a 20 year old make sound important decision.
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I think the proper word here is guidance. This is a teaching moment and a major one. It’s not just picking the car but dealing with the finance end and insurance plus maintenance down the road.

It’s an exciting time for sure but she should also learn the reality of it all.
 
I don’t like Subaru except Outback as nothing exists equivalent to it on market.

The balance of Subaru cars including Impreza buy something else like Civic or Corolla. If you need AWD get the Corolla AWD.

Subarus have weird issues in my personal experience. My ownership was decent but had access to inexpensive $70/hr Subaru expert locally and not dealer.
 
If 4WD/AWD is your thing then probably Subaru, reliability wise it is way lower than Corolla for sure (head gasket, CV boots, more frequent tire replacements, insurance cost, etc).

I have pretty good experience with Toyota's warranty, but then again I usually DIY and not much is broken unless it was bad from the factory (wrong installation, etc), plus I live next to a Toyota dealer and Subaru is 20 mins away.
 
KCJeep said:
I've not owned a Subie but have been next to plenty of first hand experience with them and .... well meh. I simply do not understand the small but fanatical following they have. Different strokes for different folks I guess. My guess is the 20 yoa female is going to boycott it on looks alone anyway (I raised two daughters). :p

What about a Mitsubishi Outlander Sport? Just as reliable if not more so, still AWD if you want it, costs the same or less with a better warranty IIRC and most importantly it's an SUV which all young women absolutely MUST HAVE. :unsure:
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The halo vehicle WRX STI is really good, but a base Impreza? Meh
 
lizpat said:
A fren has come to me seeking advice for a new car for his just-turned-20 daughter. He's been out of the loop (he was never in the loop) when it comes to cars, so they will take my advice seriously.

Naturally, he's leaning towards the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla as people generally do because it's become something of a 'default' choice.

I'm pushing them away from these choices and steering them towards a Subaru Impreza because this car is what I would choose if I were to buy a brand new sedan (or hatchback based on a sedan chassis) today.


Their reasons for the Civic/Corolla are the usual reasons: reliability, low insurance cost, low cost of ownership which includes the fact that many 100's of 1000's will be produced which means aftermarket parts and factory parts will be easy to source and will be affordable. Some other benefits are that these cars will have a large online community, which definitely helps too. Aftermarket performance parts like 'coilovers' will be available soon too.

I'm recommending the Impreza because the Subaru is only new sedan that still has good VISIBILITY: it has visibility that is about as good as a vehicle manufactured over a decade ago, it's forward visibility is about as good as my 2007 Corolla, and the side visibility is even a little better, but the rear visibility is definitely not as good. It has good driving dynamics and the CVT is at least as good as the Civic and Corolla. However, there are some potential downsides to owning a Subaru as well such as the possibility that this low volume seller might be discontinued. Insurance cost appears to be slightly higher, and parts availability is a little worse. It also appears to be harder to work on. Frankly speaking, the Subaru is not as attractive as the Civic, it's downright ugly on the outside whereas the Civic is very attractive and elegant looking (but horrible rear visibility.)

I find the driving dynamics of the Impreza to be superior to both the current Corolla AND the current Civic (11th generation) though it is not as good as the 10th generation Civic. My reference point is the 2023 Impreza, but there's a new one coming out with the expectation that it will be even better.


Do you think I am serving them well?
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Out out those the Subaru is the only choice if AWD is important, it is also structurally much better built. No mention of the 800lb gorilla in the room the VW Jetta which is also very good.
 
I have found that Subaru is one of the best values on the market. I reccomended a new impeza to someone, it's alot of car for the price. Economical to buy and drive. We have a 2015 Forester and it has been a good vehicle.
 
PandaBear said:
If 4WD/AWD is your thing then probably Subaru, reliability wise it is way lower than Corolla for sure (head gasket, CV boots, more frequent tire replacements, insurance cost, etc).
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Subaru's head gasket issues have not been an issue in over a decade since the EJ-series engines ended production.
 
I would have no problem recommending an Impreza for a first car - assuming the person it is being recommended to is ok with the style. You have to be one that is willing to stand out from the crowd. If the girl wants to fit in with the masses, then go for the Civic. But if she is good with walking her own path, the Impreza is a cool car for a younger person.

When it comes to crash safety rating, NHTSA puts the Impreza edging out the Civic and Corolla, as the Impreza is the only one of the three rated 5 stars for all three of side, frontal, and rollover. In your part of the country, the AWD has to be a significant safety factor - as long as she keeps good tires on it.

As far as maintenance, the only thing that is more difficult on a Subaru is spark plug changes. All other maintenance is easy. I would much rather do an oil/filter service on a Subaru than the others. Easy peasy.

As with any AWD vehicle, tires do wear out quickly on a Subaru. The trick to that is to buy tires from a tire company that has clout with the tire manufacturers, and gives great tread wear warranty service. I have taken advantage of this with my Outback, at Discount Tire. Then you don't concern yourself with tire wear.
 
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Bottom_Feeder said:
Subaru's head gasket issues have not been an issue in over a decade since the EJ-series engines ended production.
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Even then if you slug the cases so it is a closed deck on the EJ, use studs for turbo and MLS head gaskets it becomes a non issue.
It is easy enough to build a bulletproof EJ if you don't mind DIY and spending some money once. This one example of closing the deck.

 
skyactiv said:
My younger sis has a 2017 Impreza my parents got her new. It has a CVT and she had the dealer change the fluid in it. Despite that, the CVT went out past the factory warranty, but Subaru covered it.
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The warranty was extended by Subaru on this one, right? Subaru seems to be pretty good about admitting its mistakes and making it right if they can.
 
They will never get rid of the Impreza. So many interchangeable parts that I wouldn’t worry about that either.

Personally, I would need more information about the needs to make a recommendation. For instance, my old Civic with snow tires was a beast. So was my old Legacy with AS tires, but had worse stopping characteristics. All cars are all-wheel stop, although I’d argue the AWD coupling from front to rear in a Subaru might help a little.
 
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