Thinking about a used Subaru....

[OVERKILL]

My wife and I picked up a used, lower mileage Forester XT (2.5L Turbo, 6spd) a few years ago that appeared to promise to be a great car. Unfortunately, while we liked the car, it had an issue that the selling dealer, and then later even the Subaru dealer, were unable to fix. The dealer bought it back from us and we ended up with the '06 Charger as the replacement.

The AWD was great, so was the transmission. The vehicle rode well, I actually have a thread on it somewhere. My takeaway from the experience is that, as Bill alluded to, they are complex vehicles with some rather unique traits that can make them more difficult/expensive to service than more traditional types. I was willing to accept that, but alas it was not to be.

 

[horse123]

The turbo foresters seemed to have a lot of problems with the turbo itself as far as I recall. Not sure how the new 2.0XT is.

 

[Rand]

Originally Posted By: horse123
The turbo foresters seemed to have a lot of problems with the turbo itself as far as I recall. Not sure how the new 2.0XT is.


The FA20DIT was 2014+

The FB25 is 2011+ in forester model.

Its not "oil burning trash". There were quite a few less than 3% that had ring issues. They replace with new shortblock under warranty now.
This was mainly 2011-2014
I had 3 of the FB25 and only the 2013 outback was a burner about 1qt/1800miles.. it burns nothing now. New shortblock.

 

[horse123]

Originally Posted By: Rand
Originally Posted By: horse123
The turbo foresters seemed to have a lot of problems with the turbo itself as far as I recall. Not sure how the new 2.0XT is.


The FA20DIT was 2014+

The FB25 is 2011+ in forester model.

Its not "oil burning trash". There were quite a few less than 3% that had ring issues. They replace with new shortblock under warranty now.
This was mainly 2011-2014
I had 3 of the FB25 and only the 2013 outback was a burner about 1qt/1800miles.. it burns nothing now. New shortblock.


Not sure how any of that was relevant to my post. I already knew which engines were used in what years, and I never said a word about oil consumption.

 

[Lolvoguy]

Originally Posted By: skyactiv
Speaking of tires and AWD, the TireRack can shave a tire to match the others if you happen to need to replace only one tire.

http://blog.tirerack.com/blog/docs-advic...a-shave-as-well

Call me old-fashioned but that's another reason why FWD/RWD is my preferred drivetrain setup

 

[JTK]

IMO, Subaru's only advantage is their AWD system. If you don't have a use for the AWD, I don't see the point in owning one. I'm on my third Subaru and have had many in the family. Well used and new ones. A basic Forester offers the most bang for the buck in terms of functionality. We like Subaru AWD because of our winters and the very hilly area we live in. It will get you through the rare occasions where FWD and good snow tires aren't cutting it.

 

[glock19]

Originally Posted By: JTK
IMO, Subaru's only advantage is their AWD system. If you don't have a use for the AWD, I don't see the point in owning one. I'm on my third Subaru and have had many in the family. Well used and new ones. A basic Forester offers the most bang for the buck in terms of functionality. We like Subaru AWD because of our winters and the very hilly area we live in. It will get you through the rare occasions where FWD and good snow tires aren't cutting it.


The AWD system is good but there's a lot more to like about Subarus. The main draw for me was the IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus rating and the sub $30k price tag. Also, I was able to get heated cloth seats (the perfect combo in my opinion).

 

[JTK]

That's true glock. They do have some oddities like the heated cloth. Had that in my Leggy and XV Crosstrek. Safety and visibility from the driver's seat is always top notch on them as well. You'll rarely find a blind-spot in a Subaru.

 

[emg]

Originally Posted By: horse123
Despite what another user said, the CVTs seem to have proven pretty much bombproof.


Yes. Aside from one where the belt was defective, the only failures I've heard of were when someone put ATF in there instead of CVT fluid. Usually means a new transmission after a thousand miles or so.

Quote:
If you get a 2012+ do not expect anywhere near the rated MPG if you're getting a naturally aspirated.


Our 2015 2.5i Forester meets or beats the advertised mileage here in Canada. Around town it gets essentially the same mpg as our Civic. On the highway I've had up to 45mpg, but it's such a boxy design that a headwind or high speeds really hurt (which is why it's economical around town: the aerodynamics don't matter there).