Subaru Owners?

[king tut]

Are there any of you out there that drive a Subaru Impreza or Legacy? I am looking for a good all wheel drive vehicle for hiking and skiing and was just wondering what people thought about these models. My poor Mazda 3 was totalled on Sunday when I got hit, so I need to get something soon before my rental car insurance runs out.

 

[Chugach001]

The Subaru Legacy is best snow car I have ever owned. Absolutely!

Ever summer I think about a new car, something different and cooler. Every winter I'm just happy as hell to be driving a Soob.

 

[audrey]

Just got a new Outback...traded in the '02 with 170K and no major problems. Gas consumption appears to be as promised, and performance on snow is excellent. Very comfortable and fun to drive. Haven't tested it on the Caribou Valley Road yet.
Come to a Gathering some time and count the Subies.

 

[una_dogger]

I had an impreza wagon (1998) and I loved it. 180k without a hitch except for CV joints which are needed on all Subes at 100k. Gas mileage about 27 mpg and peppy and fun to drive.

Had a 2001 Outback Limited, it was a tank. Slow on hills, guzzler on gas, high on maintenance. 22mpg.

If I were in the market for another Suby I'd go back to the Impreza 2.5L wagon.

Currently I drive a Mini Cooper Clubman, with snowtires and 40mpg, its doing just find in the snow and ice and has plenty of room for puppy plus all the gear I lug around.

Good luck and sorry about your car!

 

[Puma concolor]

Provided for your information and amusement:

The Subaru Thread

 

[smitty77]

I was looking at a Subaru but ended up getting a 2010 Dodge Journey. Got the AWD SXT with a V6 and 6-speed autostick and seating for 5. Lots of room, awesome storage cubbies to keep your gear out of sight, roof rack, sat radio, power inverter, high safety ratings, and nicely equipped and tons of safety features like side-curtain airbags and stability/rollover control. Also available as a 7-seater. Only downside is the 20 mpg on mixed city/highway. But the huge plus is the sticker price of $22,000 after rebates. I bought mine in November but saw an ad today for the same deal.

Some people can't stand Dodge/Chrysler but this ride replaced a 2002 PT cruiser that, aside from oil changes, cost me a whopping $275 in ownership costs in 45,000 miles. Yeah, the wife's car doesn't see a lot of use.

 

[Laurie]

I'm on my second Legacy. It's great in the snow and the newer models actually have some style to them! The 1995 had 135,000 miles and was still running great when I sold it. My 2005 also runs great & gets 30mpg highway. I drive 60mi to work each way now, so I bought snow tires this year. It really rocks in the snow now!

Laurie

 

[J&J]

Had an 1998 Outback for nine years and 214k before it died. Now have two Foresters, one with 127k and the other with 74k. Great cars!

 

[DougPaul]

I have a 2002 Outback Legacy Wagon. I'm happy with it. 28 mpg on highways. Good traction on both wet and snowy roads.

Doug

 

[dug]

Tried a DX model back in the 80's, piece of junk. Tried again ten years ago with an Outback, another piece of junk. No thanks.

No comparison in ride and performance to your Mazda.

 

[Mountain49]

another subaru lover

I'm driving a 98 Subaru legacy which I love. It's great in the snow!

Mountain49

 

[MonadnockVol]

Impreza owner here

For four years I didn't own a car. I walked to work and shared expenses on my partner's car. When I really needed a car and couldn't borrow hers, I would rent. Unfortunately that meant that I had to take whatever they had and that seldom meant all-wheel drive and good snow tires. Once I was heading up the road towards the trail head and then I was heading down the hill still facing uphill. Fortunately the only thing below me was a soft snowbank. I dug myself out with my snowshoes, bought a Subaru Impreza with all-season radials the next week, and the two of us have been very happy for the last three years.

- MonadnockVol (aka Steve)

P.S. Not to be a stickler, but this thread really belongs in General Backcountry...

 

[MichaelJ]

I loved my Subaru Outback for many years, and was heartbroken when one of the front differentials started to die (fallout from an accident many years ago). It would have required full front transmission replacement, and a top transmission shop recommended not making them wealthy but just getting a new car.

When I looked at the new Outbacks, I was very dissatisfied. The current model year is far larger than the old ones, pushing it IMHO out of "wagon" into "crossover". I can recommend through the 2009s as terrific cars, but not the 2010 model year.

Also, if you don't really need that extra ground clearance, you can save a lot by sticking to the Legacy. I highly recommend AWD, especially in winter driving to the mountains and ski areas. But while the ground clearance was critical to getting up the logging roads of the western Maine NE100 peaks, if you're not going to be driving a lot of roads like that, save the money.

 

[jrichard]

We have a 97 Legacy Outback with 140k+ miles. We bought it because it felt so much better to drive (to us) than competing SUVs. Now after 14 years:

Good things: AWD, gas mileage, reliability, sure-footedness
Bad things: a bit noisy, less "refined" interior

The new Outbacks are much quieter and have more internal amenities. And, despite being supersized recently, you can get a 2010 with a 2.5L/CVT that gets better gas mileage than our smaller 97. The Outback and Forester are #1 and #2 on the short list when/if we get a new car.

The biggest downside I see with Subaru is that they generally don't have the newest technology. It took years to get a CVT and it isn't available on a Forester yet. They don't have a hybrid option. VSC lagged competitors.

Edit: Just read the thread Puma concolor listed. This is probably obvious, but these are station wagons by a different name. Service of our car was 95% on paved roads, in southern NH. Snow, logging, and fire roads, but no 4x4 roads. No plowing, no towing. And as much as I used to enjoy quick cornering on dirt roads, a few close calls (think: deer, washouts, other cars) cured me of that.

 

[Sasquatch]

I've had many cars but AWD rules. Jeeps rule the snow but use tons of gas. I've had several Subarus and the Legacy and Outback are great.My 99 Legacy Wagon had 280,000 miles on it and it's very last bit of service was to save my life in a high speed head on collision.Well designed cars. I did spend alot of money on service compared to the Mazda's I've had. I would have liked to get something sportier but it was really a no brainier and I'm loving my Outback on all the incredibly frostheaved roads right now.

 

[MichaelJ]

Watch out for which models of Subaru require premium gas. It depends on the type of engine. That was a big downer for my 2003 6-cylinder Outback.

 

[king tut]

Thanks for all the input and info! I am headed out today to look at some cars. Fortunately I got a good settlement for my car, it was totalled by insurance, maybe I was just meant to be a Subaru owner?

 

[jrichard]

Ouch! Glad you are OK.

BTW: Be sure to check if you are eligible for the Subaru VIP program (no haggle sale at invoice, or invoice - 2%).

 

[king tut]

I ended up getting the Subaru Impreza 2010 today. It is pretty sweet, it has the moon roof, heated seats, and outside temperature gauge as well as the auxiliary mp3/Ipod hook up. I am looking forward to driving it.

 

[TDawg]

Forester

Having just purchased a 2010 Forester, I like what I'm hearing. Super excited to get a hold of it on Monday!!