Subaru experience?

[fowl smacker]

My wife WAS a Subaru person.  We had a 2009 Tribeca, it was a nice rigs, comfortable,  quiet, handled bad weather well.  The gas mileage was not great at 18mpg.  She was driving 45 miles one way to work so we sold it and got a 2014 brand new Crosstrek.  Road noise was awful, not comfortable to drive.  It did handle snow and ice great with studs.  At 28,000 miles while my wife was driving home on I5 it broke a valve spring, shot a rod through the side of the motor.  When the tow guy got to her, he said that it was his 4th Subaru that month that he's seen with that problem.  It was under warranty luckily so it got fixed.  We sold it and bought a 2016 Highlander (which is what I tried talking her into before the Tribeca).  It is a better vehicle than both our previous Subaru.  Quiet, smooth,  so comfortable,  powerful, and best of all Toyota reliability.

[Rob]

I have had an outback for 3 years.  Very good car.  Great clearance, good on dirt roads, snow, ice, deep water etc.  I have the 4 banger so I could get better mileage as I was using it as a commuter.  It is not a powerhouse but I hear the 6 cylinders are better.  I get 26-28 mpg on the highway, and I don't pay attention to how I drive.  if I did I could probably get over 30.

The only odd thing is that there is a pause when you shift from park into gear of about 1.5 seconds.  Takes some getting use to.

I have hunted several times out of it and it does well.  I got a 6x6 300 class elk rack into the vehicle too!  I take it skiing and it has never once felt bad on slush, snow or ice.

I need to upgrade my truck so I will likely be turning it in this year.  If I could afford both I would keep it.  My wife has a 2014 Forester and she loves it!  We just swapped over from the lease to buy it. 

Take them for a test drive, see how they feel.  Make sure the pause from park to being in gear does not drive you nuts!

Oh...  I hit my first deer ever while driving my outback last winter too!  I outside Wenatchee and doing 40 when I hit it and while the deer did 5K in damage, no one was hurt, and I drove the on to our elk hunting place, did the hunt, shot my cow, packed it up in the car, drove home and then continued to drive it for a week or so while we got the insurance taken care of and an appt. made. 

[Fl0und3rz]

We will drive the wheels off our 2005 Forester.  When we replace it for the wife, I'll use it.  Been camping in it, but no hunting. Snow traction is awesome.

[bracer40]

Guess those Subarus aren't just "tree huggers" cars huh?

FWIW I'm driving my first Subaru and can't believe I didn't discover them sooner. Bought a '16 Forester a year ago December. Pushing 45k. I spend a lot of time on the road and love everything about the car. Had it up and down the Manastash for many scouting and hunting trips. Handled great in 8" of snow covered 2-track during the late season and been over the pass numerous times in the sketchiest conditions.

Hauls a utility trailer filled with elk camp just fine too. Get about 30mpg.

[bobcat]

I saw a Subaru Forester at a gas station in Chehalis once, while I was filling up mine, license plate was "4HUNTIN" 

[rasbo]

we have a 2015 cross trek that does awesome,great gas mileage,awesome on snow and ice..it does have the road noise,which isn't really a problem for us..The eastside is lousy with these cross treks,super good rig for us..no kids though

[Dhoey07]

2011 Forester with 90k on it. Not one issue with ours.

Before I bought my truck, I had a 2002 wrx that I would take bird hunting and fishing.

[syoungs]

we have a 2015 cross trek that does awesome,great gas mileage,awesome on snow and ice..it does have the road noise,which isn't really a problem for us..The eastside is lousy with these cross treks,super good rig for us..no kids though

My wife seeing this car last summer pert near cost me a pile of money lol, I really like these things though, wouldn't have been to upset if she decided on getting one

[Dan-o]

Forgot to mention.....  when you your Subaru, get X-MODE:

It is truly incredible.

My wife's Forester has X-MODE........    Crazy good.

[JeffRaines]

Forgot to mention.....  when you your Subaru, get X-MODE:

It is truly incredible.

My wife's Forester has X-MODE........    Crazy good.

Wow. That thing will definitely go further than I'd ever take it

[Dan-o]

One more (interesting comparison of the various AWDs out there):

[Fl0und3rz]

That matches my experience on my hill this last snow storm, although a Honda pilot did pretty well with momentum.

It was pretty comical to watch people with their "AWD" spinning, sliding sideways as they discover physics, and then turning around in defeat.  The stopped start on a hill is actually a pretty realistic test.

[Miles]

Is that rain on the camera lens at the end of the test?  I like how both times the Subaru is tested it looks dry and clear.  Typical advertising...

The wife and I own a 3 year old outback and really like it.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Forgot to mention.....  when you your Subaru, get X-MODE:

It is truly incredible.

My wife's Forester has X-MODE........    Crazy good.

That's hard pack snow, try that in wet snow.

[Fl0und3rz]

I am not a zealot by any means, but what that shows to me is an improvement over their earlier iterations where if you are cross-wise supported on diagonally opposed tires, with the opposites slipping, you can still move forward if conditions are otherwise appropriate.

I encountered this situation in an unimproved camp site in the Forester.

It's the same argument for lockers.  It's an improvement over earlier iterations or base features. It will never be a lifted jeep or small pickup with front and rear lockers.