nwmr: anyone own a subaru?

semdkm

I have to replace my seriously crappy car.  I've held on to it b/c I own it and it's a tank, which makes me feel more safe driving the kids around given everyone else is in an apartment-sized vehicle . 

I've read that the Subaru Foresters and Outbacks rank well safety-wise, but anyone have any feedback?  I have young kids and a very tall husband, so that plays into things.  I'll appreciate your feedback about reliability, comfort, cost to fix, etc.

 Thank you!!

thespianlawyer

One of my friends got a Forester after she was in a serious car accident (to replace her Mini that was totaled).  She loved it!  Obviously, after the accident, safety was her #1 criteria, and after doing lots of research, she decided on the Subaru Forester.  I rode in it a couple times and the ride was very smooth and comfortable.  Good luck!

Leap08

We have a 2012 Subaru Outback. I love it. We have not had any problems with it so I have no idea about cost to fix it. The back seat is roomy (we can put both girls in car seats and an adult back there), it's comfortable, there's lots of room in the cargo area, it gets decent gas mileage, and it drives like a car. We drove a lot of crossover vehicles before we bought the Outback (Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, Chevy Equinox, and the Forester). In the end, I was sold by Subaru's safety ratings and reliability. We chose the Outback over the Forester because we felt like the backseat had more space in the Outback, and because I felt like it drove more like a car than an SUV. I really liked both, though. The Forester does cost a little less than the Outback.

jc&cat

We have a forester (2010) and love it! Great safety as you said, plus large enough back seat for both car seats still with space for the driver and passenger to sit comfortably and useful trunk space. A number of diapers have been changed in the trunk area, in fact. It is a comfortable ride and the maintenance cost has been minimal for us. You sit a bit higher up than in a sedan and that is nice too. The gas mileage is also a bonus.

My brother just purchased an outback and he also is pleased with the purchase.

lujain

We've owned a Subaru Forester for a couple years, and we like it.  We got leather seats and a GPS, and the rearview camera is a big plus.  My husband is 6'3", and he is comfortable driving the car.

katharine25

I have a 2004 outback, I love it. It handles so incredibly well in bad weather - I can comfortable drive in 2-3" of snow and not fear for my life (I live on a twisty country unpaved road). I also never have to take it to the mechanic, and it's got 120k+ miles on it. When I'm forced to retire this car, my next one will be an Outback too.

EastCoastBride

How young?  I have friends who are both tall (6'0 and over) and they got an Outback.  when their DS was rear-facing, one of them always had to sit in the back because the passenger seat had to be pulled way forward to accommodate the rear-facing seat.

They replaced it (and it wasn't very old!) w/ a van about a year ago. 

Ago

Funny, we are purchasing our first Subaru Forester today!  It is used and will replace my husbands WELL worn Mazda vehicle.  Good gas mileage, safe, drives forever, awesome in the snow, and really hard to find used - because people keep them forever.  Very safe, like a volvo, for its accident ratings.  I like the space in the back on the Foresters and my husband can easily haul his bicycle around to races.

jc&cat

Ago:

Funny, we are purchasing our first Subaru Forester today!  It is used and will replace my husbands WELL worn Mazda vehicle.  Good gas mileage, safe, drives forever, awesome in the snow, and really hard to find used - because people keep them forever.  Very safe, like a volvo, for its accident ratings.  I like the space in the back on the Foresters and my husband can easily haul his bicycle around to races.

Funny you say this b/c after all the research my DH did on cars, he concluded the subaru to be like a volvo in safety with a smaller pricetag. Congrats on the new car!

dglvrk2

I'm on my second Subaru, a 2006 Legacy wagon, and will likley never drive any other make of car.  I LOVE these cars.  They're well made and have a history of high safety ratings.  They do cost more than other comprable cars upfront, but end up costing less to maintain in the long run.  (compared to friends' Hondas and Volkswagons......)

DH and I are both average height.  We never have problems.  We do have taller friends who are not uncomfortable in our cars. (DH also has a Subaru)

They're great family cars.  They don't scream "uber mom."  Yet they have the space to haul gear like sports equipment, bulky car seats and all the other things that come with being part of an active family.

Enjoy!!!!

semdkm

Thank you, ladies!  I'm hoping to find a used one at a decent price-fingers crossed!  Either that, or I'll lease one.  Right now, I have a VW Passat Wagon that is 10 years old, and it cost me 800-1200 to fix every few months.  I will NEVER buy another VW--I just want to find something comparable in trunk space

dglvrk2

One more thing....I'd get what you're looking at, and Outback or a Forrester.  We got a great deal on our Legacy, but the Outback and Forrester offer a little more room and look cooler IMO :-)

Leap08

EastCoastBride:

How young?  I have friends who are both tall (6'0 and over) and they got an Outback.  when their DS was rear-facing, one of them always had to sit in the back because the passenger seat had to be pulled way forward to accommodate the rear-facing seat.

They replaced it (and it wasn't very old!) w/ a van about a year ago. 

Strange. My husband is over 6ft and we've never had to move the seat forward to accommodate our RFing car seat. Maybe it's because we have a newer model Outback. The 2012 is redesign. 

cakebatter27

Lurking...

We are on our second Subaru Legacy. A 2003 and now a 2013. We love them both.

My parents have an Outback and love it. My aunt & uncle are on their 4th Subaru, all foresters and outbacks.

HTH!

AsOctoberFalls

We have two Foresters, a 2005 and 2012 (both bought new).  The 2012 has SIGNIFICANTLY more head and leg room than the 2005.  My 6'5" DH can sit in the 2012 with the rear-facing car seat, but it's not possible in the 2005.

We LOVE our Subarus.  The 2005 has 130k miles on it, and we've had a few repairs (oxygen sensor, wheel bearings) but nothing major.  The AWD is great.

snicksnack

I have a 2010 Subaru Forester.  I love the car but wish the cargo area was just a little bit bigger so I could fit the stroller vertical instead of horizontal.  When I have the stroller in there everything else has to go on top of it.  Also, Subaru is really slow on it's recalls.  I have had two so far and it takes months after it is announced to get replacement parts.  For example they announced one last month and letters to owners letting them know that their car was impacted have not gone out and it is a potential fire hazard.  The same thing happened with the seat belts I think it was around 6 months from when I got the first letter until I got a second one letting me know the part was in. 

snicksnack

Leap08:

EastCoastBride:

How young?  I have friends who are both tall (6'0 and over) and they got an Outback.  when their DS was rear-facing, one of them always had to sit in the back because the passenger seat had to be pulled way forward to accommodate the rear-facing seat.

They replaced it (and it wasn't very old!) w/ a van about a year ago. 

Strange. My husband is over 6ft and we've never had to move the seat forward to accommodate our RFing car seat. Maybe it's because we have a newer model Outback. The 2012 is redesign. 

I have two rear facing car seats in my car and have never had an issue.  

LittleFish1

semdkm:

Thank you, ladies!  I'm hoping to find a used one at a decent price-fingers crossed!  Either that, or I'll lease one.  Right now, I have a VW Passat Wagon that is 10 years old, and it cost me 800-1200 to fix every few months.  I will NEVER buy another VW--I just want to find something comparable in trunk space

We have VW tiguan... decent price if you want memory seats but does have the standard electrical hiccups of VWs ... hence we are on our 2nd time leasing the vechicle but would not buy one though. Oh, the cargo area is a bit challenging with a stroller and Costco trips. Love the milage though.

2-Step

We have a 2011 Legacy and I love love love it. We went with the smaller car because at the time I was commuting a LOT and I wanted optimal gas mileage. It gets about 30 mpg on the freeway and 26 in town. So far it's been very reliable, no issues. I was very impressed by the safety presentation that the dealer gave and that played into my decision, not to mention the AWD and handling are very good, which helps avoid accidents in bad weather. I almost bought the Outback and now that I am not commuting I would like the extra space, but the Legacy actually works fine 90% of the time space-wise for us. I would buy another one in a heartbeat, we'll probably keep this one until our kids are driving!