Car choice

Ylvelill · December 2013

Trying to decide between a Mazda cx-5 and a Subaru forester. Anyone have any experience with either?

It is time for us to get a grown up car

michellexm · December 2013

I'm a Subaru fan. Owned them for over ten years now (just got my second one two years ago). Great cars!

Huahine · December 2013

Have you driven the Cx-5? I test drove every small SUV out there 18 months ago and that was by far the joltiest ride.

See if you can borrow a convertible car seat from someone and put it in any car you are serious about. See where the front seat winds up to make room for a kid rear facing behind it. If you guys aren't tall, it might not be an issue, but in many models DH would have his knees on the dash to make room for DS behind him. We went with the Nissan Murano because it had plenty of legroom in the back.

Ylvelill · December 2013

Yeah we went driving in a few Friday

my husband likes the way the Mazda drives. Good tip about the car seat will try bringing that when we go back.

junebugjam · December 2013

These are the same 2 cars we are thinking about also! Too funny. My husband says they have the best safety ratings. I have a mazda3 now which I like, but no specific experience with either of these cars. I'll be following this post though!

allardr · December 2013

Huahine said:

Have you driven the Cx-5? I test drove every small SUV out there 18 months ago and that was by far the joltiest ride. See if you can borrow a convertible car seat from someone and put it in any car you are serious about. See where the front seat winds up to make room for a kid rear facing behind it. If you guys aren't tall, it might not be an issue, but in many models DH would have his knees on the dash to make room for DS behind him. We went with the Nissan Murano because it had plenty of legroom in the back.

definitely check car seats! Our current car DD can't be behind driver because DH can't move seat back enough to comfortably drive then. We plan to get a new car this coming year, I'm also looking Subaru but a smaller model. However we both know we need two car seats to fit so they'll be lots of trying those out in each car.

PregsMcSnoozalot · December 2013

Sounds like you might be in the market for something smaller, but if you are open to something bigger...I LOVE my Ford Explorer. It's actually my second Explorer, I drove the first one to 260k miles (and still sold it for two grand!) and then went right back out and bought another Explorer. Great cars, cheap maintenance/repairs. "Drive 'em til the wheels fall off", thats my motto

pantherRN · December 2013

I drive a '13 Forester, which I LOVE. Do you live where it snows/ices in the winter? Subaru has the best AWD on the market. I also go rear-ended back in September and the damage to my car was minimal while the other was pretty much totaled.

The Mazda is a little faster, but I liked the cargo space in the Forester a little better. That combined with the safety features on the Subaru made me go with the Subaru.

bewilderingstar · December 2013

I hated my Mazda. They are expensive to fix and don't last long.

I'd totally get the Subie. Such a grrat and dependable car, plus the new ones look fantastic!

biglewzer · December 2013

I've never owned one, but I'm a big fan of Subarus. I don't think I've ever met someone that owned one that didn't love it.

pantherRN · December 2013

Also, getting the Subaru allowed me to have heated seats without needing leather. WIN. I also have a sunroof that takes up half the car. It's sweet in the summer.

Just because the Subaru may seem more practical, doesn't mean it can't have fun features too.

alysie89 · December 2013

I'm a huge fan of Mazda's because while they can be pricey, they do last very very well if you do regular maintenance, and I find car seats tend to fit very nicely in them
Be careful with some Subaru's head gaskets are recommended maintenance at 100.000km which seems years away, but when it sneaks up that is one bloody expensive "regular required maintenance" bill. I don't think it's all Subaru vehicles, but the ones that do... it sucks.

V1981 · December 2013

I second the explorer if you're looking for something to grow into. I've had a ton of SUVs and this is by far the most comfortable.

Ylvelill · December 2013

We looked at a couple of bigger models but I don't think we are quite ready for that! Thanks for all the tips!

cakebatter27 · December 2013

I love my subaru legacy. We've had 5 subarus in my family. They're reliable and fun.

clebl24 · December 2013

We just bought a Rav4 in August. We test drove several crossover SUVs and ended up in the Rav4. So far, so good...we love it.

pammyxjean · December 2013

Ive became a mini van mom and have never looked back, after we pay off my chrysler I have my eyes on the nissan van don't know what its called but its RAD. I would go forester all the way, I love those cars! (:

Pinksundrops · December 2013

It's slightly bigger than the CX-5, but we got the Maxda CX-9 last May and we looooove it. It's our first SUV. It's small with five seats when you want it but has seven if you need it and still has room in the back. Good luck!

michellexm · December 2013

alysie89 said:
I'm a huge fan of Mazda's because while they can be pricey, they do last very very well if you do regular maintenance, and I find car seats tend to fit very nicely in them
Be careful with some Subaru's head gaskets are recommended maintenance at 100.000km which seems years away, but when it sneaks up that is one bloody expensive "regular required maintenance" bill. I don't think it's all Subaru vehicles, but the ones that do... it sucks.

Head gasket issues haven't been an issue for Subarus since the 2002 or 2003 model years...I had the problem in my first one, fixed it, and never had another problem again.

I drive a new model Impreza wagon now and it's perfect. Plenty of space for a car seat, too! Great highway gas mileage, too...and AWD of course. My first Subie was an older model Forester. Love that car! It's still owned and driven as a daily driver by another family member now (who bought it off me when I decided to upgrade).

Consider resale value too...Subarus definitely win that fight.

jamboree jess · December 2013

My vote is on the Subaru, I've got a Legacy and I adore it. IDK where you live, but AWD is almost essential for midwest winters.

Huahine · December 2013

Lori_n_Lior said:

We are about to buy a murano. We currently have a countryman which I love but it is just too small.

I've been really happy with the Murano. Of course, the nanny has put more miles on it than I have, but the heated seats and steering wheel, hands-free lift gate, and sweet stereo make my day every time I do drive it. Also love having that big mobile diaper changing area in the back. It makes my life so much easier.

[Deleted User] · December 2013

The 2014 Foresters are so nice!! I test drove one and it's at the top of my list for a new car when we're ready to buy. It got really great reviews on Consumer Reports.

reils500 · December 2013

I have a Subaru Outback. I love it! I live in New England & it is great in the snow. I also love all the storage space, which is needed when traveling with a baby/toddler.

michellexm · December 2013

reils500 said:

I have a Subaru Outback. I love it! I live in New England & it is great in the snow. I also love all the storage space, which is needed when traveling with a baby/toddler.

If I had the extra money and it got like 5 mpg better, the Outback would be my jam! I basically want my car's pluses, but in the form of a 2009 Outback. I've always coveted the Outback, but it's always been about $1k more than I wanted to spend...

this+gamer+chick · December 2013

I've always heard good things about Subaru, though I've never owned one. I recently traded my VW Eos (hard top convertible) for a car seat friendly Honda Civic, lol

Ylvelill · December 2013

Outback doesn't have room for a twin stroller plus stuff

We are leaning towards the forester at this point. Thanks all for the advice!

michellexm · December 2013

Ylvelill said:
Outback doesn't have room for a twin stroller plus stuff

We are leaning towards the forester at this point. Thanks all for the advice!

Are they that different in size now? I thought the 2014 Forester was just 0.1 cubic feet larger than the 2014 Outback in the luggage area.

coybig · December 2013

2014 Outback here. already drove through a blizzard on the way to family and the remnants of a previous storm that dumped a foot of snow back at home. didn't even notice a difference in the handling, and it has more ground clearance than my truck.

TONS of space too.

ETA: we packed for Christmas at her parents for a week (3 people) plus presents and it all fit in the trunk. The jogging stroller fits in the back by itself without folding down too.

Want a personalized experience?

Car choice

Re: Car choice

Choose Another Board

Search Boards