KCee Virtually every Subaru has full-time AWD. I have owned an Outback, Impreza and now drive a Crosstrek (I have dogs so I need a hatchback) and they have all been awesome vehicles that last forever. If you want an AWD sedan you should definitely check on the Legacy - frankly if you want an AWD "anything" you should go to a Subaru dealer.
Looking for a new(er) car
I like Mercedes, BMW, and Audi but the price combined with repair cost has always kept me away. There is a reason they can be bought fairly cheaply after they're out of warranty. If you must, a lease is probably the best way to go.
- Edited
eltigrecda Impreza hatch would be #1 on my list. Just not sure anything else looks as good in the same category and has the same amount of hatch space. IMO, the biggest con of small/ish SUV's, is how small the actual trunk space is once the hatch is open with the seats still up!
eltigrecda I had a Subaru Outback years ago that was a hand me down from my wife. It was reliable and awesome in the snow. It was also kind of uncomfortable and boring and slow lol. One of my reps has a newer Legacy and it is a nicer and larger car than the old ones. Sadly I don't really care for any of them. The Legacy is about as dull a car as there is and the Impreza cooler with the hatchback, but too small and slow. I know they're great cars, but I tend to spend about 90 minutes commuting each day and would rather find something nicer. If Legacy came with a hatchback and a turbo on the 4banger I'd be more interested.
Strangely I saw a Buick the other day that I liked. The Regal Sportback. You can get AWD and a hatchback with a turbo 4. It's not bad looking either. It just came out in 2018 though so like the Kia Stinger, there's not much available.
MidwayJ Me too, but honestly the maintenance and repair costs on a Honda/Acura aren't cheap. I have 2 good mechanics I can turn to so not quite as worried about that.
I haven't really thought about leasing that much. I guess I am old school. I tend to keep my cars for 10 years, not 3. I like years 4-10 where I have no car payments lol. That said our mil rate keeps going up and a leased car would be a way around that.
KCee
Agree no car is cheap to repair, but I think Honda and Toyota are more reliable into high mileage. Also, I have always heard parts are a lot more expensive for the Euro brands. Having a good mechanic you trust is a great thing, though.
I've typically been like you about leasing but the older I get I'm thinking of shortening how long I keep cars. I want to try a bigger variety before I kick the bucket, lol.
MidwayJ I think Honda and Toyota are more reliable into high mileage
I agree. I've had 2 Acuras that (knock on wood) have been fairly bulletproof for over 10 years. My dad has had a couple of Toyotas for well over 10 years without major issues either. I think if you take care of a car though it will usually last. I bought a 93 Jeep Grand Cherokee from a buddy with 100K miles on it and drove it for another +80K and only had a fuel pump go at the very end. My wife on the other hand can destroy a car within 60K miles LOL.
- Edited
My wife has a 2013 Nissan Maxima. We love that car. Lots of power with a 260hp V6 engine, and a very smooth, comfortable ride. It's a nice 4-dr sports car basically. Although not AWD, it handles well in snow.
KCee I agree that most Subarus are under-powered. The Outback is actually a Legacy with a hatchback - no turbo option, but you can get it with a 6-cylinder.
The exception is the Subaru WRX, which is sort of a souped-up Impreza. Not a hatchback, but it goes like stink and has been the #1 rally car for a long time. If you want excitement, this is a car you want to look at. May not check off all of your boxes, but it will definitely be fun to test drive.
Spuzz - CVTs in general really suck, and Nissan's CVTs are probably the worst of the bunch. I owned a 2009 Nissan Murano (the first year that it had a CVT, if memory serves me correctly), and I hated it so much that I traded it in less than a year .... and I usually keep my cars for at least 5 years or close to 100,000 miles (two of my Subarus were more like 135,000 to 145,000 miles, and I had a Volvo that I kept for 177,000 miles, and I didn't purchase it new).
We have two cars - The 2017 Volvo V60 T6 with Polestar upgrades, and my wife's 2018 VW Alltrack wagon with a 6-speed manual transmission (she refuses to own/drive a car with an automatic transmission, and had 5 Subarus prior to the VW). I also owned 3 Subaru Outbacks (two 4-cylinder models and one with the long since discontinued 3.0 litre 6-cylinder). The only reasons that my wife didn't purchase another Subaru were:
1.) They have downsized the base 4-cylinder engine, and that reduced the power from 174 BHP to 142 BHP (torque is also down by more than 25 lb-ft).
2.) Subaru quality seems to have gone down considerably in recent years, at least based on the two most recent Imprezas that my wife owned (a 2007 and a 2011 model).
I really liked my Outback wagons, and was considering getting a new one last year, but their 4-cylinder engine is SEVERLY underpowered when it is in the Outback and the 6-cylinder engine is only offered in the loaded "premium" models, which can easily top $40K. Although Volvos have had a spotty quality and reliability history in recent years, I couldn't resist the 300+ HP and 320+ lb-ft of torque in the V60 wagon that I got ... and AWD plus loads of safety features at a discounted price below $40K made my decision rather easy! Besides, Subaru's automatic transmission is actually a CVT and although it has gotten good reviews, my prior experience with CVTs tells me to stay away from any vehicle that has one of those transmissions.