Suggestions for cars to consider...

[Dino944]

Hi Guys,

We currently have a 2004 Legacy, that will need replacing soon (200,000 miles). I am considering another Subaru maybe a 2010 or 2011 Legacy/Impreza.

Overall, my experience with the Subaru has been positive, its been great in bad weather, we got a good price on it and the dealer we get it serviced with has always been nice, honest, and a pleasure to deal with when it comes to service (dealer we bought from closed).

My issues are the car doesn't get great gas mileage, and over time it seems like it seems like its been more costly to maintain than an Nissan my wife had before, or Hondas/Toyotas. We had to replace the catalytic converter about a year ago for almost $1,800, head gaskets when the car had about 108K miles, an oil pan that rusted and started leaking $400, axel boots at one point, and they are telling us other repairs and maintenance in the next 6 months could add up to $2-3K. We don't have kids or pets & we don't need or want an SUV or wagon. Our basic criteria is a car with AWD, something reasonably priced, good gas mileage and good reliability & maintenance costs.

Is Subaru our best bet? Or are there other cars that would fit the above discription? I know Audi, BMW, and MB make AWD cars, but those are all a lot more than we want to spend.
Also are the new FB engines only in the 2011 cars?
Thanks,

Dino

[complacent]

i would think subaru would be your best bet, but there certainly are other options out there. most awd cars don't get very good mileage.

if you don't mind an automatic, you can get the nissan juke with awd for a decent price.

suzuki also makes a pretty cheap awd car (sx4) that has received pretty solid reviews.

if you want to spend more, the new mini countryman sounds like it has great gas mileage and awd. it'll set you back at least 30k though.

there have also been awd variants of some of the toyota models (matrix for example) but i can't really speak to their reliability.

i'm partial to the boxer, but i'd be willing to consider other models for my next car purchase. do you by chance have a consumer reports subscription? might be worth it to look at the reliability stats for other makers' awd vehicles.

[chicken n waffles]

if awd will be a continuing requirement for you and your family, and you want to offset some of the fuel costs associated with the drivetrain, perhaps you should look into a certified pre-owned subie.

[Dino944]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I am going to talk to the MRS, and see what she wants to do. I was hoping to get another 50,000-100,000 out of the car (a friend got 308K out of his old civic), but my wife is getting tired of the repair bills and thinks it might be better to get into a new car.

I think there are still some 2010 Legacy and Imprezas at a few dealers near me. Does anyone know if the FB engines are in the 2010 cars, or only the 2011 model year cars?

Thanks again.
Best regards,
Dino

[complacent]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I am going to talk to the MRS, and see what she wants to do. I was hoping to get another 50,000-100,000 out of the car (a friend got 308K out of his old civic), but my wife is getting tired of the repair bills and thinks it might be better to get into a new car.

I think there are still some 2010 Legacy and Imprezas at a few dealers near me. Does anyone know if the FB engines are in the 2010 cars, or only the 2011 model year cars?

Thanks again.
Best regards,
Dino

i think it's only the 2011 cars... paging thermobox, paging thermobox!

[thermobox]

Yep, only the 2011 Foresters so far that have the new FB engine. It will trickle down to the Impreza, Outback and Legacy next, hopefully.

Per Road and Track Magazine: http://www.roadandtrack.com/special-rep ... for-winter

Top Ten AWD Vehicles for the 2011 Winter Season:
Audi R8 Spyder
Subaru Forester
BMW 335i xDrive Coupe
Volvo S60
Ford Taurus
Buick LaCrosse
Acura MDX
Infinit G37x
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo
Volkswagen Tiguan

I work at a Subaru/Kia/Volvo Dealer, so I've got two off the list covered. I would also reccomend the ones Complacent mentioned. At least look at them and see if they fit in your equation. We do have a great selection of new and preowned 2010/2011 vehicles.

From A-Z I'll give you a list of cars I would look at on top of ^^ R&T's list (My heart is with Subaru) but I would ultimately just end up buying another Suby.

Acura TL and RDX
Chevy Equinox
Ford Edge
GMC Terrain
Honda Crosstour
Kia Sportage and Sorento
Nissan Juke

I'm leaning towards a new Outback 2.5i or 3.6R Premium for my next vehicle. I like the mileage, passenger volume, cargo volume, and of course the AWD.

[Dino944]

Hi guys,

I definitely have some research/home work to do. Thanks for giving me some suggestions and information to consider. You have all been very helpful. I am leaning toward Subaru, but I may look at a few of Thermobox's suggestions just to know how Subie's compare these days to the competition. That R8 Spyder from Audi is a beauty, but I don't want to have to sell a kidney and other vital organs to pay for it

Thanks again.
Best regards,
Dino

[scheherazade]

Used Acura RL SH-AWD?

sssshhhhaaaaawwwdddddyyyy !!!! (shorty - in yo-boy speak).

-scheherazade

[Dino944]

Hi Scheherazade,

Thanks for the suggestion. I'd love to get an Acura, but I think the overall cost in terms of maintenance (not just purchase price), would be too costly. We put about 30,000 miles per year on our Subie. Maintaining the Subie and doing that kind of mileage is not cheap and I think in an Acura it would probably be far more expensive. In addition, I imagine its insurance would probably cost a lot more too.

But thanks for the idea.
Best regards,
Dino

[scheherazade]

Well, in that case, maybe a used evo 8/9?

I liked mine.
Mileage was decent. 19-21 average.
Never had a single issue with it.
All in all, I would have done better to keep it.
Parts also seemed rather cheap (but I don't know your budget, so I can't speak for you).
Fun little car - and it was a bag-o-rabid-cats in winter (extra extra fun in winter).

-scheherazade

[thermatico]

Not that it's very exciting, but the Ford Fusion has an AWD model.

[Dino944]

Hi scheherazade,

A pre-owned Evo sounds like fun. But I'm really hoping to get something that gets mileage in the 27-30 mpg range.
I already have a fun car for weekends, and where I work the parking is pretty rough (ton of door dings), so I'm just looking for basic transportation with good gas mileage and low ownership costs.

Thanks again for the idea.
Best regards,
Dino

[Dino944]

Thanks thermatico.

I had not considered anything from Ford. I'll have to do some on line research to see what they say about it.

Thanks again.
Best regards,
Dino

[scheherazade]

My 335 averaged around 25 in my daily commute (mixed city and rural driving).
Highway could crest over 30, which I managed driving from Norfolk to Manassas.
Had decent power and decent fuel efficiency.
Used ones should be rather affordable.
Unfortunately, online, they're 'hit and miss' reliability wise. (some people's cars are flawless, other people have 'the car from hell')

-scheherazade

[Dino944]

Hi scheherazade,

I have a fun car, this is really just something that has to be reliable, get good gas miles, and be relatively inexpensive in terms of cost and maintenance. The German cars can be fun, but since I drive about 500 miles a week the maintenance/service costs could get pretty costly with something like a 335.

But thanks for thinking creatively.
Best regards,
Dino

[hotsam]

We had to replace the catalytic converter about a year ago for almost $1,800, head gaskets when the car had about 108K miles, an oil pan that rusted and started leaking $400, axel boots at one point, and they are telling us other repairs and maintenance in the next 6 months could add up to $2-3K.

Who is doing the work for you? Sounds like a dealer, from the prices. Remember, that most Subaru dealer parts department guys are paid mostly on commission, so the parts prices can get insane. Try to find and independent shop if you don't want to (or can't) do your own work.

Which reminds me...I need to find a new Subaru guy for those jobs I can't handle on my own in a day. My mechanic moved to Idaho.

[Dino944]

Yes, those prices are from the dealer. I don't have the time nor could I really undertake something like changing head gaskets or a catalytic converter. Thanks for the suggestion. In any event, my wife doesn't want to put anymore $ into a car with 200,000 miles so we are looking into getting a new car.

Best regards,
Dino