Subaru Automobiles

[MossRoad]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I forgot the biggest question of them all that could be a deal breaker for my wife...

Does the hatch back open up remotely?

...

YES!

Our 2020 Outback has the following ways to open the hatchback:

- From the key fob.
- From a button on the dash.
- From a button above the license plate.
- No touch if you place your hand in front of the Subaru logo on the rear hatch and pause for a couple seconds. Very useful if your hands are full.

It also has a feature where you can set the height it will open to. Say you have a lower garage ceiling and don't want it to hit. You raise the hatch to where you want it to stop and push a button. Then when you open it automatically, it will always stop at that height until you reset it. I found this out after hitting my head on the hatch a few times. "It's gotta open higher than this!!! &^*$*#!!!!"

 

[Sigarms]

Technology is great until it breaks...

 

[MossRoad]

Technology is great until it breaks...

Yep! Ever wake up to a cold shower? BRRR!

 

[California]

Subaru has turbos on some models, and also has 6 cylinder boxer engines on some.


Added: Consumer Reports has charts showing which years and models of Subaru are better or worse for reliability, repair cost, safety features, more.

 

[Torvy]

Technology is great until it breaks...

The 3.6 liter is a 6 cylinder.

Apparently starting with 2020 they don't offer that engine anymore. Instead, you can get a 260 HP turbo version of the 2.5l with the higher trim lines.

 

[MossRoad]

The 3.6 liter is a 6 cylinder.

Apparently starting with 2020 they don't offer that engine anymore. Instead, you can get a 260 HP turbo version of the 2.5l with the higher trim lines.

We test drove a 2023 Outback with the turbo. It was pretty zippy. Nice interior, etc... after everything was said and done, taxes, plates, etc, it would have been right around $50K.

 

[Torvy]

We test drove a 2023 Outback with the turbo. It was pretty zippy. Nice interior, etc... after everything was said and done, taxes, plates, etc, it would have been right around $50K.

ouch! I think our '18 was $35k or so, but it is loaded. We also got 0% on it. Just paid it off in the Spring. We usually pay off early, but that's dumb if you have 0%.

 

[California]

Consumer Reports lists a Forester among the best used cars, based on surveys of their readers.

Most Fuel-Efficient Used Compact SUVs - Consumer Reports

In this review of the most fuel-efficient used compact SUVs, Consumer Reports says these 5-year-old models had the best fuel economy among compact SUVs.

www.consumerreports.org

If that's paywalled here's an excerpt:
_______________________________________

Subaru Forester 2018​

Price Range: $16,825 - $21,600
OWNER REPORTED MPG: 28 mpg
_____________________________________
Road test ++
Reliability + (Above average)
Owner satisfaction +

 

[Hay Dude]

Here’s an interesting automobile quality survey

 

[California]

Here’s an interesting automobile quality survey

"Initial Quality Survey". I'm not sure how to interpret that. Instances of immediate warranty work? New-car buyer satisfaction?

It seems strange to find Ram and Dodge at the absolute bottom of the list, Jeep well below average, then Chrysler at the very top of the Initial Quality Survey. I wonder what their research methods are. Worst case would be whoever pays the most for their listing.

I'm inclined to instead trust the statistically valid research findings from surveying a large number of existing owners, and reported in Consumer Reports as repair cost and owner satisfaction over time.