[DanBrew]

Originally Posted by Boomer

My 2016 Honda Accord is doing fine and I will probably keep driving it. I am not someone who cares about always having a newer car. We take good care of our vehicles.

But Subaru has my attention lately.

I always buy 6-cylinder engines. Perhaps I need to get past that. Last century we had some kind of 4-cylinder car that was awful. Merging was scary. I have wiped whatever kind it was from my memory. I hated that car and have been buying 6 cylinders since. But is that really necessary with newer engine designs?

I am just now entering the thinking stage on this and would appreciate any input from Subaru owners, present or past. Thank you.

Boomer

Moved to Hyundai because Honda refused to insulate their cars and tried to cover up road noise with white noise coming out of their crappy sound systems. I recently bought a Tuscon hybrid for a much lesser price than any Honda and got lots more vehicle. Loving it.

[DBChris]

Originally Posted by Toymeister

There are a few issues with boxer engines. Boxer engines have the cylinders in horizontal, oposing directions. All Subies use them but no other auto manufacturer opt for them. Some of them suffer from oil burning. I would research the model that you're interested in extensively for known engine problems.

Porsche 911

[MX rider]

Don't be afraid of the newer 4 cylinder turbos. Many actually make as much or more power than a V6. My wife has a 2018 Lexus NX 300. It has a Turbo four and it makes more power than the V6 in my Toyota Tacoma TRD. Plus it's super smooth and quiet.
She has 78,000 trouble free miles on it and it runs like new.

Actually I test drove a new Chevy Z71 Colorado Tuesday, it has a turbo four. I was impressed, it was quiet, smooth and had excellent power. I'll probably trade my Tacoma for one soon.

All that said, Subaru seems to make good cars. My son in Indiana has a newer Outback and loves it. Not my cup of tea, but Subaru has a very loayl customer base.

[dewilson58]

There will be lots of discounted cars for sale now.

[ithos]

If you own a Subaru or may purchase one, I recommend "MR. Subaru". Lots of great info especially about the CVTs. He says that Subaru intentionally under states that amount of routine maintenance in order to reduce the perceived cost of ownership which leads to avoidable failures.

But otherwise they are great cars.

Is Subaru Self Sabotaging Their Vehicle's Reliability, To Show A Lower Cost Of Ownership?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtulvduQcnc

[LookingAtTV]

I've owned all Honda, Toyota and Subaru over many years. All three are great brands. Honda's were very reliable but a bit expensive to maintain. With Toyota, I've owned both a Prius and a Camry. Both were good reliable vehicles and the least expensive for maintenance.

However in the last 9 years I've owned a 2015 Subaru Outback and a 2021 Outback. Before buying those, I compared them to all other vehicles similar in their classification. At the time I bought each of those Outbacks, I also seriously considered the Toyota Rav4.

But, for just a little higher price, the Outback Premium model was a more solid vehicle, quieter interior, better quality interior, handled much better, was loaded with more options, and had a larger cargo area. One of the only negatives I can think of is the higher cost of normal recommended maintenance every 6K miles. I do want to mention that since 2021, I think they have greatly improved the overall quality of the Toyota Rav4, and like I said, Toyota dealer maintenance is less expensive than the Subaru.

But like others have said or hinted at, Subaru Outbacks are solid, quality, reliable, comfortable vehicles. And coming from up north, the all wheel drive was fantastic in snow or on wet roads. So, I was a little surprised to see as many Outbacks in TV, but I think that just speaks to how many love their Subaru Outbacks!

[stevesliders]

We bought our first Subaru forester premium in July 2025 4 cyl none turbo. After being an 8 cyl and 6 cyl owner for the past 45 years very satisfied with the power and great handling. I would highly recommend them after the first thirty days a Subaru tech called us to set up an appointment to go over any questions we had about any of the features in the vehicle we had. They will do this need be at the dealer or your home your choice at no cost. Very satisfied with Subaru.