Good afternoon! I've been lurking here for awhile and have made one other post buried in another thread. I like that there's an active board like this one. I've been on hondasuv.com for years, so I know that having a good group to bounce ideas off of can be really helpful.
I currently have a '98 Honda CR-V that is nearing 150k miles. While it has been a solid car for me, I want to get something new and Subaru keeps making its way into my head.
Things I like about my CRV:
*Decent MPG - last tank was 25mpg for mostly highway driving
*Decent handling for a tallish car, good room for stuff, can park it pretty much anywhere
*VERY reliable. Other than a leak in the radiator, I haven't had anything else major go out. I've only had to replace oil/filter/brake pads/rotors/timing belt (and did water pump at same time as timing belt), and clutch master/slave cylinders. The original clutch still feels good and I'm running on original struts...but the struts do need to be replaced soon.
* Never been stuck with it, granted, that's mostly in normal conditions, but with a few trips to Colorado in winter, and seeing several days of ice here over the years.
Things I don't like:
* Seats. I am now driving about 90 miles per day. I'm not in pain at the end of the day, but the seats aren't comfortable.
* Lots of noise on the highway. Lots of engine and wind noise.
It looks like the things I like are much better with the Forester (like the AWD) or similar (MPG, handling).
I'm curious what you all think about things like highway noise with your Foresters. Is it reasonable or do you feel like it's pronounced?
How about seat comfort? I found a thread about headrest/seat comfort HERE. Do the majority of people here like the seats?
I've been trying to find a Forester with MT, but the local dealers only have the automatic. I personally found it to be sluggish. I tested an auto CRV before I bought my current one, and thought the same thing about it. One of the reasons I am straying from Honda is that they won't sell a manual CRV in the USA anymore (same with Toyota & RAV4).
Bluetooth. Is it possible to get bluetooth on the lower trim levels without getting the nav system?
I usually do much of my own routine maintenance. I always take care of oil changes, disc brakes, basic tune up, rear differential fluid, and other easyish things like that. Is the Forester pretty easy to work on? Can you change the oil with out having to use jack/jack stands (I like that about the CRV)? Will I find the Forester to be of similar reliability as a Honda?
I'm also looking at the Outback. Other than being longer and a bit wider, it looks to be fairly similar to the Forester. And I can get bluetooth on the lowest trim level. Not sure about the CVT transmission though...but that 29mpg on highway is hard to ignore. Any comments regarding going towards a Forester or Outback?
Thanks for the great forum!
I currently have a '98 Honda CR-V that is nearing 150k miles. While it has been a solid car for me, I want to get something new and Subaru keeps making its way into my head.
Things I like about my CRV:
*Decent MPG - last tank was 25mpg for mostly highway driving
*Decent handling for a tallish car, good room for stuff, can park it pretty much anywhere
*VERY reliable. Other than a leak in the radiator, I haven't had anything else major go out. I've only had to replace oil/filter/brake pads/rotors/timing belt (and did water pump at same time as timing belt), and clutch master/slave cylinders. The original clutch still feels good and I'm running on original struts...but the struts do need to be replaced soon.
* Never been stuck with it, granted, that's mostly in normal conditions, but with a few trips to Colorado in winter, and seeing several days of ice here over the years.
Things I don't like:
* Seats. I am now driving about 90 miles per day. I'm not in pain at the end of the day, but the seats aren't comfortable.
* Lots of noise on the highway. Lots of engine and wind noise.
It looks like the things I like are much better with the Forester (like the AWD) or similar (MPG, handling).
I'm curious what you all think about things like highway noise with your Foresters. Is it reasonable or do you feel like it's pronounced?
How about seat comfort? I found a thread about headrest/seat comfort HERE. Do the majority of people here like the seats?
I've been trying to find a Forester with MT, but the local dealers only have the automatic. I personally found it to be sluggish. I tested an auto CRV before I bought my current one, and thought the same thing about it. One of the reasons I am straying from Honda is that they won't sell a manual CRV in the USA anymore (same with Toyota & RAV4).
Bluetooth. Is it possible to get bluetooth on the lower trim levels without getting the nav system?
I usually do much of my own routine maintenance. I always take care of oil changes, disc brakes, basic tune up, rear differential fluid, and other easyish things like that. Is the Forester pretty easy to work on? Can you change the oil with out having to use jack/jack stands (I like that about the CRV)? Will I find the Forester to be of similar reliability as a Honda?
I'm also looking at the Outback. Other than being longer and a bit wider, it looks to be fairly similar to the Forester. And I can get bluetooth on the lowest trim level. Not sure about the CVT transmission though...but that 29mpg on highway is hard to ignore. Any comments regarding going towards a Forester or Outback?
Thanks for the great forum!