Potential owner..decisions

[M1911]

There is one guy who just topped 500K on his 4th gen. You should be fine with maintenance.



My '03 V8 Sport was a tank.

Yea, I saw that. I don't imagine keeping it that long, but that big, under-stressed cast-iron block v8 should last a heck of a long time. Provided, of course, that I don't get an exhaust manifold crack - I understand replacing the exhaust manifold costs around $3k.

 

[GiantsWSC]

I came into my current '14 Trail, from a '13 WRX Hatchback, and a family of Subaru owners. I think my WRX was my family's 12th Subaru (mostly Outbacks). If you are looking for a family friendly wagon, with room for a dog/cargo, and moderate cabin space, the Outback would be a great choice. MPG is ok, but it is full time AWD, and I have yet to ever drive a car that trumps a Subaru in the snow and I live in Buffalo NY. We know about snow here.

If your not doing any serious off roading, it should also be fine for anything you might run into in terms of poor road conditions. While they dont hold their value like a 4Runner, Subaru's are still very reliable, and were just recently ranked the top mfg in terms of customer satisfaction of any major car brand. The Forester does share many of the positive characteristics that the Outback has, but IMO, it looks like shit. However; you did note the availability of the XT version - 2.5l (might be a 2.0l DI (?) now) 4 cyl turbo is a quick little engine and puts down good power for a small SUV. Gas milage isnt brilliant as a result however, and the CVT transmission isnt the most exciting.

If thats what you see yourself using the vehicle for, and you think something smaller than a 4Runner would be convenient for your daily needs/size requirement, that would probably be a solid choice.

However, as pretty much everyone has noted, the 4Runner isnt really a comparable to either of the Subarus. This is a manly man, body on frame SUV, and rides like a truck (albeit a comfortable one). The interior of the new '14's is defiantly a big step up from the '13s, the ride (esp. with KDSS) is pretty decent, and its obviously one of the most capable off roaders from the lot. Its much larger than either of the Subarus, and would defiantly be more comfortable if you forsee larger people in the backseat, or need more cargo space than a wagon. You can do some moderate towing, the 4WD is great, and it is overall a super solid, tried and true truck. People piss and moan about the v6 and the old 5 spd auto, but they put down reasonable figures, and last forever. MPG does blow as a result (5k lbs truck and 5 spd tran), especially if you load it down with tires/skids/etc.

Each vehicle you listed has a million positive attributes, and some negatives as well - you just need to think about what you want to spend, and why.

I actually think the new forester has almost 9 more inches of leg room than the 4runner if that sounds crazy. At least that's what Edmunds states (32.9" for 4runner vs 41.7" for the forester). This doesn't really concern me much though, I think I might be swaying towards the 4runner due to overall toyota reliability, much better looks, don't need premium fuel (the XT needs premium), overall larger capacity.

If I have time I'll prob head to the local dealer for a closer look and drive.

 

[NoDak]

I actually think the new forester has almost 9 more inches of leg room than the 4runner if that sounds crazy. At least that's what Edmunds states (32.9" for 4runner vs 41.7" for the forester). This doesn't really concern me much though, I think I might be swaying towards the 4runner due to overall toyota reliability, much better looks, don't need premium fuel (the XT needs premium), overall larger capacity.

If I have time I'll prob head to the local dealer for a closer look and drive.

the only reason the forester xt needs premium is due to the turbo. but that's pretty much any Subaru turbo engine. if you skip the turbo and go with the outback H6, you don't need the premium. but I don't know how I would feel about the outback/legacy moving from a regular automatic transmission to the new cvt on the H6 engines. before they regulated the cvt to the non H6 engines to improve mpg.

 

[F1scher]

I actually think the new forester has almost 9 more inches of leg room than the 4runner if that sounds crazy. At least that's what Edmunds states (32.9" for 4runner vs 41.7" for the forester). This doesn't really concern me much though, I think I might be swaying towards the 4runner due to overall toyota reliability, much better looks, don't need premium fuel (the XT needs premium), overall larger capacity.

If I have time I'll prob head to the local dealer for a closer look and drive.

Hmm maybe that's the potential range for the front seat? B/C its definitely not the rear. Trust me, I have road around in the back of outbacks and foresters my entire life and the backseat is not larger than the 4Runner.

 

[Whiplash Willy]

I keep hearing about the 4runner's poor MPGs, but if you compare it to any other Midsize SUV in it's class (which all others are unibody CUVs) it is pretty comparable. In my mixed commute, I average between 18-19 MPGs, and when I am doing 100% freeway, I get between 22-24MPG. That is pretty impressive for a Midsize SUV, especially one that is BOF. Pretty impressive, when you look at really world MPG figures, and see it is comparable to some midsize sedans! Heck, my 4runner gets better MPGs then a PT Cruiser!

Bobo (Chrysler PT Cruiser) | Fuelly

Another thing...people keep talking about a SUV driving like a truck, as if it is a bad thing. I bought a 4runner because it drives like a truck. I love the feel of a solid BOF vehicle, compared to a soft unibody one.

Also, have you ever driven anything with a CVT? I have driven a few, and they are weird. I never thought I would ever perfer a traditional automatic transmission to ANYTHING, but I actually do to a CVT. Please CVTs are relatively new, and have yet to be proven reliable. I hear about many CVT issues on the boards. They do provide better MPGs, but at the cost of reliability. The 5-speed auto in the 4runner is a dinosaur, but it has been used in several models, and proven to be solid for almost a decade.

 

[M1911]

24 mpg on the highway? I'm sorry, but I don't believe it.

 

[JSparky]

My girlfriend owns a 2014 Forester and my pops drives an Audi Allroad (comparable to the Outback) so maybe I can offer some insight.

The whole crossover/body-on-frame thing aside, the biggest difference is size. We just got back from a New Mexico trip with her Forester loaded down with camping and photo gear, and after awhile it really got to be cramped. Keep in mind she's maybe 100lbs and I'm 5/11 avg build. There's just not much room to spread out. Leg-room diminish's when you've got a cooler and a weeks worth of camping gear in the back, the cabin in my 4Runner is much more spacious.. I don't care what Edmunds says. I'm in the bay area too and have made more Tahoe trips than I can count, and I'll tell you if you ever plan on going up with more than two people the Forester is going to get cramped, at least without a car-top box or roof rack of sorts.

Acknowledging that, the Forester can hold its own offroad, the angles are pretty good and the AWD system kicks butt.. all it really needs is some better tires. The Forester will likely take you any reasonable place you wish to go, such as fire-roads and well-traveled BLM land. Ditto for the Allroad, the only real difference there is cargo capacity as its a longer wheelbase. They' re great cars but I wouldn't trade my 4Runner in any time soon, where I go demands high clearance and low-range and I love the room I have for gear, makes it easier to pickup-and-go (but those are my personal needs).

I might recommend you load your car up with backpacks/biking gear/rifle cases ect, whatever gear you plan on hauling around. Then go to the dealerships and load the candidate vehicles up to see how they'll suit your specific needs. These vehicles are clearly developed to serve different needs so I imagine once you check them out your decision will be an easy one. Goodluck.

 

[JSparky]

My girlfriend owns a 2014 Forester and my pops drives an Audi Allroad (comparable to the Outback) so maybe I can offer some insight.

The whole crossover/body-on-frame thing aside, the biggest difference is size. We just got back from a New Mexico trip with her Forester loaded down with camping and photo gear, and after awhile it really got to be cramped. Keep in mind she's maybe 100lbs and I'm 5/11 avg build. There's just not much room to spread out. Leg-room diminish's when you've got a cooler and a weeks worth of camping gear in the back, the cabin in my 4Runner is much more spacious.. I don't care what Edmunds says. I'm in the bay area too and have made more Tahoe trips than I can count, and I'll tell you if you ever plan on going up with more than two people the Forester is going to get cramped, at least without a car-top box or roof rack of sorts.

Acknowledging that, the Forester can hold its own offroad, the angles are pretty good and the AWD system kicks butt.. all it really needs is some better tires. The Forester will likely take you any reasonable place you wish to go, such as fire-roads and well-traveled BLM land. Ditto for the Allroad, the only real difference there is cargo capacity as its a longer wheelbase. They' re great cars but I wouldn't trade my 4Runner in any time soon, where I go demands high clearance and low-range and I love the room I have for gear, makes it easier to pickup-and-go (but those are my personal needs).

I might recommend you load your car up with backpacks/biking gear/rifle cases ect, whatever gear you plan on hauling around. Then go to the dealerships and load the candidate vehicles up to see how they'll suit your specific needs. These vehicles are clearly developed to serve different needs so I imagine once you check them out your decision will be an easy one. Goodluck.

Some quick pics for a visual.. Please excuse the disaster in the back of my truck, in between states right now.

 

[GiantsWSC]

Thanks Sparky for the comparison pictures! Looks like plenty of room back there with the seats down. Kinda reminds me of the space I had in my old pathfinder.

 

[M1911]

Thanks Sparky for the comparison pictures! Looks like plenty of room back there with the seats down. Kinda reminds me of the space I had in my old pathfinder.

I think it is bigger than the old Pathfinder.