Help! I need to buy a car!

[OoohShiny]

All of this positive Subaru talk---makes me sure I got a lemon. This 2015 Outback is the only Subaru I will ever own and I CAN NOT WAIT to get rid of it.

lol

There's always the odd 'Friday car'!

 

[PintoBean]

If you want a luxury car, I'd recommend a Lexus and save some money with service by taking it to Toyota. Same guts at the end of the day.

 

[snowballs mom]

I felt the same about the Forester I owned a few years back. It had consistent oxygen sensor issues that they never could get fixed.

 

[CoffeeAndDiamonds]

I've been keeping my husband up to date on everyone's feedback. We were going to go test drive the Toyota Rav4 and Subaru Outback this weekend, but when he saw the prices (new and used) he balked. It may be sand bags and carpet samples in the trunk for us this winter . I get it, we own our car outright, and no matter what we pick they'd going to be a decent chunk of change coming out of our accounts.

I'm going to take a look at prices on AWD sedans. Our main incentive for a compact SUV is that we usually have the seats folded down and set up the back for the dogs, but I think we could figure that out in a sedan as well.

 

[josieKat]

They have sand bags in long tube shapes that are awesome for snugging over the rear wheels of cars. (I drove an old Volvo RWD wagon for years, so I got very used to hauling those in and out of the car every winter/spring!)

 

[OoohShiny]

Price up some Winter tyres - even if you can't find a vehicle that suits immediately, they should get you through a lot.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I didn't read all the replies, but we own 5 Subarus. Sunday, my number 3 son bought his first new car-a Subaru Crosstrek.
We lived in a mountain community for 9 years that have very curvy tilted roads. We moved there with a rear wheel drive mini van that was a nightmare. I can't tell you how many Subaru's we saw plowing through a foot of snow without a wobble. At the time, subaru didn't make anything large enough to fit our family.
A close friend had a daughter who was going to Colorado for medical School. We suggested they get her a used subaru and they did, and she did very well in the snow. Coming from a California girl who had never driven in it, that is pretty good.
My Outback is 5 years old with about 100k miles and we haven't had any problems with it. My husband has an Impreza hatchback-same thing. Daughter has a Impreza sedan, another son another Impreza hatchback, and final son bought a WRX.

 

[Arcadian]

My husband had a subaru when we lived in New England. No need for that these days but it was a great snow car. My car was a Ford Cmax. Loved that car, and even though only FWD fantastic in snow (of course you gotta know how to really drive in the stuff too!) Amazing gas mileage, snow or not!! In general, hybrids and most electrics can be quite heavy cars, so will do well in snow. The ONLY issue with plug in hybrids and even EV's you lose a bit of battery in the winter. just the way it is. However, if your car regens, and you understand regen driving, you can get a lot of that back. If you're doing preowned, do look at hybrids coming off lease, best bang for the buck these days. in terms of gas savings as well as lower miles and remaining warranties.

 

[eapj]

I’m a huge car nut - I research cars and looked at used prices every single day. Yes, I have a problem. @Miss Marple gives some good advice. I do trust CPO from some makes/dealers, though, and that’s what I typically buy.

With a few exceptions, most cars are reliable now. The old “Honda and Toyota only” days are coming to an end. The playing field is a little more level these days where unreliable doesn’t mean stuck on the side of the road. There are a few notable exceptions and, unfortunately, they tend to be US makes. That being said, every individual car is different and there are examples of good and bad ones with every make and model.

Sedans are by far the best deal these days. Everyone is on the SUV bandwagon so few want sedans. I’m a station wagon person, myself, which means harder to find but good used deals, at least in my area. A 2-3 year old luxury CPO is typically a great deal in a non-crossover.

And snow tires make more of a difference than the AWD on most cars. A FWD car with winter tires is always a good choice for snowy roads. And, to be honest, FWD is usually enough. That being said, I have siblings with RWD cars in snowy climates and they’ve done well (they’re also big car guys).

The RAV4 hybrid is a popular choice! Many dealers can’t keep them on the lot.

Check out the whatcarshouldiby sub on Reddit.

Good luck with your search! My very favorite thing to do is look for used cars online. second is looking at vintage bling.