AlanS

All right...I come to you with little to no knowledge about Subaru. I have three friends with Outbacks, all in love with the vehicle. My situation: At age 60, I have had 7 Volvos and currently at the end of my 1995 850 wagon- 250,000 miles, time to part ways. I always loved the solid feel of Volvo and I have gotten pretty darn good at repairing them. My buddies tell me to "Live a little...try the Subaru". I have $20,000...need a wagon. I want a solid car, comfortable, reliable, does NOT use premium fuel, no rattles and longevity. What should I look for in the Subaru line? Are they prone to rust? Do they have 'long lives'? I even think I want a Dealer Certified Pre Owned, as to have the luxury of a warranty.

Where do you all get your parts on-line. My bud needs rear hub and wheel bearings, asked me about on-line retailers. He would normally go to Subaru, but any savings would be great.

Listen, Subaru. Why Subaru? And which one? I have always had Volvos and the one Mercedes. Checking the Volvos, they ain't what they used to be. All the post 2000 Volvos have very poor reliability and seem to rely on the old badge to sell cars. Thus, I am headed elsewhere. There seems to be a real loyalty in the Subaru crowd. But I have concerns: We are long term owners...we use a car until it dies. My 1989 Benz has close to 300,000 on the clock and the wife's 1995 Volvo has 200,000+ on it. My Benz doesn't have a rattle and is rock solid...BUT, the cam is worn and there is an engine leak ($3000), and I don't want to toss $$$ into an engine that old. Wife's car has a defective heater core / A/C condenser ($1,5000- it's located behind the dash....the entire dash...the ENTIRE dash has to be removed to replace the A/C and heater core). But the two cars are virtually rust free and solid. They have served us well. Top notch cars to begin with, and it paid off in the end. What kind of long term reliability can one expect from the Subaru? I will assume that I would get the Outback, - I like the size, cargo area. The 4 cylinder to keep fuel cost lower. Any general thoughts? Sorry for the rambling, I am not proof reading this, just typing what comes to mind.