onlinegemini

ALL VW's suck in terms of reliability. C'mon, go check out Consumer Reports reliability ratings and JD Power satisfaction ratings. They exist for a reason. My ex-girlfriend bought a 2000 Cabrio in 2002. It has been in the shop, um, something like 20+ times! Note that 3 were recall issues - it took them 5 trips to fix the driver power window! Car now has 60,000 miles on it and the check engine light came on - no big deal, VW dealer says $650 will fix it! Forget what parts they want to install but sheesh - 60,000 is pretty low mileage for the extent of repairs her car has needed. Granted, she might have gotten one made on a Friday, but I too looked at the Passat/Audi AWD A4 wagons. In terms of upfront cost, ongoing maintenance, and reliability, buying a Subaru was a no-brainer. I love the styling and comfort of those cars, but wouldn't touch one with a 10 foot pole.... ~onlinegemini "No matter how broke I am, I always seem to find 2 cents"

I'm a new Subie owner, 2001 Outback LTD wagon. I freaked out when I realized it ran on 225/60/16 tires... and 97H softness rating, so only certain tires were appropriate for this car... Bottom line, I bought 4 BF Goodrich Touring T/A HR4's at Sam's Club... $391 out the door (including $36 mount & taxes). I was going to go with a higher mileage rated and more expensive tire, but the guy told me the tires were too hard and were not recommended for Subarus. I then researched the tires online (something I normally do before I buy things), and was reassured that they are a good tire. And then it rained here in Northern California, and I decided to put them to the test. They are GREAT tires, I loved their dry traction and the wet is excellent as well. I'm not sure they qualify as a true "all season" tire, but they are M+S rated, very quiet, and have exceptional handling. Night and day difference from the factory Firestones. Just my 2 cents, ~onlinegemini