I will be moving my family to Westchester in October and have convinced my wife that we will need an awd vehicle. My 1991 MR2 turbo will remain as an occasional ride to the station and our 1998 Sienna will still bear the brunt of carrying our children. Personally, I would prefer a manual wrx or Legacy Spec B, but it will have to be an automatic so my wife can drive it :-\ So the question is what out of the selection of Subarus makes sense? My wife, bless her heart, wants to save the planet, and wants the vehicle to get good gas mileage. I want something with some get up and go. Any recommendations? I have been focusing on the WRX and the Legacy, but another contenders is the Toyota RAV. I am not clear on how the Outback line fits in to the equation, but would appreciate any guidance.

I will be moving my family to Westchester in October and have convinced my wife that we will need an awd vehicle. My 1991 MR2 turbo will remain as an occasional ride to the station and our 1998 Sienna will still bear the brunt of carrying our children. Personally, I would prefer a manual wrx or Legacy Spec B, but it will have to be an automatic so my wife can drive it :-\ So the question is what out of the selection of Subarus makes sense? My wife, bless her heart, wants to save the planet, and wants the vehicle to get good gas mileage. I want something with some get up and go. Any recommendations? I have been focusing on the WRX and the Legacy, but another contenders is the Toyota RAV. I am not clear on how the Outback line fits in to the equation, but would appreciate any guidance.

 

 

I would go for a Forester if I was you.

Are you set on a new car? If not, an older Legacy might be a good choice. 90-94 Legacys, even though they are getting a little old, are very good cars. The pre- 1996 ej 22 (2.2 litre engine) is pretty much bulletproof, and the cars can top 200k easily. Be wary of the autos though. If they don't shift smoothly, or if the tranny fluid looks burnt, run away! The 4EAT is a good transmission, but it tends to self-destruct if not well taken care of. Non-matching tires come to mind. The ej22 doesn't get stellar gas mileage, but it is decent (comparable to a small v6, rather than a 4 banger), and it's a pretty peppy engine. The 5 spds are quicker, but even the autos are quick on their feet. If you are set on a new car, a new Legacy or Outback would probably work well. The Outback is pretty much the same as a Legacy wagon, just with more groudn clearance. Higher end models are available with an H6. Stay away from older OB's. They will have the phase I 2.5, with headgasket problems of plenty.

Thanks for those thoughts. One concern my wife has expressed is the usage of premium fuel on the turbo models. Is that correct? Any other thoughts would be welcomed!

Base Forester or Base Impreza like my 2.5i. The HP in both are great when compared to the models of a few years ago.

 

The WRX line will cost more, get you higher insurance rates, lower gas mileage, and you do have to buy the premium fuel for the turbo models.

Thanks for those thoughts. One concern my wife has expressed is the usage of premium fuel on the turbo models. Is that correct? Any other thoughts would be welcomed!

 

Yes, the newer turbo subes require Premium fuel