5 Reasons Why You Won’t Regret Owning A Subaru And 5 You Will

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With around eighteen mainstream automotive brands to choose from, which is the best car for you? We will check out Subaru and see if it’s the best car brand that fits your needs and wants.

Were you happy with the last car you bought? A new report from LendingTree found nearly 40 percent of new car buyers are now reporting they regret their new car purchase. The most common regret? Buying the wrong car brand and model was number one followed by buying an expensive car they couldn’t afford, and third, not shopping around for the best deal.

Why should you consider buying a 2022 Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and other new Subaru models? There are five reasons why you won’t regret owning a Subaru, and five reasons why you might regret your decision.

What sets the Subaru brand apart?

The 2022 Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and other new Subaru models all come standard with all-wheel-drive where many automakers charge extra for the all-weather feature. Subaru SUVs also come with 8.7-inches of ground clearance for improved performance off-pavement. That leads to affordability.

Affordability

There’s nothing worse than having a monthly car payment that’s too much for your budget. How affordable is the Forester, Outback, and Crosstrek SUVs? A new report from Kelly Blue Book and Cox Automotive shows the average new mainstream (non-luxury) car price is now $43,072. A new 2022 Subaru vehicle is $35,231, nearly $8,000 less than the U.S. average. You can read the complete report here.

The second-best overall fuel efficiency

With gas prices going up, affordability has to include fuel mileage. The EPA says Subaru models rank second-best in the U.S. among automakers with a gas-powered lineup. Honda has the most fuel-efficient lineup after Tesla, which has an an-all-electric fleet. Subaru accomplished this with an all-wheel-drive lineup which is less fuel-efficient than a front-wheel-drive vehicle. Subaru does it with a four-cylinder Boxer engine design that uses direct injection and small turbocharged engines.

Top safety scores

New car shoppers are interested in safety and it’s a core value for the Subaru brand. Subaru Forester, Outback, Ascent, Legacy all get the highest Top Safety Pick+ scores from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and most models earn five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Subaru won't ever offer financing longer than 63 months

You don’t want to get “upside-down” in a car loan and end up owing more than the car is worth. In a recent interview, President and CEO of Subaru of America Tom Doll explains why they don’t offer 72 months or even 84-month financing as other automakers. Doll says they look out for the customer now because they will see them in 4 or 5 years when they return to trade the all-wheel-drive vehicle in.

The best resale value

Affordability also includes resale value. Kelly Blue Books' Best Resale Value Awards says the Subaru Crosstrek scores best Subcompact SUV, Subaru Forester wins Compact SUV, Subaru Outback takes home the best Midsize SUV 2-row, and Impreza is the Best Compact Car. Resale value can make the most significant difference when you trade in your vehicle after 3-5 years. You'll get more for your trade-in than other carmakers’ vehicles.

If you buy a 2022 Forester, 2022 Outback, 2022 Crosstrek, or other new Subaru model, you likely won’t regret your decision because of its affordability, standard all-wheel-drive, fuel efficiency, safety, and resale value.

Why you might regret buying a Subaru


photo credit: Boise Subaru

Crosstrek and WRX cost more used than new models.

If you can’t find a new 2022 Subaru Crosstrek because of the current inventory shortages, you might be tempted to buy a used model. If you do, you’ll end up paying more for a used Crosstrek than you do a new model. It’s all because of the crazy new car and used market now because of the microchip shortage and supply chain issues. You can check out the complete report here.

Are Subaru drivers the worst?

Some car brands like Subaru just can’t catch a break and their drivers are judged rightly or wrongly. According to a recent report from custom license plate suppliers Click4Reg, Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and WRX/STI drivers have the worst reputations among all car brands. They surveyed over 2,000 drivers to reveal the most common impressions people have of drivers of each car brand. If you drive a Subaru, it's not good for you. You can check out the complete report here.

Conservative styling

The bad news is, Subaru does not change its styling much from year-to-year. Subaru gets criticized for being too conservative in their exterior designs and that they need to have more progressive styling. But Subaru won’t budge on this issue. They have a valid reason, but customers don’t have to like it. It’s not surprising design changes are minor for the new generation of Subaru like the fifth-generation 2022 Forester SUV.

It’s because Subaru doesn’t like to take risks. Subaru tends to focus more on safety tech and upgrades underneath the exterior. They also like the large open greenhouse design. The good news is, it does help improve outward visibility, even though the design does look boxy. Don’t look for Subaru to change this.

CVT automatic transmissions

One of the main complaints with Subaru customers is that they exclusively use the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) technology. The drawbacks are obvious to anyone who has driven one.

The metal belt or steel pulley gives off a whining noise when you push on the gas pedal. The sound is similar to the noise jet engines make when the pilot gives the plane full throttle for takeoff, and the low-pitched continuous whine can be annoying.

But you will be happy Subaru uses the CVT, because it’s a big reason why the Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and Ascent all-wheel-drive SUVs are more fuel-efficient than a traditional automatic transmission.

And Subaru adds a manual mode function with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters on many CVT models that allow the driver to select seven or eight preset ratios depending on the model. But it usually goes unused by many Subaru owners.

You can leave the transmission in automatic mode, eliminating the need to shift and let the Lineartronic CVT adjust to match acceleration. Or you can use the steering wheel paddles to maximize the Lineartronic CVT’s abilities. Most drivers let the feature go unused. You can read the complete report here.

Subaru owners don’t like the start-stop-system

Auto-Stop-Start is one of the most controversial fuel-saving features on new Subaru vehicles. Many automakers use a system that automatically stops the engine when you come to a complete stop for more than a few seconds. It’s designed to save fuel every time the car stops at a stop sign or you wait at a traffic light.

The frequent starting and stopping of the engine are tiresome to some drivers who live in urban areas, especially if you commute in heavy stop-and-go traffic every day. And many Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and Ascent owners say they don’t like the car stopping and starting because it shakes the car every time the engine starts back up. You can read the complete report here.

If you buy a 2022 Forester, 2022 Outback, 2022 Crosstrek, or other new Subaru model, you likely won’t regret your decision because of its affordability, standard all-wheel-drive, fuel efficiency, safety, and resale value. You might regret your decision if you buy a used model that costs more than new, you care about what other drivers say, Subaru's conservative styling, the CVT automatic, and its Auto-Stop-Start feature.

You Might Also Like: Automakers Are Finally Figuring Out What Subaru Knew All Along

Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Subaru Report - We’ve got you covered! Check back tomorrow for more unique, informative SUBARU news, reviews, and previews you can trust.

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Photo credit: Subaru USA

Submitted by Stephen Beckwith (not verified) on February 8, 2022 - 8:32AM

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I drove a Ford Edge in 2020 in CA and the Auto-Start-Stop was HORRIBLE. If you were to close to the car in front, take your foot off the break and the Edge would "leap" forward - NOT GOOD! The 2021 Outback Onyx I drove was MUCH better, doesn't "leap" when you take your foot off the brake. I was told that Subaru will disengage the transmission. However it is inconsistent, based upon vehicle conditions. Meaning, pulling off a freeway with a "hot" car and it won't stop at the light at the bottom of the hill. Next couple of lights and it might stop.

Submitted by NB (not verified) on February 8, 2022 - 5:53PM

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Ive purchased 2 new Subarus in the last 18 months and both were financed at 72 months through Subaru/Chase. Do better research.

Maybe it's a recent change in policy. I bought a used Subie last winter at a dealer and financed 72mos. Interest rates were crazy low, so I can easily double up payments when I want to, and pay it off in 3-4yrs or so, without much difference in interest vs even paying cash.

I could probably now sell it for more than I paid, with the chip shortage going on.

Submitted by Kenneth L Lake (not verified) on February 9, 2022 - 2:44PM

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I really liked the CVT. It is always in the right gear. A regular automatic is almost always in the wrong gear and has to rev the engine to high or lug it down. With the CVT there are infinite gears. I also used and liked the paddle shifters. Excellent option

Submitted by Gulo (not verified) on February 10, 2022 - 10:58AM

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Change the fluid regularly.

The more I learn about the Outback Wilderness, the more I'm interested in seeing what the Crosstrek Wilderness has in store, specifically a better CVT and X-Mode setup for playing on hilly trails. Apparently, the 2nd setting in the Outback Wilderness doesn't turn off above 25MPH wheelspeed.

The 2.5L is adequate for the 3200lb Crosstrek, but I'd like to see a 2.0-2.4T available with 200+HP.

A new turbo Baja, with at least 3500lb towing capacity, would be great to see too.

Submitted by E C (not verified) on February 11, 2022 - 12:21PM

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bought a forester in late 2018. they forgot to install the side impact strips I'd paid for and the dealership staff was trained to steer me to the original salesman who'd screwed up my order. Of course, he was never present when I took off work to visit the dealer eight times over three months. Only when I threatened to make them buy it back under the state lemon law did the service manager intercede and oh yes, they found the salesman right away then. subaru never again.

Submitted by Jeffrey (not verified) on February 11, 2022 - 4:25PM

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I have a 2021 Legacy and the auto start stop is the most obnoxious I've ever experienced. It truly does shake the car quite a bit every time the engine comes back on. Thankfully the disable button is on the bottom of the screen and as I reach to put it in gear it's an easy shut off. It's automatic with me now.

Submitted by Elaine S (not verified) on December 7, 2022 - 2:03PM

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In response to your title, "5 Reasons Why You Won’t Regret Owning A Subaru And 5 You Will", I must state that I will ALWAYS regret buying a Subaru Outback and will NEVER be happy that I'm stuck with it. That worthless POS vehicle sits in the driveway until I call someone out to jump start it and it's been this way for over a year-and that's AFTER purchasing the "best battery available" for it! Subaru won't do anything about it, the dealer where we bought the car won't do anything about it! Meanwhile, I'm stuck at home, not even able to drive to a nearby grocery store; I've even had to drop the art class I was teaching because I can't rely on the worthless Subaru that we bought and are still paying for! My life stuck at home sucks and it's all because of that POS Subaru! My final comment-DON'T BUY A SUBARU! They will not stand behind it and you'll be stuck without a usable, but very expensive vehicle just as I am!

Submitted by Elaine S (not verified) on December 7, 2022 - 2:18PM

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I've already written my take on this article-and I see that it's not published! So just a quicker comment-DON'T buy a Subaru, unless you want to spend years paying for a car that you cannot use! It's obvious to me that Subaru is skating on their former reputation and has no interest it helping their customers who stupidly bought one of their vehicles, paying for it for years and still have no car that they can drive!

Submitted by Elaine S (not verified) on December 8, 2022 - 12:11PM

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I cannot say just how much I REGRET our buying a Subaru! We got a 2016 used one, in 2019, as my one and only vehicle; it suffers from the infamous Subaru "battery drain" all the time, which means that I have a red Subaru driveway decoration! I have no transportation unless I call to have it "jumped" and then it will run-I might just be able to make it to the store and back! However, I've been warned that, with that issue, it's likely to just die while I'm driving, right in the middle of traffic! I quite literally HATE my Subaru and would dearly love to buy something, dependable-but we're still paying for the POS that we bought!

Submitted by Elaine S (not verified) on December 8, 2022 - 12:21PM

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It's very interesting to me that I have now made two comments regarding the Subaru Outback that I have in my driveway...the one that suffers constantly from the infamous Subaru BATTERY DRAIN! The point being that neither has been posted, which tells me that this site only wants positives about the vehicle, rather than the TRUTH!

Submitted by Deborah C Wirwicz (not verified) on May 4, 2023 - 4:52PM

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My Subaru outback SUCKS. Its on its 4th battery. Only 20,000 miles. "Drive it more", is the instructions from the Subaru representative. Contacted the company. "Have the run diagnostics on it to find out why the battery keeps dying". Yeah, diagnostics are expensive. Why should I pay for a problem on the car THEY knew about in 2015. POS. That's all I can say. A large,, heavy paper weight.

Submitted by Ian (not verified) on August 7, 2023 - 8:43PM

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I would not buy a Subaru engine blew up at 37k miles. Then Subaru would not back up the warranty. Far as I'm concerned if a company won't back their engine at that low of mileage then I sure as hell would not buy from them. Maybe the dealership was the issue, but did not have this issue with my Jeep, Mazda, or Chevy warranty issues.