skibum4ever
Angel Diva
SkiQT, can you elaborate? Many thanks.
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What does a Diva drive?
- Thread starter SnowHot
- Start date
bounceswoosh
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My 2008 Outback XT is at 93kish miles. No issues with oil usage or really anything major *knock on wood*.
I would guess that it's things like leather seats are not an option, etc. Heated seats are standard in a Crosstrek, but you can only get fabric seats. There is no heated steering wheel option or electric seat adjustments, etc... I bought the one with the nav package but there really weren't a ton of other things to add.
Hah, it definitely depends on what you're coming from driving. For me - coming from a base model Element - I feel like I'm living a life of luxury with heated seats and a backup camera and in-dash navigation. But there are a lot of real luxury features out there that they don't offer on a Crosstrek.
Yeah, I never ran into oil usage issues with my previous Subarus. The one made it to I think about 175K miles, and the other I sold while it still had a lot of value at like 50K miles, so it definitely didn't have any issues.
SkiQT
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
The Crosstrek didn't have a power driver seat which is something I need since I am short and always trying to be as far back as possible while still reaching the pedal. I tend to make small adjustments as I drive. I also really like the keyless entry which wasn't available except on the hybrid I think. I didn't want the hybrid once I saw there was no spare--had run flat tires since the space for the spare was where the battery was.
The other thing that really swayed me was all the positive reviews for the 2014 Forester.
VickiK
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
From what I've read, the oil consumption thing is common but not across the board. I guess I got unlucky with that. Otherwise I've been happy with the Outback. @skibum4ever maybe it's worth a look for you too? I think it'd be a good fit for your lifestyle. 
IMO Pro's: decent gas mileage, comfortable for long road trips, xlnt amount of space, refinements like leather seats w/ heat option, backup camera works great, AWD is great in snowy/ice conditions, solid feel.
They outweigh the oil thing...so far. I don't use the sun/moon roof much, maybe you could just ignore it.
IMO Pro's: decent gas mileage, comfortable for long road trips, xlnt amount of space, refinements like leather seats w/ heat option, backup camera works great, AWD is great in snowy/ice conditions, solid feel.
They outweigh the oil thing...so far. I don't use the sun/moon roof much, maybe you could just ignore it.
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It does have keyless entry, unless you mean the type where you just leave the key in your pocket. It's just the normal wireless lock/unlock/panic key fob. So I guess it is keyless entry, not keyless operation.
But yeah, manual seat adjustments.
SkiQT
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yes I meant keyless operation. I really like just keeping the key in my purse so I don't have to dig around for it.
Mrs Hutchins
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Seconded.
Also, the visibility in my 2014 Forester is PHENOMENAL. I found that the Crosstrek drove a little rough, it was loud and had trouble accelerating on hills that the Forester took with ease. The Impreza drove better than the Crosstrek (which might be due to the fact that it's a little lighter and lower to the ground).
I was not considering the Forester at all when I originally went to look at Subies, but DH made me test drive it anyway and I fell in love. We just got back from a vacation up on the Canadian border 5 hours away in his Chevy Equinox, and when I got to drive my Forester today to run errands I was giddy. I LOVE my car.
As an aside, because I know a lot of people warned me about this when I bought my subie, I've had no oil problems with it so far (I'm at 9000 miles... I have a long commute). I lost almost no oil with my first change ( a little late at 6000 miles). I've been checking my levels like a fiend because I've been nervous.
Yeah, I'm the weirdo who loved that my Crosstrek was nearly as boring to drive as my Element was. I want good gas mileage, AWD and decent clearance and nothing to tempt me to speed. The Forester has turbo/bigger engine options, etc. and is a whole different animal.
I had a 2.5XT turbo with a manual transmission a while back and it was a blast, but I drove like an a$$ in it and sold it while it was pretty new, to keep myself out of trouble. I was also sick of DH fretting about the dogs scratching the leather. (Made a little money selling it too because the manual transmission in that model has become a collectors item they stopped making. )
I had a 2.5XT turbo with a manual transmission a while back and it was a blast, but I drove like an a$$ in it and sold it while it was pretty new, to keep myself out of trouble. I was also sick of DH fretting about the dogs scratching the leather. (Made a little money selling it too because the manual transmission in that model has become a collectors item they stopped making. )
SkiBam
Angel Diva
Lots of Subie lovers here. Not surprising I guess as we tend to be snow lovers. Here in the Laurentians, it definitely seems to be the car of choice - noticed the same in Utah and Colorado.
Replaced my Outback last fall with a new Impreza. I ended up getting the base model as it seemed to have everything I wanted - heated seats a bit of a waste for me as I sit on a special cushion thingie and don't even feel the heated seats. (My Outback had them and they only got used when a passenger turned them on.) Anyway, I'm very happy with the Impreza. I love how the seat adjusts and short little me can see well out of the car. And mileage is impressive (to me anyway) - especially highway - seems like it will go at least 900 km on a tank, which is sure way way more than any other car I've had.
Replaced my Outback last fall with a new Impreza. I ended up getting the base model as it seemed to have everything I wanted - heated seats a bit of a waste for me as I sit on a special cushion thingie and don't even feel the heated seats. (My Outback had them and they only got used when a passenger turned them on.) Anyway, I'm very happy with the Impreza. I love how the seat adjusts and short little me can see well out of the car. And mileage is impressive (to me anyway) - especially highway - seems like it will go at least 900 km on a tank, which is sure way way more than any other car I've had.
My next vehicle I will search for one that actually uses a key to start the car. The push-button start in my Altima has been a major problem. After only 2 years, the brake sensor that communicates with the ignition was beginning to fail. The issued developed slowly. My daughter had been using this vehicle most of the time and had to be towed twice. We had no idea it was the brake sensor. The tow driver mentioned that this happens more frequently than one would think, and that the manufacturers of the vehicles will not cover these failures. It cost me $380 to have that sensor repaired. I'm pretty much going to go basic and forgo all those extra electrical goodies in my future vehicle. Subaru here I come.
MaineSkiLady
Angel Diva
Totally agree. I guess I have lived long enough/had or been in enough vehicles to see all manner of what can - and often does - go wrong. Ever been stuck in a deluge with an stuck-open power roof window? Not Fun. How about pulling up to a toll booth - and no power to the driver window? Door locks that mystically lock themselves with no particular command? Check. (Especially fun when keys are in vehicle...) Watch those power and/or heated seats. More wires. Never mind.
And now? Here come the vehicles that automatically brake when they “detect” they are too close to vehicle up ahead. And “auto-parkers.” Some mighty Big Kahunas there that could malfunction....just sayin’...
All the controls for everything in a navigational-style touch panel? Nope. Buttons, dials and switches, please. Which also can have issues, granted. But—ONE at a time, thank you - not the whole enchilada.
MaineSkiLady
Angel Diva
Only in the very lowest, most basic model anything would a manual/non-power option be available. Not many. Have seen a few commercial vans and trucks without power windows or locks.
Has become standard issue. That’s fine and dandy if one does not plan to keep a vehicle for the long haul. We keep our vehicles a really long time, borderline obscene. It is quite remarkable what can malfunction. But gearheads/autotechs (DS) and engineers (DH) are stubborn do-it-yourself types and refuse to give up. 100k is “just broken in” for them.
It’s my reality. Like it or leave it. Drove my last car for 12 years. Still on the road (DS). Have one in garage that’s near antique-plates for age. Why is it still there. Rhetorical question.
Their definition of 2-word profanity = Car Payments.
I. Love. Technology. I walked into the dork forest years ago, and never came out.
Like MSL, I have been driving for a long, long time. Mostly, I lease new and trade up after 3-4 years.
Once, in all the years I have been driving, I had a power window that did not roll back up once. Duct Tape to the rescue until I got it in for service. (You slide a piece of duct tape down into the window slit, catch the glass, and pull up. Then, duct tape again holds the window in place.)
My parents had a Lincoln Town Car where the cruise control did not disengage when the brakes were depressed resulting in an accident that totaled the car. It was a known Ford Motor Co. issue.
That's it. I have been very lucky with cars. My current car, a 2009 Volvo XC90, had all the standard service done for five years at no cost. I replaced the tires at 40,000 miles. I replaced the brakes at 72,000 miles. That's it.
Mostly, I like the innovations in new cars. I love the idea of a lane change warning and blind spot sensors and parking sensors. I can park my car, thank you and don't need assistance, but in the tiny parking spaces in Europe, I can see the need. I'm still not a fan of anti-lock brakes because I think I can do it better myself.
But I agree with MSL about the multiple screens to access features. I think that is as big a distraction as texting while driving. If I ran the world, I would have buttons for all normally accessed features - temperature control, radio volume and station presets, windshield wipers, seat heaters, seat adjustments, mirror adjustments, etc. For those things that are preference-based, like setting presets for radio, bluetooth/phone, a screen is fine.
volklgirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yet another update from me.
I'm still driving the big black Burb (now at 286,000 miles), but hubby's Fiero spun out and went into a ditch last fall. Fiberglass doesn't do well when pitted against a ditch and a stump.
He keeps saying he's going to get it fixed but I'm not holding my breath.
The Safari van also died this spring. It blew an oil line and hubs kept driving it. The motor is totally seized up now.
He finally bought a rusty, beat up 2002 Ford Focus ZTW wagon. Sounds boooring, right? Nope! The little bugger has stick shift and is pretty zippy. I'd not realized how much I missed driving a stick after pawning off the Porsche. Zoom, ZOOM!!
I'm still driving the big black Burb (now at 286,000 miles), but hubby's Fiero spun out and went into a ditch last fall. Fiberglass doesn't do well when pitted against a ditch and a stump.
He keeps saying he's going to get it fixed but I'm not holding my breath.The Safari van also died this spring. It blew an oil line and hubs kept driving it. The motor is totally seized up now.
He finally bought a rusty, beat up 2002 Ford Focus ZTW wagon. Sounds boooring, right? Nope! The little bugger has stick shift and is pretty zippy. I'd not realized how much I missed driving a stick after pawning off the Porsche. Zoom, ZOOM!!
I have a 2013 Equinox. Love the back up camera in summer, doesn't really work in the winter. The one thing I don't like is the heater/defrosters and entertainment set up. I just about had an accident when I first got it trying to get the defroster on....Multiple screens yah....I was distracted!
