New Lurker.

[Old Gweilo]

Hi All

New here from Eastern Canada. Going to need a new vehicle within the next year or so. In a perfect world I'd get something low tech with a decent sized engine, no turbo, no CVT and with the only electric component being the cigarette lighter. Alas, such "new" vehicles are rare, within popular price points and are hard on fuel. The Toyota 4 Runner is one such option but I see it too sports a Turbo'd engine in 2026.

Anyhow,, As I've come to accept certain Market realities, I'm searching for a vehicle with, perhaps a turbo'd engine and CVT "well done" so that the power train will last reasonably well. Japanese cars seem particularly well adapted to this technology IMHO and Subaru gets good reviews.

The Boxer engine concerns me somewhat. Though I believe they are good, my understanding is that they tend to use oil and can be difficult, $$$, to work on. I'm a driver who tends to pay attention to maintenance so some of the recommended maintenance protocols I've read, which are specific to Subaru, don't scare me that much. I can do my part if Subaru's Engineers have done theirs.

Any / all comments or recommendations addressing the points I've touched on here will be appreciated. I am looking at the 2026 Outback for the present.

Thanx

OG

 

[bmart]

Subarus are one of the easiest cars to work on, mechanically. I'd look at the Mazdas for less tech. The CX-3 and CX-5 are great vehicles. Not so much on the 7 and 9.

 

[Old Gweilo]

Subarus are one of the easiest cars to work on, mechanically. I'd look at the Mazdas for less tech. The CX-3 and CX-5 are great vehicles. Not so much on the 7 and 9.

Thanx for the heads up on the CX-5. I did a quick comparison between it and the 2026 Outback Touring, (no turbo), Pricewise they are about even but the 2026 Outback seems bigger. Adequate cargo capacity is a key feature for us. This is why the "2026" Outback in particular caught our eye.

Regarding ease of mechanical work, thanx again for that info. I am also learning, courtesy of YouTube etc that things like spark plug access aren't necessarily the insurmountable headache initial reports would have one believe. Apparently you do "not" need to lift the engine in order to change the plugs on Subaru's boxer engines .

 

[bmart]

You are right. I did the ones in my 2005 Outback a month or three ago. Just a few basic tools. No big deal.

Winter fun will be the big service on the GT-B import. Timing belt, etc... Not sure I'm going to bother checking the valve clearances (DOHC) as the engine does have to move to adjust those, I hear.

 

[Old Gweilo]

,,, a general question, if I may. Being an old geezer, I am generally skeptical of new innovations. Small turbo'd engines and CVT transmissions turn me off. That said, these "innovations" are no longer really new. Has the automotive industry generally dealt with early problems with these things ? I'm still reading that Nissan, and a few others, still have CVT reliability issues but suspect Subaru CVT's, properly maintained, are reliable. I guess my question is, are my reservations with respect to turbos and CVT's still valid or ought I to just accept them, for the most part, as established and mostly reliable components in 2026 vehicles ? Thanx.

 

[bmart]

Nissan CVTs are dreadful and fail often and spectacularly.
Subaru ones are considerably better, but the earlier ones failed and they gave away a lot of new trannies to unhappy owners including a bunch of my friends.
Honda uses a completely different (and nearly 100% reliable) system for their CVT.

Tiny turbo (or HUGE ones!) are the ticket. Contemporary ones are pretty reliable so long as maintenance (oil level and changes) are done.

 

[nellie]

Have a 2016 Outback, something goes wrong each year. Niece has old and new Honda with no problems.

 

[Labradog13]

Hi All

New here from Eastern Canada. Going to need a new vehicle within the next year or so. In a perfect world I'd get something low tech with a decent sized engine, no turbo, no CVT and with the only electric component being the cigarette lighter. Alas, such "new" vehicles are rare, within popular price points and are hard on fuel. The Toyota 4 Runner is one such option but I see it too sports a Turbo'd engine in 2026.

Anyhow,, As I've come to accept certain Market realities, I'm searching for a vehicle with, perhaps a turbo'd engine and CVT "well done" so that the power train will last reasonably well. Japanese cars seem particularly well adapted to this technology IMHO and Subaru gets good reviews.

The Boxer engine concerns me somewhat. Though I believe they are good, my understanding is that they tend to use oil and can be difficult, $$$, to work on. I'm a driver who tends to pay attention to maintenance so some of the recommended maintenance protocols I've read, which are specific to Subaru, don't scare me that much. I can do my part if Subaru's Engineers have done theirs.

Any / all comments or recommendations addressing the points I've touched on here will be appreciated. I am looking at the 2026 Outback for the present.

Thanx

OG

I would also take a look at Consumer Reports and see if there are other brands/ models that may meet your needs. If you don't want to pay for an annual membership, in ancient times many local libraries had the print editions including the annual auto edition. Now, the may have free access via the IntraWeb. Good Luck!

 

[Labradog13]

Also, consider buying through Costco. I have gotten 3 cars through them. Price is already set by Costco and in my case it was the dealer invoice price (not the list price on the sticker). Saved a bunch of money and there is no hustle or BS. You work with a salesperson who has received Costco training. Go to the Costco website and click on the Auto Buying program. Complete the information and they will send you the name of the dealership in your postal code that is part of the Costco program. If you walk into a random dealership and ask if they are a Costco dealer, they will all say "YES". They lie. Only the dealers that you get from Costco are the real ones.

 

[Raymond3006]

Hi All

New here from Eastern Canada. Going to need a new vehicle within the next year or so. In a perfect world I'd get something low tech with a decent sized engine, no turbo, no CVT and with the only electric component being the cigarette lighter. Alas, such "new" vehicles are rare, within popular price points and are hard on fuel. The Toyota 4 Runner is one such option but I see it too sports a Turbo'd engine in 2026.

Anyhow,, As I've come to accept certain Market realities, I'm searching for a vehicle with, perhaps a turbo'd engine and CVT "well done" so that the power train will last reasonably well. Japanese cars seem particularly well adapted to this technology IMHO and Subaru gets good reviews.

The Boxer engine concerns me somewhat. Though I believe they are good, my understanding is that they tend to use oil and can be difficult, $$$, to work on. I'm a driver who tends to pay attention to maintenance so some of the recommended maintenance protocols I've read, which are specific to Subaru, don't scare me that much. I can do my part if Subaru's Engineers have done theirs.

Any / all comments or recommendations addressing the points I've touched on here will be appreciated. I am looking at the 2026 Outback for the present.

Thanx

OG

Go for something by HONDA !!! They have a record of exceptional Quality , and almost ZERO Costumer Complaints ; which can NOT be said for your other possible selection !!!!!!

 

[Raymond3006]

Have a 2016 Outback, something goes wrong each year. Niece has old and new Honda with no problems.

"S" says lifetime CVT Trans Fluid , before you BUY ; then after wards they tell you it needs to be changed every 30K-Miles , and the PRICE is about the SAME AS A COMPLETE NEW SET OF TIRES !
The Affter Purchase cost of Ownership IS THRU THE ROOF ... as all things "S" are priced like GOLD !!!!

 

[Glenn Smith]

Also, consider buying through Costco. I have gotten 3 cars through them. Price is already set by Costco and in my case it was the dealer invoice price (not the list price on the sticker). Saved a bunch of money and there is no hustle or BS. You work with a salesperson who has received Costco training. Go to the Costco website and click on the Auto Buying program. Complete the information and they will send you the name of the dealership in your postal code that is part of the Costco program. If you walk into a random dealership and ask if they are a Costco dealer, they will all say "YES". They lie. Only the dealers that you get from Costco are the real ones.

I purchased my 2016 Outback 3.6R from Byers Auto in Columbus, Ohio under the Costco Program. The dealer had one salesman who was certified to sell under the Costco Program. It was straightforward. No waiting for hours to get the deal done. About an hour and half to complete the deal. I got the Touring Model with all the accessories for 8% under the sticker. At the time that was considered to be a very competitive price. Along with the purchase of the car, Costco providede me with several certificates that entitled me to additional services. These were worth several hundred dollars. I was treated well by the dealer. It was the smoothest transaction I ever completed for a new car. A $60 membership fee is worth the bargaining power.

I remember telling the salesman that if the deal took longer than 3 hours, I would walk. I had scheduled a test drive two weeks earlier and was satisfied with the car. Two hours later I had completed the circuit of the salesman, sales manager and the finance manager. I opted for the 72 month extended warranty in order to protect myself in the event the electronic modules went bad. It was the best car deal of my life.