Watch This Before Buying a Subaru or Mazda
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Date: 2019-05-28
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Comments and reviews: 9
Shawn Warnick
Look they have been making those boxer engines forever and they make slight improvements overtime. Subarus have better visibility, great gas mileage, more practicality due to the boxy shape, pretty reliable. I have yet to have anything done on mine except normal wear items. My only gripes with subaru is pain to work on, engines are a little underpowered(about 20hp light) and they cant tow squat. About the mazda towing more, the failing point of subarus are the transmissions when it comes to that so if mazda uses the same transmission how does the mazda tow more. and people talk about quality of materials, have you been in an outback 3. 6r limited or touring? Very nice cabin for the price. And one of the things that was mentioned at the beginning was brand loyalty. Subaru buyers are die hard set on their brand and I can tell you first hand Im one of them. I grew up on toyotas, buicks and fords and when I had to retire my old car and look for a new one I found the 3. 6r legacy very practical and I liked the idea of being able to get through snow without problems. My only regret is not getting a legacy wagon, or getting an outback with the same engine because I would love the extra space. So. Im no mechanic but I do almost all the work on my own cars, just did full rotors and pads yesterday and it was super easy. I can do an oil change in 15 minutes and most of that time is draining time. Filters are easy to change. Did transmission and differentials myself earlier this year(Im at the dreaded 90k huge maintenance time. The diff takes a special torx socket but that isnt a big deal. Spark plugs are the only hard maintenance I have encountered and you have to have all kinds of swivels and extensions to get to the ones closest to the firewall. Shoot you really only do spark plugs about 4 times in the life of the car so I dont see an issue.
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Look they have been making those boxer engines forever and they make slight improvements overtime. Subarus have better visibility, great gas mileage, more practicality due to the boxy shape, pretty reliable. I have yet to have anything done on mine except normal wear items. My only gripes with subaru is pain to work on, engines are a little underpowered(about 20hp light) and they cant tow squat. About the mazda towing more, the failing point of subarus are the transmissions when it comes to that so if mazda uses the same transmission how does the mazda tow more. and people talk about quality of materials, have you been in an outback 3. 6r limited or touring? Very nice cabin for the price. And one of the things that was mentioned at the beginning was brand loyalty. Subaru buyers are die hard set on their brand and I can tell you first hand Im one of them. I grew up on toyotas, buicks and fords and when I had to retire my old car and look for a new one I found the 3. 6r legacy very practical and I liked the idea of being able to get through snow without problems. My only regret is not getting a legacy wagon, or getting an outback with the same engine because I would love the extra space. So. Im no mechanic but I do almost all the work on my own cars, just did full rotors and pads yesterday and it was super easy. I can do an oil change in 15 minutes and most of that time is draining time. Filters are easy to change. Did transmission and differentials myself earlier this year(Im at the dreaded 90k huge maintenance time. The diff takes a special torx socket but that isnt a big deal. Spark plugs are the only hard maintenance I have encountered and you have to have all kinds of swivels and extensions to get to the ones closest to the firewall. Shoot you really only do spark plugs about 4 times in the life of the car so I dont see an issue.
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a.c. king
I have a 2014 Forester that I use for work, its currently at 190K. I bought it for the combination of the excellent all wheel drive system and, good fuel mileage. I previously had a Toyota 4Runner that was great. I sold it at 305K and it was still in very good running condition. I wanted another one but the price was too high, and fuel mileage was too low. I drive between 400 to 1000 work miles per week, a combination of 70 mph freeway, 55 mph rural country roads, and very rough off road on construction sights. Im in a southern state that rarely sees extremely cold weather, but does see many hot days. I run 5w 30 full synthetic, and use from 3/4 to one quart of oil in 5000 miles. Ive replaced two wheel bearings, two CV shafts (rough off roading) and an AC compressor (4k mile unit from a salvage yard for 100). I also had a perfectly good working 165K CVT transmission replaced because the dealer broke the transmission casing during routine servicing. I allowed them to put in an excellent 40K mile replacement unit from a local salvage yard for 400 plus installation, at their expense. Ive seen 60k engines listed for less than 600. People wreck a lot of these cars, I assume from trying to drive them in the snow etc. So the salvage yard is full of spare parts, and they are usually cheap. Subarus are tough cars that are surprising easy to service, I do a lot of my own work, and if you dont mind using salvage yard parts for some items, they can be dirt cheap to repair. I have met many Subaru owners with 300K + miles on their cars with similar stories. No car is maintenance free. The question is, how easy and cheap is it to repair.
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I have a 2014 Forester that I use for work, its currently at 190K. I bought it for the combination of the excellent all wheel drive system and, good fuel mileage. I previously had a Toyota 4Runner that was great. I sold it at 305K and it was still in very good running condition. I wanted another one but the price was too high, and fuel mileage was too low. I drive between 400 to 1000 work miles per week, a combination of 70 mph freeway, 55 mph rural country roads, and very rough off road on construction sights. Im in a southern state that rarely sees extremely cold weather, but does see many hot days. I run 5w 30 full synthetic, and use from 3/4 to one quart of oil in 5000 miles. Ive replaced two wheel bearings, two CV shafts (rough off roading) and an AC compressor (4k mile unit from a salvage yard for 100). I also had a perfectly good working 165K CVT transmission replaced because the dealer broke the transmission casing during routine servicing. I allowed them to put in an excellent 40K mile replacement unit from a local salvage yard for 400 plus installation, at their expense. Ive seen 60k engines listed for less than 600. People wreck a lot of these cars, I assume from trying to drive them in the snow etc. So the salvage yard is full of spare parts, and they are usually cheap. Subarus are tough cars that are surprising easy to service, I do a lot of my own work, and if you dont mind using salvage yard parts for some items, they can be dirt cheap to repair. I have met many Subaru owners with 300K + miles on their cars with similar stories. No car is maintenance free. The question is, how easy and cheap is it to repair.
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NorthernOtyg
In northern Sweden, Subarus are the real deal We get the diesel engines (not available in US) that dont have any head gasket issues, and everyone drives manual. This eliminates Scottys 2 complaints (bad automatic transmission and head gasket issues(since 2012 or something I dont think the US petrol engines have any head gasket issues anyway. Also, our Subarus are built in Japan and not in their Indiana, US factory. So basically, we get indestructible cars with the best all-wheel drive on the market. I have a 180000 mile Outback in perfect shape, my friends got a 240000 mile Legacy just going and going, and my familys had a Forester with 200000 miles (sold it several years ago because they wanted a wagon) and now have a new Legacy. I still see that Forester from time to time in my town, must be closer to 240 000 miles nowadays and it looks great from what Ive seen. Sure, my friends got a Toyota Corolla with 200000 miles on the meter, runs like a clock and she doesnt even check the oil, but compared to the Subarus its ugly as and lacks everything youd want during a Swedish winter. xD
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In northern Sweden, Subarus are the real deal We get the diesel engines (not available in US) that dont have any head gasket issues, and everyone drives manual. This eliminates Scottys 2 complaints (bad automatic transmission and head gasket issues(since 2012 or something I dont think the US petrol engines have any head gasket issues anyway. Also, our Subarus are built in Japan and not in their Indiana, US factory. So basically, we get indestructible cars with the best all-wheel drive on the market. I have a 180000 mile Outback in perfect shape, my friends got a 240000 mile Legacy just going and going, and my familys had a Forester with 200000 miles (sold it several years ago because they wanted a wagon) and now have a new Legacy. I still see that Forester from time to time in my town, must be closer to 240 000 miles nowadays and it looks great from what Ive seen. Sure, my friends got a Toyota Corolla with 200000 miles on the meter, runs like a clock and she doesnt even check the oil, but compared to the Subarus its ugly as and lacks everything youd want during a Swedish winter. xD
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Al Van Schaik
For my bit of experience with both cars Im going with Scotty. Although he points out that Subarus AWD is bullet-proof I just wouldnt go that far, certainly mine wasnt and I followed all the necessary requirements. I now have an older 2008 Mazda 6 that came my way about 6 years ago and we are now in 2019. Im presently looking for a newer car to replace it but honestly I dont know why, this car is magnificent. In all my many years of driving this is a pleasure to drive, not too many electronics but enough to make it a comfortable car. I love how it tries to be a luxury road car while at the same time being an agile in-town car. Admittedly mine is the upscale model with leather, sunroof etc. which makes it a more luxurious experience overall in a car that is more designed an everyday commuter. The steering is my favorite part, it is quick, I mean rally quick. This is the most fun car to drive in curvy low-land roads and for that matter in town. I will just state that I love this car, it has been perfect in every way and will be difficult for me to eventually replace.
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For my bit of experience with both cars Im going with Scotty. Although he points out that Subarus AWD is bullet-proof I just wouldnt go that far, certainly mine wasnt and I followed all the necessary requirements. I now have an older 2008 Mazda 6 that came my way about 6 years ago and we are now in 2019. Im presently looking for a newer car to replace it but honestly I dont know why, this car is magnificent. In all my many years of driving this is a pleasure to drive, not too many electronics but enough to make it a comfortable car. I love how it tries to be a luxury road car while at the same time being an agile in-town car. Admittedly mine is the upscale model with leather, sunroof etc. which makes it a more luxurious experience overall in a car that is more designed an everyday commuter. The steering is my favorite part, it is quick, I mean rally quick. This is the most fun car to drive in curvy low-land roads and for that matter in town. I will just state that I love this car, it has been perfect in every way and will be difficult for me to eventually replace.
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Shahji Mangalam
The Chrysler hemi engine with cylinder deactivation has proven to be a very reliable and durable engine. It did have initial teething problems with the valve springs when it came out in the LX cars back in 2005 but they fixed that issue and judging from many owners comments, they are bulletproof engines. Scotty seems to base his opinions on the initial stages of when the automakers were experimenting with multi displacement engines and other computer based auto experiments, back more than 35 years ago. Since then, many of those complicated technolgies have both improved in reliability and durability. Subarus and Mazdas in general, are not as reliable as Toyota but they are reasonably reliable. Btw, initial quality is bs bc it only takes into consideration the first 3 months of a vehicles life. A vehicle which has been around for 3 years or more, that is the most concrete way of determining a vehicles reliability
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The Chrysler hemi engine with cylinder deactivation has proven to be a very reliable and durable engine. It did have initial teething problems with the valve springs when it came out in the LX cars back in 2005 but they fixed that issue and judging from many owners comments, they are bulletproof engines. Scotty seems to base his opinions on the initial stages of when the automakers were experimenting with multi displacement engines and other computer based auto experiments, back more than 35 years ago. Since then, many of those complicated technolgies have both improved in reliability and durability. Subarus and Mazdas in general, are not as reliable as Toyota but they are reasonably reliable. Btw, initial quality is bs bc it only takes into consideration the first 3 months of a vehicles life. A vehicle which has been around for 3 years or more, that is the most concrete way of determining a vehicles reliability
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High Hopes
I loved my Subarus until I had a timing belt wear and slip on one. its an interference engine with a rubber timing belt. Those two things should never mix. (It means the valves and pistons can smack into each other, causing engine damage if the timing belt breaks. In my case it bent my valves. With a boxer engine, you cant pull the head without pulling the entire motor because the head is sideways. And because it was the XT turbo engine, finding a replacement was hard because the WRX guys with same engine blow their motors all the time with turbo mods. this means there were no cheap motors or heads or parts for my Forester XT available. From now on my cars will have non-interference engines if they have rubber timing belts. They need timing chains if they are interference engines. Toyotas are all either timing chains or non-interference engines if they have rubber timing belts, so Im sticking with them.
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I loved my Subarus until I had a timing belt wear and slip on one. its an interference engine with a rubber timing belt. Those two things should never mix. (It means the valves and pistons can smack into each other, causing engine damage if the timing belt breaks. In my case it bent my valves. With a boxer engine, you cant pull the head without pulling the entire motor because the head is sideways. And because it was the XT turbo engine, finding a replacement was hard because the WRX guys with same engine blow their motors all the time with turbo mods. this means there were no cheap motors or heads or parts for my Forester XT available. From now on my cars will have non-interference engines if they have rubber timing belts. They need timing chains if they are interference engines. Toyotas are all either timing chains or non-interference engines if they have rubber timing belts, so Im sticking with them.
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k_wrx_
Mazdas rust horribly in winter climates. It was strange to me when I was in Vermont and never saw any Mazdas. Found out why after I brought mine. One winter, and despite aggressive undercarriage cleaning, the entire bottom was rusted to trash. The 5-spd synchros went bad before 100K and the clutch started slipping at 60, 000. But my 17 WRX had its fair share of problems too with the TOB. And honestly, Im glad I dont live in a snow state because I wouldnt trust my Subaru to hold up to the brine. Not sure what it is with Japanese steel, but it surely does not hold up. The one place where Mazda and Subaru excel though is safety, with insurance rating them 3x better than Honda. But Hondas got those CVTs too and theyre problematic too if you put a lot of load on them. Just get a Toyota. Theyre the only brand I trust anymore.
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Mazdas rust horribly in winter climates. It was strange to me when I was in Vermont and never saw any Mazdas. Found out why after I brought mine. One winter, and despite aggressive undercarriage cleaning, the entire bottom was rusted to trash. The 5-spd synchros went bad before 100K and the clutch started slipping at 60, 000. But my 17 WRX had its fair share of problems too with the TOB. And honestly, Im glad I dont live in a snow state because I wouldnt trust my Subaru to hold up to the brine. Not sure what it is with Japanese steel, but it surely does not hold up. The one place where Mazda and Subaru excel though is safety, with insurance rating them 3x better than Honda. But Hondas got those CVTs too and theyre problematic too if you put a lot of load on them. Just get a Toyota. Theyre the only brand I trust anymore.
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watchman1872
Ive liked Subarus in the past, but the CVT transmissions they use in everything but the WRX are a deal killer for me. I maintain and repair my cars, so I want one that has good long-term reliability, and is easy to work on. I tend to drive them until something major fails, so I maintain them well, dont abuse them, and drive them till the wheels fall off. That means well over 200, 000 miles. (My old 96 Grand Cherokee daily driver is pushing 367, 000 miles, with no signs of fatal problems. I figure a Subaru with a CVT probably wont make it 200, 000 miles no matter what I do, so Ill avoid them, even though the flat 4 or 6 engine is easy to work on. Even head gaskets probably wouldnt be a deal killer for me, (mostly just my time, but the cost of a CVT would.
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Ive liked Subarus in the past, but the CVT transmissions they use in everything but the WRX are a deal killer for me. I maintain and repair my cars, so I want one that has good long-term reliability, and is easy to work on. I tend to drive them until something major fails, so I maintain them well, dont abuse them, and drive them till the wheels fall off. That means well over 200, 000 miles. (My old 96 Grand Cherokee daily driver is pushing 367, 000 miles, with no signs of fatal problems. I figure a Subaru with a CVT probably wont make it 200, 000 miles no matter what I do, so Ill avoid them, even though the flat 4 or 6 engine is easy to work on. Even head gaskets probably wouldnt be a deal killer for me, (mostly just my time, but the cost of a CVT would.
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James Wood
Ive seen a few Subarus lose head gaskets. I used to live in Alaska, where they are popular because of the 4wd. The boxer engine seems unnecessarily complicated, as opposed to an inline-4. The Toyota 86 (formerly Scion FR-S is a Subaru with a boxer engine. As you have pointed out, Toyota puts Yamaha engines (that you dont seem to like) in some of their models (Toyota Yaris comes to mind, so not all Toyotas are so great. Since Subaru almost exclusively uses head gasket-blowing boxers and almost exclusively uses CVT tranmissions (YUCK, they lose. At least Mazda will sell you almost anything with an inline 4 and traditional 6-speed transmission, MAZDA WINS.
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Ive seen a few Subarus lose head gaskets. I used to live in Alaska, where they are popular because of the 4wd. The boxer engine seems unnecessarily complicated, as opposed to an inline-4. The Toyota 86 (formerly Scion FR-S is a Subaru with a boxer engine. As you have pointed out, Toyota puts Yamaha engines (that you dont seem to like) in some of their models (Toyota Yaris comes to mind, so not all Toyotas are so great. Since Subaru almost exclusively uses head gasket-blowing boxers and almost exclusively uses CVT tranmissions (YUCK, they lose. At least Mazda will sell you almost anything with an inline 4 and traditional 6-speed transmission, MAZDA WINS.
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