I am interested in trying the Sonata, but with DI, I would expect it to sound like my dad's IS, clicking away at idle.

 

LOL....I think you're (more than) a little out of touch with what exactly is happening in the Subaru world. Here's a quick summary on all the fun that you've been missing out in the past few years -

http://www.stiblog.com/articles/2009...ubaru-failure/

Join in if you want -

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1648372

Consumer Reports is a joke as a source. They never publish their methodology when it comes to statistical analysis. There is no judgement to be made other than good/bad. Variance, sample size, population....all totally missing. The difference between two cars could be statistically irrelevant. How does it compare to data from past years....you have no idea whatsoever. The general public flock to it because they love red and black circles.

 

The majority of Subarus being sold are non turbos. The turbocharged engines have been having issues since the '05 Legacy GT. The increase in Subaru sales has not been of turboed variants, thus Subaru is viewed as quite reliable. And all of three of mine has been. That being said, there is a difference between unreliable and not meeting buyer expectations.

 

LOL? Perhaps you should follow my posts a little more closely before you make statements like this. I have cautioned potential WRX and STI buyers a number of times, especially with used models.


Incorrect. CR explains how they arrive at their reliability data...from the intial questionaires to the input, analysis, categorization, and final printing. If you don't (or won't) read it for yourself, that's not their fault.

CR didn't get to where it is today by printing nonsense. If you can come up with a better reliability source, then go for it. All I can say is....good luck.

 

Thanks. Though it doesn't deal with individual owners, here's another excellent web site to consult for Subaru technical data. The guy who runs this site really does a great job.

http://www.cars101.com/subaru/outback/outback2010.html

 

I've never been able to find out anything related to the statistical analysis that they do. If you've found it, please direct me to it.

 

Good point. Outside of the Impreza GT/WRX/STI line, comparatively few Subie turbos are sold in the American market...sales average around 4-5%. That's why, in the last few years, Subaru has dropped the manual- transmission Forester XT (the automatic remains), the automatic Legacy GT (the manual-transmission remains), and ALL Outback XTs. The only new turbo model added is the Impreza GT, which essentially is the old 227-HP WRX when that model got a power-boost to 265 HP.

 

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/c...lity/index.htm

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/c...ity-faq_ov.htm

 

Good information. There is a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation on how CR (as well as others) gather and present their findings.

 

On the topic of CR reliability data, I've examined the charts carefully (line by line for each of the specified areas including engine, brakes, suspension, etc.) for the many cars/SUVs that I had long term ownership experiences with. I found the survey results tracked close to my actual ownership experiences.

Sure CR reliability data is not perfect, but I agree that it's probably the best currently available.

More on-topic, I'm not impressed with the long-term reliability of any high output turbo powertrain, not just Subies.

 

I bumped this thread back up to mention that, from the reports of 2010 Outback owners in the Subaru forums, the wandering and shimmy/shake issue in the front end not only seems to be a widespread issue now, but seems to be dealt with only by major revisions/rebuilds to the front suspension and steering rack. The factory may (?) be dragging its feet on a widespread fix because of the complex and potentially expensive nature of a permanent repair.....simple re-alignments and re-balances, in this case, just aren't enough.

Not all individual cars are affected, but the problem seems to be widespread, with some cars starting the symptoms almost immediately; others not until some miles are on them. There's almost no way to tell which individual cars are going to end up being shakers; and/or at what mileage.

A real shame, IMO ....because I still think that the Outback is one of the most versatile and useful cars on the market for the money; especially in bad-weather areas. But, given these problems in the 2010 models, it would be wise to wait until at least the 2011 or 2012 model year.

 

This problem reminds me of a similar issue I've noticed with GM G-Body vehicles (Buick Lucerne, Cadillac DTS). I considered both of these cars before I bought my LS430 and I found that it was a crap shoot if a car, new or used, would have a suspension shimmy at speed. Some ran straight and true. Others shook and danced like Elvis on Ed Sullivan.

 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Subaru is recalling 74,000 2010 Outback and Legacy models built between February 16, 2009 and April 12, 2010. It seems that a bundle of wires located behind the steering wheel can develop stress cracks and eventually break. If this happens, some vehicle functions with controls on the steering wheel – such as the horn, cruise and radio controls, paddle shifters and even the driver's airbag – could fail.camper trailers

 

Thanks for posting. This is (apparantly) a brand-new issue on these models, and not related to the previous ones.

I also see you are brand-new to CL. Welcome.