Which Used Subaru Forester Would You Buy?

louisjames

louisjames

The "real" Louis James
Subscriber
Looking at two Subaru Foresters. One is a 2013 2.5X Premium from Carvana with 82K for $14,900 and the other is a local dealer who has a 2016 2.5i Premium with 88K for $15,600. The 2013 has the 4-speed automatic while the 2016 has the CVT. Which I know a lot of folks don't care for but which seem OK as Subaru manufacturers these themselves and there is 2 years left on the 10 year / 100K tranny warranty. I actually prefer the older one as it's a bit more station wagon like which is similar to the 2004 we currently have. But that's not a big concern. Both trim models are similar and well equipped, and both cars are in very good condition. At least from the pictures and descriptions. The 2016 is a one-owner while the 2013 is a 2-owner car. Both are 'personal' vehicles and Carfax shows no accidents for either. Thoughts?
 
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Be aware that the 2013 Forester falls in with the class action lawsuit which was due to excessive oil consumption. If the engine hasn't been replaced it could have this potential issue.
 
Easy choice if it were me, and that's the 2016 CVT. I bought a 2009 new, same generation as the 2013, and it was my least favorite of 5 Foresters I have owned. Rather dull drive, sluggish transmission and a few other things I didn't care for. The wife and I currently drive 2015 and 2018 Foresters, the next generation. In my opinion they may be the best ever. And don't worry about the CVT, it's not a Nissan.

Best wishes on your decision.
 
I'd probably pass on both. The '16 has a history of major transmission, suspension, climate system, and brake issues. From 2018 on, the Forester has been known for stellar quality. Best if you can find an affordable '19 which was the first year of the 5th generation Forester. It was an improvement over the prior generation in many ways.
 
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Hey, more importantly, but off topic...how you feelin' man? Perhaps the fact you are looking for a new vehicle must mean "pretty good" to GREAT! Very happy for you :thumbsup:
 
Thank you folks. Appreciate the input.

@Bill Ashton -- so kind of you to ask. each day is a bit different and it's up and down right now. stamina is sometimes nil and I'm still waiting to feel 18 again. ;) but overall doing OK. i'd like to be feeling much better but the cardiologist says it's going to take time.
 
nolasally said:
That 2013 is 11th s old! Cost 25k new. Thats bonkers!! The 2016 price isn’t much better.
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I thought that also, but when I was helping my MiL with buying a used car last month it was a real eye opener. The bubble will burst, but it's taking it's sweet time.
 
@Hajidub i know all about the inflated used car market. It isn’t as bad as it was 3-4 yrs ago. I bought a 2014 Buick enclave with 53k Mi that had a 44,000 msrp in 2021 for 18,800.00 which I thought was nuts. I thought the car was worth maybe 16,000.

Granted a buick doesn’t have the same resale value as a Subaru but once a car is 15-20yrs old with 150-200k Mi on the clock how much resale value is there really??
 
Prices are high. Although as nolasally said, they have come down some. Carvana has the highest prices I've seen which is why I looked locally. And yah, this is silly $$$ for what is in effect a 12 year old car. It almost pays to buy new. But that's not an option at this time of life. Even my 2004 which has the typical Subaru oil leak and over 150K, but still runs very well, gets at least one or two offers a week from folks who like these cars. One guy offered me 6K for it and I told him he was crazy.
 
My parents have a couple of the Forester's big brother, the Legacy Outback wagon. Both are older cars, being 2003 models. Both are also equipped with the EZ30D engine, which does prefer 91 or higher octane gas, but also seems to be less prone to the usual leaky head gasket problems of the EJ25x series engines. One has 190K on it (bought used in late 2018 with 133K miles), the other has 214K on it. That one was purchased in August 2019 with 197K miles. Yes, my father doesn't drive very much these days, being 89 years old. Both have been pretty reliable. The 190,000 mile car does need some transmission work - worn internal bearing that sounds like a worn one-way clutch on a Volvo or MG overdrive unit. It's still driveable, just makes a buzzing noise. The other car, for the most part, is in better shape and will probably be the one they keep when they decide to go to sharing one car.

With respect to the Foresters, I would test drive them and see which one's the better of the two. Granted, you probably won't be able to do that, pre-purchase wise, with the 2013 model. So, that may be a moot point.
 
I agree with the "nothing older than '19" post. Repairs could easily eat up any savings you might get in purchasing an older model. My '17 Forester drove like a truck. My current, trouble-free '21 Outback with 63K miles is the most comfortable ride I've owned.
 
The 2019's and newer are out of my price range and my insurance would also go up quite a bit. But point taken on repairs. I know I've put around 5K into my 2004 over the past 2 years.
 
@louisjames maybe it’s time to look out of the subie wheelhouse. I have seen 2022 VW Taos’s for under 20k and can be had with AWD. they even have 2 yrs worth of warranty left.
 
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Thank you nola! I have looked at other makes / models but the wife loves the Forester and it holds a lot of stuff. We've moved two times and the amount of things you can pack into the Forester is a big selling point. The other 'concern' is the amount of tech / tracking stuff newer cars have. Did you see the item about the woman who was denied insurance and when she investigated via Lexus / Nexus, she found her Camaro had reported pretty much all her driving habits. It was a real eye opener. Anyone can request a copy of their report. Then again what isn't be tracked and the data sold these days?

www.yahoo.com

Is your car spying on you? This is what one woman said happened to her

She learned her OnStar system is tracking things like acceleration events, high speed events and hard break events and GM has been sharing that data with data brokers.
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com

www.nytimes.com

Automakers Are Sharing Consumers’ Driving Behavior With Insurance Companies (Published 2024)

LexisNexis, which generates consumer risk profiles for the insurers, knew about every trip G.M. drivers had taken in their cars, including when they sped, braked too hard or accelerated rapidly.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
 
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louisjames said:
Looking at two Subaru Foresters. One is a 2013 2.5X Premium from Carvana with 82K for $14,900 and the other is a local dealer who has a 2016 2.5i Premium with 88K for $15,600. The 2013 has the 4-speed automatic while the 2016 has the CVT. Which I know a lot of folks don't care for but which seem OK as Subaru manufacturers these themselves and there is 2 years left on the 10 year / 100K tranny warranty. I actually prefer the older one as it's a bit more station wagon like which is similar to the 2004 we currently have. But that's not a big concern. Both trim models are similar and well equipped, and both cars are in very good condition. At least from the pictures and descriptions. The 2016 is a one-owner while the 2013 is a 2-owner car. Both are 'personal' vehicles and Carfax shows no accidents for either. Thoughts?
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I just bought a forester premium with moonroof and loaded new for 33 k out the door . The used ones with the same options were going for 29k +tax ! Usually with 29- 35k miles on them typically 2021-22 yrs . Right now is a good time to go new if you can the 24s are loaded up with goodies and priced to sell because of the redesign for 25 ! I was always a gm man but due them selling driver info to insurance company’s thru onstar they can go &$@ themselves ! I’m a conservative driver but that really ticks me off ! Also unions wanting to work for 4 days and get paid for 5 ! To bad instead of trying to build a better affordable product they try to get rich by screwing their own customer base ! I have and will probley still own vintage gm , back when they really focused on building quality cars and trucks !
 
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ernieb1536 said:
I just bought a forester premium with moonroof and loaded new for 33 k out the door . The used ones with the same options were going for 29k +tax ! Usually with 29- 35k miles on them typically 2021-22 yrs . Right now is a good time to go new if you can the 24s are loaded up with goodies and priced to sell because of the redesign for 25 ! I was always a gm man but due them selling driver info to insurance company’s thru onstar they can go &$@ themselves ! I’m a conservative driver but that really ticks me off ! Also unions wanting to work for 4 days and get paid for 5 ! To bad instead of trying to build a better affordable product they try to get rich by screwing their own customer base ! I have and will probley still own vintage gm , back when they really focused on building quality cars and trucks !
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Subaru is offering 1.9 and 2.9 % apr on the foresters up to 72 months or good lease deals !
 
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