Recently my Subaru Forester bit the dust (head gasket failure at 270k miles) and I embarked on a quest of car shopping. I wanted a small SUV-type vehicle that I could lay the back seats down and sleep in if need be and would be large enough to move small furniture. I did a ton of research and watched a lot of Scotty Kilmer on YouTube. I want to condense down some things I learned so that I can remember it in the future (and maybe it will be of use to you, dear reader?).
Disclaimer: I’m not a mechanic or engineer, just a random consumer, so don’t take these opinions too seriously
SUBARU
My mechanic told me not to get another Subaru because they aren’t reliable… he suggested sticking with Toyota or Honda (or their luxury makes, Lexus and Acura). Scotty Kilmer said the same thing about Subaru. U.S. News tends to rank Subarus pretty low in reliability, but Repairpal ranks them a bit higher. U.S. News’s rankings are based on repairs and problems for the first three years, while Repairpal is over the lifetime of the car. The feeling I get after reading and watching a lot of information is that Subarus can last a long time but they may need pricy repairs as they age. On the plus side, they’re extremely safe, pleasant to drive, decent on gas mileage, and great for dogs or camping.
Crosstreks and Outbacks drive pretty smoothly, but after owning a Forester for five years I can tell you that Foresters can be really bumpy on the highway. I tested a 2017 Forester and was dismayed to find that they haven’t fixed the rattling issue that my 2007 had at highway speed (it’s a loud shaking/rattling on the right side—not sure if it’s wind noise or loose window flaps). The all-wheel-drive is fun in town or on country roads but can be rough on uneven highway pavement. The Forester has unparalleled sure-footedness and visibility, though, and I really enjoyed the 2017’s sound system.
I saw Scotty say something about Subarus needing parts that only dealers can supply… perhaps the reason some mechanics give Subarus (and other brands with exclusive serviceability) such a bad rap is that for certain makes or repairs they can’t get those customers’ business.
CHEVROLET
I also looked at the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox and loved the size and gas mileage (32 mpg, similar to the Subarus). U.S. News rated the Equinox a 5/5 for reliability, but Repairpal rated it a 3.5/5. Looking at NHSTA, though, I noticed a couple reports of people losing steering due to the turbo hose popping off, often multiple times for the same car, which made me hesitate, and someone else bought the car before I could do a test drive. I’m still not sure if GMs can be reliable… let me know what you think, especially if you own an Equinox!
The Chevrolet Volt is also intriguing… it’s a gas/electric hybrid that you plug in and it can run for about 30 miles on all-electric power. If you don’t drive a lot, you could go a long time without having to fill up on gas, but unlike pure electric vehicles, you won’t be hamstringed by electric range. It seems like such a cool balance of gas-saving town car with roadtrip-ready regular car. And it has the catalytic converter in the engine so it’s harder to steal than on Toyota hybrids. The hatchback style also adds a bit more room and practicality, similar to a Prius. When these things came out they were $30k and Chevy didn’t see many sales, but there are gently used newer models available now for around $20k and older ones for as low as $8k.
One thing to be aware of is that the batteries can cost as much as a new Volt, though most people online seem to say that their original batteries can last a really long time, even up to 400k miles. I think you would probably have to get your Volt serviced at the dealer though, as the dual fuel system sounds pretty complex. Another complication is that firefighters may not know how to handle them safely in the event of a crash or fire, as the chemistry of EV and hybrid fires is different from that of a gasoline fire and the high-voltage wires going through the car pose an electrocution risk.
HONDA
I’ve heard great things about the CR-V but also a lot of problems… I’ve heard the new ones (particularly the ones with the 1.5l engine) have oil dilution problems. This means fuel gets into the oil system and dilutes it, making the engine less lubricated. I’ve heard it’s not as bad if you live in a warm climate, because the fuel will evaporate out, but it can be a problem in cold areas. I was looking at a 2015 but apparently that year has vibration issues. Looking at CarComplaints (a really useful site for finding out which years of a particular make and model are the most and least problematic) it seemed like most years had a fair amount of problems. 2006 was apparently the best year with legendary reliability, but it seems downhill from there.
I also noticed a lot of complaints about Honda seats in general being uncomfortable. I never ended up test-driving one, but that kind of put me off a little.
HYUNDAI/KIA
I did end up testing a Santa Fe kind of randomly… I liked it, but it had a oil smell in the cabin at certain points. I’ve heard terrible things about Hyundai and Kia from mechanics (and from my grandfather many years ago…) so I was mostly trying to stay away from them but the Kia Niro hybrid/EV and Hyundai Kona electric are interesting. We’ll see how they do in a couple years. From Carcomplaints it does seem that Kia and Hyundai tend to have engine failures.
MAZDA
I tested a 2013 CX-5 and it was not for me… I don’t know if there was something wrong with that particular car’s suspension, but it was so bumpy to the point of being bouncy, even on smooth streets? It also felt really cheap and the bottom of the seats dug into the back of my knees. It looks like they changed the seats for the 2017+ models, so the new ones might be short-person-friendly. From what I’ve heard, Mazdas are pretty reliable, though.
ACURA
I tried the Acura RDX and it was very nice and apparently very reliable. The seats are overfilled and plush with leather trim and it feels very insulated from the road. It was almost silent on the highway, which was very comfortable but also made me feel like I might not pay attention as well as I should. I got the feeling that this was an older person’s car. It’s kind of dark on the inside where I’m used to the brightness of the Forester. It sounds like a reliable car, with the caveat of some electronics issues and reports of stalling. It gets 20/28 mpg which isn’t great, but not terrible. These tend to be on the high end price-wise as they’re luxury cars.
VOLVO
Volvos are great… I had a 1992 Volvo 240 when I was in high school and it lasted a long time (I think we eventually sold it). They can be a great deal for a safe car with leather seats. Volvo was sold to Ford in 1999 and to Geely in 2010. I’m not sure if the new ones are as good as the old ones… I saw some 2000s Volvo V70s on Craigslist for $3k that looked pretty nice, one Volvo V50 for $9k, and a newer XC60 that was quite pretty in espresso brown. They may need some tlc (be sure to check NHTSA for common problems), but they seem like nice cars.
I did find this awesome resource for checking car reliability and maintenance costs while researching the XC60:
https://www.withclutch.com/maintenance-cost/volvo-xc60
VW
I would stay away from VW. Scotty Kilmer says they’re a scummy company that takes a lot of shortcuts and they had a big recall where they made their cars more gas efficient by making them more polluting. Golfs seem to be the most reliable of the bunch, and the e-Golf is intriguing. The 2018 used one is less than $20k and has a range of 125 miles. It can’t charge in 30 minutes like a Tesla, though, instead taking 6 hours on a fast charger. The 2018 Nissan Leaf has slightly more range at 150, but the e-golf is cool because it doesn’t have that funky electric-car look. It’s hard to commit to never taking a road trip, though…
MINI
Minis can be good, but they definitely need regular (and pricy) maintenance. Safety is also not the greatest.
BMW
I was checking out the X1 for a while, but I saw some problems on NHTSA that it seemed BMW was charging crazy amounts to fix.
AUDI
The A3 wagon looks nice. I didn’t get a chance to see it in person, but it might be worth checking out if you’re in the market for a wagon. Scotty Kilmer says Audis are very expensive to maintain, though, and so does the WithClutch resource.
TOYOTA
Ever since I was fifteen I’ve wanted a Prius or Corolla. If I was choosing purely on aesthetics, I would go with one of those two. Prius and Corolla are a little small for my needs now, though. I like having the extra room of a small SUV. And now there’s so many huge cars on the road it feels a little scary to be driving a small one… prisoner’s dilemma. Lol
I sat in a new Corolla on the Toyota lot and it felt a bit cramped. I test drove a 2015 Prius and I liked it but that particular one had a bad smell. Doing a little more research on Priuses I’ve found that they have a pretty big Achilles’ heel in that Prius catalytic converter theft is extremely common, especially in the Bay Area. It costs about $2000 to replace a catalytic converter. You can protect it with a Cat Shield, but I’ve heard on forums that determined thieves can still get through them and they’re more of a deterrent. The newer ones (2016+) are less of a target because they have less rare metals, though.
I was really interested in the Prius V for a while because it has more room than a regular Prius and it looks like you can take the back seats out to carry large items, but I ended up deciding against it because of the cat converter issue. People have told me “just don’t park in sketchy places” but sometimes you have to and it’s particularly those times when you don’t want to get stranded. I’ve also seen posts on Nextdoor recently of people getting their cats stolen at the local grocery stores and shopping centers, so it’s not confined to just “sketchy” areas.
Toyotas in general are extremely reliable and they tend to hold their value which makes them kind of expensive as used cars. For a while I was looking at used RAV4s and I found some 2013s for $16k but that seemed like a lot for an 8-year-old vehicle.
I eventually ended up buying a Scion XB. It ticked all the boxes for me: safe, reliable, was in a color I liked, had okay gas mileage (20/28, so not the best, but not awful), enough room, comfortable seats, good price (under $10k!). It’s also surprisingly fun to drive! It has a sensitive accelerator much like the Forester. I like its balance between the exposed feeling of the Forester and the closed-off feeling of the RDX. It feels sheltered enough but I can still hear things going on around me and feel the road. The two mechanics I’ve talked to both said XBs are great cars, so they have a good rep and it seems like it’ll be really easy to get serviced (Scions are technically Toyotas and have Camry engines and transmissions).
I used to make fun of how Scion XBs look, but they’re really growing on me. 😊 My partner calls it a toaster, but she hasn’t driven it yet… 😉
Tips for Car Shopping:
- Always check NHTSA for safety ratings and problems for that specific year. If the safety ratings aren’t on NHTSA, check IIHS or Google the make and model + “safety ratings”. Also look up the VIN number of each individual car (search Vin lookup on Google) to see how many times a car’s been sold, if it’s been auctioned, and if it’s been in any accidents.
- Look at CarComplaints to compare reliability and problems between years and get an idea of which years of a given make and model to look for. This site is really helpful for learning about reliability, too: https://www.withclutch.com/maintenance-cost/volvo-xc60
- Check Craigslist to find cars in your area and get an idea of what a fair price is for a certain car. When searching Craigslist, put the make and/or model in the box on the side instead of the main search box to avoid getting garbage results (because people spam keywords). Something else that’s worth trying on Craigslist is put in the highest price you’re comfortable paying, then sort by highest to lowest. This will show you some of the best cars in your price range.
- Call a mechanic near the car you want to test drive and get an appointment for a pre-purchase inspection before you drive out, as it’s hard to get one the day of.
- Watch test drive videos on YouTube to get an idea of what the car you’re looking at feels like.
- You will have time to drive about 1-3 cars per appointment at a dealership (usually 2).
- Take it on the highway for a bit before buying it, see if it makes any weird noises at highway speeds.
- See if it shakes when stopped while driving in town.
- Peek under the hood and see if there’s any oil leaks (black sludge). Check the wheel wells for rust.
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