April 2, 20214 yr Hi all and thanks for being here, I can see this will be useful ! after 13 years and over 165000 miles it’s time to retire the old RAV4 and replace it with something else...I have put down a deposit on a 2016 Forester Xv Lineartronic Premium with very low mileage and am simultaneously excited and also wanting to be sure it’s the the right car for me. I do about 10000 miles a year, much of which is on narrow roads and rough farm tracks,so need something tough , my only concern is it may be too big ..on the other hand more space is always good as I carry a lot of gear for work .... Anything I should know beforehand ?(because if COVID I’m not able to test drive and the car is some distance away , but it has full Subaru history and less than 12000 on the clock and comes with a warranty from a Subaru dealer ...)
April 2, 20214 yr old is gold. you far better off in terms of durability & reliability with older models . dealer warranties never a sure thing as only as useful as their technical diligence and willingness to do the right thing and if you don't have recommendations or have experience with the dealer you won't know what support you likely get (and they be charging you plenty for it in the price). I would never recommend buying anything from dealers without test drive and at least 2 decent thorough inspections . Also if you have not viewed a few of them you really won't have a clue on a good one or bad one as you learn the more you look at . One of reasons we had more work during covid is owners been keeping vehicles rather than changing, you been best waiting for restrictions lift which to be honest is only weeks away .
April 2, 20214 yr Author Thanks Mr B its a tricky one, the old Rav has to go pretty soon, and I can’t get to the dealers for a few weeks unfortunately, and this one Forester is the best I have seen by far ...I will see if the dealers will let me test drive it when it’s delivered,and if I don’t like it I will send it back, apparently this is possible .. A friend bought from this dealer and liked them plus they have decent reviews so I’m hoping they are ok 👍!I have done a video inspection of the car and it looks clean as a whistle with no stone chips, and the engine sounds good running and on the road
April 2, 20214 yr I have had a Forester since they first came out and currently have two ancient but reliable ones. They both have the 2.0 litre engines. I did dabble with a 2.5 Turbo and loved its performance, but it developed head gasket problems. Also purchased a new 2.0 Diesel Forester, but disliked it. In my opinion, the Forester is one of the most reliable used cars on the market. One of mine -my favourite a XLN model - has 128,000 miles on the clock, tows heavy weights and carries lots of heavy equipment, I recently used it when moving house, amazing what you can load into it. It drives beautifully and still tackles the 'rough stuff' with ease. the low ratio box is great in the slippery stuff. Reliable, but the downside is warning lights. They indicate a problem that is usually not serious, but you need a good mechanic to do the diagnostics and do a repair, often easily sorted. Spares are expensive though.
April 7, 20214 yr Author On 4/2/2021 at 6:27 PM, Tony Hals said: I have had a Forester since they first came out and currently have two ancient but reliable ones. They both have the 2.0 litre engines. I did dabble with a 2.5 Turbo and loved its performance, but it developed head gasket problems. Also purchased a new 2.0 Diesel Forester, but disliked it. In my opinion, the Forester is one of the most reliable used cars on the market. One of mine -my favourite a XLN model - has 128,000 miles on the clock, tows heavy weights and carries lots of heavy equipment, I recently used it when moving house, amazing what you can load into it. It drives beautifully and still tackles the 'rough stuff' with ease. the low ratio box is great in the slippery stuff. Reliable, but the downside is warning lights. They indicate a problem that is usually not serious, but you need a good mechanic to do the diagnostics and do a repair, often easily sorted. Spares are expensive though. Yes my RAV was in the ancient but reliable group , I’m only sorry the new ones are too big and hybrids , hence looking for another type .Ability to tackle mud and farms is important for work, and I’m looking forward to it arriving next week .Have found local subaru garage as well who will do the work on it when needed ..
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