What makes this your car?
2017 Subaru Outback 3.6r
It’s reliable and convenient and has every feature I need or want.
It’s got pretty good adaptive cruise control, good cargo capacity, including seats folding flat so that my large dogs can fit comfortably. It’s got AWD and additional traction and hill features. It can tow my boat. It’s got a pretty good sound system. Heated seats and steering wheel (a necessity for those of us with Raynaud’s ). Two buttons for memorizing seat settings. Backup camera. High clearance. All kinds of pros and the only con is mediocre gas mileage.
I expect it to last for a very long time. It’s just practical all around. And I don’t need to drive it terribly much, so the gas mileage isn’t a big deal for me.
How do you like the 3.6r overall? I have a 2018 with the 2.5 and I love it, but I sure do wish I had more power sometimes. I get great gas mileage though (if I drive right)
I love it. I’m glad I got the 3.6r. It’s got plenty of power for accelerating at a reasonable rate (though I wouldn’t call it speedy like my old Mini was) and I don’t have to worry about hauling cargo or my boat.
Interestingly, when I last took it on a road trip out to Glacier National Park, some guy saw me getting into it and was so excited because he used to have one that was a couple of years younger and he missed it that he felt compelled to talk cars (I’m a woman–this is not a thing that happens to us). He went on and on about how much he loved and misses the 3.6r engine and how they’re just not the same anymore.
But I do use it for things like hauling boats and the occasional UHaul trailer or similar. If you’re just using it as a commuter car, the better gas mileage would make more sense.
I did test drive a 2018 before buying the 2017 and the 2018 had a nicer sound system.
Yeah the 2018 got the face lift with a bunch of new features, most important to me was carplay.
The 2020 Outback with the same engine and a slightly revised transmission design is rated for the same 3500 pound tow rating as the 3.6, and in Europe it’s rated for 3500 pounds. So if I ever get adventurous I might try finding a super light weight trailer and tow my Miata around. The car itself is right at the 2700 pound limit so I need to find a SUPER light trailer and probably go really slow. I have hauled around a few trailers and it did alright.
But the 4 cylinder just can’t compete with the flat 6 being perfectly balanced. I’ve joked before that if you put in Outback in reverse it’s now a Porsche.
Interesting. I didn’t know that about the more recent builds. It’s good to hear that there are still some options.
I bought my car at the beginning of 2020, and I wasn’t looking for new car prices, so I didn’t look at anything more recent than the 2018.
2019 Subaru Crosstrek.
When I was buying a new car I wanted three things:
- Manual transmission
- Hatchback
- All-wherl drive
Turns out there were only three cars that checked those boxes in the US for manufacturing year 2019: a Ford Focus RS (too expensive), a Mini Cooper Countryman (too Mini Cooper), and a Subaru Crosstrek. So I got the Crosstrek.
Great car. Mine is a 2021. Do lots of adventure things and need vaguely off-road capable vehicle, grew up driving stick and have only ever driven standard, it was basically the only option. Sad they don’t offer out on manual anymore.
2007 Toyota 4runner
I have a lot of outdoorsy hobbies and am an avid DIYer, so I need something with room for gear/lumber/etc. a roof rack to strap on my kayak or other bulky gear, a trailer hitch to tow small trailers or put a bike rack or basket on to carry a cooler and such when there’s no more room in my trunk, and some space for friends and/or my dog. Some ground clearance is nice for when I find myself on shitty deeply rutted dirt roads, and 4wd for when I drive onto the beach to go fishing. I’m also an essential worker (911 dispatch) who has to be able to get to work in the snow, and I work a weird shift that sometimes has me commuting before plows have been through.
I don’t really go “off roading,” I’m not going out looking for mud and Rocks to go driving over for it’s own sake, but I do sometimes, in the course of whatever else I’m doing, have to drive off the road.
I also sometimes camp in my car, and it’s nice to be able to fit an air mattress in the back, it’s a bit tight but it works.
It’s also the used car I could afford when my previous one got totaled on me.
My previous cars have been roughly the same sort of midsized SUVs- 2000 Isuzu Trooper (I really loved that car) and 2006 Chevy Trailblazer (it did everything I needed to but I was less of a fan, nothing in that car was quite where I thought it should be) so I’ve kind of dialed in that that’s the right size vehicle for me.
Ideally I’d like to have a small EV for most of my daily commuting and errands, and then a (small) 4x4 pickup truck for when I need it. Something like the old ford rangers (the new ones are bigger than I need) with an extended cab (not a full crew cab, just some back jump seats) and a 6 or 7ft bed. The maverick shows some promise, I’m hoping they add a midgate when they refresh it in a couple years.
But I don’t have the parking space or budget for 2 cars, so the midsize suv is kind of the compromise I’m stuck with.
My family has always had good luck with Toyotas, and I like my 4runner well enough, if I had the budget to be picky and needed a car, there’s a good chance I’d be looking at 4runners, though unless my financial and parking situations get better my next car will probably be whatever 10+ year old midsized SUV comes my way when this one goes (still going strong though, slowly inching up on 200k miles and still no major issues)
Mercedes E350 2008.
I wanted an old school Mercedes, but the old 90s S Class would have been too expensive to run so after a bit of research, I came across the W210 and then I realised than a W211 was within reach.
So I bought it. Been a bit of drama with it. 2 fender benders, parts and maintenance. I DIY a good bit and I am happy with my decision. Gone cross country three times with it and daily drive it on my job which involved driving around 200 miles a day. It’s comfortable, fast, and quite reliable.
I am happy with my decision till a light comes on the dash. Still, cheaper than car payments.
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I do not have a driver’s license :)
I’m not sure. I’m about to buy a car for Uber, but I’m not sure what I want to get.
I used a rented 2020 Toyota Corolla for Uber a couple years back, and that was pretty good. I’m tempted to get some kind of hybrid, so I might go for a hybrid Corolla or Camry (the Camry would qualify me for Uber Comfort rides, but that’s not that much more money).
I’m open to suggestions.
2013 Toyota 86. My parents bought it for me when I lived in Perth. Love it to death: the looks, the way it drives everything. Since moving to Melbourne It’s been sitting in a parking spot for 6 months. I feel terrible for it. If anyone knows any nice places to take it for a day trip or a couple day city getaway I’d love to know.
So much makes it mine but if I had to pick one thing it’s the work I’ve done on it. I’ve done services, given it new wheels (after crashing and wrecking the old ones lol) and replaced parts. One particular thing I really enjoyed doing was getting a replacement throw-out bearing for it. A big moment for me was arguing with my dad about what was causing problems; listening to my gut over his advice and doing a massive job of taking out the gearbox and clutch. Im still riding the high I felt when I saw that rusted fucked up throw-out bearing. So happy that I managed to do such a big replacement part job without any issues.
2022 Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo
- It’s electric and electricity is cheap in the Seattle area, especially from 11pm to 7am for me when it’s $0.044 per kwh
- It charges very quickly on roadtrips, up to 270 kw or 5%-80% in about 20 minutes (did Seattle to Vegas and back in it!)
- it’s a wagon so it’s very practical. both our big dogs fit in there and we’ve taken them on some shorter roadtrips. I even got a roofbox for it, and it didn’t impact the range as badly as I’d feared
- the driving experience is wonderful. it’s not even close to the fastest Taycan but the 4S even at second lowest trim is without question fast enough, but the real enjoyment comes from the handling on top of that, it’s just so so so good
- keeps up with GT3 RS at the track, though that might be more about GT3 RS owners babying their cars than anything else
- its comfy and quiet and communicative
While I’m not exactly thrilled about the massive depreciation, I don’t see any other car now or in the foreseeable future that can also do all the things it does well without being a fucking SUV or crossover or truck.
Also if Taycans get cheap enough for more people to get into them, I hope more people do, cuz even the absolute lowest spec, zero options, smallest battery sedan is a solidly excellent car
A Ford F-150. Where I live it just makes sense for every family to have one truck, so I have the truck while my wife has the more sensible / fuel efficient Honda.
I’ve got a road bike for short distances and take the train for longer distances. For all other trips, I rent a car. On a normal year, this works out to zero times.
I live in a walkable city and I am an insufferable snob about it. It’s really nice being able to just go outside and get groceries. No traffic. No parking. No fuel. No insurance. No maintenance.
Same, still have a car though. Never driven it since I moved into the city. I feel so guilty about it 😭
God I wish more cities were walkable
I live <.5 miles from Sprouts and Costco, yet it’s so sketchy to cross the intersection as a pedestrian that I have resorted to driving for groceries 🥲
1999 Ford F350 crew cab, long box diesel. I sometimes need to tow a heavy trailer and turns out most rental trucks don’t allow towing, getting them scratched or any of the other reasons to own a truck. I have had it for about 15 years and put maybe 40k miles on it, so it isn’t worth having any other car. Besides that 7.3 is the best engine Ford ever made.
Used to have the 2000 version. Amazing trucks, really.
223 Tesla Model Y, I’ll admit it
While I don’t like whatever rabbit hole Musk went down , this is the nicest car I’ve owned. It’s quiet, quick, nice sporty handling, love the glass roof, and it’s a gadget lovers dream. While it is the most expensive car i’ve owned, I got both federal and state incentives so not by much. Most of all I can charge at both home and work so never need visit a gas station again.
Yes the panel gaps are normal and straight. No I don’t notice any different performance, reliability, or range in the cold. Yes, superchargers are plentiful around here so my 1,200 mile roadtrip was no problem
2022 Polestar 2 with all the options. I think the Polestar is super cool, and I didn’t want to replace my Tesla with another Tesla. I got it used last August for $36k, because used rentals were flooding the market. This car goes for $70k new, but it is not worth anywhere near that
