Subaru: The Good and Bad

Subaru: The Good, The Bad, and Why Owners Stay Loyal

Host Meredith Reynolds explains why Subaru is a best-seller on her lot, noting her perspective is based on vehicles at least five years old. She highlights Subaru’s strong customer loyalty and marketing built around an outdoorsy, dog-loving “granola” identity, especially for the Outback, Crosstrek, and Forester, while noting models like the Legacy and WRX/Impreza don’t fit that image as neatly. Key benefits include standard all-wheel drive, safety-focused design and long-running safety tech, good gas mileage, long life and reliability, lower used prices than comparable Honda/Toyota, roomy cargo space, and less reliance on touchscreens in older models. Downsides include road noise, basic interiors and limited luxury, sluggish acceleration in common models, potential CVT concerns, and possible head gasket issues, with warranties as an option.

00:00 Subaru Loyalty Intro
00:20 Show And Host Setup
00:50 Used Car Dealer Perspective
01:25 Why Subaru Fans Love It
01:56 Marketing And Brand Image
04:35 Models And Stereotypes
05:29 What Subaru Does Well
06:03 Safety Visibility Features
07:48 Value Tech And Space
09:44 Downsides Road Noise
10:48 Interior Comfort And Power
12:26 CVT And Head Gaskets
13:29 Final Verdict And Wrap

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Transcript

Meredith 0:02

if you know anyone who drives a Subaru, my money is on those people loving their car and being very loyal to the brand. Today, we're gonna talk all about Subarus, the good and the bad on women buying cars. You are listening to women buying cars, and I'm your host Meredith Reynolds. I'm a former teacher turned used car dealer and I'm here to teach and empower you to walk into a car dealership with confidence and walk out with the car that's right for you. Thanks for tuning in to Women Buying Cars. I'm Meredith Reynolds. My husband and I own Reynolds Automotive, which is a used car dealership in the Kansas City suburb of Merriam. I would love to help you find your next vehicle. Today, we're gonna talk about one of our best sellers, which is just the overall Subaru brand. Before we get started, I want to remind you that I sell used vehicles. Most of them are at least five years old. So that's where my knowledge comes from. If something has recently changed with Subaru, if the models the last couple of years are quite different, I'm not aware of that because those models haven't made it onto the car lot yet. So anything I'm saying is really relevant to cars that are at least five years old. As I said in the beginning, Subaru commands so much loyalty from their customers. We have people who drive a Subaru till they can't drive it anymore and then come in and want another Subaru, maybe even the exact same kind. When we ask people if they like their Subaru, overwhelmingly people tell us, "Oh, yes, I love my Subaru." But it's not all good. So what is it about the Subaru that really lures people in? Well, first of all, we're gonna talk about something that has nothing to do with drivability, and that is their marketing. They have outstanding marketing. They have chosen a lane and stayed in it, when you think of an average Subaru driver, is that person more likely to live in Denver or New York City? Is that person more likely to wear a three-piece suit or Birkenstocks? Is that person more likely to own a dog or not really be an animal person? Okay. If you've paid attention at all to Subarus and commercials, you know the answers to that question. I could not do that with a Honda or a Toyota or a Nissan. Okay? They have chosen a lane of outdoorsy, which makes sense because Subaru can do some light off-roading, but many people I know who drive them never take them off-road. They make an appeal to someone who is, what my generation would call kind of granola, right? Someone who's interested in a more natural lifestyle. Maybe what we would call a modern version of a hippie lifestyle. That's very conducive to driving a Subaru, okay? And if you are a dog lover like me, then you have certainly noticed the commercials they have with their golden retrievers driving the cars. I mean, that... I'm gonna pay attention to that commercial every single time. And so it also very much appeals to dog lovers. They give a certain amount of money to animal charities as a corporation. So animal lovers, outdoorsy people, people who are maybe a modern-day hippie-ish, or people who just want to have that self-image. I had a customer come in a couple years ago. She was debating on a few different types of cars, but she really liked one of our Subarus, and she said, "I like the idea of being a Subaru owner." And that sums it up right there. What does it mean to be a Mazda owner? I don't know. What does it mean to be a Subaru owner? That has a connotation, and so a lot of people really want that connotation and portray themselves that way to the world. So they have done an outstanding job of marketing. The image that I'm talking about, you know, really goes along with their most popular models, which is the Outback, Crosstrek, and Forester, but they have other models that just don't get as much attention. The Legacy is just a sedan, a four-door sedan. They stopped making it last year, but it's just an all-wheel drive four-door sedan. It doesn't necessarily fit that granola image. The WRX or the Impreza, those are, like, a performance vehicle, okay? They're often a six-speed manual. When we get them used, the previous owner has put on an aftermarket exhaust so that it's really loud, and it's more, much more of a sports vehicle and so that doesn't go at all along with that image that Subaru has created around the Crosstrek, Outback, and Forester. Okay, so beyond just image, what makes a Subaru great? Well, one thing is all-wheel drive is standard on all their vehicles. Like I said, even that four-door sedan, the Legacy. You're usually going to pay more for an all-wheel drive versus a front-wheel drive of the same vehicle, but with Subaru, they're all the same. So that price is already in there. That makes it great for some of that light off-roading, but also just for dealing with snow and rain. Something that is a big part of Subaru's image that is not just marketing is safety. I at one point thought, "How much safer can this car be than any other?" And it's close, okay? Because all modern cars are quite safe. But Subaru truly does go above and beyond with their safety. They design the vehicle with safety in mind. So even if a smaller windshield would look cuter, they're not going to do it. They're going to put in a big windshield because then you have a lot of visibility. The side windows are large. They make the panels that go between the windows skinnier. They're called pillars. They make them skinnier so that there's more visibility. So the whole way they design the car has safety in mind. And then for many years, they've been featuring the top safety features, blind spot monitor, lane departure warning, crash detection warning. A lot of these things have become standard with other companies, but Subaru has been doing it longer. Other people are just now catching up. So a lot of people will want to put their teenager in a Subaru, and I don't think that's a terrible idea. They get pretty good gas mileage. Subarus have a good reputation for being reliable and having a long life. It is nothing for a Subaru to get well over 200,000 miles, 250,000 miles. And they are known for being reliable. As far as price goes, if you are looking at a comparable Honda or a Toyota, the Subaru is going to cost you less in the used car market. It's going to be more expensive than a Kia or a Hyundai. One thing I like about Subarus is that they have been slow to get on the touchscreen bandwagon. I have read that I believe it was in 25, they went to a large touchscreen across the board and that's where your climate control is and that is a big complaint of mine. But looking at the ones on my lot that are at least five years old, you can just reach over and turn a dial to get AC and heat and also a dial for the volume on your radio. Other companies went to everything being touchscreen a lot sooner than Subaru did. And to me, that's a plus. Subarus are roomy, especially if we're looking at an, an Outback, it's not a large car. It's a mid-size wagon. So you might call it a crossover. Some people call it an SUV. It's mid-size. It's two... has two rows, but it has a lot of cargo space, and if you need more, the second row lays down flat. You're gonna have a ton of space. But even the Crosstrek and the Forester have a good amount of cargo space for the size of the vehicle. You're looking at a WRX, that performance sedan, it's not gonna have as much storage room, but that's not why people buy it. Those three main models also have a good amount of headroom and legroom. Okay, so sounds like a great car, right? Lasts a long time, is generally reliable. It's gonna be all-wheel drive. It gets pretty good gas mileage. It's not as expensive as Honda or Toyota, and certainly not as other European cars. So what's the downside of Subaru? Well, there are some things. First off, one of our biggest complaints is road noise. These are not quiet cabins that you're traveling through. They know this, and they have tried over the years to improve it, but road noise is definitely a problem. If you are sensitive to that, if you're driving on the highway and the sound of the wind or the sound of other cars zooming by, it really bothers you, you're not going to enjoy a Subaru, and that's one reason why it's always important to take a test drive on the highway or the interstate, so you're getting the full picture. Some of us, not to name any names, but some of us are a little oblivious to certain things like that. We're not super detail-oriented, and so we turn on the radio, and we don't really notice the road noise. People like us won't have a problem with the Subaru. Subarus have what you call a classic style. When you see an Outback Crosstrek or Forester, you know that's a Subaru. It's a classic style. Maybe you could call it a little lackluster. The interiors are not luxurious, and maybe that's fine. If you are, like I said, kind of granola, you probably don't care about luxury features. Or at least not as much as some other people. And they don't have them, okay? The seats are adequate. They're not cushy and really comfortable. The console, the interface, it's all pretty basic. So there is little surprise and delight. That was a phrase I used last week on the Honda that I had read. Someone said it was light on surprise and delight. Kind of the same here with Subaru. But again, that isn't necessarily what their customers are looking for. They get good gas mileage. Be four cylinders, which means you're going zero to 60 in about 10 seconds, okay? You're not going to speed past someone when you're trying to pass them on the interstate. You got to be careful pulling out in front of people. Unless you're driving that WRX, the performance sedan. I mean, that's just like almost a completely different conversation. The one we have on our lot right now is a six-speed manual. I don't know what it goes zero to 60 in, but significantly faster. But the three main models are a little on the sluggish side. Some of the models have a CVT. That is a continuously variable transmission. And there are people who come out and will absolutely not consider a car that has a CVT. They can have issues. Doesn't mean they will. But CVT transmissions can have some transmission issues. So some people who have done a lot of reading will not want to drive any car that has a CVT. One known issue with Subarus is that they can be hard on head gaskets. And that's expensive.

13:03

If I've scared you talking about CVT transmissions and head gaskets, just remember you can always buy a warranty. Depending on the car you're getting, you may qualify for a bumper-to-bumper warranty that would cover things like transmission and head gaskets. Also remember that overall, Subarus are reliable and last a long time. I'm just telling you some of the possible things that can come up with them. So what's my overall take on Subarus? I think they can be cute. Crosstrek and the Outback are pretty cute. I think they last a long time, and they seem to make customers happy. Probably not the car for me personally because I do like a little more luxury in my car. Sometimes I feel like driving a Subaru is a little bit like driving a tin can. Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you learned a few things about Subaru. I'd love to hear your take, so send me a text or an email if you can. You can find that in the show notes. And share with someone you know who is car shopping. Send them my way if they live in Kansas City. Thank you so much for listening, and happy driving.