Subaru doesn’t source their CVTs through Jatco, they produce their own. And past the 1st generation units (extended warranty), so far so good. Not fun to drive, but competent.

Manufacturers cargo volume figures don’t necessarily reflect reality. If that were so, the new Rav4 and CRV would trump the Sante Fe in cargo volume, but anyone who’s familiar with those vehicles will tell you the Santa Fe is the easy winner. It’s all about how they calculate.

I think they had to make the Outback more CUV-like because that’s what people were buying. Now that they have the Ascent, hopefully the Outback can stop getting raised.

Gotta compare apples to apples. Outback is a boat -side by side, it’s the same footprint as the 3-row Toyota Highlander. The Alltrack is a slightly longer Golf -much smaller. The only reason the two are compared is due to the dearth of wagon-shaped things on the market. You don’t buy a Golf if you’re looking for the…

I’m not going to discount this system immediately, but usually speaking, the Toyota electrical / hybrid AWD sucks. Not enough power to the rear, and the engine usually has to get involved generating electrical power to the back because the battery is simply too small. Which makes the rear axle responsiveness delayed.

Why the F would they get rid of the Ascent? It’s there because once families outgrow an Outback, they gravitate towards a Pilot or a Highlander. Having it might actually stop the Outback from more size increases.

Materials are about as good as any competitor these days. Infotainment in the latest gen have finally caught up for reals. It’s the lack of power that is frustrating.

Really? I find the Edge center console looks like something from 10 years ago. The Outback’s actually looks more modern, classy, and easily beats an Escape’s interior.

Expecting the premium brands to at least supply Michelins / Blizzaks / Continentals. Anything else would be disappointing. I’ve never seen Nokians stocked at dealers (or most popular tire channels).

Car brands aren’t perfect, and they will use the wrong part from time to time like Subaru, or make an engine that dilutes oil like Honda. Doesn’t mean that overall they’re unreliable.

No man, no need to soak stuff, instead use more effort scrubbing or using the microwave to lift of stuck on food.

I don’t think anyone actually thinks they’ve got nicer interiors than luxury makes. However, $10K+ nicer? Depends on your priorities and how much disposable income I guess.

Actually, me and the wife are going to cross-shop a Q5 vs a Forester XT some time this year or the next.

They rely on randomness (to chose trajectory) and time (with enough time, every bit of floor will be passed over). They do have some sort of algorithm go around an obstacle after bumping it.

They rely on randomness (to chose trajectory) and time (with enough time, every bit of floor will be passed over).…