I really wanted to share this. It's an honest to Earth comment.
Actual review: http://www.caranddriver.com/compari...ng-performance-data-and-complete-specs-page-5
Comments section of the review:
My girlfriend was recently looking for a new crossover. She had a 1998 Forester which she had bought new. She drives around 20,000 miles a year and lives in Massachusetts. And AWD compact crossover is her only choice.
Her 1998 Forester had 235,000 miles on it and was still doing well...but it was time. We went to the Subaru dealer to buy a 2014 Forester and do the perfunctory test drive. Both of us drove the Forester and we were clearly underwhelmed...especially because of the CVT.
She thanked the salesman and didn't buy a Forester that day. Then she started doing additional research. What she learned was that she didn't want a CVT. She obviously keeps her cars a long time, and felt that she didn't want to be a guinea pig for CVT reliability. She spoke with three Subaru service departments, who gave her an average of $7800 to replace the CVT. She then crossed the Forester off of her list...and she went in with the idea of buying the Forester.
She is still driving her 1998 Forester but has now driven the Mazda CX-5, Honda CRV and Toyota RAV4. She loves the comfort of the CRV, but is not a fan of the road manners. She crossed the RAV4 off of her list. It didn't thrill her. She does love the Mazda CX-5 and at this point, will probably replace her Forester with the Mazda.
What she doesn't like a about the CX-5 is the road noise, which she thinks is a little too pronounced. She said she would be willing to chop a few MPGs off of the Mazda for better insulation and thicker laminated windows. But she loves the road manners, handling, and seat comfort.
The compact crossover market is all about compromises. She definitely would have bought the Subaru if hit had come with a 4, 5, or 6-speed slushbox. The car companies don't care about longevity and obviously want to simply make it through the warranty period. For somebody who is looking for longevity and reliability, the CVT won't cut it. Just look at Ford and Nissan's mess with CVT's. Nissan extended the CVT warranty to 120,000 miles on previous-generation CVT's, but are running a shell game, according to the many forums about Nissan not honoring claims. Not good.
Resale is an unimportant factor for my girlfriend because she will keep the car for 15 years. The CX-5 Touring is about $25,000. It really doesn't matter how much she gets for it in 15 years and 200,000-plus miles later. What matters is that she isn't hit with an $8,000 CVT replacement bill.
Subaru, you have made a huge mistake going to CVT.
Actual review: http://www.caranddriver.com/compari...ng-performance-data-and-complete-specs-page-5
Comments section of the review:
My girlfriend was recently looking for a new crossover. She had a 1998 Forester which she had bought new. She drives around 20,000 miles a year and lives in Massachusetts. And AWD compact crossover is her only choice.
Her 1998 Forester had 235,000 miles on it and was still doing well...but it was time. We went to the Subaru dealer to buy a 2014 Forester and do the perfunctory test drive. Both of us drove the Forester and we were clearly underwhelmed...especially because of the CVT.
She thanked the salesman and didn't buy a Forester that day. Then she started doing additional research. What she learned was that she didn't want a CVT. She obviously keeps her cars a long time, and felt that she didn't want to be a guinea pig for CVT reliability. She spoke with three Subaru service departments, who gave her an average of $7800 to replace the CVT. She then crossed the Forester off of her list...and she went in with the idea of buying the Forester.
She is still driving her 1998 Forester but has now driven the Mazda CX-5, Honda CRV and Toyota RAV4. She loves the comfort of the CRV, but is not a fan of the road manners. She crossed the RAV4 off of her list. It didn't thrill her. She does love the Mazda CX-5 and at this point, will probably replace her Forester with the Mazda.
What she doesn't like a about the CX-5 is the road noise, which she thinks is a little too pronounced. She said she would be willing to chop a few MPGs off of the Mazda for better insulation and thicker laminated windows. But she loves the road manners, handling, and seat comfort.
The compact crossover market is all about compromises. She definitely would have bought the Subaru if hit had come with a 4, 5, or 6-speed slushbox. The car companies don't care about longevity and obviously want to simply make it through the warranty period. For somebody who is looking for longevity and reliability, the CVT won't cut it. Just look at Ford and Nissan's mess with CVT's. Nissan extended the CVT warranty to 120,000 miles on previous-generation CVT's, but are running a shell game, according to the many forums about Nissan not honoring claims. Not good.
Resale is an unimportant factor for my girlfriend because she will keep the car for 15 years. The CX-5 Touring is about $25,000. It really doesn't matter how much she gets for it in 15 years and 200,000-plus miles later. What matters is that she isn't hit with an $8,000 CVT replacement bill.
Subaru, you have made a huge mistake going to CVT.
(naughty)
