October was a busy month for us, made busier by starting the month with our VW Tiguan getting totaled in an accident. We weren’t the ones driving it at the time, and no one was hurt, but it did leave us with only one vehicle until we could get through the insurance process, as well as a ton of other things going on (like putting on a race and traveling to other states).

As we contemplated what to get to replace the Tiguan we were drawn to the Subaru lineup based on it’s high level of desirability in the outdoor crowd. The more we read about the options, the more we decided we should check them out. Our requirements are relatively simple, but we had a few key parameters in mind that a new vehicle needed to have.

• Small SUV style vehicle with at least 55 cu. ft. of space with the back seats folded down
• Apple CarPlay (yes, we’re addicted to this and I hate most car infotainment systems)
• Under 60K miles and a certain budget number that we had decided we were willing to handle

Other than that, we were mostly looking for anything that just “struck us” as a nice car to drive and any additional features were a great bonus.

Since Subaru has a full lineup of SUVs we headed over to a local dealer to check out the different options. A very kind sales person showed us the three main contenders; Crosstrek, Outback, and Forester.

Immediately upon sitting in the Crosstrek we knew it was probably too small. Although the cargo size was the same as the Tiguan I had previously, the overall feel of the car was shorter and less upright than we were looking for. Top this off with some very uncomfortable seats and we crossed the Crosstrek off our list.

Our second test drive was in the Outback, which has the distinction of being one of the most synonymous cars with outdoor adventure. It’s also one of the biggest in it’s class when it comes to cargo space. We were immediately impressed with the size of the rear cargo area and the included roof racks. However, when it came time to drive the car I was less impressed. It felt low to the ground and boat-like. It’s obvious that it’s heritage comes from the station wagon world, and even though I’ve owned quite a few station wagons, this just didn’t feel as fun as we wanted. It was a perfectly nice car, but it didn’t wow us with it’s capability.

Finally, we got to check out the Forester, and almost immediately we knew this was the car we wanted. As soon as we sat in the front seats we were struck by the extreme amount of visibility that the cabin provided as well as a comfortable seating position and cozy seats. The driving experience was much closer to our Tiguan, although nothing will really ever match the acceleration and sportiness of the Tiguan Limited in my mind (in this class of vehicle). The cargo space was more than adequate and the back seat was incredibly roomy. I also appreciated the more upright and raised driving position and felt right at home behind the wheel. Both my wife and I took turns behind the wheel and decided that our choice was made, Forester it is.

However, this particular dealer didn’t have any models with the mileage and price we were looking for, so we spent a few days looking over other listings until we came across a used 2020 Forester at a different dealership that was only $600 higher than our budget. It was a small price to pay for a vehicle that was also relatively low miles at 24K. We made an appointment to go test drive it last Thursday and by the end of the evening we were driving it home.

It’s mostly going to be my wife’s daily driver and she comments often on how much she loves driving it and wants to just keep taking it out to places. I’m hopeful for many years of great driving with this vehicle and grateful we managed to find something that made us happy and ended a long saga of car stress. Happy to be a part of the Subaru family!