[SE95]

I would be interested to know what made your Subaru a money pit. Also, what cars you have owned since that are "better".

 

[SE95]

All I am seeing is that you own a 10 year old car with almost 200,000 miles on it and are upset that you have to pay the occasional slightly inflated repair bill. Any car that is that old, with that many miles, is likely to have a major repair or two. Just the nature of the game... parts wear out.

Also I'm not sure where you are debating the level of quality. Maybe because I am coming from the GM world having owned 2 Pontiacs (both of which I loved despite the fact my Subaru is mostly superior) I can appreciate the level of quality Subaru puts into their products.

 

[SE95]

Did you even read my post? I had to replace the head gasket at 80K miles.

I read your post all the way through, my friend.

And? Tis the nature of the beast. Like I said, the occasional major repair in 100,000 miles of use doesn't seem crazy to me.

GMs have intake gasket problems... it is an expensive repair and if you own a GM from about 1990-2008 or so you are pretty much guaranteed to have to replace the intake gasket at least once in the car's lifetime. Doesn't make them bad vehicles. You have to pay to play the game.

 

[SE95]

I used to actually look for the 3.8l gm cars with issues reguarding the plastic plenum and plenum gaskets, can do the replacement plenum in 40 minutes (including beer breaks...)

It's amazing that a little research could have saved you such hatred for the poor Subaru. I am not sure where the others got the 100k of use post? Did i miss something? I am curious how long you had the vehicle and what expenses other than the HG you experienced. But 80k is in the first 100k, and i understand having to do the head gasket so soon would be an annoyance, but had you research and followed "buyer beware" you could have saved from the headache, or been prepared for it. Plenty of Subaru's have come and gone in my family, and we in particular have had great experiences. My sisters may have even saved her life.

Comes down to anything can happen to any make and model. My dad drives a 07 Tacoma, 40k miles, and it had a head gasket go, luckily under warranty, but that didn't shy him away from driving a toyota.
Also have a 02 Pathfinder in the Family, 65k miles trans started slipping, out of warranty had to fork out $2k. Still a great vehicle and would buy another. As I said in a previous post, Every make and model someone know someone that had a bad experience with any vehicle you mention. Go to any other vehicle forum and you will find the same posts blaming the manufacture, blaming the service center, blaming god, blaming the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.... Fact and point "S*** Happens." Educate yourself on the smell first so your not surprised.

In one of the other threads he posted that the car has 180,000 miles on it now.

I wouldn't have a problem with you hating the car if I felt it was justified... if you had dropped thousands of $ into it regularly for constant repairs, then I would agree that is terrible and your hatred for the car would be justified. But I really don't see how having a few repairs on the car (only one of which I would consider a "major repair") that you listed would be justification to hate a car.

 

[SE95]

Well then post some proof that you had more repairs on your (let me remind you) 10 year old, nearly 200,000 mile car. You need to backup a case if you are going to say it is less reliable.

A lot of things affect a car's ability to hold up. How many miles did you put on your Hondas and Toyotas? How old were they when you got them? More city miles, more highway miles?

 

[SE95]

I know, my Outback gets its oil changed like... ever 3,000 miles. It is such a money pit. And it needs gas every time I drive 300 miles? What a piece of junk.