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Same here, except with an Impreza rental. “What’s wrong with this thing??” Then it dawned on me.

It’s like the ultimate disconnect between driver and car. I’m old school in that I believe the right pedal should directly affect what the engine is doing. Instead the car was like “I’ll take that under advisement, but for the most part I’m gonna do whatever I want.”

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[quote=bearishgurl]Can any Pigg here comment authoritatively on Subaru’s CVT (reliability, being “overtaxed” on hilly mountain roads daily, etc).[/quote]

The CVT is an abomination. Really awful to drive even for a CVT (from personal experience). I can’t comment on their reliability, but I believe they’re sealed, which means big bucks for repairs.

A few other things I know about Subaru:

1) Excellent AWD system. Would much sooner buy a Subaru for snow than a system set up to be FWD most of the time.
2) Great resale value, for no apparent reason. Other Japanese brands in the same price bracket (when new) are consistently better reviewed and usually more reliable, but half a dozen years later will appraise at 20-30% less.
3) Cheap interiors, up until the redesign of the 2017 Impreza, which is a big improvement.

BTW, a modern turbo four with a twin-scroll will have a more useful torque curve than any 3.x liter naturally aspirated 6. It will be lighter, more fuel-efficient, and lose less power at high altitudes.

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