2023 Subaru Crosstrek Pricing and Specs

It's true that suspension bushes, like brake pads, batteries and tyres are subject to normal wear and tear and, therefore, are generally not covered by a new-car warranty. And, to be honest, I don't think almost 50,000km is an outrageous interval for replacing front suspension bushes on a front-wheel-drive car. It's not brilliant, but not terrible.

But it would be worth going over the dealership's head and speaking directly to Subaru Australia's customer service department to see if it would be interested in helping out with the cost of repairs. You should point out that the car has always been serviced by Subaru and that the problem occurred within the warranty period. Meantime, driving style can affect the life of components like these and (just like tyres) if you corner fast and drive on rough roads, anything will wear out faster.

The short answer is no, the extra cost is not justified in a vehicle that does not require premium unleaded. While some premium fuel products do contain detergents to help keep an engine internally clean (which is the basis of the claim you heard) the major difference (and the reason PULP costs more) is to do with the octane rating of the fuel.

Put simply, engines in a higher state of tune require this higher octane rating to produce their potential and well as avoiding internal damage. Your Subaru, meanwhile, is tuned to be quite happy on standard 91 RON ULP, and filling it with the more expensive premium brew is a waste of money. You might gain a small improvement in performance and/or economy, but not enough to offset the higher per-litre price of PULP, and probably not enough to even notice.

Technically, as far as local car-industry definitions go, your car is a member of the light commercial class of cars, and in the medium SUV sub-category. Whether you think it's a luxury car is up to you and will largely depend on your expectations and previous experiences.

Luxury is a tricky thing to define and as cars gain more and more standard equipment and refinement with each passing year, what passed for luxury a few years ago might now be considered a run-of-the-mill vehicle. There was a time when velour trim and intermittent windscreen wipers were the preserve of luxury cars, but that won't cut it these days when the cheapest cars have those things and much more as standard.