Subaru Forester 2014 Problems

Either one would do the job, but I would choose the Forester over the RAV4, it’s a better all round all-wheel drive that should serve your son well.

I doubt your neighbour’s diagnosis. Take it to a suspension specialist, specialist Subaru mechanic, or a Subaru dealer.

It’s hard to say one over the other, both appeal. The Forester is well built, it has all the features you want, and would be reliable. The Volvo has the style, the features, and would also be reliable, in the sense that there is nothing of a serious nature that could bite you on the backside down the track. As they’re both three to five years old they shouldn’t be expensive to service, particularly the Forester, which has capped-price servicing. I would go with your head and choose the Forester, but you have to like what you drive, and I could equally understand if you chose the Volvo. You wont go far wrong with either of them.

More could come on to the market as owners upgrade to the new model, but I wouldn't expect any significant shift in the price of older models.

As a guide you could expect to get $1500 to $3000 for your Laser. The RAV4 is a sound choice. You could get into a 5-star safety rated 2014 RAV4 for $20,000-$23,000, a similar 2012 model for $17,000-$20,000. You could also consider a Kia Sportage, Honda CR-V, or Subaru Forester.

Subaru spokesman David Rowley replies: "If the customer can supply the details of their car and the particular service, we would like to investigate on their behalf. Under Subaru's capped price service program, the cost of each service is transparent and clearly spelled out on our website, and can be checked at the time of booking, vehicle drop-off or pick-up. Speedometers on all new vehicles sold in Australia, including on all Subarus, have to meet Australian Design Rules. However, the speedometer reading is not directly linked to the odometer reading and therefore won't generate any variances."

If you like the Forester, which gets The Tick from me, there is no reason not to go again. If you want something to compare so you're sure, test drive the Mazda CX-5.

Moving out of a Statesman you will probably want some luxury, so that's definitely not a Captiva. I'd suggest you test drive a CX-5 and a Subaru Forester, both of which get The Tick, and choose between them.