Subaru Problems

The 1995 Impreza is rated to tow up to 750kg providing the trailer has brakes, the rating drops to 400kg when the trailer doesn’t have brakes. On that basis you could tow 500kg if the trailer is fitted with brakes, but not if it isn’t.

If the shorter warranty of the Subaru is a major concern for you then certainly look at others, like the Sportage or Eclipse, but I would buy the Outback with confidence it will give you a good run beyond the warranty.

Your asking price seems a little high, even though the car appears from what you have told us to be a good one. But be patient, and leave it advertised as you have done for another week or two before considering lowering the price a little if you still haven’t had any responses. If you're looking for a quick sale check out our price and spec guide here.

The best times to buy are usually the end of the financial year, or at model run-out times, that's when the specials are on. The CVT and dual-clutch autos are both still unknowns in terms of long-term reliability, but either should be ok over the five years you plan to keep the car. Any of the cars you list, and the list is a long one, would be ok. It really comes down to what you like.

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.

It’s rated to tow up to 1500 kg if the caravan has brakes, so providing it weighs less than 1500 kg when fully loaded it should tow it without difficulty. But I would recommend that you have the automatic transmission serviced before you leave on your trip.

You’ve pretty much covered the field there, so it should come down to what you want from your car. Do you want comfort, safety, fuel efficiency, offroad capability, cabin space? If you are mostly driving on the highway, then a diesel SUV is probably the best bet. I would rule out a dual-cab ute because of comfort, unless you need the flexibility a ute gives you. I would rule out a hybrid, they’re not at their most efficient on the highway; they’re better suited to town use. Based on your annual mileage I wouldn’t keep the car any more than 3-4 years, that way you’ll have a decent resale value when you get out of it.

Having ruled out an SUV your choices are fairly limited. If you were prepared to buy used you could buy a late model Falcon, but if you want to buy new you’re really limited to an SUV. Most SUVs have good performance, they’re certainly not sluggish, and they aren’t all bulky. Something like a Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, or a Subaru Forester should be able to comfortably handle your towing needs.

The main thing is servicing. Some owners tend to neglect the maintenance if their car doesn’t get used very much; they think it doesn’t need regular servicing like it would if it was used more often. That’s not the case; it still needs regular periodic maintenance. Certainly check the service record. Nothing should go wrong if it starts being used more often, and 100 km per week is not very much. You could, if you felt the need, replace the drive belts, radiator hoses; flush the cooling system, and brakes. But as it is it should be a good, reliable car.