Subaru Problems

Because you want to travel to the snow, and visit farms, I would suggest an all-wheel drive compact wagon, and with your need for low running and service costs I would suggest that it be an Asian brand. Models to consider would be a Subaru Forester, Nissan X-Trail or Kia Sportage.

Depending on what you want in a car, then the Subaru XV can certainly be a good car. If you're after a jaw-droppingly glamorous supercar that can do 0-100km/h in 2.0 secs and top out at 400km/h then you're in for bitter disappointment. If you're after a well-equipped, quirky premium small crossover SUV then the XV is going to be your jam. Highly practical, fairly cheap to run, easy to drive and not offensively priced the Subaru XV is a great suburban runabout or highway mile-eater.

The best way to make a Toyota Corolla faster is to trade it in on a Subaru WRX or Volkswagen Polo GTI. While Japanese cars are known to be loved by boy racers for their easy ability to hot up, the last few series of Toyota Corolla have next to no options for hot-up parts as these cars focus on excellent reliability rather than tar-burning performance. If you have a need for speed, consider looking to the Subaru WRX for a practical four-door Japanese go-fast car, or a Volkswagen Polo GTi for a fast car at a similar price point to a Corolla.

Use a good quality 5W-30 oil.

Subaru's constant all wheel drive is not considered true 4x4 or 4WD as it does not have a selectable low-range option in the transmission. Power is divided evenly between all four wheels through a constantly-driven centre differential, which is why all wheel drive is considered different to 4x4.

Unless you’re spending the winter months in alpine areas use 5W-30.

I can understand why the key would normally not be covered by the warranty because it would be subject to wear and tear over its life, but in this case when the car is basically brand new I think you do have a case for the key to be replaced free of charge. In my view, based on what you have told us, Subaru should replace it as a gesture of goodwill. I am surprised and very disappointed that the Dept. of Fair Trading has dropped it simply because Subaru has not responded to their requests. That undermines the credibility of the department. I would seek legal advice on the merit of your claim before taking Subaru to court.

While there are ways to make your Mazda 3 quite fast it is not cheap or easy, and will require extensive involvement from experts. You would be far better served to look for a second-hand factory turbocharged high-performance Mazda MPS model, or buying a Subaru WRX, or Volkswagen Golf GTI, to get your high-performance kicks.

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