Subaru Problems

Try a sound system specialist; they are doing that sort of thing all the time. Another possibility is Mordialloc Auto Parts, they specialize in Subarus.

You are choosing from a good line-up as all three of your contenders get The Tick from me. My personal ranking puts the Passat ahead of the Outback but there is no reason not to go ahead with the Subaru.

With 2000 kg towing capacity the Discovery Sport has the towing capacity you want, it's more than the CX-5, and it's not limited to 80 km/h like the Subaru is. That's a big plus. The only criticisms we've heard about are some niggling interior fit and finish issues, and one or two electrical gremlins. The Land Rover also has more ground clearance than the CX-5 and a traction control system better set up for actual off-road work. 

It's not unusual for diesel fuel-injectors to become noisy when they wear, I'm sure Subaru would have come across that before, and it's the same with all brands. The gearbox jumping out of fifth is also a fairly common complaint, one I'm sure Subaru has encountered before.

The steering failures are of concern, and should be of concern to Subaru, given that the steering is a safety item. That the parts are not stored here is nothing new, many carmakers rely on stores held in Asia for their parts, and bring them in as needed. That said, they should be available overnight given that we have jet planes these days and they no longer have to go by steam ship. You should not have to wait six-eight weeks for them to arrive. What that suggests is that Subaru does not care about owners of older models like yours.

Unfortunately you don't have any rights as such with the company, it's really down to your negotiating skills to convince them that they should come to the party and help with the cost of repairs. But with your car having done more than 200,000km I don't believe you would get anywhere on that front.

I would suggest you try an independent Subaru mechanic to repair it, and use second-hand parts, but more than that I would think about selling it.

The fact is we don't have the same clout as Americans do, that's because our consumer laws are weak. Your best course of action in the short term is to talk to your dealer about the problem, and have them do an oil consumption test to establish the actual oil usage. If the test proves your assertion that it's using too much oil you will then have good grounds on which to ask Subaru to do something about it.

I would question the Renault if you're doing lots of kays in then country. I'm sure it would be reliable, but having it serviced when you need to could be an issue if you're away from a main city. The Kia is a good choice, so too are the Mazdas. You could add the Honda Accord, Subaru Liberty and Suzuki Kizashi to your list.

Your need for low maintenance rules out the Europeans, Jeeps are popular but aren't as reliable as I think they should be, leaving you with the Japanese and Korean brands. The cars I would suggest you look at are the Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Subaru Forester and Honda CR-V.