Subaru Problems

The CVT is a relatively new thing having been developed in the 1970s, so there are still teething problems that can crop up with them. But they are now quite reliable and getting more so all the time. I wouldn't be overly concerned about the reports you read.

The Camry wins on reliability and fuel consumption, but carries the highest price; the Subaru is the least expensive but has the highest fuel consumption ad the lowest resale, while the Kia sits in the middle. The Kia is good value-for-money. If fuel consumption is your priority go for the Camry, if not go for the Kia.

Subaru doesn’t offer a towbar for the WRX, and there isn’t any on offer in the aftermarket. There is talk of a towbar being made available at some point in the future, but at the moment there’s no provision for towing with the WRX.

It would depend on which variant it is, but it’s very low kilometres for its age, which would go in its favour. I would suggest a price of $8,000 - $10,000.

There sounds like an issue with the cruise control rather than the engine. It could be a computer or sensor malfunction. Have a mechanic check it.

Use a good quality 5W-30 A3/B4 engine oil. You can buy coolant ready mixed or in concentrated form when you need to mix it. Whichever, choose a good quality coolant from a respected brand like Castrol, Shell etc.

As the car is running normally, with no other signs of a problem it’s most likely to be condensation in the exhaust system. If so it’s nothing to worry about. Changing the fuel won’t make any difference.

You actually bought both in one go, John. In much the same way as the American car industry used to do, Subaru actually releases their cars by model year or MY code generally in the August or September of the previous year. So you have a 2017-spec Forester which was built in 2016.

The auto in your car is a continuously variable one, and the sound you describe sounds like the noise you get from a CVT. If it has become louder in recent times it might be a good idea to have the transmission replaced.

It’s not possible to say how many km is too many, as there are a number of things that can affect engine life. It can be the way it has been driven, if it has been thrashed, if it has towed, etc., but the most important thing is servicing. Any vehicle you consider buying should come with a record of regular servicing by an experienced mechanic who would use a good quality oil. Try to find a car with around 150,000 km, which should give you 150,000-200,000 km of reliable motoring.