While this may cause the end of the universe as we know it, I do have to agree with Mike.
Once my Saab hit the 12 year mark (and Saab had gone TU), I started doing research on what would replace it.
My needs were: good FWD or preferably 4/AWD. Manual Transmission. Enough space to haul a couple dead deer/hunting&camping gear/football/baseball crap and the like. Good warranty, good history of quality.
And I talked to people about what they drove. When I talked to ones that owned Subaru's they were almost* unanimous in their praise for not only their cars but also the company and the dealership near here
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Like Saab, they came up with solid designs and only slightly modified them to improve the quality based upon customer/field experience and input. Not radical re-designs year after year after year like the other car companies. Plus it was made here, in America
@.
And with USAA I got over $5,000 off the list price.
Yes, That is correct. I got a new $23,000 car for $18,000 and change after plates and taxes. I checked Kelly Blue book a week or so ago and my car is STILL valued for much more than what I paid.
And I know how to drive in bad weather having lived here in Chicago for 30 years
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*- One guy who had a Tribeca complained about it's poor weight to power ratio with the four cylinder engine. The car is simply to heavy and gets poor gas mileage compared to their Legacy. Which he uses as his everyday driver (he sells to grocery stores all over the Chicagoland area and puts on 50-60k miles per year.)
# Gerald Subaru, 3.6 miles from my house straight down Naperville Rd. They also provide a free lifetime powertrain warranty above and beyond Subaru's. They got great reviews from the Subaru owners I talked to about their customer service. Not one "They screwed up and fixed it" story, all "They do great work at a great price" stories.
@- Lafayette, IN, we drive by everytime we go to Indianapolis. (It's on the Bataan Memorial Hwy in Lafayette.
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%- Except the four years, I was in Germany. On a Mountain. In the Schnee Eifel. Where we would look down at the tops of the clouds.