Howdy Scotty,
I'm in the market for a new vehicle, I'll be starting work for the bureau of land management in alaska , I need a vehicle that can handle off-roading, don't need something too crazy like a rock climber but just the occasional open field or class 5 road or just going through between trees, I also need it to not be too much of a gas guzzler. Currently I have a 2002 Toyota camry v6 le and that's about the level of fuel consumption that I'm okay with. I'd love some suggestions.
Thank you for your time
Clarification: How many years and miles do you need the vehicle to last you?
Well If I'm gonna spend 20k on a car I want it to atleast last a decade, so atleast 150k miles on top of whatever it's already at when I buy it.
I would go for a Subaru Outback, Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, or a Trailhawk.
I've personally taken an Eclipse Cross S-AWC off roading at an OHV area and it performed unbelievably well for a crossover.
The Outback is a respected off-roader and the new ones are pretty reliable.
The Trailhawks aren't always the best for the long run (say 150K+ miles) but they have great capabilities while they last.
Hope I helped you somewhat there.
A toyota highlander will be getting the same mpg as your camry v6 and will have a great awd system and can kind of handle off roading. The rav4's are also good, but have less power than even your camry. I suggest the highlander because of the engine power it has and the space it has. You can get a highlander le for about $40k I think. I also suggest you get a used 2014-2016 highlander because it is like half the price at 20k and I wouldn't want to go off roading with a brand new car anyway.
I agree with 7.3 on the Outback. Or a Crosstrek 2.5 Sport, if you want a Subaru at little less cost. RAV4 would also be a solid.
One big caveat, though, in a place like AK is dealer support in your local area. Which dealers are close? Of those, which do you trust if you have a problem? Having a trustworthy dealer close at hand could be a major factor if you need warranty or recall work done.
I've heard alot of good things with the handling up there in alaska with the subarus and alot of people up there have them but theres still the question of headgasket issues, some people say after 2011 it's not that big of an issue while others say it's still prevalent. I know they make aftermarket ones to replace the factory ones that last longer but it's still a headache to go through.
Contemporary Subies use different gasket material than the ones that had problems. Failure rate is now comparable to other makes. Anecdotal: in my immediate family we have 5 Subarus 2013 and newer with combined 420,000 miles. No head gasket issues.
If anything is a flaw with current Subarus it’s the CVT, but that’s much better in the last few years. Search Subaru CVT in the search field above; it has been discussed extensively.
Which ones of those 2013s have the highest mileage and what kind of proplems if any have you came across, would these last to 250,000?
My mom’s 2013 forester has the most miles at close to 200,000. No problem whatsoever. Then again, she’s a little old lady who once put 300,000 on a Chevy Cavalier (top that!!).
Next is my daughter’s 2018 Crosstrek, which is about to go over 80,000. Also nothing but routine maintenance (obviously a lot of freeway miles).
My sons 17 Crosstrek, 16 STI, and my 18 WRX also have had no repairs (well, other than his Crosstrek needed a new short block after he put it in a river, but that’s not Subaru’s fault)
You will be much better off with the Subaru
Between those cars, get the Subaru.
Howdy,
Earlier I had asked about car suggestions , specifically cars that'd have slight offroad ability and weren't gas hogs , and based on the responses I got, I narrowed it down to two cars in my area that were available, a 2011 Subaru forester 2.5X and a 2012 Ford Escape Xlt 2.5 4WD, both have similar power and gas mileage, the ford is listed at 10,300 at 69,400 miles and the subaru is listed at 11,600 at 75,700 miles , I'd love some suggestions over what I should choose , I'd be willing to pay more for the Subaru if itll give me less problems over time but so far reviews I'm reading kind of have them neck and neck for amount if issues and cost. I'd really love to get to 200,000 in one of them. Any help in decision making would be greatly appreciated.
Clarification: which transmission is in that Subaru?
Another vote for the Subaru here.
I would not go with either vehicle. They both had their issues, and question becomes which would you be willing to roll the die on? The 2011 Subaru Forester (and that generation in general) had excessive oil consumption issues, unintended acceleration, leaky head gasket, and numerous recalls related to the Takata airbags. That generation (2009-2013) had up to 9 airbag recalls, and you’d want those addressed before you buy (not something to mess around with, esp. with possibility of shrapnel being hurled when airbag inflated).
See below:
https://www.vehiclehistory.com/articles/best-subaru-forester-year
https://www.subarupartsplus.com/blog/about-subaru-oil-consumption
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Subaru/Forester/2011/
With the 2012 Ford Escape, it had issues with excessive rusting, AC not working, and transmission failure.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Escape/2012/
Subaru Forester or Outback.
If you can find a Jeep with the 4.0L straight 6 and can drive a manual, jump on it. They are super reliable and capable.
They'll fall a little short on gas mileage.
