[Car Search] Almost there...
So, we test drove both the VW wagon and the Subaru Outback.
We drove the VW first, and after the test drive we were all set to buy one. It was a really nice ride, the acceleration was good, the handling was good... The only things we noted were the large B pillar, which made checking your blind spot to move left really awkward, and availability. Basically, VW Canada is about out of 2011 Sportwagens, so we'd have to wait for the 2012s to come in.
As we drove to the Subaru dealer, we pondered how to make the Saturn last until September or October. It was doable. Driving the Subaru was basically a formality.
Then we drove it.
Hmmmmmm.
We really preferred the handling of the Outback. The extra clearance and handling on loose gravel gave it an obvious advantage over the VW for winter driving. (And if there's one thing we know, it's winter driving.) Availabilty sounds good - we could get a car with our specifications within a month. Finally, we realized that a lot of the bonus features that gave the VW an edge were also standard in the Outback - notably heated seats.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Our only hesitation at this point is reports that the 2010-2011 model year has a problem with wheel shake. Subaru seems to have a problem fixing the problem. And sometimes the problem doesn't crop up until 500-1000 miles in.
We're going to print out the first page of the service bulletin, ask the saleslady about the shake (how many they've had, how they've been fixed, and basically their overall attitude about the problem), and then decide which car we're going to get. If they deny that there's a problem, that's going to send up all kinds of flags - it's been mentioned by Car & Driver and a few other media sites.
We drove the VW first, and after the test drive we were all set to buy one. It was a really nice ride, the acceleration was good, the handling was good... The only things we noted were the large B pillar, which made checking your blind spot to move left really awkward, and availability. Basically, VW Canada is about out of 2011 Sportwagens, so we'd have to wait for the 2012s to come in.
As we drove to the Subaru dealer, we pondered how to make the Saturn last until September or October. It was doable. Driving the Subaru was basically a formality.
Then we drove it.
Hmmmmmm.
We really preferred the handling of the Outback. The extra clearance and handling on loose gravel gave it an obvious advantage over the VW for winter driving. (And if there's one thing we know, it's winter driving.) Availabilty sounds good - we could get a car with our specifications within a month. Finally, we realized that a lot of the bonus features that gave the VW an edge were also standard in the Outback - notably heated seats.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Our only hesitation at this point is reports that the 2010-2011 model year has a problem with wheel shake. Subaru seems to have a problem fixing the problem. And sometimes the problem doesn't crop up until 500-1000 miles in.
We're going to print out the first page of the service bulletin, ask the saleslady about the shake (how many they've had, how they've been fixed, and basically their overall attitude about the problem), and then decide which car we're going to get. If they deny that there's a problem, that's going to send up all kinds of flags - it's been mentioned by Car & Driver and a few other media sites.