I thought Subaru was the safest vehicle I could buy for my children and I. Sure enough, three months after I got it, I had the kids in the car, and we were victims of a hit and run. Everyone was fine. No one even had to go to hospital. The back bumper was crumpled, but still drivable and nothing else on the car was damaged. $700 fix. Then, three more months go by and a recall is put out for the fuel gauge. It was incorrect, and people were running out of fuel and getting in accidents. It was another three months before a fix was found and they started fixing vehicles. Then there was a recall about phones not hooking up to the car, and you would lose your hands-free ability and risk getting a ticket. THEN my check engine light came on. I got in in ASAP, and no one called. Two days later on a Friday I call asking about my car and they offer a loaner. They say it will be ready Monday. Monday I call and can't get through. Same thing Tuesday. Wednesday my boyfriend drives down to check on it. I finally get it back Friday. When they finally told me what was wrong, they said the battery wasn't holding a charge, the passenger seat wasn't registering passengers so the airbag was inoperable. There was a sensor that wasn't working and the car was over heating. The A/C control had stopped working as well. Needless to say, I am heartbroken. $515 a month for a car with that much work in the first year...I am terrified to see what the future brings!

The reason that I bought the car was the premium package. I had read about various safety features and was impressed by what I had read. In summary what I liked was the safety features. But it had the most premium trim features of any car that I never owned. Visibility was fabulous. The inside trim was fitted to perfection. I had never owned a car that told you when a tire needed air or when the water tank had to be refilled. I was also pleasantly surprised by this CVT transmission. On my previous Subarus, maximum torque was achieved at about 4,000 RPM, which meant that at slower speeds you had to press the accelerator very hard and hear quite decent acceleration under strain. With this car, I can go up a steep hill at about 1,500 RPM and barely hear any engine complaint.