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Used car purchase advise: Subaru Forester vs Mazda CX-5 Login/Join 
Live Slow,
Die Whenever
Picture of medic451
posted
My good ol f-150 is on its last legs, dont have as much use for a truck anymore, looking for a reliable daily driver with room for our 2 kids and carseats in the back. We do go up to the mountains and travel a bit in bad weather so Im set on something with AWD. Ive been looking at a used 2015 Subaru forester premium with 22k miles and a used 2016 mazda cx5 touring with 32k miles, both have asking price of 20.5k. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated. Im scheduled to look at the Forester tomorrow.



"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I require the same from them."
- John Wayne in "The Shootist"
 
Posts: 3446 | Location: California | Registered: May 31, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
eh-TEE-oh-clez
Picture of Aeteocles
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Forester would be my pick.

Best in class AWD, low slung boxer engine, upright seating with fantastic visibility.
 
Posts: 13047 | Location: Orange County, California | Registered: May 19, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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We looked at both. Wife liked the visibility on Forester. We bought a 2015. 45k miles very satisfied.
 
Posts: 921 | Registered: June 16, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Live Slow,
Die Whenever
Picture of medic451
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They only complaint ive really heard about the Forester is the seat comfort, is it really that bad up front or just the back?



"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I require the same from them."
- John Wayne in "The Shootist"
 
Posts: 3446 | Location: California | Registered: May 31, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Fighting the good fight
Picture of RogueJSK
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Some people hate the Forester seats. I don't find then to be uncomfortable at all. They're not the best seats ever, but they're far from uncomfortable. I strongly encourage you to try it yourself, rather than simply relying on rumors and others' opinions.
 
Posts: 32495 | Location: Northwest Arkansas | Registered: January 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Diogenes' Quarry
Picture of at-home-daddy
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My wife and I bought a CX-5 for her new in '15...it's a '15 Touring. Three'ish years later, it's been a good, reliable car and looks pretty nice, kinda sporty for a compact SUV, but I continue to find the seats overly firm and the power generally lacking, even though it was purportedly bumped up a bit in this second (?) year of its production. We weren't sold on the Subaru line (though admittedly more for aesthetics than function) when we comparison-shopped, though, so given the choice between the two I'd likely still go with Mazda.
 
Posts: 5088 | Location: Western WA  | Registered: October 20, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Do the Ru. I was a master tech at a Mazda dealer for 18 years. Owned 3 Ru,s, recommended and sold about a dozen to family and friends. You'll be glad you did.
 
Posts: 1642 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: June 16, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Live Slow,
Die Whenever
Picture of medic451
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Heres the exact Subaru and Mazda im looking at...

https://www.subarushermanoaks.....htm?searchDepth=5:7

Mazda
https://www.carmax.com/car/15703786#&gid=1&pid=3



"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I require the same from them."
- John Wayne in "The Shootist"
 
Posts: 3446 | Location: California | Registered: May 31, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I’d opt for the Suby...


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Posts: 13807 | Location: VIrtual | Registered: November 13, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of downtownv
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Subaru's have great resale values!


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Posts: 8343 | Location: 18 miles long, 6 Miles at Sea | Registered: January 22, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I gave up on Subaru after three 2.5L engines went bad - two on Foresters, one on a WRX.

My ex's 2013 Forester consumed way too much oil and blew at 75,000 miles. Subaru lost a class action for oil consumption on the 2.5L normally aspirated engines. They had said less than 1 quart every 1500 miles or so was "in normal range".

Her 2004 Forester XT Turbo lost compression on two cylinders at 160,000 miles

My 2013 WRX needed all exhaust valves reset on lash at 103,000 miles. Resetting lash on solid lifters is a "normal" service adjustment, but there is no adjustability on these engines. The engine had to come out of the car, cylinder heads pulled, clean up valve seats, and machine the tappets/valve stems to proper lash. The flat four layout puts the valve covers too close to the frame rails to do anything with the engine still in the car.

A coworker had a 2.5L Forester need new head gaskets after 100,000 miles too. That's another known issue.

I might consider a 2.0L D.I. Subaru engine, but the 2.5L just has too many known issues.
 
Posts: 4703 | Location: Indiana | Registered: December 28, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
You're going to feel
a little pressure...
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Subaru, no question.
Check the head gaskets for oil seepage. Nothing else.

Bruce






"The designer of the gun had clearly not been instructed to beat about the bush. 'Make it evil,' he'd been told. 'Make it totally clear that this gun has a right end and a wrong end. Make it totally clear to anyone standing at the wrong end that things are going badly for them. If that means sticking all sort of spikes and prongs and blackened bits all over it then so be it. This is not a gun for hanging over the fireplace or sticking in the umbrella stand, it is a gun for going out and making people miserable with." -Douglas Adams

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Posts: 4245 | Location: AK-49 | Registered: October 06, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of SevenPlusOne
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quote:
Originally posted by Lefty Sig:
I gave up on Subaru after three 2.5L engines went bad - two on Foresters, one on a WRX.

My ex's 2013 Forester consumed way too much oil and blew at 75,000 miles. Subaru lost a class action for oil consumption on the 2.5L normally aspirated engines. They had said less than 1 quart every 1500 miles or so was "in normal range".

Her 2004 Forester XT Turbo lost compression on two cylinders at 160,000 miles

My 2013 WRX needed all exhaust valves reset on lash at 103,000 miles. Resetting lash on solid lifters is a "normal" service adjustment, but there is no adjustability on these engines. The engine had to come out of the car, cylinder heads pulled, clean up valve seats, and machine the tappets/valve stems to proper lash. The flat four layout puts the valve covers too close to the frame rails to do anything with the engine still in the car.

A coworker had a 2.5L Forester need new head gaskets after 100,000 miles too. That's another known issue.

I might consider a 2.0L D.I. Subaru engine, but the 2.5L just has too many known issues.

My '99 went bad, I didn't realize what was wrong with it, so I.....traded it in and got a 2003....had to rebuild the engine at 80k miles.

Mazda, Mazda, Mazda. Even though I swore in the early 2000s i'd never buy one because of those stupid "Zoom-Zoom" commercials.
Better engines, and normal torque converter transmissions.



"Ninja kick the damn rabbit"
 
Posts: 4618 | Location: Oklahoma | Registered: October 11, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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My wife has a FWD 2014 CX-5 and I have a 2017 Outback. Her Mazda has been a good car. It has 65,000 miles and has had no problems. It is very quick around town and gets about 30 mpg on the highway. The interior is more plush than others in its class. Only recently have they upgraded the Forester interior. The ride is a bit more stiff than my Outback so I prefer the Outback on the highway. Though she likes her Mazda, for the sake of variety, next time out she may go for the Honda CRV or the all new 2019 Forester out later this year.
 
Posts: 2559 | Location: Central Virginia | Registered: July 20, 2015Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Live Slow,
Die Whenever
Picture of medic451
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I didnt really looked into them at first but how are the 2015-2016 Toyota Rav4?s There appears to be a few near me within budget and decent mileage.



"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I require the same from them."
- John Wayne in "The Shootist"
 
Posts: 3446 | Location: California | Registered: May 31, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I just can't get excited about the body shape in that size SUV.
 
Posts: 512 | Location: Pearland, Tx | Registered: June 22, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
safe & sound
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We have had two Mazdas. A 2010 Mazda 3 which was her back and forth to work car. It was finally killed in an accident in 2016 with over 200,000 miles. The only thing we ever did to that car was fluids, tires, and brakes.

We replaced that with a new CX-9 which has roughly 35,000 on it so far with no problems.

One of our cousins bought a new CX-5 and loves it. I've been pleased with mine.


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Posts: 15712 | Location: St. Charles, MO, USA | Registered: September 22, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
goodheart
Picture of sjtill
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I recently drove a new CX-5 and liked it a lot. Didn't drive a Forester, would have if we had pursued a CUV. Ended up with an Accord instead because I really, really liked driving it.


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“ What all the wise men promised has not happened, and what all the damned fools said would happen has come to pass.”— Lord Melbourne
 
Posts: 18049 | Location: One hop from Paradise | Registered: July 27, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Republican in training
Picture of DonDraper
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IF you need the awd definitely get the Forester, but you can't go wrong with either one. Go with the one that speaks to you after driving them.


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I like Sigs and HK's, and maybe Glocks
 
Posts: 2268 | Location: SC | Registered: March 16, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I can't speak for the Mazda but I have the 2016 Forester XT (turbo). We went up to South Lake Tahoe a couple weeks ago, 3 hour drive, the seats felt fine.
The turbo and AWD makes for good driving up in the hills and snow.
 
Posts: 244 | Location: Northern California | Registered: June 30, 2017Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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