My wife and I have been thinking of replacing her Subaru WRX with a newer, larger model. When we started looking, we found many Subaru models are no longer offered with a manual trans. Every vehicle we own has a 5 sp manual.

I had already heard about subjecting CVT type transmissions to heavy loads, so we are not interested. Certainly not replacing a 5 sp Subaru WRX with glorified minivan.

I'm not sure why Subaru is doing this, but they won't be doing it to me.

 

My wife and I have been thinking of replacing her Subaru WRX with a newer, larger model. When we started looking, we found many Subaru models are no longer offered with a manual trans. Every vehicle we own has a 5 sp manual.

I had already heard about subjecting CVT type transmissions to heavy loads, so we are not interested. Certainly not replacing a 5 sp Subaru WRX with glorified minivan.

I'm not sure why Subaru is doing this, but they won't be doing it to me.

Because they have determined their biggest group of buyers are the LGBTadnauseam crowd and no longer people looking for a rugged car.

 

Sounds like your getting a new tranny via warrenty? I would sell it after its fixed.

I drove a honda civic with a CVT tranny for a while. It had about 135k on it. I would be full throttle going up hills for quite a while. It still drives today.

 

Sounds like your getting a new tranny via warrenty? I would sell it after its fixed.

Note the first word in the OP. "Rented."

 

I've owned nothing but Subaru for 25 years. I was skeptical and a bit leary of buying a newer model with that cvt tranny but so far I haven't had any issues myself.

Not saying there isn't a problem because there's been a lot of complaints, just sharing my own experience.

I've owned two so far that had no problems. The first was a legacy that made it to 80,000 miles trouble free before my fiance totaled it.

My current outback is nearing the 100,000 mark.

 

Honda CVTs are a different animal , they fail too , but subaru ones , are the most unreliable ones .
I dont really like the crosstrek they are very picky about the oil you use , we tried with a client 4 different high end oil brands (Liqui Moly, Mobil 1 and a few others ) it burns the oil , clogged the MAP sensor , until we found that a Penzoil oil would no do that , Why , we dont know ! Failed emissions testing a few times and drove us nuts !

Also the front A arm Bushings are just a plainly stupid design, expect them to fail if you drive the Crosstrek like a rally car or do mild offroading on it !

My client one is a 6 speed manual , and its fast and fun , but too delicate !

 

No idea why Subaru made this change. They literally tried fixing something that wasn't broke.

Unless it's for improved mpg. That's all I can think of.

 

Just out of curiosity, which motor was in that thing op?

 

2.0 flat 4, no turbo, and no real acceleration...

As I mentioned above, it was a rental car. The CVT was working normally until the long hill climb.

The combo of high RPM and highway speeds, along with a long incline, was very likely the culprit. I believe I could duplicate the conditions and fry another one. I truly do not believe anything was wrong with it.

It simply could not handle the load and the belt probably overheated.

 

2.0 liter non turbo 2013 model , around 80k miles


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A year or two ago I rented a brand new Nissan Sentra and drove over the Rockies from Denver to grand junction and back.

I smoked the cvt transmission on the way back and limped it into Denver.

As a general rule, CVTs aren't perfected yet. And most of them can't be rebuilt, they just call for total replacement. I would avoid them.

 

Most transmission shops dont have the tools to work on CVTs , i have a friend who is our automatic transmission on call specialist (he built me a bulletproof 5r55e for my explorer) , he says that they can be rebuilt , but a rebuilt will never outperform a new one, one of the big problems is heat in cvt transmissions , when the belt starts to slip it will erode the plates and then its a vicious cicle !


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They've acknowledged the issue have have extended the warranty of this vehicle. **** happens...

Try to get any other manufacturer to extend your warranty and see what happens. I've owned two subaru's over the years. Both were great vehicles. My only issue, is they aren't worth the money they charge. The interiors are very basic at best...

If I were to purchase another Subaru, there are only two options... STI bumped to about 500hp and a sequential transmission (track day car), or an Outback with a 3 inch lift and all terrain tires... which btw, is an amazing off-road vehicle that gets good gas mileage.

 

im looking to get a 2000 Forester awd (must be a manual and have the EJ20 engine (the most reliable engine subaru has ever made )for my gf someday ,outfit it with an arb bumper, a winch and a lift , it will make a helluva rural daily driver ,she's finishing her degree in automotive engineering , and we plan on moving to her parents farm to open a farm equipment repair shop


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They've acknowledged the issue have have extended the warranty of this vehicle. **** happens...

Yes...but have the actually fixed the issue with a redesign or just offered to fix it for a few more years? What are these cares going to be like at 250,000 miles?

Right now, I own FIVE subaru outbacks, from 98-04 but I don't think I would own any of the new ones.

Outback with a 3 inch lift and all terrain tires..

I only got about 18 MPG when mine had a 4" lift one of mine...and I had trouble with CV's and and struts. Spent a lot of time and money messing with the suspension before finally deciding that a reliable lift high enough to matter just wasn't going to happen.

Last summer I returned it back to stock height.

 

What size tires did you have on it? Bigger is not better. There are many reasons for the failures, alignment? Also, did you have a camber kit and spacers? Were you still using the stock struts?

You can just lift a vehicle 2" and expect the rest of the suspension to be okay with it. You can get away with it on a truck, but this is not a truck.

PS. your fuel consumption is on par with a 4x4 diesel and some of the new economical 4x4's. I guess you can go drop 50K on a pickup if you want. The point of the Outback is price... and the fact that it can out 4x4 all trucks, except for maybe a Rover.

 

What size tires did you have on it? Bigger is not better. There are many reasons for the failures, alignment? Also, did you have a camber kit and spacers? Were you still using the stock struts?

You can just lift a vehicle 2" and expect the rest of the suspension to be okay with it. You can get away with it on a truck, but this is not a truck.

you must build custom a arms , spacers and even in some cases custom driveshafts for the cv joints , maybe drop the engine mounts an inch , bacause its a subbie you cant do a t case drop like in a jeep


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maybe drop the engine mounts an inch , bacause its a subbie you cant do a t case drop like in a jeep

That right there is what I decided was the bugger. You can correct everything else but have to drop the engine to fix the CV angle, and once you've done that..well, whats the point because now your reducing your clearance again and its just for looks.

What size tires did you have on it? Bigger is not better. There are many reasons for the failures, alignment? Also, did you have a camber kit and spacers? Were you still using the stock struts?

Stock tire size, so little torque in a outback I didn't want to reduce it.

Lets see, what all did I do...strut spacers, adjustable camber arms, custom swing arm mounts (As you move the wheels down, they move inward so to fix that you have to have offset and lowered swing arms to maintain alignment. Sway bar delete (kept that, huge difference off road)

Oh, I was able to get the alignment right, but like I said, once I realized there was nothing I could do to fix the CV angles...or the fact that its a low powered vehicle without a low range, I decided I would let it be what it was meant to be (which is not bad off road by any means.) and put effort into my pickup instead, which does have low transfer and is easy to lift and modify.

The point of the Outback is price

Tell me about it. I've never spent more than $2k on one. If you can fix your own head gaskets you can pick them up sometimes for literally free.

 

Tell me about it. I've never spent more than $2k on one. If you can fix your own head gaskets you can pick them up sometimes for literally free.

What does it cost in parts to do your own head gaskets on a subaru? The last time I replaced head gaskets(on a Chevy venture) it was about $600 in parts, It probably could have been way less but once I was in there I replaced plugs, wires and probably a few other hard to reach components that probably jacked the price up.

 

Did you make that bumper yourself Madmax? All you need are a couple of spinning saw blades in place of the fog lights, and you're ready for zombie apocalypse ... LOL.

 

Oh.. and paint it neon green... gotta make sure the zombies see you coming.

 

since we're discussing Subarus and head gaskets I acquired a 2001 forester that smells like burning crayons after its been run a bit is that a head gasket leaking oil?
any other ideas?

 

That could be a million different things.

Is it overheating? Burning oil?

Don't know if they still do it but advance auto used to do compression checks for free. That will tell you if you have even a minor leak or crack in a head gasket.

 

Did you make that bumper yourself Madmax

Yup.

If you think that is mad max....this is the dune buggy I built.

That could be a million different things.

Also true. A lot of places that can leak oil that are not HG's. Power steering leaks aren't uncommon either. On a subaru, with the exhaust pipes on the bottom of the engine, they are the lowest point so any leak of anykind ends up on the exhaust.

That will tell you if you have even a minor leak or crack in a head gasket.

Only for some kinds of HG failures. They can fail externally, leaking oil or coolant without any actual compression loss. A little external leakage you can live with just fine. The one you can't is any internal leakage the mixes oil and coolant or coolant and exhaust...which causes overheating and can kill your engine for real.

What does it cost in parts to do your own head gaskets on a subaru?

$200 for just the gaskets...but if you also do new seals, water pump and timing belt more like $300....which is the way you should do it as if your pulling the engine anyway you may as well.

 

Has anyone heard the excuse why car makers (like Subaru) are pushing CV trans, instead of a manual trans?

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...=2ahUKEwjB-KvG8KHdAhVP7FMKHfDrCQEQFjABegQIERAH&usg=AOvVaw0bmaVTfWOoRI57URMK74En

Fwiw I think engineers were looking to solve a non existent problem.

I've been lucky I guess, so far I haven't had any issues with mine.

 

Has anyone heard the excuse why car makers (like Subaru) are pushing CV trans, instead of a manual trans?

Thats easy. Very few people these days want or even know how to operate manuals. Many car companies no longer make any models with them. Sadly, their days are numbered. Very soon they will cease to exist as an option.

CVTs are being pushed because they offer radically improved gas milage over normal automatics, which of course helps car companies meet milage and emissions standards.

But I won't have them, reports on their longevity are really bad.

 

My wife and currently own four vehicles, all with 5 sp manuals. We are both retired and have preferred driving a stick shift, but we have been talking recently about getting one vehicle that we could still drive, if we had a foot/leg injury.

I am a Mech Engr and I won't be buying a CVT ever. The idea of using a light duty variable width pulley (mini bike) trans in an automobile is beyond stupid. Subaru has made their reputation selling durable, all wheel drive vehicles, that get good gas mileage. So much for that part of their marketing plan.

I'm thinking I would be happier buying a used Outback with a stick shift, and getting my nephew to rebuild it for me.

 

My wife and currently own four vehicles, all with 5 sp manuals. We are both retired and have preferred driving a stick shift, but we have been talking recently about getting one vehicle that we could still drive, if we had a foot/leg injury.

I am a Mech Engr and I won't be buying a CVT ever. The idea of using a light duty variable width pulley (mini bike) trans in an automobile is beyond stupid. Subaru has made their reputation selling durable, all wheel drive vehicles, that get good gas mileage. So much for that part of their marketing plan.

I'm thinking I would be happier buying a used Outback with a stick shift, and getting my nephew to rebuild it for me.

Their new plan revolves around selling to hipster douches who are more about virtue signalling than actually using the vehicles as they were previously intended.

 

Thats easy. Very few people these days want or even know how to operate manuals.

Correction: Thats easy. Very few people these days want or even know how to operate automatics, much less manuals.

Your welcome... :thumb:

 

Correction: Thats easy. Very few people these days want or even know how to operate automatics, much less manuals.



Your welcome... :thumb:

make phone smarter and people will become even more dumb, ive seen people destroy their gearboxes because they just drop the trans into drive and thats all they do , yes , you can poweshift an automatic , you can run your transmission way cooler , you must put your trans in OD/off mode when climbing a hill or pulling a trailer !


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Sucks that you got a lemon, but my experience with Subaru has been pretty awesome. Love em.

Mine too, but I've heard enough about the new ones I don't think I would touch them. I hope I can keep my old ones driving forever....if nothing else they have given me a lot of practice replacing head-gaskets.:thumb:

 

Yeah I've done quite a few myself. They did eventually correct that problem. They used a cheap gasket that had graphite filler instead of all steal. Dumb.

I drove my first scooby for months before yanking the motor and fixing it. Tough motor.

 

A rental car? That's what we are judging things on now?

You know what the guys of Top Gear said was the fastest car in the world?

Any rental car.:thumb:

Seriously, you can't make any judgement, as you have no idea what was done to the car before you got it.

However, the track record of the model does say maybe you are right in this case.

 

A rental car? That's what we are judging things on now?

Folks, it had just 1900 miles when I picked it up. It failed at 2400 miles. Sorry, but it's not the fact that it was a rental car. And it's not the computer's tuning.

It's the fact that the steel CVT belt overheated under high speed, high load conditions. It was perfectly fine until the highway hillclimb.

I don't care that these things were tested on Mt. Ranier. That's crawling along, and very unlike the conditions that made it fail.

I promise, I could break another one the exact same way. And another.

Just a few quotes from Crosstrek owners:

"Transmission died on interstate. Extended warranty covered it."

"Transmission takes an excessive amount of time to change from reverse into drive"

"Drove the car off the lot late at night.. did fail a line pressure check on the cvt transmission. might pursue lemon law... car returned to dealer"

"Noise from transmission, Installed reman transmission"

Furthermore, fully 14% of all Crosstrek repairs are to the transmission. That's abysmal for new model cars.

You have been warned.

 

The CVT transmission went out on our Chevy Captiva to the tune of about $2300. Trans shop said he's seeing a ton of these small Chevy SUV's (Equinox, Traverse, etc) needing replacement transmissions.

Our area of Missouri is hilly and I don't think the CVT transmissions can handle the hills.

 

Ummmm, that crosstreck weighs in just 400 pounds lighter than my outback.

Crosstrek 152 hp
Outback 175 hp

There's your problem right there.

I had a similar issues with the GM 700r4 between the 2.8l and the 4.3l.

Owned both and lemme tell ya hp and overall engine size affects your transmission. Weather it's a cvt or not.

That crosstrek is grossly underpowered.

 

Thank you all for saving me a lot of time and hassle.

My wife and I were considering trading our older Impressa WRX for a new Crosstrek, thinking it was based on the same Impressa model, but with more ground clearance. After reading the feedback posted here, I have been doing some research, and the Crosstrek seems to be a completely different (gutless) beast.

Yes, it has more ground clearance. But it's missing the turbo, and its 2.0 engine produces 100 less horse power. Combine that with a choice of a suspect CVT trans, or an unproven 6 sp manual, and we are looking at a gutless dog.

Last time I owned a doggy vehicle it was a VW Rabbit diesel that got 55 mpg.

 

I'm really not understanding the smaller motor. My 2.5l outback gets better mileage than the crosstrek. With a bigger motor and an extra 400 pounds.

Kinda scratching my head.

The stock 2.5 puts out 175 hp. Which I think is barely adequate for a vehicle over 3000 pounds.

152 hp in the 2.0 for a 3000+ vehicle? Garbage.

I've done some minor upgrades to the daily driver to get what I consider " adequate " power out of it. Stock was ok, but acceleration did leave much to be desired. Cold air intake and some exhaust work made me happy.

What year is Your imprezza? You thinking of selling?