It has now been well-established that I have some regrets about buying a new Subaru Forester back in 2016, mostly predicated on the realization that my annual expenditures for the car somehow exceed what I spend to keep my 20-year-old high-mileage BMW running. My Subaru is disproportionately expensive to maintain, not particularly efficient, and brings me very little joy.
Love is what makes a Subaru a Subaru for, oh, say the first 15,000 miles. Then a constant, Ship of Theseus-like replacement of parts is what makes a Subaru a Subaru. That and little surprises, like headlights that fail faster than Taylor Swift can put out albums and wheel lug studs that break with a Harvey Korman-like frequency.
But it’s also paid off. The Subaru is fine. It’s largely disappointing, but it’s fine. It does what I need it to do and it always gets me where I need to go. It’s also right-sized for my one-and-done kid situation. The best car is one that you don’t have to pay for every month. With interest rates still high, why am I in such a hurry to get something new?
Because I love cars and I’ll always spend just a little extra to have a better car. While my E39 BMW makes me very happy, I also drive new cars for a living and there are just too many good cars out there for me to ignore. Here’s what I’m considering right now and the pros and cons of each.
Ford Maverick Hybrid – $34,085
I got a great deal on my Forester because it was the old model year and it’s going to hurt to spend more than $25k, but I think my Forester can probably fetch $10k or better, so that brings my net cost back down to $24,000 if I can get decent financing.
As a Texan, I want a truck. As a semi-rational human who lives in an apartment at the edge of New York City with no regular place to plug in an electric car or PHEV I want a regular ol’ hybrid. My options are fairly limited in this regard as the Tacoma hybrids are a little more truck than I need and the hybrid F-150 is a little big. The Maverick Hybrid is just about perfect.
Like many human beings with a functional brain and a romantic heart, I love the Ford Maverick. it returns almost 40 MPG in the city, where I’ll mostly drive it. It’s just trucky enough to do truck things, but it’s also basically a Bronco Sport/Escape underneath, so it’s comfortable enough to live a normal life. I’ve even driven my family around in one and they like it, though not as much as I do.
I’ve built one online and a blue XLT with the luxury package (heated seats), bed organizer, and tri-fold tonneau cover is just $34,085 MSRP with destination and everything else included. I know Mavericks have been going above the MSRP, but … I know a guy.
Pros of a Maverick Hybrid:
- Nearly double the city MPG, which is where it gets driven.
- Theoretically more robust than a Forester.
- A truck bed for camping and moving stuff and the Tractor Supply Co. life I want to live.
- It looks awesome.
- It’s a truck.
- Fords are historically cheap to keep running.
Cons of a Maverick Hybrid:
- It’s a little smaller inside than the Forester.
- I’m basically going to have to use the truck bed as a trunk, because kid stuff.
- It’s only FWD and it does snow here, though this is part of my secret plan to buy a set of the cool steel wheels and rock those with winter tires.
- Family likes it, but doesn’t love it.
Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid – $33,255
Of the cars I’ve driven recently that I could imagine owning, the Corolla Cross Hybrid was a surprise. While I think the vehicle looks fairly anonymous in the way that most Toyotas have, I thought it did everything well.
On my commute back-and-forth from school and groceries, I barely used the gas motor. Sure, it has a CVT, but it also supplements it with a rear-mounted electric motor that helps overcome the usual CVT sluggishness. I liked it. Nothing about the way it performed or handled was any worse or any better than the Forester. It’s also about 30 cubic feet smaller inside than my Forester.
All of those are issues, of course, but it has one big thing going for it: It’s a Toyota. If my biggest gripe with my Subaru is that I’m constantly having to spend money on it, that’s the one place where Toyota historically does better than almost anyone else. It doesn’t eat tires, brakes, batteries, or anything else. It just keeps going with minor, infrequent maintenance.
Pros of a Corolla Cross Hybrid:
- Better MPG than the Forester in every situation.
- I can get it in two-tone so I don’t keep losing my own damn car in the parking lot.
- It’s a Toyota.
- Even a nicely spec’d one is relatively cheap.
- It has a storage area.
- AWD.
Cons of a Corolla Cross Hybrid:
- It’s smaller than the Forester inside.
- My family does not remember driving around in it.
- It’s hard to find one for MSRP.
- It lacks a certain pizzazz.
Kia Carnival Hybrid – $38,995 (est)
If you asked my family today what our next car should be, they’d definitely say the Kia Carnival. We road-tripped one to Michigan and it was a comfortable delight. I only have one kid and zero dogs, but my daughter has friends and we have grandparents/et cetera so there’s something nice about being able to move everyone if necessary.
Even better, Kia is coming out with a hybrid soon. This means that I can have my cake and eat it, too. I think. There’s a lot of information lacking right now about the system, so I’m making a few big guesses here and assuming it costs about $38k for a lower-trim model and should return 33 mpg city/highway, which is still better than my much smaller Forester.
Pros of a Kia Carnival Hybrid:
- Better MPG than the Forester, probably.
- It’s way bigger inside with room for eight people.
- It looks cool.
- It’s a minivan, so I get sliding doors.
- The smugness of being a dad cool enough to drive a minivan.
Cons of a Kia Carnival Hybrid:
- It’s bigger than my Forester.
- It’s the most expensive thing I’m looking at right now.
- Kia has a decent cost of ownership, but maybe I’m setting myself up for disappointment again?
- I will probably have to pick up more people from the airport.
Wildcard: 2024 Jaguar F-Pace Type SVR – $96,523
This thing rules. It’s probably the last time you’re going to be able to buy an English car with a big, 550-horsepower supercharged V8. Let alone a big ol’ crossover/SUV thing. Not only that, you’ll probably never get one that looks this good.
Why did I ask to borrow this car? Because they’d let me. Sometimes I just drive cars because I’m excited about driving cars. If you can’t get excited about this thing I don’t think we’re going to have a lot to talk about.
It sounds fantastic. It snarls. It growls. It pops. It’s also engineered to let you drive faster than you want without killing yourself, even if it’s super snowy and slushy outside as when I had it. Is it comfortable? Hell yeah it’s comfortable. My daughter didn’t want to get out of it. Here’s her hugging the car:
Bad news, kid, it also costs more than every other car I’ve ever owned combined.
Pros of a Jaguar F-Pace SVR:
- Looks rad as hell.
- Is loud.
- Is comfortable.
- Drives better than most cars.
- Will never get lost in a parking lot.
Cons of a Jaguar F-Pace SVR:
- My daughter better get good at fencing, because I can’t pay for college if I buy it.
- Is way less efficient than my Forester.
- I’ll live in constant fear of hurting it.
Conclusion
If it were up to me I’d buy a Maverick, although I’m holding out for an AWD one to be announced with a motor for the rear axle. If it were up to my family I’d get the Carnival. Is the Corolla Cross the best compromise?
I’m open to your ideas here. Let me know what I should do.
The post Here Are The Cars That Might Replace The Subaru I Regret Buying New appeared first on The Autopian.
