[valnar]

I just bought a used 2009 RAV4 V6 (will pick it up Saturday, don't even have it yet) and an Outback was my first choice. I tried both a 2013 and 2016, so it covered two generations. I'm tall, it fit me, and besides this RAV4 was one of the few cars I've ever driven where I could get a sunroof and not hit my head. The Subaru was everything I wanted in a car. But I didn't get it.

Those Outback seats were horrible...to me. Back and leg pains within a 10 minute drive. Lumbar couldn't be defeated enough. Seats were too hard too.

The RAV4 was comfortable, and after I drove the previous generation's V6, I was sold. Harsh ride? Yep, but I can change tires and some things around to help. I can't fix seats.

Good luck with the Subaru. It's a good vehicle.

 

[valnar]

The Toyota is a better built car. The Subarus are good too, but they have their quirks. Some have a really nice interior like the new Outbacks. Some are more spartan like the Forester (and RAV4). They've had their share of problems like excessive oil issues, windshield cracking and head gaskets. Their highly praised AWD system is complex, the Boxer engine can have issues, and then there is the CVT transmission.

Subaru is in my top 5 favs, but a Toyota is definitely worth the extra $2K or so. If it ends up around a $5K difference, chances are you're not comparing like for like models.

What turned me off of Subaru with the latest round of complaints is many of their problems are design, not manufacturing. If you have your Subaru fixed, it may still happen again. That alone is enough to sway me away from a used Subaru. A new one under warranty? Go for it. (A statement true of Fords, Chevy's and anybody else for that matter)