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About Subaru

Subaru is a Japanese car brand that makes coupes, sedans and SUVs. Read reviews for their models:

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Subaru Reviews

ConsumerAffairs has collected 670 reviews and 1,300 ratings.

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Reviewed July 21, 2022

When I bought my brand new Crosstrek almost 2 years ago, the salesman sold me an $1,485 "Equity Shield Optimum Vehicle Protection Plus" plan for any body damage that happens within the first 3 years. As it happened, some jerk in a parking lot swiped the front quarter panel and did some minor damage. The plan (from a 3rd party company) would not cover any of it. What a waste of money! I can't believe that Subaru would sell such a thing to their customers. But, apparently their salespeople get paid extra to pretend that the coverage comes from Subaru and to lie to their customers about what it would cover. The Equity Shield plan is an absolute rip off! Subaru should be ashamed of themselves!

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Reviewed April 2, 2022

While getting out of the driveway in reverse, the car suddenly accelerated. Subaru after two months' "investigation" decided that the car was OK and even refused to fix the small damage to the body car.

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Customer ServiceCoveragePunctuality & SpeedStaff

Reviewed March 21, 2022

I was disappointed to learn that Subaru would not cover the cost of replacing the engine in my car that is burning excessive oil. It currently has about 69,770 miles on it, but the oil burning started around 40,000 miles back in 2018. It was still under warranty when this problem started but it didn’t fail the oil consumption test, and we had a baby so my wife wasn’t driving it much. Then we had another, so the car was only driven some weekends, especially with the pandemic there weren’t many places to go. Fast forward to now, the past year and a half the problem is getting worse because I started driving it daily. I found out some engines have an extended warranty because this is a very common problem with Subarus, but since my car isn’t a manual it’s not covered. I called them a couple weeks ago, and after not calling me back when they said they would or emailing me I called again and and found out they agreed to pay $5,000.

Who agrees to pay more than half unless they admit their engines don’t hold up? The customer advocacy manager who called me (she must be the CEO of Subaru because she doesn’t have a manager above her) just went around in circles with me while refusing to acknowledge that this was a problem in 2018. She didn’t say I was a liar but pretty much she said it didn’t fail the test then so just because the oil light came on and there was no oil doesn’t mean it was burning.. O.. Ok? Even though the problem started 20,000 miles before the warranty was up it doesn’t matter. Subaru did offer to pay more than half of the $8000 engine replacement, but even $3,000 is a struggle for us being on one income, with only this one car. Even 70,000 miles is way too low of mileage to have this kind of problem.

It seems this problem is very common and this is all very disappointing. Even being on hold with them you hear recordings boasting about “the Subaru family” and how much they care. Well I must be the black sheep of the family. We loved our 2010 forester and traded it in in 2015 for This one. We still thought we would get a new one after this one but if we have to pay for a new engine 10,000 miles past the warranty because of a common problem like burning oil that started during the warranty period (there’s cars 20 years old that don’t have this problem) then no thanks.

We will not buy another Subaru again, not so much because of the problems, because hey problems happen, but we will not buy one because they are not willing to stand 100% behind their products (only 62.5% apparently). The car was burning oil at 39,000 miles and they admit that but it wasn’t burning enough to fail the test. Now it’s burning 23oz every 1200 miles. For a 2015 with 70,000 miles. I know, ridiculous. So anyways it’s a little more sentimental for us since we loved the car, but if owning a Subaru means needing a new engine at 70,000 miles then we will buy a different brand, and I recommend you do the same.

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Customer ServiceStaff

Reviewed Feb. 14, 2022

I have owned three Subaru's and just recently purchased my fourth which was a 2019 Certified Pre-owned Subaru Ascent Touring. I have had the car for a month when the transmission starting acting up. Upon taking it to the dealership twice to look at it the second time they have had it going on two weeks. Randy Marion Subaru technicians have been very helpful and they are just as aggravated as I am with how Subaru is handling my situation. The technician states he knows exactly what is going on with my car as he has witnessed it and I have provided them with videos of what is going on. The technician states that the chain is slipping on the transmission. Having a two year old in the car I find this extremely unsafe and if not fixed and something happens I will sue Subaru for all that they are worth.

My car is still under warranty having only 32,000 miles on it. I am still paying a payment on a car that I have not had in two weeks because Subaru is stating that the technician has to catch it on their computers for them to replace anything. Subaru has all these ratings for being such a good company that cares about their customers but I am highly encouraging people to stay away from Subaru after this incident which is not resolved. I have contacted the customer care line only to be told the support specialist would reach out to the dealership and get back to me which has yet to happen. I am so beyond irritated at this point. I just want my car back and I want it fixed.

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Price

Reviewed Feb. 11, 2022

I purchased a Subaru Forester in 2016. Five years later I’ve been told I have to replace a valve body for the CVT transmission. This is going to cost me $1700. Subaru knew they had problems with the CVT. They should’ve issued a recall, instead they extended the warranty to 10 years or 100,000 miles. that means that you are at risk of having to replace your entire transmission after 100,000 miles. In addition Subaru is the only place you could have it repaired. They do not issue approval for after parts. A new transmission is $7000. THEY ARE A FRAUDULENT COMPANY.

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Reviewed Jan. 30, 2022

I bought Subaru Ascent 2021. It’s my biggest mistake I did the wrong decision. My SUV have issues with seats. My driving seat is shaking while driving especially when you stop on signal or stop signs. When you move driving seats is shaking feel me be. I fell down backside so it’s scary and my SUV 2nd row right side seat is give bad noise when you are driving bumpy street like rough road. It’s only 10000 miles and feel I drove old car.

I take my SUV on Subaru service center twice. They are not able to fixed that issue. I guess they don’t have experienced technicians. They tried to fix and said it’s manufactured fault. Right now I am confused. What I gonna do. This SUV is not value to money so I decide to give review about my experience for helping people be careful before buying this suv make sure first check the seats in this SUV. After buying no one take responsibility. My car is under warranty but they didn’t fix. I go every week in service center and request them please fix my car.

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Customer Service

Reviewed Jan. 24, 2022

With - 28 C in Ottawa today, it was not surprising that my car did not want to start. The dealer could only suggest calling their emergency roadside assistance service 1-800-263-8642. After punching several options on my cellular phone, I was put into a waiting line and after 45 minutes, I could no longer stand their stupid music and I cancelled the call. Thanks to my personal battery charger, I solved the issue. The car runs nicely but Subaru fails on the service aspect.

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Customer Service

Reviewed Nov. 19, 2021

The safety features and it's so fun to drive! I really liked how it handled and reasonably priced. They have several models to choose from, but I am partial to the Crosstrek Sport, it has all of the things I am looking for and then some!

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Customer Service

Reviewed Nov. 6, 2021

I have had 5 new Subaru cars since 2006, all 5 cars were a pleasure to own, 2 Foresters, 2 Outbacks, and 1 Ascent. The cars are all comfortable, easy to drive and come with many extras as standard equipment. Great resale and trade. Highest rated for safety and insurance.Other

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Customer Service

Reviewed Nov. 5, 2021

Love my Impreza--it's my second one. Comfortable, feels safe, lots of well thoughtout extras. I researched a few dealerships before buying/servicing--some do it better than others. All in all, would buy another and recommend.

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Customer Service

Reviewed Nov. 4, 2021

With a 20+ year old Subaru and a 3 year old one I have unbelievable confidence in this brand. Other than an alternator failure there have been no issues. The number of winter situations they have gotten us through is a start, but the new one's safety features instill security and confidence.

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Customer ServiceStaff

Reviewed Sept. 23, 2021

These guys don’t care about you, your car, or your experience. Not at all supposed to see the low rating. Thankfully before I submitted my application to be a Subaru of America ambassador, they showed me their true colors and let me know that they were not at all concerned with their customers or with having integrity. I hope I never have to call them for any reason ever again.

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Customer Service

Reviewed Sept. 13, 2021

I used to be a loyal Subaru customer, but will never consider buying a Subaru again. After attempting to purchase my leased Subaru, Subaru Motor Finance could not confirm for over 3 weeks whether they ever received the check in the mail. I called for weeks, always being told that someone would get back in touch with me in 48 hours - no one ever called me back. I have spent over 4 hours on hold over the past weeks without any resolution.

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Verified purchase
PriceStaff

Reviewed Aug. 31, 2021

I called Subaru Care team last week after my Son who is in the military 2011 Subaru with 112,000 miles CVT Transmission failed. The car is in my name due to it being purchased when he was seventeen 2 years ago. Also because he has been gone the last year and not driving it due to training in California. The cost for a Transmission to be repaired is close to 8,000. dollars. The part itself costs 6,640 dollars. I called Subaru because my son is only home for 2 months for additional training close to home before he deploys, I asked Subaru being so close to the extended warranty could they assist me in any way with replacing the transmission. Outside of this issue the car is in excellent shape. Subaru America said they could not help me and could only offer me a $1,500 towards a brand new vehicle even though Subaru would not even take the Outback as a trade in and told me to take it to pick in pull.

With my son deploying he won't be home for a few years so a brand new vehicle is not necessary which I told them. $1500 towards the repair and a Subaru staying on the road instead of being totaled due to Subaru's known CVT issue I think would be more beneficial to me and their brand. Incredibly disappointed with Subaru America Care Team for One charging such an astronomical dollar amount to fix a Subaru transmission, Two not caring about rare circumstances like a military individual deploying in two months and not needing a new car but assistance with the repair of their current car so they can drive it until they leave! The Subaru America Care Team obviously follow the corporate log book and do not look at each induvial situation. Their Branding definitely needs to be updated. They obviously don't love to Care the Military!

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Customer Service

Reviewed Aug. 10, 2021

Extremely disappointed. I purchased a 2010 Subaru Forester from Bloomington in October of 2020 for nearly $9,000. 9 months later it broke down on the road and requires an engine replacement. I spoke with the manager and was told "Sometimes used cars break down. There's nothing we can do." I emailed Subaru directly and received no reply. There are no laws to protect consumers from faulty used vehicles, but good customer service, I think, dictates a $9k vehicle should last more than 9 months. I will not be going back to Bloomington Subaru nor will I ever purchase a Subaru of any kind.

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PriceReliability

Reviewed Aug. 4, 2021

Hi, we have a relatively old Subaru, about 8 years but very low mileage and the a/c failed with a projected cost of $2,500. Seeing as the vehicle has been used very little, the repair amounts to $3 for every hour it has been driven. I asked if this was normal from Subaru and they simply explained that it was out of warranty. So if you want a reliable car that is going to last for years, and you have low mileage, maybe best to look elsewhere, as they appear unconcerned that there are failures despite low usage. Warranty should be time or mileage-based. My first and last Subaru, oh well.

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Reviewed Aug. 3, 2021

To say I have had a bad experience is an understatement. Week one, battery dies leaving me unable to open the rear hatch to access my dog crates. Month 2, my AC dies (in the summer... I live in Texas). Battery continuously dies, replaced multiple times. Advised that battery drain has been addressed, pure lies. Tailgate latch breaks (remember dog crates mentioned before?) 17 months, Transmission goes out- even though multiple sources prove that the 2019 has multiple tranny issues, dealership tried for 2 weeks to make me pay for the entire new transmission. These are just a few of the issues I've had. ***Not a dog friendly car!!!

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Reviewed March 10, 2021

My son bought a 2016 Subaru WRX STI from a Ford dealer. He had problems with it right after buying it. Fast forward to a year later and it needs a new transmission. The warranty that was sold with the car was actually void because the person who traded it to Ford had put aftermarket parts on it and a "tune." We contacted Subaru about the problem and they are going to honor the warranty and pay for the repairs. I am happy to say that Subaru is a great company. There are not many companies that stand behind their products these days. Thank You Subaru!

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Reviewed Feb. 6, 2021

Subaru advertises free map updates. However in Canada you have to try and download from a website as the vehicle option is disabled. So the map downloader has glitches and the customer service has no clue. If you go to the dealer he will charge you labour but does not have a clue as well.

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Reviewed Jan. 27, 2021

Sorry to say this is turning out to be the worst car buying experience that either of us has ever encountered in over four decades of driving. First off the sales person lied to us about the accessories options available for our vehicle, and the finance guy was condescending. So I went to the parts department and began ordering the accessories that I was told were not available. The L E D side view mirrors were installed by the supervisor of the service department. He admitted damaging the inner workings of the mirrors and ordered replacements. Another trip back to the dealership and the problem was even worse. He tried to convince me that it was normal to see through only half of the mirrors as they could not be adjusted properly to be able to see the lanes to either side of me. He eventually got frustrated with my insisting that they be fixed to the way they originally worked, and told me to go home to my wife.

I called the corporate office and it has been over two weeks with no resolution in sight. A week ago I try to remote start before I left to work. The STARLINK system would not connect. When I went out to the car to start it. The dashboard and ignition lights were blinking and it would not start. I had it towed to the dealership, they gave us a small dirty loaner car and yesterday, a week later, they called to say it was fixed and ready to be picked up. We made the trip there to find that it was not true, the vehicle was not ready as the STARLINK was still not working. We're back in the loaner vehicle, it's the next day and we have not received another call about the status of our car. This car is two months old and it's their top of the line SUV. Do I have a lemon? More to come.

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Reviewed Jan. 23, 2021

I want to highlight 2 specific points about Subaru Finance. Reference to my purchase of 2021 Crosstrek on Nov 2020. The Finance rep provided me false information that they checked with Chase and the best rate they could offer we was 4.49 and if I purchased extended warranty they can offer me 4.29. My Credit Score > 800 and I have multiple financial relationship with Chase. I was told chase has all access to my information and based on the current market situation this is the best rate they can offer. Being a Saturday evening I couldn't verify.

On Monday I went to the branch and asked for details. I was surprised to learn that they didn't get any inquiries. So I asked for what my rate would be for new car financing. I was offered 2.39.(I have email proof of this). To add to that - Even the refinance rate which I checked with BoFa was 3.49 and Credit Union offer me 2.99 (I have proof of this as well). Over a 72 month term that would have translated to an additional $1500 in interest. To gain business, I have to believe the finance manager blatantly lied that they had checked with all the banks including Chase and based on my credit score this is the best they can offer. I did reach out to finance department and customer relations. But once the sale is done, they seem not bothered to even respond.

2. I was charged document and fees and told the title and registration will be taken care and I will get the refund for my 2019 subaru crosstrek from DMV once the transfer the title from me. I have paid $725 for 5 years registration just in April 2020 so had the prorated refund of 4.5 years to be refunded. 2 months fast forward, I checked even as of today on AZ DMV portal. They have not even notified the car as sale per my DMV website and Title was still under my and the credit union's name (have taken the printscreen of the same too). And I have not got the refund either as of today.

I was also not provided the price which I had agreed to for which after speaking the dealership person said they will speak with the GM and get back to me. Again the Finance guy provided misinformation on cost of ownership stating that it includes the interest I would be paying which doesn't seem to be true. I followed up few times since but they never got back on this. I had sent a detailed note on this as well. For any concerns/arbitration - Dealership had asked me not to reach outside till I have discussed my concerns with dealership. I have been patient enough thus far, but as I have not heard back on any resolution/remediation from the dealership I am writing this review. Based on all the above points I have to believe Subaru Finance has been provided false information and unethical practices to get my business.

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Reviewed Jan. 10, 2021

I genuinely like the idea of warranties but have always found they cover next to nothing. As a woman with little mechanical background, warranties offer the false promise of safety and help where none is likely to be found.

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Reviewed Dec. 30, 2020

I bought this low- mileage 2019 Forester used and admittedly have only 4 months experience with it. Most things seem fine except for one BIG issue: from time to time there is no response when I press the accelerator. After 2-3 seconds it picks up again, but by then I could have been rear-ended! This is the same issue described by Margaret of Harrisburg and is not new. I found other websites dating back to 2015 with dozens of complaints about this same problem. This is a clear safety issue and should be the subject of a recall. I bought a Subaru because it used to be highly rated but, as I research this problem, I now find more and more complaints about this and other issues.

Other things I don’t like include the auto-shutdown at stops. I had to turn it off because it caused a hesitation and was annoying. And the drivers manual is a mess — 550 pages with supplements and I can’t find how to, for example, dim the dash lights. It seems there’s never one spot that fully describes a function. Pages referring to other pages, referring to other pages that eventually come full circle. And the index is almost useless. Think “dashboard light dimmer” is there? Nope. This is only one function for which I find Google much more helpful.

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Reviewed Dec. 26, 2020

Never a problem; however when term was up; but, miles still okay. I called and talked to warranty rep. and asked if I could extend it until the 100.000 miles was up. He, rudely, advised that I was 2 days late and could not apply.

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Verified purchase

Reviewed Sept. 16, 2020

I had to buy a new vehicle after my other paid off car was totaled by a person who ran a stop sign. I heard great things about Subaru so Just bought a 5-door Impreza with less than 15,000 miles on it. Did not notice it was a “base model” really as it had the Bluetooth and parking camera. The speedometer/tachometer cannot hardly be seen AT ALL except for a red arrow during daylight driving in sunlight. Can appear totally dark in bright sun! Very bad situation. Car does not have “auto” headlights but even turning parking or lights manually on in daytime does not help (as manual said could be done). This really is a unsafe design flaw. The higher option models have a better set up with the lights with lane assist. If you have a base model you are just stuck; cannot change the speedometer light level per the dealer. I wish I would have known this flaw before I bought this but I am happy with rest of car.

At night all the speedometer lights and tachometer turn on red and can be seen easily but forget it during the day. I have vision issues and wear contacts so this sure doesn’t help. If I could have spent more for the higher option vehicle I would have now but was trying not to have a car payment still after I unexpectedly lost my other car and stay within my insurance payout. I may have to trade this in For the higher option later if I continue to like the rest of the car, we will see. I think Subaru needs to change this basic safety issue on its base models!! On Google there were other people who had complained about this. I noticed now too. I have only had this car 2 weeks and wish I would have test drive longer as I didn’t notice in the short test drive.

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Reviewed Aug. 26, 2020

I currently own a 2015 Subaru WRX that I CANNOT DRIVE. I had an issue where the pitcher stopper mount. Literally tore itself off my firewall. I came to find out that is was a design error from manufacturing date. I called them to get this claim settled so I could go on about driving around and enjoying my vehicle. Well as of January 2020, they denied my claim stating "the air struts installed on my vehicle were determined to be the problem". Well... that's weird; I put those on 5 days prior to even going into the dealership. Well I went on about seeking ways to get this repaired until around late August of 2020 I saw a TSB posted by Subaru in 2017 showing that this repair was to be fixed under warranty no matter what.

Well, I was lied to by the first rep who was taking care of that back in January, let me call again with this new info and see what they would be able to do for me. And so I did. I was told by this new rep that this TSB expired in June of 2019 (which I was not even mentioned or told about) and basically said, "Good luck, that isn't our problem to deal with." I can't drive my car without having any drivability issues and I am currently looking at my options because I can't afford a $2000-3000 bill for a problem I didn't do. Honestly, I am beyond upset with how Subaru handled this and wish they let their customers know when there is issues that have to be looked at before just kicking us to the curb. I've been a loyal customer for 10 years but this will be my last Subaru I ever own.

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Reviewed Aug. 6, 2020

Bought this car brand new and am meticulous about maintenance. Cvt transmission was advertised as "no maintenance". Now they say it needs to be replaced at 150,000 miles and that this is a known defect! There was a horrible whining that started very quiet on and off in 2017 and became louder this year. We drove into a city intersection to turn, and the car stalled. We were lucky that we didn't get hit by another car. We took it to the dealership as we do all recommended maintenance and something was really wrong to make it stall like that. The dealership said that it is a CVT transmission, and they are known to have this problem. Told us to call Subaru. There was an extended warranty offered in 2018, but we never were notified of that and are the original owner. If we had the notification we would have had this fixed as it occasionally made the noise but it did not repeat when at our service center.

We would have had the dealer check it if we knew about the problem and warranty. I expected a Subaru to last longer than this before needing an $9,000 repair. Called Subaru and they offered me $1,000 toward a new Subaru. I paid $36,000 for this car. I don't think $1,000 off one now is going to help me very much for a known problem with this transmission that put us in a very dangerous situation.

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Reviewed Feb. 19, 2020

Spent a great deal of time looking for a car. Have had Hondas and one Toyota in the past- usually bought when two years old and kept till 200,000 miles- all still running when sold and great cars. This is a new car, too many electrical gadgets and little education on how to use them. Now major replacement is needed that was not caught before the car was on the market- poor quality control. Now I know why they tried to sell me repair add on insurance and sign something about lemons- I’ll have to review that.

A new screen or computer: music, phone, etc is needed, supposedly affecting the battery. The “eye” (car correction) doesn’t work if there’s a little frost or snow on the upper shield covering the camera (the dealer says it’s fine- why have it if you can’t rely on it in storms?), occasionally doesn’t turn over first time and struggles the first time especially if the temperature is below 30 degrees (I live where it gets much colder), it’s kept in a garage and outside temp is 20-30 degrees and struggles starting. The restarting when stopped at lights feels like the starter will be run down in no time and sometimes it sounds like the transmission will fall out and there’s a grinding sound. The Subaru app says all is fine on its check up- not reliable or accurate.

After several hours diagnosing at the dealer, they ordered a part (the screen) of which they failed to call me to schedule a time when it came in... After waiting over two weeks, I emailed. No words of confidence or apology about this. The purchasing was simple, but after the sale, this is a different experience with them. I’ll take my simple, reliable Honda. (I dislike Honda's dealerships usually- high pressure, but the used car dealer’s owner passed away and closed- where I purchased my cars in the past, so I thought a new car would be the best choice and I liked Subaru’s low selling pressure.) How do I get rid of a new car (now almost two months old) with a history? I thought it was a great car when I bought it- first new car in 30 years, but who knows what will happen next, I don’t feel safe driving distances in it and I travel a great deal, so this is a serious concern.

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Reviewed Feb. 14, 2020

I have had Subarus since in college, and find them the best option for tough terrain and reliability. But hearing about the design and promotion of larger and larger cars, I have to choose with my conscience. The planet I love to explore in my Subaru cannot sustain these giant cars. Get real and get a clue. Bring back the Justy...or the Baja. These were cars that got the job done. I would buy a Justy in a heartbeat...mine got 39 miles per gallon. What is the matter with the world? Don't we care?

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Reviewed Jan. 30, 2020

We purchased a 2019 Ascent and love many things about it. The one thing we DO NOT is the MPG. We have carefully monitored the MPG in all sorts of circumstances, even trying to drive at the speed limit on cruise control for several hours in 8th speed in the manual mode. That is where we got the best MPG at 19.2. At no other time have we been close to the quoted number. Our average has been 17.2 city and 18.8 highway, which are very different numbers from what the window sticker numbers showed. We have tried endlessly to work with Subaru of America and have had little to no help as they are not taking ownership of the discrepancy and they just keep trying to put it back on the dealership. Clearly this is a corporate issue as they build the vehicles and the dealership just sells them!

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