Bought a used car--did I make a mistake?

[Bruno Schull]

A few months ago I posted about a used Subaru Forester that I almost bought. In the end I did not buy that car, but yesterday I bought a similar vehicle, a 2010 Subaru Forester, gasoline, automatic transmission, with about 65,000 miles. I paid 9,500 dollars. It has been serviced regularly, and just passed required inspection. It has new brakes front and rear, a new battery, and summer and winter tires.

(I'm in Switzerland so this might be a unique Swiss model...here it's called the "Swiss 2.0 X" The diesel version is the DX." The link below shows the same car but with the manual transmission. My car is silver

https://www.autoscout24.ch/de/d/subaru-forester-20x-swiss-11066314?slide=20

I'm not really a car person, but I find myself ridiculously excited about this vehicle. It's the perfect year, style, size, and level of simplicity that I like. I hope it carries me to many adventures in the mountains (my primnary use of a car).

I got divorced about a year and a half ago, and it's been a difficult road. Getting my own car is an important part of these changes, so maybe that's contributing to my feelings.

Anyway, if I really screwed up, please be honest, but if I made an OK choice, it would be nice to hear that. Also, any particular problems, or issues I should be aware of with this vehicle?

I have an absolutely great Subaru mechanic that I trust completely to help with with whatever needs doing.

 

[firebanex]

I like Subaru's a lot, got three of them right now after all. Change the oil regularly and keep up on all the wear items and they tend to last a long time! I got an 06 Baja, a 14 Impreza, and a 23 Forester Wilderness. 2010 still doesn't have a ton of electronics and the engine and car is IMO pretty easy to work on when needed.

Potential issues off the top of my head, I think that year still has a timing belt. Make sure that gets changed out at the recommended interval as well unless you want to have catastrophic engine destruction when the old belt breaks. Plan to eventually replace the head gasket as well, they tend to start breaking down and leaking around 100k miles. Subaru didn't really get that sorted out until like 2012 and later. However, You may get lucky like I have with my 06 Baja at 150k miles and the head gasket still isn't leaking (knocks on wood).

 

[Bill Miles]

I have a 2010 with about 124k miles. Changed timing belt per schedule, no sign of head gasket problems.

Gas mileage isn't great and seems a bit worse than it used to be. Gas caps are a problem, OEM better than parts store.

 

[Snowfan]

I'm not really a car person, but I find myself ridiculously excited about this vehicle. It's the perfect year, style, size, and level of simplicity that I like. I hope it carries me to many adventures in the mountains (my primnary use of a car).

I got divorced about a year and a half ago, and it's been a difficult road. Getting my own car is an important part of these changes, so maybe that's contributing to my feelings.

Anyway, if I really screwed up, please be honest, but if I made an OK choice, it would be nice to hear that. Also, any particular problems, or issues I should be aware of with this vehicle?

2x Subie owner here. Sounds like a great car. Well done.

 

[Tom K.]

level of simplicity that I like

Agreed. The three knob climate control system in my wife's 2011 Honda still makes me weep with envy when I drive it. So simple. So logical. So fast to adjust without even glancing at it.

I have an absolutely great Subaru mechanic that I trust completely to help with with whatever needs doing.

I'd say you're set. It may be worth having him give it a thorough inspection to catch any little problems before they become $$$$$$$ problems.

 

[Bruno Schull]

The three knob climate control system in my wife's 2011 Honda still makes me weep with envy when I drive it. So simple. So logical. So fast to adjust without even glancing at it.

It's so gratifying that I'm not the only one who feels this way...I had an older VW with two simple knobs for climate: one that controlled the fan higher or lower, and another to control the temperature higher or lower. Also, they weren't "infinity" knobs that you can spin in either direction forever, and have to look at some instrumentation to know what the setting is....they had simple hard clicks at each setting between high and low. You could do it with you eyes closed...or rather with your eyes on the road.

On the more modern car my wife and I shared, you honestly had to focus you attention in about four different places to change the climate...one at the infinity know, once at the mode on a mid-height pannel, and then again at the result on a higher panel. Terrible experience, and I think even dangerous.

 

[scott43]

It's so gratifying that I'm not the only one who feels this way...I had an older VW with two simple knobs for climate: one that controlled the fan higher or lower, and another to control the temperature higher or lower. Also, they weren't "infinity" knobs that you can spin in either direction forever, and have to look at some instrumentation to know what the setting is....they had simple hard clicks at each setting between high and low. You could do it with you eyes closed...or rather with your eyes on the road.

On the more modern car my wife and I shared, you honestly had to focus you attention in about four different places to change the climate...one at the infinity know, once at the mode on a mid-height pannel, and then again at the result on a higher panel. Terrible experience, and I think even dangerous.

100%

 

[Philpug]

A few months ago I posted about a used Subaru Forester that I almost bought. In the end I did not buy that car, but yesterday I bought a similar vehicle, a 2010 Subaru Forester, gasoline, automatic transmission, with about 65,000 miles. I paid 9,500 dollars. It has been serviced regularly, and just passed required inspection. It has new brakes front and rear, a new battery, and summer and winter tires.

(I'm in Switzerland so this might be a unique Swiss model...here it's called the "Swiss 2.0 X" The diesel version is the DX." The link below shows the same car but with the manual transmission. My car is silver

https://www.autoscout24.ch/de/d/subaru-forester-20x-swiss-11066314?slide=20

I'm not really a car person, but I find myself ridiculously excited about this vehicle. It's the perfect year, style, size, and level of simplicity that I like. I hope it carries me to many adventures in the mountains (my primnary use of a car).

I got divorced about a year and a half ago, and it's been a difficult road. Getting my own car is an important part of these changes, so maybe that's contributing to my feelings.

Anyway, if I really screwed up, please be honest, but if I made an OK choice, it would be nice to hear that. Also, any particular problems, or issues I should be aware of with this vehicle?

I have an absolutely great Subaru mechanic that I trust completely to help with with whatever needs doing.

I have owned about 15 Subarus with an 09 Forester being my last and quite frankly, my least favorite. I had a two year lease on it because there was rumor that we would see the diesel by the time my lease was up. If Subie ended up bringing the diesel here, I would have gotten that verses switching back to VW.

 

[Crank]

Our 2014 Forester passed 100,000 miles a few months back. She has always burned up a little oil so we carry a few spare quarts. Otherwise Ruby the Suby has been great! Oh, the horn stopped working and cost over $700 to fix!!!