Subaru owners are among the most loyal in the car industry, but Honda sells better here. As a result, you can get more discount on a Subaru than you can on a Honda, altho Civic sales were really stung by the bad 2012 model. Because the hatchback was just introduced, you might have a harder time getting anything substantial off the MSRP. Usually a model has to be out for a while before the dealers get a feel for how long or fast the models they have on stock, will be bought off the lot. Hatchbacks are extremely practical. If Honda/Acura hadn't dropped the Integra hatchback I'd still own one. The Integra was a pumped-up Civic and the most fun to drive and own of any of the cars we've had over the last 40 yrs. It was unbelievable how much cargo that car would hold. Because of the thick rear pillars that are integral to many cars' designs, be very sure you check how big the "blind spots" are when you take any car out for a text drive. Rear view cameras are becoming standard for a reason, unfortunately! Both Subaru and Honda have excellent safety and reliability records. Frankly, I would pick one based on dealer service competence. We have used both dealer service depts and independents for our cars, and very few dealer service depts have been as competent as the independents we've used. Because of that, if it were my decision I'd pick Subaru, because we know of an excellent dealer service dept. in a neighboring city, whereas every Honda owner we know (the rest of my entire family, and a number of friends, are Honda fanatics) absolutely loathe the various Honda service departments in their areas.

Bought a used Volvo today, so thought I would update. Sadly, it is an SUV not a wagon, but it seems like a good fit for us. It's an XC 60. It was owned by a meticulous man, has very few miles on it (and mostly highway miles) and has every possible option I might want. It was a bit more than I wanted to pay, but I think it is worth it (also has winter tires and 2 years left under a very comprehensive warranty). We are a pretty dull couple and buying a car is a bit of a big deal for us. The guy that owned this car was a real character who emigrated here from Europe, lives in an unusual historical house and really hit it off with my DH. Somehow, this minor quirky story attached to the car makes me feel even more like it is the car for us. Thanks for all your help. This thread was really a nice way for me to celebrate my time as a wagon owner (I obviously have a bit of a difficult time with change) and I'm glad to hear others appreciate them, too.

I have no doubt that you'll love your RR and the cooled seats are a must in your area. I used to think they were over-kill but they're in the new F-Pace S that DH just bought and I will definitely get them in my next car. His seats are black and I swear that they get hotter than my beige ones so the cooled vents help. While DH loves his Jaguar I think it's just a tad too small for my purposes and probably for yours too. He traded in his MB sedan because he wanted something that was sporty and more fun to drive. He opted for the gasoline engine because I have a diesel MB SUV and that's the one we take on trips - better mileage and much larger than his car. His car also has the gas saving feature where the engine shuts off when the car is stopped - but you can also turn that off which is what we did. I wonder if you will have that choice with your RR? My car only has 30,000 miles on it and my DDIL needs a vehicle now that they moved out of the city to the suburbs. DS offered to buy mine since it's big enough for his 2 dogs and future children. I just have to find a replacement vehicle and I'm looking at RR. We want another diesel and MB, Porsche and Audi stopped making diesels in the US. I also detest run-flats and I think I can still get real tires at LR/RR. You'll have to report back and let us know what you finally picked - and photos too. Maire

I have a 2019 cross trek and she's just fine. This is our 3rd subaru. I don't think you can beat them for safety or reliability. I specifically was looking for AWD and for the safety features as, I figure as I'm aging, I'm not becoming a better driver. I especially like the headlights that turn as you turn a corner and the auto hi/low beam adjuster. The back up cameras, side lane warnings and front collision signals are wonderful. I did turn off the lane drift feature though as, driving winding country roads which I do all the time, I often cross the yellow line and the warning was annoying. But it's great that you can turn these things off. I'd turn it back on on the highway especially if it was late at night and I'd worry about getting drowsy. I'm looking to give this one to DH and get a new little sweet ride for myself. And one thing I really like about the subaru is how they integrated the screen into the dash so it looks intentional. So many vehicles, they pop the screen on top so it looks like an after thought. I would love to get another subaru for myself, but I'm looking for small, and the subaru sports car is RWD which I won't go back to. So my search continues.