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Doc&Beth

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Fellow Cachers,

 

We have a 4WD pickup which we use for both caching an towing a 27' RV Trailer to cache locations. At times we don't take the pickup and trailer and to save gas we use my car which has very little clearance when driving off pavement. We've been considering getting a used Honda CR-V all wheel drive.

 

For those of you cachers that use this vehicle for caching please let me know your opinion of a CR-V for off pavement use.

 

Thanks,

 

Doc&Beth in Temecula, CA

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Fellow Cachers,

 

We have a 4WD pickup which we use for both caching an towing a 27' RV Trailer to cache locations. At times we don't take the pickup and trailer and to save gas we use my car which has very little clearance when driving off pavement. We've been considering getting a used Honda CR-V all wheel drive.

 

For those of you cachers that use this vehicle for caching please let me know your opinion of a CR-V for off pavement use.

 

Thanks,

 

Doc&Beth in Temecula, CA

 

I own a 2004 Honda CR-V EX and I can honestly say that I would never drive it off the road. It has worked better than the lower cars owned by my friends while driving on back roads (Ex. dirt roads, gravel roads, etc.) but even then I was a little worried about the possibility of getting stuck.

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Fellow Cachers,

 

We have a 4WD pickup which we use for both caching an towing a 27' RV Trailer to cache locations. At times we don't take the pickup and trailer and to save gas we use my car which has very little clearance when driving off pavement. We've been considering getting a used Honda CR-V all wheel drive.

 

For those of you cachers that use this vehicle for caching please let me know your opinion of a CR-V for off pavement use.

 

Thanks,

 

Doc&Beth in Temecula, CA

My opinion is Subaru Forester.

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I had a 2003 CR-V (sold it in 2011). I took it on some pretty nasty dirt roads and it did OK as long as I went slow. It's not for serious offroading though as it doesn't have enough ground clearance. The newer style CR-Vs have less ground clearance than the older style so I'd stay away from them for anything but the best maintained dirt roads

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What type of off-pavement are you thinking of? Just dirt roads, you'll probably be ok if they are maintained in some fashion. Non-maintained ones that I've been on can have washouts and gullies that are over a foot deep. If total off-road, probably not a good idea. I go out into the high desert where there are no roads, lots of animal dens dug into the ground, rocks, ditches, etc, and bought a Jeep Wrangler to do that. It has a 3" lift, plus big tires that are very rugged. A Honda might not make it w/o being very careful.

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I have a 2004 CR-V (Cache Retrieval Vehicle.) and I'm quite happy with how it goes on the primitive roads.

 

I can't get into some of the really off road places I used to take my Ford Ranger, but I find it will get me into and out of most places I want to go. Like Briansnat said though, you might have to take it slow in the rougher spots.

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Jeep is the master for most everything. Well, until you have to pay for fuel or go fast on the highway. Then you'll CURSE the Wrangler. The really high insurance will also be really bad.

 

I loved my XJ. Real doors, solid axles, fully enclosed box, EPIC reliability from the 4.0L straight six engine. But alas, I went back to Subaru...a Forester. Granted my LOWERED Legacy GT saw more off-road and rough condition action than many Jeeps, Hummers, and other SUVs. Subaru is hands down the best when it comes to all-wheel-drive (AWD). Of course I chase tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, etc. in my vehicles, so the standard requirements are probably a bit more higher than the typical geocacher. However, Subaru is a dadgum good off-roader until bolders become an issue.

 

Good thing about a Subaru (Forester or Outback) is you can actually lift them more (unless your have the Australian models, already lifted) really simply and for cheap.

 

Bad thing, they have chronic head gasket failures if the 2.5L EJ motors (1990-2008 or later maybe). The flat six (3.0, 3.6) and the Impreza 2.0, 2.2, etc. motors are OK. Turbo 2.5L motors are 50/50. Granted, if you find one you know has had the gaskets replaced (by pros, not a DIYer) then you are set. All that can be avoided with the newer models (FB motors) which starting in and around 2012 depending on models). Oh and another BIG one. Make sure you get AWD with the locking differential (same deal with Jeeps).

 

CRV, RAV4, Escape, Sportage, Santa Fe, etc., etc. may have AWD options, but they really shouldn't be used for more than grass lawns, light gravel, wet roads, etc.

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We have always had a 4WD since we bought the 1970 Land Cruiser. Right now we are driving a 2000 Land Cruiser which will pass anything on the road except a gas station. Very nice, Best vehicle we have ever had. We use it if we expect to be doing any off road or bad wx. We also have a new CRV. As mention by others, for most Geocaching it is an excellent choice. We have never really tested it in rough roads. Nice to have the 4WD in bad weather. Also nice to drive around town. Depends on your geocaching

conditions on what would be the best vehicle.

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.. or go fast on the highway...

 

You should test drive one of the Pentastar powered JK's. They like to go fast.

 

 

The really high insurance will also be really bad.

 

My JKU is rather cheap to insure. Cheaper than any of my VWs.

 

As for the Gas milage. When comparing it my other / past vehicles, after factoring in Premium / Reg Gas it's not to bad. My JKU gets ~19 on Reg. My VW Touareg Gets 24 on Premium and my GTI got ~26 on Premium. Figuring 10K miles a year the Jeep is ~$400 more per year than the GTI and only ~300 more than the Touareg.

Throw in the insurance savings over the GTI it's actually cheaper to drive / own the Jeep.

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I would take my CR-V anywhere I would take a Subaru forester. When we bought ours we had originally looked at the Forester, but decided on the CR-V because it can be towed behind a motorhome.

 

Different years have different spec.s but in 2004 the Subaru and the Honda were close.

 

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=honda+CR-V+off+road&qs=n&form=VBREQY&pq=honda+cr-v+off+road&sc=2-19&sp=-1&sk=#view=detail&mid=1E99CF0EC31072C5C1E01E99CF0EC31072C5C1E0

 

Hope this link works. I would never try this with my CR-V, but have seen a number of videos that were similar. :blink::)

Edited by uxorious
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Hi,

 

I would honestly consider either a Jeep Wrangler or if they sell them in the US, a Land Rover Defender or Discovery. A winch would be handy on it to pull you out. We have Mitsubishi's at the moment but haven't tried them off road. We did once have an Isuzu Trooper from the 90s which we used to move firewood out of a forest which was churned up and it performed quite well.

 

Personally, I would stick to caches that you walk to or cache and dash.

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CRV would be fine for anything upto a corrogated dirt road or dry paddock, after that it'd probably struggle. A few here have suggested all sorts of jeeps but I'd stay away if you're looking for cheap and smallish. Not sure f you get them there, probably do, but better for a little more serious bush driving would be a Suzuki Jimny or vitara. Jimnys are small, easy to handle and cheap to run and being really just a redesigned sierra they are extremely capable in the scrub.

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I would take my CR-V anywhere I would take a Subaru forester. When we bought ours we had originally looked at the Forester, but decided on the CR-V because it can be towed behind a motorhome.

 

Different years have different spec.s but in 2004 the Subaru and the Honda were close.

 

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=honda+CR-V+off+road&qs=n&form=VBREQY&pq=honda+cr-v+off+road&sc=2-19&sp=-1&sk=#view=detail&mid=1E99CF0EC31072C5C1E01E99CF0EC31072C5C1E0

 

Hope this link works. I would never try this with my CR-V, but have seen a number of videos that were similar. :blink::)

 

I had the 2003 CR-V for many years and as I mentioned, I took it on some really rugged roads. I now have a 2005 Forester and have taken it similar places. I think my Forester may have a tad more ground clearance than my old CR-V but that's just eyeballing it. I never actually measured. Both my CR-V and my current Forester have manual transmissions. I think the manual is can be helpful off road, especially if you get stuck in mud or snow.

Edited by briansnat
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We haven't found a road or 2 track that our Jeep Liberty can't handle!

I had one from 2003-2009 until it had a bad encounter with a deer. It was great and impressed a number of people when we did an offroad caching event back in 2006. With proper all-terrain tires it would have been even better.

 

It was a great caching vehicle. If I could have found one with the Common Rail Diesel engine I would have bought another one when my Jeep TJ had a bad encounter with black ice. (Notice a trend?)

 

The DanOCan-mobile Mark IV is now a Jeep Patriot. Not quite as good as a Liberty, but my model still counts as "Trail Rated". I've only had it a year but I'm sure it will get me to the vast majority of places I want to go. With a 4-cyclinder engine I'm not spending nearly as much on fuel as I did in my Liberty or my TJ and since I only did anything approaching serious offroading on very rare occasions, it just made sense to get something cheaper to run since it's my daily driver too.

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We hae a '07 and I would not recommend it for serious off-roading. The engine holds up well in puddles, bu it doesn't have the clearance you need for nasty roads where you will get stuck.

 

A side note, I also hate the swinging rear trunk entry. It doesn't openfar enough to allow you to place large items in the back. Glad they redesigned it to an overhead opening.

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With the right modifications, they could be fine.

 

crv-lifted.jpg

 

This one has 31" tires with an Old Man Emu lift kit.

 

http://www.rocky-road.com/honda-crv-lift-kit.html

I hope they SIGNIFICANTLY upgraded the steering. Stock unit could NEVER handle those tires. I'm suspect a TON of other parts would have to be upgraded, and kinda pointless with the cost involved.

Edited by TheWeatherWarrior
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A lift ain't everything either. Bottomline, a CRV is way more inferior to a Jeep or Subaru. It will matter in mud, cornering, etc. For geocaching dusty roads, probably fine. But I would consider it a "capable" vehicle for more than light duty.

 

Land Cruisers are awesome, but they are WAY TOO EXPENSIVE and can be outperformed by a Jeep modified for just a few hundred dollars. I almost bought a 1994 I prefer the 80 series, though though the 100 series is pretty nice if not a bloated Lexus. Anything past that is POS (like how the rest of Toyota is now).

 

Nothing my LOWERED Subaru didn't see! Edited by TheWeatherWarrior
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A lift ain't everything either. Bottomline, a CRV is way more inferior to a Jeep or Subaru. It will matter in mud, cornering, etc. For geocaching dusty roads, probably fine. But I would consider it a "capable" vehicle for more than light duty.

 

Land Cruisers are awesome, but they are WAY TOO EXPENSIVE and can be outperformed by a Jeep modified for just a few hundred dollars. I almost bought a 1994 I prefer the 80 series, though though the 100 series is pretty nice if not a bloated Lexus. Anything past that is POS (like how the rest of Toyota is now).

 

Nothing my LOWERED Subaru didn't see!

 

I love how these threads bring out the brand loyalty. I own a 2004 CR-V, and have driven a 2003 forester. I cannot imagine how anyone could say the Subaru is any better then the Honda. The specs are very similar, and the build quality seem very close.

 

But then people will argue for hours about Ford, Chevy and Dodge trucks, and there just isn't that much difference. B)

 

I'm not real familiar with Jeeps, but I believe most Jeeps are built much tougher than either the Honda or Subaru. (although I understand they are not as reliable??) I might be wrong, but I've always been under the impression they were designed with the idea of off road. And my experience, the few times I ridden in one on the road is they give a harsher, more truck like ride. I loved my Ford Ranger in the woods, but on the road you paid for it.

 

The point of this whole thread was the OP wondering how the Honda would do "off pavement". Doesn't sound like they plan to do the Naches trail with it. They have a 4X4 pick-up if they want to do anything real rough. :)

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With the right modifications, they could be fine.

 

This one has 31" tires with an Old Man Emu lift kit.

 

http://www.rocky-road.com/honda-crv-lift-kit.html

I hope they SIGNIFICANTLY upgraded the steering. Stock unit could NEVER handle those tires. I'm suspect a TON of other parts would have to be upgraded, and kinda pointless with the cost involved.

 

It's not a Subaru, which would have a "continuous flow" power steering box (add fluid every 100 miles) :D Subaru's are not quite as reliable as Hondas, and their parts cost about 3 times as much.

Edited by 4wheelin_fool
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Fellow Cachers,

 

We have a 4WD pickup which we use for both caching an towing a 27' RV Trailer to cache locations. At times we don't take the pickup and trailer and to save gas we use my car which has very little clearance when driving off pavement. We've been considering getting a used Honda CR-V all wheel drive.

 

For those of you cachers that use this vehicle for caching please let me know your opinion of a CR-V for off pavement use.

 

Thanks,

 

Doc&Beth in Temecula, CA

 

Really hard to know what to say without knowing more about what you consider "off pavement use".

 

I've used a 2002 RAV4 on unpaved forest roads and it chews them up just fine. It's a bit underpowered on steep climbs on unpaved roads but if that's a problem you can go for the V6 version.

 

If "off pavement" means the unmaintained forest roads that are basically gravel tracks then you can probably drive just about anything along them. I know the forest roads I frequent very well and every once in a while still get someone in a regular car gaining on me fast, and then taking off fast when I get chance to let them go by. The park director at the local state park told me of the time he saw someone driving a Ferrari 360 on the gravel tracks, obviously having a whale of a time.

 

If "off pavement" means what anyone would call hardcore offroading you'll want something with more ground clearance that's designed for going properly off the road. Cars like the CRV and RAV4 are often called "soft roaders", in that they can cope with light offroading but there are some places you just wouldn't take them.

 

I've described my experience with the RAV4 because it seems to me that it's pretty much the same as the CRV but with a different badge on the front.

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I love how these threads bring out the brand loyalty.

You didn't read my earlier thread did you. I'm far from Brand Loyal. In fact, I've owned Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Chrysler, Toyota, Subaru, Triumph, Oldsmobile and more. Actually, outside of Chevy and Subaru, don't think I've owned more than two of any make of vehicle.

 

It's not a Subaru, which would have a "continuous flow" power steering box (add fluid every 100 miles) :D Subaru's are not quite as reliable as Hondas, and their parts cost about 3 times as much.

Far from factual. Home many Subaru's versus Hondas still on the road with HIGH MILEAGE. Honda "lasts longer" claim omits mileage as a qualified because Hondas have a huge number of elderly drivers that drive less miles over a longer period. This is the same technique Oldsmobile used years ago when they claimed a lower 90 percentile of vehicles still on the road over a 10 and/or 20 year period (which included 1980s and 1990s vehicles). Depending on which data set used, Hondas are claimed in the 75% to 90% range over the same 10 to 20 year period. Subaru also claims about 95% of all vehicles in 20 years are still on the road, but they use a report that omits totaled vehicles (yes, there is an insurance report that includes this data).

 

Point is, I don't (and neither should anyone unless they have a research paper with lots of data to back it up) claim to say one brand is better than another in the reliability department. I just point out that most brands are in fact reliable. The marginal difference is just that....marginal.

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I love how these threads bring out the brand loyalty.

You didn't read my earlier thread did you. I'm far from Brand Loyal. In fact, I've owned Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Chrysler, Toyota, Subaru, Triumph, Oldsmobile and more. Actually, outside of Chevy and Subaru, don't think I've owned more than two of any make of vehicle.

 

It's not a Subaru, which would have a "continuous flow" power steering box (add fluid every 100 miles) :D Subaru's are not quite as reliable as Hondas, and their parts cost about 3 times as much.

Far from factual. Home many Subaru's versus Hondas still on the road with HIGH MILEAGE. Honda "lasts longer" claim omits mileage as a qualified because Hondas have a huge number of elderly drivers that drive less miles over a longer period. This is the same technique Oldsmobile used years ago when they claimed a lower 90 percentile of vehicles still on the road over a 10 and/or 20 year period (which included 1980s and 1990s vehicles). Depending on which data set used, Hondas are claimed in the 75% to 90% range over the same 10 to 20 year period. Subaru also claims about 95% of all vehicles in 20 years are still on the road, but they use a report that's omits totaled vehicles (yes, there is an insurance report that includes this data).

 

Point is, I don't (and neither should o anyone unless they have a research paper with lots of data to back it up) claim to say one brand is better than another in the reliability department. I just point out that most brands are in fact reliable. The marginal difference is just that....marginal.

 

Close to 20 years ago I worked for an auto parts supplier in Florida. People who owned Subaru's would get irate and storm off when they found out how much the parts cost. Then they would return after pricing other places, and would also come back multiple times to purchase other parts and became familiar to everyone. It was such a pattern that it was a bit humorous. I also had a girlfriend who owned a XT which had numerous problems, but none of the Hondas I owned ever had any issues at all. You can glean what you want from data sets, but I just hope they've improved as of late. :P

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Jeep is the master for most everything. Well, until you have to pay for fuel or go fast on the highway. Then you'll CURSE the Wrangler. The really high insurance will also be really bad.

I agree about the fuel--I get about 14 mpg tops in my Wrangler. But fast on the highway--just takes a while to get up to speed, but can do 75 easily (but not uphill!). I have a friend who was recently ticketed for speeding in his '04 Wrangler--92 mph :laughing: The insurance isn't bad, either, but that can really vary depending where you live.

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I drive a 2006 CR-V, I take it (slowly) off road from time to time. It has a little over 8" of clearance, not bad. The all-wheel drive isn't the ultimate answer to off-road or rough road driving, but it's better than not having it. I like that, in the 2006 model, you can turn the AWD off (not an option for the 2003 CR-V I had previously, sometimes it kicks in when you do NOT want it).

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Fellow Cachers,

 

We have a 4WD pickup which we use for both caching an towing a 27' RV Trailer to cache locations. At times we don't take the pickup and trailer and to save gas we use my car which has very little clearance when driving off pavement. We've been considering getting a used Honda CR-V all wheel drive.

 

For those of you cachers that use this vehicle for caching please let me know your opinion of a CR-V for off pavement use.

 

Thanks,

 

Doc&Beth in Temecula, CA

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Thanks Cachers for all your help regarding our question regarding use of a Honda CR-V for caching.

 

After looking at numerous used CR-V's and Jeep Grand Cherokees which we were also considering, we decided on buying a Grand Cherokee 4WD.

 

Thanks again for all your input.

 

Doc&Beth

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Anyone have experience with a Toyota FJ? They look rugged, but I've often wondered if that's just cosmetic.

They are pretty decent in some regards and piss poor in others. Visibility being a HUGE complaint (really need it when off road). But there are a ton of off-road aftermarket suppliers, so like Jeep, you can get bumpers, winches, lifts, skid plates, etc. etc. I've seen a number of them on the trails. They tend to be expensive however in comparison to other brands. But if you really like them and can afford one, go for it.
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^wow, that seems excessive. Does it even see mud, rocks? Why bedline the entire truck.

 

BTW, just had another friend look at CRV and Forester. In the end, opted for the Forester.

 

Not "Bedlined", it is LINE-X Platinum Protective Coating and not sure what you mean by "excessive".

 

Not that unusual, I am in a smallish town and there is my two trucks (my Tacoma is done in red) and a blue Jetta, a black Jetta and a Toyota Blizzard done the same way.

 

Even many of the car shows are featuring the vehicles as well. West Coast Customs has there entire rig daone and have done a 2012 Tundra, 2013 Black and Blue Camaro and 2014 Yellow Corvette (last week or two) so while not maybe common, not unusual either.

 

When you consider a decent paint job runs around $8K and does not hold up as well, it kind of makes sense.

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Subaru not reliable as a Honda. Blasphemy. Funny how I have had many subarus and put very little money in them aside from routine things such as oil changes/plugs/wires/whatnot and driven them to 300k and still sold them as a running car. Now I drive a geo metro and have driven it up 4wd roads and spent a lot if time on logging roads... Totally do-able if you are careful and choose your routes well... And I get 48-50 mpg. Come on, geocaching and geos go together!!!!

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Now I drive a geo metro and have driven it up 4wd roads and spent a lot if time on logging roads... Totally do-able if you are careful and choose your routes well... And I get 48-50 mpg. Come on, geocaching and geos go together!!!!

I had a Geo Metro 3 cylinder convertible when I lived in Bush Alaska and I went through some of the absolute worst terrain in that vehicle. It was also "the car" in the driveway that would start without fail even on the coldest morning.

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Not "Bedlined", it is LINE-X Platinum Protective Coating and not sure what you mean by "excessive".

 

Not that unusual, I am in a smallish town and there is my two trucks (my Tacoma is done in red) and a blue Jetta, a black Jetta and a Toyota Blizzard done the same way.

 

Even many of the car shows are featuring the vehicles as well. West Coast Customs has there entire rig daone and have done a 2012 Tundra, 2013 Black and Blue Camaro and 2014 Yellow Corvette (last week or two) so while not maybe common, not unusual either.

 

When you consider a decent paint job runs around $8K and does not hold up as well, it kind of makes sense.

Hahahhaahahahaha. You bought into their marketing BS. LineX is bedliner, They change the formula around a little bit, but that is what it is.

 

Excessive in that as a logical element, there is not need to cover an entire vehicle with the protective coating except one or tow isolated reasons. As a fashion state, sure, do what you want, free country. I too seen the many iterations of show vehicles with the various Rhino, LineX, etc. bedliner coatings. I could see if you were a hail oriented storm chaser (then I would expect your glass to be replaced with the property modification, or you venture into chemical or extreme weather environments (though even as a chaser, don't see the need).

 

Subaru not reliable as a Honda. Blasphemy. Funny how I have had many subarus and put very little money in them aside from routine things such as oil changes/plugs/wires/whatnot and driven them to 300k and still sold them as a running car. Now I drive a geo metro and have driven it up 4wd roads and spent a lot if time on logging roads... Totally do-able if you are careful and choose your routes well... And I get 48-50 mpg. Come on, geocaching and geos go together!!!!

You must have very old Subarus and non have a 2.5L. One the whole, and if you do ACTUAL research, Subaru is far from as reliable as Honda. But that is on the whole. I certainly wouldn't trust a Honda in more extreme environments (Alaska would be one of those). I think I'm being redundant but Honda is a great vehicle if you are a typical daily commuting from the 'burbs and hardly venture out in bad weather. Now if the opposite is true. Then I would NOT recommend a Honda. They are great if babied. Subaru is a little more tougher, though the more the years go on (and Toyota puts more and more input) they are less and less durable and more and more just another Camry like vehicle.
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Well the only REAL issue with the 2.5l subaru was the headgasket and was resolved by subaru in 2005. A simple job that can be done by the home mechanic with minimal tools and a cost of $150 (assuming the heads don't need resurfacing)...

NOT a simple job and your over simplification of such shows me you don't know subaru at all. Read any forum related to Subaru (Nasioc, legacygt.com, Subaruoutbackforum, fozzie forum, etc.). You have to pull the entire motor to replace the head gaskets, not doing so is stupid and usually fails. The problem was NOT solved by 2005 as the number of late 2000s HG are failing too. The only EJ motors that are 2.5L that seem to have escaped are the Turbo versions (about half as many failures, though that isn't saying much for as high as the HG issue is). Many go undetected because they were often internal leak failures (no coolant found on the ground).

 

DO THE RESEARCH. Anecdotal evidence is NOT fact. But significant survey and data collection does support the fact that 2.5L EJ motors were unreliable from the factory. The good news is...if you fix the HG issue early, before overheating the motor, then, yes, they can go lots and lots of miles. Now if you have an impreza wrx/sti, there is a whole other list of issues with transmissions. But I'm not as familiar with those. Again...read and research the sites above for a more accurate picture.

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