The New Subaru Crosstrek for 2013

My wife and I have been driving Subaru's since 2007.  I had bought a 2007 sport wagon to drive to work and use as a second car, however, my wife claimed it the first hour I owned it and I was back to the Kia. In 2009 I bought an Outback Limited for myself, and in 2010 we replaced the sport wagon with an Impreza Outback Sport in two tone silver (the car my wife fell in love with the first time she saw it). My wife is from South Africa where she never had to worry about snow. Driving the Subaru in Ohio makes her feel free to drive in bad weather. In fact after the Subaru she would actually leave the house when it was snowing. In December 2011 I traded in the 2010 Outback and bought a 2012 Forester Touring which is built on the Impreza frame but has a higher ground clearance and more cargo capacity. Great for those times when you need a little more space. You can read more about our Subaru cars by following this link.

When I read about the XV Crosstrek I was curious to see it in person. It is also built on the Impreza frame and fits in between the Impreza and the Forerster. That seemed a little strange to me, but it actually looks more like an "Outback Sport" than my wife's actual Outback Sport. If that makes sense?! You can read a lot about the Crosstrek elsewhere on the internet, but my opinion is that some people would prefer the regular Impreza and the feeling of a smaller sporty car and others will like the SUV feel of the Crosstrek. The Forester probably isn't very likely to appeal to those two groups.

If you are looking for a small SUV but interior capacity is key then the Forester is the way to go. Plus the Forester still has the bigger engine. If you want something more sporty looking then the Crosstrek might be more appealing, but with the 2.0 engine certainly not for performance. Like all Subaru's the suspension is always well tuned and handling is very good regardless of the Impreza version you want. I think the diesel version of the Crosstrek might be the ticket, but that isn't a US option yet. Of course there are many opinions on diesel engines and their usefulness compared to the more modern engines of today.

So, would my wife want a 2013 Crosstrek? Nope, she likes the smaller Impreza Outback Sport because she feels it lives up to it's "Sport" name. Her Outback Sport is just the right size and color for her. The Crosstrek with its 8.7 inch ground clearance would be a great car for all those people wanting to get off the road and want a smaller car with good gas mileage. Would I want a Crosstrek? There are times when you just need a bigger car so not as my only car. However, I do like the Crosstrek and if I was in the market I might try to talk the wife into the Crosstrek instead of the Impreza. I would feel more comfortable in it and the gas mileage is a nice plus over our 2010 Outback Sport. Aahh, in the end though the wife would win out and she would have her smaller sporty car that handles great in the snow and is fun to drive. Did I mention the two tone silver? She loves that color combo, are you listening Subaru?

The Forester has the larger interior capacity, but the Crosstrek has the better miles per gallon. If neither of those count then picking your car is a matter of personal taste and options wish list.

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Mixing Photography With Our Subaru Car Purchases

I like photography and cars, and the two mix very well! So naturally when I buy a car I take my camera along to get a few pics (it is never going to look better than brand new and never driven). I decided I wanted to buy a 2012 Subaru so my search started in November. My wife is from South Africa where there is no snow and Ohio weather was quite a shock to her. The first time she slid in the snow I got the panic call! Once she drove a Subaru she actually started to get out of the house more during the winter. With AWD she found freedom from the snow covered streets.

I debated back and forth about buying another Outback or perhaps trying out a Forester, which I was planning on buying when I bought the Outback. The big benefit with the Forester is that my wife would be more likely to drive it, she has an Impreza Outback Sport which is the perfect car for her. The Outback is just too big for her liking. The local Subaru dealer is Waikem Subaru located in Massillon, Ohio. Low pressure environment and when I walk in the door I am greeted by everyone. However, the biggest plus is that they put up with my picture taking. I have taken a lot of pictures at Waikem Subaru and never get hassled by anyone. The guys in the service department put up with me too.I decided on a 2012 Forester and when it came in, my sales consultant Rick Spieth even offered to take a picture of the car on the truck before it was unloaded. When I picked up the Forester it was a very busy end-of-year day and  sales consultant Rick Ballas jumped in to help out. So in my photo collection are a couple of hundred photos of cars taken at the dealership, along with several pictures of the employees.

I take a lot of pictures of my cars, and I have found that very helpful. In the winter of 2010 I discovered that my rear washer fluid sprayer was damaged on our 2007 Subaru Impreza Wagon. I thought the damage had been done at the airport or perhaps during a recent visit to the shop for an oil change. By looking at my pictures I was able to see the damage was actually there months before I had noticed it. I figured the damage probably came from a car wash with the hanging material that drags along top of the car. With digital, all it cost me is the disk space it resides on. You never know what picture you have that will turnout to be of value to you.

Feel free to leave a comment below about your car buying experiences. When did you buy your first car? When did you buy your first brand spanking new car?

And remember, get out there and take a few pictures. It couldn't hurt!

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