Subaru Forrester vs Rav4

Yeah, I’m not wild about the new ones, but if your sister can get 0% financing I say she should go for it.

 

I just traded in a 2010 RAV4 with 127k miles on it for my Taco. I really liked the Rav...it was rugged, but not a good base for what I wanted after the years. It did serve me well while I had it, I was just itchin' for a Taco

My wife has a 2015 Forester that has been great so far. It drives fine to me - it is not a luxury vehicle, but it is not supposed to be. The newer RAV's are becoming too close to run-of-the-mill "mall mom grocery getters" for me. They remind me of Buicks...non descript in all manners

 

My wife has a 2018 RAV4 AWD Adventure trim and loves it. We also have a 2015 Tacoma DBCB TRD Off-road 4x4 as well as a 2007 FJCruiser 4x4. We're a bit biased towards Toyota these days but I hear good things about Subaru.

 

I had a 2018 stick shift forester. After that, I’m not sure.

it handled great in the snow.
All other driving conditions felt like the driver’s Ed simulator in high school or a video game.
Didn’t help that I traded in a stick shift VW Sportwagen to get the forester.

 

Also, my Forester burned oil from very early on. When I searched that topic, it seemed not all that uncommon.

 

Yes, as frequent as 1 in 10 Foresters depending on year, though it's been improved enough that it's no longer the biggest concern. The CVT is the bigger questionable item - rough shifting early on, and bad long-term durability beyond 60K. The CVT also can't handle wheelspin, so the traction control system cuts power prematurely on slippery surfaces.