Originally Posted by
lumpy
My XJ Cherokee's rear unibody rust problem got dramatically worse this spring, to the point where it was unsafe to drive and would be a very involved fix that still might not pass Massachusetts inspection. Sad after driving it for 10 years and 180,000 miles, but I scrapped it and went Subaru:
2011 Forester, 5-speed manual transmission, 93K miles.
I couldn't be happier. It's not what you'd call fast, but the things I care about for where I live, like ground clearance, turning circle, comfort over bad dirt roads, and visibility are all top-notch. I had to look pretty hard to get one with a 5-speed but it's worth it for me.
My girlfriend has a bad back and the ride and the seats really work for her. And it's big enough that my 6'6" kid can sit in the back reasonably comfortably. Overall super practical.
Sunroof and Bluetooth are nice too.
I can't wait for winter.